John]·'!. 2 Cor. ~.I. john1.5. 1john3·3· Spiritual PerftClion. Faith are fUch things, M EJe bath not [ren, JJOY EAr heard, and tranfcend the capacity of the Imagination to conceive, and of the external Senfes to reprefem: Yet Infidels blafphe!lle che Ecernal Trurhs of Divine rhings, as rhe fiClions of Fancy. 2. Pairh is diftinguifh'd from Science, acquired by Srudy, and from Reafon. Reafon implies a progrefs from one degree of Knowledge to anorher, by confequence1 drawn from rile firft to rhe fecond : Bur Faith a!fenrs to rhings upon the accounr of fuperiour Authomy .that reveals them, and commands us to beheve them. The fame things may be rhe ObJc.as of Faith and of Rcafon, but in different 1:efpeCls: Reafon may dtfcovcr them, by afcend10g from effetls to the1r caufes, or dcfcendmg from caufes to their etfetls: Faith receives them as revealed in Scripture; By Fait/; we know the 1Vorlds were made· which may be proved by clear Reafon.· ' . 2. The ObjeCls of Faith. The !'encral Ob)ell of Fait h is rhcWord of God; rhe fpectal, are rhofc Dotl:nnes, and Promtfes, and 1 btngs, thar Reafon cannot dircovet by its own Ltght, nor perfeaJy undedland when revealed. Tbc Word of God contains a Narrative of rhing<palt, and Preditl:ions of rhings ro come : The deftrutl:ton of rbe old World by a deluge of Waters, and rhe confumption of rhe prefent World by a deluge of Ftre, arc Ob)eCls of Patth: But che Untty of the DIVIne Nature, and the Trinity of Divine Perfons, the Incarnari?n of the Son of God, hiS Eternal Counfels refpeE\ing Mans Redempuon, never enttrd mto the Heart of Man to conuive ; but are as far above our Thoughts, as the Heavens are above the Earth, and cannot be comprc. hended. God may be confidered abfolurely in himfelf, or as revealing himfelf and his Will ro us. \Ve have fame knowledge of his Being and Divine Anri butes , W1fdom, Power, Good~efs in his \Vorks of Creation and Providence ; but we believe in him, as declaring his Mtnd and Wi!J to us io his Word. We may !wow a Perfon, and hjs excellcm Vertues Intellectual and Moral, bur we canaor believe in !urn withour Come difcovery of his Thoughts and Afft:Cl:loos ro us. 3· The morives of Bdief are to be conGdercd. Divine Faith murt 1'lave a Di\'ine Foundation. Fairl1 may be abfolutcly rrue, and relatively f•lfe. Many believe the Dollrine of rhe Gofpel, upon no other grounds than rhe T11rks believe the Alcoran; becaufe 'cis rhe rcignmg Relig1on of cheir Counrry, and by the impreffion of Example: From hence their Fatth is like the Houfe bmlt on the Sand; and when a Srorm arif~o.s, is in danger of falling. The firm foundarion of Faith is rhe e!fenrial fupreme PerfeClions of God ; unerring Knowledge, immutable Truth, infinite Goodnefs, almighty Power. 'Tis equally impoffible char he fhould be deceived or deceire. His infinite UnderOand ing is the foundation of hiS perfea Veracity. And wharfoever i1 rhe ObJeCl: of his WiU, is the Objell of his Power; for ro will and ro do are rhe fame thing in him. 'Tis true, the knowledge of rhings by c::xperimental Senfe, is a clearer perception than the perfwafion of them by Faith. The firl! is to fee the Origin al, the other is to fee rhe Copy, thar ufually falls fhort of ir. 'Tis therefore fa id, We nmv fee in • gl.ji dark/1 : But the Divine Tetlimony in it felf has the moll convincing evidence, above the affurance we can have by the report of our Senfes1 which often deceive us, through the indifpofltion of rhe Faculry, or the unfitnefs of rhemedium, or diftance of the ObjeCt', or rhe knowledge of rhings by difcurlive Ratiocmarion. The ob1eClive certamry of Faith is infallible. We lmow with the hi ghell alfurance, that God can no more lye, than he caa dye. 'Ti , faid, All things are po/}ible with God ; bur ro lye or dye are not poffibilicies 1 but paffibiJicies; not the effeas of Power 1 but proceed from Weaknefs. We know the facred Scriptures are the Word of God, by rhc fignarures of his PerfeElions, Wifdom, Holinefs, Goodnefs, Ju!lice; and by rhe Miracles perform'd by the Penmen of rhem, char proved rhey w<re divinely infpir'd ; and confequemly infallible in whar rhey wrore. Prom hence Pairh is often expref,'d by Knowledge. Nicodemm gives this tefiimony of our Saviour, We knowtholf, art a teacher come from God. 1-fle he!teve and Are{ure1 th011 art that Chrijl1 the Son of the livinl!. God. We know that if the htJtt{e of thU earth/] tabe~ nacle be difJolved, we IJave " buildtng made withot't h~nds, tternal 111 the Heavens: H·e know tlw I" w,u m•nifejled, that he might t•ke ..vay Srn. We know that whm Chrijl {bail apptAr, '" fhaO be like him; for we fbaU fee him as he u. 1 will nor infift,upon the particular fupernarural Dollrines revealed in the GofjJel, for there is little new to be faid upon thofe Points: If Men wirh renewed ~inds and Hear.ts confidered the tellimonr of Scripture, there would need no more argumg: But 1 will Jay down fame Confiderarions, thar prove Divine Faith to be the reafonable all: of the Humane Underllanding. 2. Anfwer rhe ObjectiOns alledged to JUI!tfy rhe dtsbeld of Divine Dollrines, char we are nor able ro conceiVe nor comprehend. '·That
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