Serm. XII. OfSelf -denial, and Si fering for Chrifi's Sake. 91 which are molt frequently infifted upon, and fome äf them by very devout and well meaning Men; as, that in matters of Faith, We fhould deny and renounce our own Senfes and our Reafon ; nay, that we fhould be content to renounce our own Eternal Happinefs, and be willing to be damned for the Glory of God and the Good of our Brethren. But all thefe are fo apparently and gray unrea- fonable, that it is a Wonder that any one fhould ever take them for Inflances of that Self-denial which our Saviour requires ; efpecially confidering, that in all his Difcourfe of Selfdenial, he does not fo much as glance at any of there In- ftances, or any thing like to them. I. Some comprehend under Self-denial, the denying and renouncing our .own Senfes in matters of Faith. And if this could be made out to be intended by our Saviour in this Precept, we needed not difpute any of the other Inftances, For he that renounceth the certainty of Senfe, fo as not to believe what he fees, may after this renounce and deny any thing. For the Evidence of Senfe is more clear and unqueftionable than that of Faith, as the Scripture frequently intimates;. as fobn 20. 29. where our Saviour reproves Thomas, for refufing tobelieve his Refurre&ion, upon any lefs Evidence than that of Senfe ; Becaufe thou haft feen, thou haft believed : Bleffed are they which have not Peen, and yet have believed ; which plainly fuppofeth the Evidence of Senfe to be the higheft and cleareft degree of Evidence. So likewife that of St. Paul, 2 Cor. g. 7. We walk by Faith, and not by Sight; Where the Evidence ofFaith, as that which is more imperfe& and obfcure, is oppofed to that of Sight, as more clear and certain. So that to believe any Articleof Faith, in contradiaion to the dear Evi- dence of Senfe, is contrary to the very Nature of Affent; :which always yields to the greateft and cleareft Evidence. Befides that our belief of Religion is at lß refolved into the certainty of Senfe : So that by renouncing that, we deftroy and undermine the very Foun- dation of our Faith. One of the plaineft and principal Proofs of the Being of God (which is the' firft and Fundamental Article of all Religion) relies, upon the certainty of Senfe, namely, the Frame of this vifible World, by the Cons templation whereof we are led to the acknowledgment of the invifible Author of it. So St. Paul tells us, Rom. I. 20. That, the invifible things of God, from theCreation of the World, are clearly feen, being under lood by the things which are made, even bis eternal Power and Godhead. And the great external Evidence of the ChriftianReligion, I mean Miracles, is at Taft refolved into the Certainty of Senfe; without which we can have no Affurance that any Miracle was wrought for the Confirmation ofit. And the knowledge likewife of the Chriftian Faith, is conveyed to us by. our Senfes ; the Evidence whereof if it be uncertain, takes away all certainty of Faith.. How Thrill they believe, faith St. Paul, Rom. to. t4. How (hall they be- lieve in him, of whom they have not Heard? And ver. 17. So then Faith corn- eth by beating, andhearing by the word of God. So that to deny and renounce our Senfes in matters of Faith, is to take away the main Pillar and Foundation of it. 2. Others, ahnoft with equal Abfurdity, would comprehend under our Sa- viour's Precept of Self-denial, the denying and renouncing of our Reafon in matters of Faith. And this is Self-denial with a Witnefs, for a Man to deny his ownReafon ; for it is to deny himfelf tobe a Man. This furely is a very great miftake, and tho' the ground of it may be innocent ; yet the confequence of it, and the.Difcourfes upon it, are very abfurd. The Ground of the miflake is this. Men think they deny their own Reafon, when they affent to the Revelation of God in fuch things, as their own Reafon could neither have difcovered, nor is able to give the Reafon of : Whereas in this Cafe, a Man is fo far from denying his ownReafon, that he does that which is molt agreeable to it. For ,what more reafonable than to believe whatever we are fufficiently affur'd is reveal'd'to us by God, who can neither be deceived him- felf, nor deceive us?
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