The Mystery of the Gospel in Salvation, Sermon 9
Faith absolutely necessary to Salvation. SERMON IX.
ACTS XVI.30.
And said, Sirs, What must I do to be saved?
THE Doctrine, I have once and again offered from these Words, you may remember, was,
DOC. It is of the highest Concernment to perishing Sinners, to be very solicitous, what they shall do to be saved: or, to know, and practice, all that is necessary, in order to their Salvation. The Method I have proposed to pursue, in discoursing upon this Text, and Doctrine, is,
I. To shew you what it is to be saved; or, what is that Salvation which perishing Sinners stand in Need of.
II. To evidence that perishing Sinners may be saved; or, there is a Possibility, notwithstanding their present miserable Condition, that they may be eternally saved.
III. That perishing Sinners must know, and practise, all that is necessary; in order to thei… Salvation; or, there is something to be done, by them, that they may be saved.
VI. This is a Matter of the highest Concernment to them, and therefore they ought to be most seriously solicitous about it. Having, in some former Discourses, shewed you what Salvation is, and the Possibility of it, I entered upon the Third of these Heads, the last Opportunity: viz.
III. That perishing Sinners must know, and practise, all that is necessary, in order to their Salvation; or, there is something to be done, by them, that they may be saved. Under this Head, I proposed to consider these two Things, for the clearing of it. viz.
[I.] That the Sinner cannot save himself, merely, by the Virtue, Power, and Efficacy, of all that he can do. And yet,
[II.] That it is absolutely necessary that the Sinner do something, in order to his own Salvation. And wha… he must do, I said, is comprehended under that of his Knowledge, and his Practice.
I. The perishing Sinner must know all that is necessary, in order to his Salvation.
II. The perishing Sinner must reduce his Knowledge into Practice, and be ready to do, all that he shall know to be his Duty, in order to his being saved. I have gone through the First of these, namely,
I. The perishing Sinner must know all that is necessary, in order to his Salvation. I have observed, that there are certain doctrinal Articles to be believed, and practical Duties to be performed, as necessary unto Salvation; and the Sinner must know what these are, or he cannot believe the one, nor perform the other; and therefore he must take Pains with himself to inform his Understanding aright, that he may know what the Things are which the Lord his God requireth of him, that he may be saved. Thus far I have gone, and now proceed to the Consideration of the Second Head; viz.
II. The perishing Sinner must reduce his Knowledge into Practice, and be ready to do, all that he shall know to be his Duty, in order to his being saved. This is evidently implied in the Language of the Iaylor, when he said, What must I do to be saved? it speaks his Readiness to put into Practice whatsoever he should know to be his Duty to do. It is not enough, that Sinners know what the Terms of Salvation are, in what Way, and by what Means, they may obtain the Forgiveness of their Sins, escape Hell, and get safe to Heaven, but, though this is their Duty, and they cannot rationally hope to be saved in their Ignorance, yet, they must put their own Hands to the Labour, and exert themselves to do all that is required of them; vigorously run that they obtain the incorruptible Crown, and manfully fight, that they may overcome all Obstacles that lie in their Way, and diligently observe the Laws of their God, that they may be accepted of him; for all their most perfect Knowledge, without Practice, will never carry them to Heaven.
They do but greatly deceive themselves, who imagine this to be all that is required of them, in order to their partaking of the great Salvation of the Gospel, that they be well read, and studied, in the Principles, the Doctrines, and Duties, of the Christian Religion; that they know the Truth, and are able to discourse upon it, with Clearness, Copiousness, and Cogency, that they stand up to assert, and defend, the Truth, against Opposers, and are able to convince, and put to Silence, the Authors, and Fomenters, of Errors, and Heresies. These are laudable Qualifications, and amiable, in their Place; and they do well that covet earnestly the best Gifts; yet shew I unto you a more excellent Way. They must do, as well as say, if they would partake of the matchless Benefits of Salvation, contained, and offered, in the Truths of the Gospel. The Apostle Iames therefore said, Jam. i.22. Be ye Doers of the Word, and not Hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Men may hear the Word diligently, attentively, and with much Affection, and yet deceive themselves, with false grounded Hopes of Happiness, for want of doing according to what they hear. Though they make the greatest Proficiency, in the speculative Knowledge of Divine Truths, yet they will fall short of the Blessing, if they are not careful practically to improve what they know. The Scribes, and Pharisees, in our Saviour's Time, were the great Doctors of the Law, among the Iews; it was their peculiar Business to study the Law, and explain it, and teach it to the People; and yet, for all that, our Lord said to his Disciples. Matth. v.20. Verily, I say unto you, except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes, and Pharisees, ye shall, in no Case, enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And the Reason was, not because the Scribes, and Pharisees, were ignorant of the Law; no, they knew the Law, and were acquainted with their Duty; but, because they did not reduce their Knowledge to Practice, and live up to what they knew; though they made their Boast of the Law, yet, through breaking the Law, they dishonoured God; their Hearts, and Lives, were a Contradiction to their Knowledge, and they were very defective in moral Duties. Therefore it was said of them, Matth. xxiii.4. They bind heavy Burdens, and grievous to be born, and lay them on Men's Shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their Fingers. They were knowing enough, in all the Points of their Religion, to teach, and instruct others, and insist upon their being very exact, in every little Rite, and Mode, and yet they would not so much as put forth their Hand, they would not be at the trouble to move a Finger, to perform what they knew to be their Duty. Therefore our Lord pronounced a Wo upon them, saying, v. 23. Wo unto you, Scribes, and Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye pay Tythe of Mint, and Annise, and Cununin, and have omitted the weightier Matters of the Law, Iudgment, Mercy, and Faith.
