in Contriving Mun's Redemption. 'Tis true, the Undcrftanding is a rational ~acuity, and _e\rery a Et of it is really, or i~ ap- ~ pearanee, grounded on Rea for~. _But th~re IS a wtde c~tfference betwee~ the p~·ovmg a 13P· 7 · DoEtrinc by Reafon, and the gtvmg a rcat0n why we beheve tb~ trurh of It. For mfrance, ~ we cannot prove the Trinity by narurai_Rcafon ; and tl~c ~u~nlty of the Scboolmm, who affeR to give fame reafon of all things, 1s here more preJUdiCial than advantageous to the Truth, I' or he that pretends to maintain a Point py Reafon, and is unfuccefsful, doth weaken the Credit which the Authority of Revelation gives. And 'tis conoderable, that. the Script~tre in delivering (upernatural Trutl~s, produces God's Authority as their only Proof, without uong any other way of argurng : But although we cannot demonflrate thefe Myftcries ~y Reafon, yet we ~ay gJVe ~ rattonal account why we behev~ them. Is it not the h1ghefl Reafon to beheve th,e D1fcovery_that God hath made of H1mfelf, and his Decrees?. For he perfeR!y knows his own Nature and Will ; and 'tis impoffi· ble he fhould deceive us: This natural Principle is the Foundation of Faith. When God fpeaks, it becomes Man to hear with Silence and Submiffion. H is naked Word is as certainas a Demonfl:rarion. And is it not moll reafonab!e to believe, that the Deity cannot be fully underllood by us? The Sun may more eaGly be included in a Spark of Fire, than the infin1tc Perfettlons of God be comprehended by a finite Mind. The Angels who dwell fo near the Fountain of Light, cover their ~aces ~n a holy Confu~on, not being able to compreh.end H1m. How much lefs can Man m thiS earthly State, d1ftant from God, and opprefl With a Bur. then of Flefh ? Now, from hence, it follow•·; 1. That Ignorance of the manner, how Divine Myftcries exift, is no fufficient Plea foi· Infidelity, when the Scriptttre re~e~ls that ~hey are. For, Reafon that is limited and refirain'd, canno_t frame a Concepuon that IS com~enfurate to tl~e Ejfence and .Power of God. This Will appear more clearly by conodenng the Myftenous Excellencres of the Divine Nature, the certainty of which we believe, but the manner we cannot underHand: As that his Effence and Attributes are the fame, without the leaft lbadow of Compofition; yet his Wifdom and Power are, to our Apprehenfions, diflin£1:, and his Mercy and J uftice in fame manner oppofite ( "). That his Effence is intire in all places, yet (u? Inf.ninot terminated in any. That He is above the Heavens, and beneath the Eanh, yet hath ~s [o:f~7fus no relation of high or low, diftant or near. That He penetrates alt Subftances, but is tamus, quJ.n· mixed with none. That he underftands, yet receives no lde.s's within Himfelf; That '11[,~/1 nQtu:.t be wil1s, yet harh no motioQ that carries Him out of Himfelf. That in him Time bath 7:r:kfl~;! pe· no Succeffion, that which is palt is not gone, and that which is future, is not ro come. llus <~n$uflum ~hat He loves without Patfton, is angry without Difturbance, repents without Change. ;~;,~;~;:QJi. 1hefe PerfeRions are above the CapaCity of Reafon fully to underfland, yet effential to "' '"'", ·'""' ~~~}!~la~. p:rri':.~ 3~~2 )~~a~~~~~ ar~~ha~tJ:n~~~~~;es~~~l~n~~P~l~~?r~~!a~: ~1~~~6~:. without the Confuoon of Properties, Reafon cannot reach unto, but 'tis clearly reveal'd · in ~ 1!~e'6b~~i~~l0~f ;~i:~· i~1 1t~r:~g~~~~o~~ :bf~~eflT~~~h' \~~~ ~n~~~e. Affent , upon . the account of a Dtvme Tefltmony. If reafon will not affent to Revelation, till it underflands the maoner how Divine Things are, it doth not obey it at all. The Underftandmg then Gncerely fubmrts, when 'us inclin•d by thofe Motives, which demonflrate that fuch a Belief IS due to the Authonty of the Revealcr, and to the quality of the ObJett. To beheve only 111 proportion to our narrow Conceptions, is to difparage the Diyme T.ruth, and debafe the Otvmc Power. We can't know what God can do; He ts Of!Intp~tenr, tho' we arc not Ornnifcient ; 'Tis jufl we fhould humble our Ignorance to IllS \'llfdom, And that every lofty Imagination, and high thint, that exaltJ its [elf againjf t~e ~now/edge ofGod, ft;~ul.d be caft .down, and eve~y Thoue,ht ca.ptwated. mto the obtdience ~~ Chrijl, 2 Cor. 10. S· . T IS our w ,rdom to recetve the great Myflenes of the Gofpel m the~r limphcJty :_ For m attemptmg ro gtve an exaR and cuneus Explication of them, the Underftandmg, as m an Hedge of Thorns, the more it {hives, the more ,ris wound... ~d and entangled. God's ~vays are far abO'Ve O!fYJ, and hi.s Thoughts above ours, as Heaven 11 abO'Ve .tbe Earth. 'I o t:eJc8 what we can't comprehend, is not only to ftn againft Faith, ~~~b:J:~":e;,~~~~:'·J~~J~C~l 7~cknowledges it felf finite, and ucable to Jiarch ortt the Alno:,~i;;;fta~~i~~:~~~dfc tfe:~~~~~e~~~;~a~J~~;;e~l~~~:,:i:f, ~ll~~~1 ;',_~~lib:r;l~ari:eJcri)~u~~; Ob)etts of Senfe, the contranety of appearances cloth not lefi'cn the certainty of thmgs. !he StaiS,, to our fight,. feem but glmenng Sparl<s, yet they are immenfe Bod1es. And tiS one thu1g to be aflured of a Truth, another to anfwer to all the Drfficulnes that encounter 1t: A mean Underftanding is capable of the firft ; the fecond is fo difficul t, T that
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