4 3 6 Of a Religious and Divine Faith. Vol. lf. Authority prom them to preach the (impel, because he had no need of that, be- ing call's immediately by Chrift to this Work 5 which words are nothing elfe but a farther explication of what he had faid before, ver. II, 12. 1 certie you Bre- thren; that the.GOfpel which was preach'd by me, is not after Man : for I neither re- ceiv'd it of Man, neither was taught it, but by the Revelation of 5efus Chri(1. So accordingly here our Saviour tells Peter that this Truth, That Chrifl was the Mesas; the Son ofthe livingGod, was not revealed to him by Man, nor by any meer. Humane Principle or Teftimony, but by his Father which was in Heaven ; that is, by the Teftimony which God himfelf gave of him, in the Holy and Di- vine Gofpel which he taught, and thofe Miracles which he wrought in confu- nfationof ir. So that this kind of Faith is a perfwafion of fuch things as are not known by Natural Light, nor difcover'd to us by Men ; but force way or other reveal'd by God ; I fay force way or other ; for the ways of God's revealing and manifeft- ing himfelf to us are various, and arbitrary. God may chufe what ways he pleafeth to difcover himfelf to us by. So the Apoftle tells us, Heb. i. r God, Who at fundry times, and in divers manners fpake in times pall unto the Fathers by the Prophets. God revealed himfelf at feveral times, by feveral flops and degrees : fó in various. manners ; fometimes by Vifions, fometimes by Dreams, fometimes by Oracles, fometimes by a Spirit of Prophecy, and fometimes by a Voice from Heaven, fometimes by a fecret and gentle Infpiration. Now it matters not which of thefe ways God chufeth to reveal himfelf to us, provided we have fufftcient Evidence and ground of Affurance that the thing is revealed by Gcd. As to us their extraordinary ways of Revelation are now ceafed, and we have a fix'd and ftanding. Revelation, that is, the Records of thofe Revelations which God formerly made to Holy Men 3 andthis is the HolyScriptures, or the Bible, which is a Syftem or Colle&ion of things Supernaturally reveal'd. Now if this Faith be confider'd as reftrain'd to a part of Divine Revelation, viz. the Doctrine of the Gofpel, reveal'd to the World by yefus Chrifi, then iris properly Chriflian Faith, which frequently in the New Teftament is call'd Faith styl' i o%mr, by way of excellency and eminency, this being the moil eminent and penal- Revelation which God bath made of himfelf to the World, which the Apofile at the beginning of this Epiftle advanceth above all chofe former Revelations which God had made of himfelf to the Fathers, thofe being by his Servants and Minifters, Prophets and Angels : But in thefe 141 days God bath re-. waled himfelf to us by his Son, whom he bathmade Heir ofall things, and advan- ced to a Dignity above that of Men or Angels. And with relation to this Faith of the Gofpel, Chriftians are peculiarly and eminently call'd believers. a Theft z. to. lea knows how undlameably webehaved our (elves amongyou that believe, that is, among you Chriftians. z Theft- t. so. When he fha11 come to be glorified in his. Saints, and admired in all them that believe, meaning the Chriftians that entertain'd the Gofpel. And upon^'the fame account the Apoftie calls the whole Society, or Body of Chriftians, the houfhold offaith, Gal. 6. so. But now I am confdering Faith, not in this more narrow and reftrained fenfe; for-a Belief or Perfwafion of the Do&rine of the Gofpe! ; but in a tnore large and comprehenfive fenfe, for a perfwafion of all things that are fupernaturally re- waled, that is, of all things contained in the Holy Scriptures. Now all the matters of Divine Revelation, which are contained in the Book of Holy Scripture, may, I think, be reduced to one of thefe fix Heads. a. They are either a Hiftory, or Relation of Tome perfon, or matter of fa& : and a Faith of the Hiftorical part of Scripture, is nothing elfe but a Perfwafion that thofe Narrations, or relations are true. Or, z. A Prophetic, or Predi&ion of force event. Now a Faith of the Prophetical part of Scripture, is a Perfwafion that the Event foretold will certainly come to pats. Or, 3. A Doctrine. Such as are all chofe Propofitions in Scripture, which declare to us the Nature or Properties of God, the Nature and Office of Chrift, that he
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