Tillotson - BX5037 T451 1712 v2

440 Vol. 11. S 1WI O:\ GL,XVII. Of the Faith or Perfwafion of a Divine Revelation. TheThird Sermon-n this Text. HEB. XI. 6. 23ut without Faith it is impoffrble to pleafe God. IHave obferv'd that a Religious and Divine Faith comprehends under it three things. Firf, A Perfwafion of the Principles of Natural Religion, which are known by the light of Nature. Secondly, A Perfwafion of things Supernatural, and Revsal'd: Thirdly, A Perfwafion of Supernatural Revelation. The tmo former of thefe I have confider'd, and now proceed to the Third fort of Faith, which I call Divine, or Betiginus; viz. a Perfwafion eoti cerning a Divine Revelation, that is fuck; which I diflinguifh from the former thus. The former is a Perfwafion concerning the things which are reveal'd from God, that they are. true : this is a Perfwafion concerning the Revelation it Leif, that it is Divine and fromGod: For the opening of this there are many things to be taken into confderatione L What we underfand by a Divine Revelation. H. The feveral Kinds of ir. III. Whether a Perfwafion concerning a Divine Revelation be properly Faith. IV. How we may come to be affured of a Divine Revelation, or by what Arguments a Faith or Perfwafion of a Divine Revelation is wrought in us. V. The Degrees of this Perfwafion or Affurance. VI. The Effects of it. VII. In what fence it may be laid to be a Divine Faith; under which /hall fpeak fomething concerning the Teftimony of the Spirit. I. What we are to underhandby a DivineRevelation. Anjw. A Supernatural dif- covery,ormanifeftation of things to us. I fay fnpernatural,becaufe it may either be im- mediately by God, or by the mediation of Angels; as molt, if not all the Re- velations of the Old Teftament were; a fupernatural Difcovery, or Mani- fellation, eitherimmediately toour minds, and inward faculties ; ( for I do not fowell underhand the diftintlion between vnder(1andi'g and Imagination, as to becareful to takenotice ofit ; ) orelfe mediately toourunderflandings,by the mediation of our outward Senfes, as by an external appearance to our bodily eyes, or by avoice, and found to the fenfe of hearing. Sur of this I have difcours'd in a former seevol.Sermon, * and therefore fhall add no more here. 57. 3 Senn. H. For the feveral kinds of Divine Revelation ; of this alfò I have formerly SeeErol, difcou[S'd at large. i. Seem. III. Whether a Perfwafion of a Divine Revelation may properly be call'd 13. Faith ? To this I anfwer, That according to the ftreight and natrow notion of Faith, which the Schools have 6xd, which is an affent to any thing grounded upon the Teftimony, and Authority of God revealing ir, a Per- fwafion of a Divine Revelation cannot properly be call'd Faith o be- caufe it is irrational to expe& that a man should have another Divine Revelation to affure him, that this is a Divine Revelation: for then for the fame reafon, I mutt expect another Divine Revelation to affure me of that, . and fo without end. But 1 have fufhciently {hewn, that this is not the true Notion of Faith in general, but only of a particular kind of Faith ; viz, that which

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