Spiritual PerfeCiion CHAP. tV. p11rticttlar Graces Conft~er'd, tke internal Prin.ciples of Perft'~lion. Divin'e FaitiJ DO~ri .. nal, Jujlifying, And. '." tlu difJ:oj:.lll of. Prov~denct. D~tlrmal Faith U not lmaginatt.on, nor Reafon. The Objc{/s of'tt. The Motl'1m confider a. The Ejfential Perfe{/IOns of God. Faith in dzvtn( Revt:latlon, u the mojl rea/onab!e All of the HrJmane mmd. ~;:, ·s r;:1 ;};:e~,:~::fr:Jsm;:;at~(e:~id/;{uplfr~al,;~:{a!fr::0;:ac~=; 'he ~:jfo,~;{,;J;;;; ConvifJion, that. the7 are reveaf ~ bJ hrm. God re:vea!s hrm(elf tn .ScrrptrJrt bJ humane expref/ions accordtnJ!. to our Capaczty. We are obf,gul to be!teve fupernatural Dorlrine_r no farther than they are reveal'd. To attempt the Comprehmfive knowledge of them, u perftllly vain; 'tU impo/]ible, impertinent, and danJ!.~rouJ . Ct~riofity of! m fatal t (J FJZith. .An An/wtr to O~jtf1,om, that {upernatt1Yal Doarmes are not ruonctlcable to Rea[on. Th.-t when mm ufe all mtans fincerely to know the trmh of them, and ~re not Convinc'd of it, th'} fbaO not be Condemn'd for involtmtarJ, fpecul•tive Errors. J ~~~ ~~~: f~~~~~~~~e~fu~fit~u~a1ft~ ~~a~~fl~~~c:'fn °t~:~~~;~l~~~\1n~:ns~~~i~~ and Love, Hope and Fear, arc the interna l Principles of Chriftian Perfcc:tion. I will firfl difCourfe of Divine Faith, the firfl principle and foundation of Religion, H,b. u . :j ~Z:mAiJ:A~I~i~~c};;·;; {elJt ~~:;: 'T~~ ~e~:t~t~fs ~~:~;ea~~41B:~n~}r, a~d :~~~ r~~~t:~ of Holy Wodhip. This Grace is moll: Honourable to God, and beneficial to us. The underll:anding is our Supreme Faculty, and by [ubmitt ing it to divine Revelation, we pay the moll: humble Homage' to him. By Faith we Conceive of God, becoming his divine Perfellions: in believing the Revelation he has made of his Nature, whtch is as Incom. prehenfibk as 'tis Invifible, and the declaration of his Will, though the things promis'd are encompafs'd with oppofirion and feeming impoflibilities , we glorifie his perfetl: Veracity and Omnipotence in the highell manner. He that believes the divine Tefi'i. many, Jets hU Seal that Qod U true; ratifies his word in the moll: folemn m1nncr. Faith is mofl beneficial to us. 'Tis the root of the Spiritual Life, from whence all other Graces derive their flourifhing and fruitfulnefs. 'Tis not only produtl:ive of its own aCts, but excites and animates every Grace in its difl:infr cxerercife: Like the animal Spiri rs, that give motion and vigour to all the Senfes. Faith in Chrill: conve}~s to a weak Chriflian a kind of Omnipotence: Th~ ApoOie declares, I can do all things Hob. " · through Chrifl th.r flrengthens me. The mofl emtnent elfclls of other Graces, either aCtive or fuffering, Fonitude, Zeal, Self-denyal, Patience, are attributed to Faith ; as the Honour of a Vitl:.ory is afcribed to the General, by whofe Condutl: and Courage the Batt le is managed, though 'tis obta in'd by the Valour ef the Soldiers. By Faith rve are jujlified from the guilt of our many and mighty Sins. We are puri· Rom. ,. '· jied from tbeir deep PolirlftO»J: We are adopted 10!0 the hne of Heaven; and are raved A1h ' '· from miG:ry extreme and eternal. I will confider Divine Faith under three Heads. I. Dotl:rinal Faith. 2 • Jufli• fying Faith. 3· Faith in the difpofal of all things, by the ruling Providince of God. Dotl:rinal Faith I will confider, 1. In its natu re. 2. The objeCls of it. ~· The motives. 4· The efficacy. I. The nature of it. All the notions of Faith agree in this; 'tis a dependance upon the truth of another. Tbus Trufl is called Faith; becaufe it relies upun the truth of a Promife: And one is [aid to keep his Faith inviolate, when he performs the Promife t~at another relyed on. Faith in the propriety of exprcffion, is an affent for rhe veraCity of the fpeake r : Accordingly, Divine Faith is a firm a!Tcnt of the Mind to things, upon the authority of Divine Revelation. 'Tis diflinguiOJ'd from Imagination, and from compreher.Gve Reafon. Fancy draws a Copy of thofe Objells that are perceived by the external Seofes, or compounds many Copies together, but creates no images of things not perceptible by · the Senfes. We can imagine Mountains of Gold, becaufe we have feen Gold and Mountains: We conceive monllrous mixtures in Dreams; but no actors can appear on the theatre of Fancy, but in borrowed habits from fenfible things. But the Objells of Faith
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