CCXXI. SERM.cerning which he had no affurance, in contradiction to a divine revelation, which he knew to be fuch. Not but that the command which God had given him was in it's own nature revocable, and God might have countermanded it by another immediate revelation to him, or by an equivalent, that is a miracle wrought by the prophet who pretended to countermand it from GOD. Unumquodque diffolvitur eo modo quo ligatur; the obligation which was brought upon him by an immediate revelation could not be diffolved but by another immediate revelation, or evidence equivalent to it. However, this inftance ferves in the general to my purpose, that a man may be faulty by credulity as well as by unbelief: and as a man ought not to difbelieve where there is fufficient evidence fo neither ought he to believe any thing without fufficient grounds of affurance. 3. That miracles wrought for the confirmation of any divine testimony or revelation made to another, are a fufficient means whereby thofe, who have not the divine revelation immediately made to them, may be affured that it is divine; I fay, these are fufficient means of assurance in this cafe. I do not fay they are the only means (for it does not become men to limit the power and wifdom of GoD) but I do not know of any other means of affurance, upon which men can fecurely rely; and it is a great prefumption that this is the beft and fitteft, if not the only means, because the wisdom of God hath always pitched upon it, and constantly made use of it, and no other. Under miracles I comprehend the prediction of future events, which GOD claims as a peculiar prerogative to himfelf, because fuch things are out of the reach of any created understanding; and therefore in the prophet Ifaiah he challengeth the idols of the heathens to give "fhew SER M. CCXXI. this teftimony or argument of their divinity; But here we must distinguish between doubtful and unquestionable miracles. I call thofe doubtful miracles, which, though a man cannot tell how they can, be done by any natural power, yet do not carry that full conviction with them, as to be univerfally owned and acknowledged for arguments of a divine power. Such were those which the magicians did by their inchantments. I call thofe unquestionable, which, confidering their quality and number, and the publick manner of doing them, are out of all queftion. Such were the miracles of Mofes, and our SAVIOUR. Now, a doubtful, and a fingle, and a private wonder, or miracle, as I may call it, can give no confirmation to, any thing in oppofition to a revelation, or a doctrine, confirmed by many, and publick, and unquestionable miracles. Upon this account Mofes forbids the children of Ifrael to hearken to any prophet that should come to seduce them to idolatry; yea, though he fhould "give thee a fign or wonder, and the fign or "wonder should come to pafs," Deut. xiii. 1, 2, 3, 4. Now here lies the ftrength of the reafon, "be"cause he hath spoken to turn you away from the "LORD your God, which brought you out of the "land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house "of bondage," that is, becaufe he contradicts the great revelation which God made of himself, and confirmed by fuch a fucceffion of so many and fo great miracles; the credit of which revelation ought not in reafon to be called in queftion, upon the working of a fingle and a private wonder, which we could not diftinguish from a miracle. Upon the fame account St. Paul, Gal. i. 8. fays, "though an angel from 0 3 "heaven SERM. heaven fhould preach any other doctrine than that CCXXI. "which had been preached unto them, he should be "accurfed;" that is, after fo clear and great confirmation, as was given by the gofpel, a contrary doctrine, though it should come from an angel, fhould be rejected as execrable. But you will fay, suppose fuch a prophet as Mofes fpeaks of here, fuch an angel as St. Paul mentions, should work as many and as great miracles as Mofes and CHRIST Wrought, fhould we then believe them? I anfwer, this is not to be fuppofed: for fuppofing the providence of GoD in the world, it cannot be imagined that an equal atteftation should be given to a falfe doctrine and a true. But that the greatest and most unquestionable miracles are to carry it, is evident; because this is all the reason why Mofes was to be credited above the magicians, because he wrought more and greater wonders than they did. But if it could be fuppofed that any one could work as great miracles for the confirmation of idolatry, as were wrought by way of atteftation to the true worship of Gon, then there would be no difference, but what the reason of the thing makes, the belief of one God being more reasonable than many; and not to make an image or fenfible representation of a spirit, being more reafonable than to make one. But if this could be fuppofed, the natural iffue and consequence of it would be atheism; a man would believe neither that nor the other, nor that there is any GoD at all. But a farther account of the nature and difference of miracles, I reserve to fome* particular discourses on that fubject. At prefent, for the fuller opening of this matter, it will be proper to fhew, 1. That the divine authority both of the doctrine See fermons on Heb, ii. 4. in this vol. of of Mofes and CHRIST is refolved into miracles. 2. What affurance of miracles is fufficient to perfuade men to believe that teftimony, for the confirmation of which they are wrought. 3. What affurance they give us, that the scriptures are a divine revelation. But the confideration of these I refer to the next opportunity. SERMON CCXXII. Of the faith or persuasion of a divine revelation. HE B. xi. 6. But without faith it is impoffible to please GOD. IN dif difcourfing of the faith or perfuafion of a divines E R M. revelation, I proposed the confidering these feven CCXXII. things. 1. What we understand by a divine revelation. III. Whether a perfuafion concerning a divine revelation be properly faith. IV. How we may come to be affured of a divine revelation; or by what arguments a faith or perfuafion of a divine revelation is wrought in us, V. The degrees of this perfuafion or affurance. VII. In what sense it may be said to be a divine faith. 1. That The fourth fer mon on this text. SERM. 1. That the divine authority both of the doctrine of Mofes and CHRIST is refolved into miracles. 2. What affurance of miracles is fufficient to perfuade men to believe that teftimony, for the confirmation of which they are wrought. 3. What affurance they give us, that the scriptures are a divine revelation. I proceed to treat of thefe in their order. 1. I shall shew that the divine authority both of the doctrine of Mofes and of CHRIST is refolved into miracles. We find the fcripture lays the whole weight of the divine authority both of the law and gofpel, of the revelation of the old and new teftament, upon this evidence, Exod. iv. 1, 2, 3. When GOD fends Mofes, he objects, "that they will not believe "him, nor hearken to him, but will fay the LORD hath "not appeared unto him." Thereupon God gives him a power of miracles, that they may believe, "that "the LORD GOD of their fathers, the God of Abra"ham, Ifaac, and Jacob hath appeared unto them;" and by the evidence of those miracles which he wrought he prevailed over the magicians. And generally throughout the story of the old teftament we find all perfons yielding to the evidence of miracles, as a fufficient atteftation to a prophet and his meffage. When Elijah had prevailed with GOD in a miraculous manner, to confirm his own worship, and confute the worship of Baal, by fending fire from heaven to confume the facrifice, the people yield to this evidence, and cry out," the LORD he is GOD, the LORD he "is Gop," 1 Kings xviii. 39. When Elijah raised the woman's fon, then fhe owned him for a prophet, 1 Kings xvii. 24. "now by this I know that thou "art a man of GOD, and that the word of the LORD "in thy mouth is true." So likewife Naaman was con |