So, in the Christian World, Men may not only be great Masters of Reason, above their Neighbours, but, by reading, and hard Study, may arrive at uncommon Measures of Knowledge in the Doctrines, and Duties, of Christianity; they may be well studied in the Christian Religion, in all the Parts of it, as a Science, and may make great Proficiency, and Improvement, in the speculative Knowledge of it, and yet, for want of acting according to their Knowledge, and living up to the Truths they are acquainted with, at last, be found amongst the Workers of Iniquity, and come short of the Rest that remaineth for the People of God. There are many, it is to be feared, among professing Christians, who satisfy themselves with this, that they know as much as their Neighbours, they have been well instructed in their Youth, and have had the Advantage of setting under a learned, and orthodox Ministry, and are become well ac…uainted with the Principles of the Christian Religion, and they doubt not but that they shall fare as well, in the Conclusion, as those precise, scrupulous, weak Creatures, as they account them, who will not allow themselves to go their Lengths, and practise as they do. But, let me tell all such Self-Deceivers, that all the Knowledge, and Learning, in the World, will not save them, unless they make it their constant Care to live according to what they know, and add to their Knowledge Temperance, and Patience, and Godliness, and Brotherly-Kindness, and Charity; for without these Things they will remain barren, and unfruitful, in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Persons may be well read in the Holy Scriptures, they may have them at their Fingers Ends, and yet perish, at last, for want of a real Conformity to what the Word of God requireth of them. As one, among ourselves, once well expressed it †The Reverend Mr. Nehemiah Hobart, of Newton, in a Latin Panegyrick upon some of Mr. Cheever's Scholars.:
Dum Probitas indocta Polum petit, at que prehendit,
Doctos, si pravos, Praedam sibi poscit Avernus.
While untaught Vertue 'll scand, and gain, the Pole,
Wide Hell demands the letter'd, guilty, Soul.
In short, the End of all Knowledge is Practice. As all Knowledge in the Things of Nature, and Art, that has not, some way or other, an Influence, for the better, upon the Practice of Mankind, is vain, and insignificant; so, in Religion, whatever fine Speculations any may entertain about it, who have not their practical Judgment improved thereby, and are not careful to rectify their Hearts, and Lives, by the Knowledge which they have, they are, in the Account of the sacred Scriptures, but as the Horse, and Mule, without Understanding. Psal. xxxii.9. Yea, their Knowledge will but so much the more aggravate their Crime, and encrease their Punishment, while their Lives are a Contradiction to what they know to be their Duty; for, to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is Sin: Jam. iv.17. It is Sin, with this peculiar Aggravation, that he acteth against the Light of his own Mind, and standeth self condemned in what he does.
So that, as ever perishing Sinners would be saved, it concerns them not only to know, but to do, all that is necessary in order to their Salvation. There is something to be done, by the Sinner himself, that he may escape Hell, and get safe to Heaven, and all that is necessary to be done by him is included in these two Words, Faith, and Repentance, which therefore are a direct Answer to the great Enquiry, what must I do to be saved? Thus the Apostle Paul giveth us the Summary of all his preaching, and what he ever taught, both publickly, and privately, as the great Duties incumbent upon every one that would be saved, in that saying, Acts xx.21. Testifying, both to Iews, and also to the Greeks, Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ. According to this great Example, I shall now consider these, as the two main Hinges upon which all our Practice turneth, and therefore as including all that is necessary for the Sinner to do, that he may obtain that eternal Salvation that is set before him in the Gospel. And I shall begin with the last of them first.
I. It is absolutely necessary, that perishing Sinners believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to their being saved.
