Page images
PDF
EPUB

SERM. thereof in its Liturgy and Articles, as well III. as private Divines their Expositions either in

[ocr errors]

larger Theological Systems, or leffer Catechetical Tracts: To all which, it becomes every one, as far as he is able, to have recourfe for Information, not however as his Rule, or the infallible Interpretation of it, but as useful Helps to direct his Judgment in fixing within him a right Belief of God's holy Word; it being an established Maxim, with us, that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any Man, that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith, or be thought neceffary to Salvation (s).

WITH this Caution, if we proceed to take a View of Faith in its Nature, we fhall easily discern on what a folid Footing we may reft it; while we pay a modeft, tho' not an implicit Deference to the Decifions of our Superiors, and wifely employ the Labours of others for our Advancement in the Truth; yet at the fame Time religioufly lay our Foundation on the Apostles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief Corner-ftone (t) and build on the Rock of Ages, forming all our Materials by the Model which is fet us,---that Word, which,

() Artic. vi.

(t) Ephef. ii. zo.

was

was at first spoken, and afterwards written SERM. under the immediate Influence of the Holy III. Ghoft, was confirmed by his Divine Power, and has been preserved by his gracious Care: the fublime Discoveries whereof, so excellent in themselves, and fo fully calculated to promote the Glory of God and the Happinefs of Man, we muft maintain and esteem for the most valuable Treafures, in Proportion as deluded Mifbelievers wreft and pervert them, or as profane Infidels flight and ridicule them.

THAT Our Faith may be true and genuine, and fuch as in God's Sight fhall never be reproved, the Affent, we give even to the Revelations of his Will, fhould be clear and fettled, not confufed and wavering. A blind. Faith is no better than a dead one, nor is the moft zealous Profeffion any way commendable, where it is groundless and void of the proper Support of Evidence. The Belief of any Point as coming from God, which flows not from due Conviction upon our Minds of its being a Gofpel-Truth, finks into rafh Credulity: Neither does our Lord himfelf command us to believe him inconfiderately and implicitly; but he produces the ftrong convincing Arguments of

Miracles

SERM. Miracles and Prophecy to prove his ReliIII. gion and of Courfe every Doctrine of it to

be from God: The Works, fays he, which the Father bath given me to finish, the fame Works that I do, bear Witnefs of me, that the Father bath fent me (u). And St. Peter requires the Disciples to be ready always to give an Anfwer to every Man that afketh them a Reafon of the Hope that is in them (x). Whenever Notions are taken up by Chance, there is nothing Praiseworthy in their being confonant to Scripture, and if what is right be not by a prudent Enquiry diftinguished from what is wrong, no Benefit can accrue from embracing it, fince Falfehood would have been as readily received as Truth, had it been first proposed to fuch unthinking Believers.

WE muft however act in this momentous Affair with due Humility and Reserve; and whilft we endeavour in fome Measure to search into the deep Things of God, we should take good Heed thoroughly to look into ourselves,---be apprized of the Extent of our Capacity and the Limits of our Understanding; left, if we attempt to foar too high, we grow giddy and fall headlong into Unbelief, or, if we venture

(u) St. John v. 36.

(x) 1 Ep. St. Pet. iii. 15.

to

to range too wide, we lofe our Way and SERM. run aftray into the Labyrinths of Error. III.

God's Thoughts, not thofe excepted, which he has in Part communicated to Man, are still as much above our adequate Conception, as his Ways are above our influencing Direction. There are in the Chrif tian Dispensation, and must be in every one, which is truly Divine,---which has the Deity for its chief Object as well as its fole Author; many Doctrines mysterious and incomprehenfible by the human Mind how much foever enlarged. What is finite can never take in, and contain what is infinite; and to believe God no further, than we are able to form a perfect Idea of every thing he advances, is to turn Faith into Vision, to confide not in him but ourselves, and to demand natural Knowledge instead of moral Certainty. We have a very folid Foundation for admitting any Article of fure Revelation, if we fee clearly its being afferted in the facred Records, though it be not fully explained there, nor by any human Means explicable to us. For it is not the Nature of fuch fublime Things, but God's Report concerning them, that we are to inform ourselves of; and being explicitly convinced

of

SERM. of this, we must acquiefce without requiIII. ring any intimate Perception of the other.

Now we must be content to see through a Glafs darkly (y),---and it is monstrous Arrogance to reject thofe Declarations God has condefcended to make, only because he has not gratified our Curiofity by displaying his Effence and his Conduct more compleatly.

THERE is no Propofition more evident, than that the all-perfect omnicient Being can neither deceive, nor be deceived: His Word confequently must be infallible ;---his Veracity unquestionable,---his Teftimony placed on a Level with Demonftration; and hence it follows, that our Belief of the most elevated Doctrines of the Gofpel, they being first understood, as they well may, to be of an heavenly Origin, rifes from Opinion even up into Science: Nor need we justly fear the Imputation of credulous Bigottry for afsenting to the Truths of revealed, any more than to thofe of natural Religion, as many of both are alike unaccountable by us. What ftronger Proof can we demand of any Matter, than that God has pronounced it true? And may we not, for Inftance, as foon difpute God's exifting at all, as his fubfifting

(y) Cor. xiii. 12.

in

« EelmineJätka »