II. It is absolutely necessary, that the perishing Sinner repent of all his Sins, in order to his being saved.
These two grand Points of Christianity are well worthy of our most serious Consideration, being of such Weight, and Importance, that no Man can be a true Christian, without them; and yet being designed for Persons of the meanest Capacity, as well as those of more enlarged Minds, I am apt to think, that there is not that Difficulty in a sufficiently right understanding them which some are ready to imagine; because an infinitely wise and good God cannot be supposed to require such Things, as Duties necessary to the Salvation of Mankind, as exceed the Capacity of the Meanest, and puzzle the Understanding of abler Heads, to entertain a just Conception what it is that is demanded of them. I shall endeavour therefore, with all Plainness, to shew you, as God shall enable me, the Nature, and Necessity of them.
I. It is absolutely necessary, that perishing Sinners believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to their being saved.
This being a very great, and essential Doctrine, and Duty, of Christianity, laid down in the Gospel, in the strongest Terms, and often repeated, and most peremptorily required of us, I shall endeavour to lead you into a right Conception of it, by distinctly considering these following Heads; which, I trust, will open to you, the Nature, and Necessity, of a true Gospel Faith, even that Faith which if a Man have, he shall be pardoned, justified, and eternally saved; and shew you what the Sinner must do to obtain it: viz.
I. I shall shew you, what it is to believe in Jesus Christ, or what that Faith in Christ is, which the Gospel requireth of Sinners, as necessary to their Salvation.
II. I shall evidence that this Faith in Christ, which the Gospel requireth, is absolutely necessary to the Sinner's Salvation.
III. I shall then consider, what the perishing Sinner must do to obtain this Faith in Christ, that he may be saved.
I. I am to shew you, what it is to believe in Jesus Christ; or what that Faith in Christ is, which the Gospel requireth of Sinners, as necessary to their Salvation.
Here I shall not trouble myself, nor you, with the many School Distinctions, about the Nature of a justifying, saving, Faith; the most of which appear to me to be no better than vain Disputations, and idle Wranglings, to no good Purpose: for the greatest Part of Mankind are not capable of receiving them, and entertaining any clear Conception of them; and, probably, the far greater Part of true Believers know nothing at all about them; and if they knew more of them than they do, they would but serve, rather, the more to puzzle their Heads, than to better their Hearts, or Lives, and very much tend to bewilder them in Uncertainties of their own State, or puff them up with a vain Conceit of themselves; as, on the one Hand, we see many good Christians walking in Darkness, and calling in Question the Truth of their Faith, because their Minds have been greatly clouded with the Smoke, and Dust, arising from the subtle, and intricate, Distinctions, and Disputations of Men; and very loose, and carnal Professors, on the other Hand, fondly concluding the Certainty of their Faith, and highly opinionated of themselves, because their Tongues are tip'd with a peculiar sett of Phrases, they have been taught to be the distinguishing Characters of a saving Faith, which yet they understand not. The Gospel Account of that Faith in Christ, which is necessary to Salvation, and so to our being justified, and accepted of God, seemeth, to me, sufficiently plain, and level to the lowest Capacity, and I shall not endeavour to make it less plain, but, if possible, to remove the Rubbish, and wipe off the Dust, that it may appear in a fair Light, and you may see more distinctly what that great Duty of believing is, which is required of you.
Only I would observe, that in discoursing upon the Doctrine of Faith in Christ, I am not concerned to enter into any particular Consideration of the Belief of the Being of a God; because, though this is forever included in the Gospel Dispensation, and the Faith therein required of us, yet it is nothing peculiar to the Christian Religion, but is the common, and only certain, Foundation of all Religion; and I am prone to think, that there are but very few, if any in the World, and I am pretty sure that there are none such among ourselves, but what believe there is a God; though many are Fools enough to say in their Hearts, as their secret Wish, and, if they could, would, perswade themselves, that there is none.
The Faith that I am to treat of is, That Faith in Jesus Christ, which the Gospel alone requireth of us. I say the Gospel alone; for, it was required of the Iews, under the Old Testament Dispensation, to believe in the Messiah to come, to whom all their legal Sacrifices, Services, and Priesthood, had a special typical Reference, in which Sense the Gospel was preached unto them, as the Writer to the Hebrews observed; Heb. iv.2. yet, by this, I would be understood to distinguish the Faith of the Christian, not only from that of a Pagan, … Mahometan, but, from the Faith of the Iew; inasmuch as the new Testament, which is, strictly speaking, the Gospel, requireth of us Faith in the Messiah, or, Jesus Christ, as already come, to all the Intents, and Purposes, he was originally designed for; as the promised Deliverer, who should recover the World from the dreadful Effects of Satan's Malice, and Power, in engaging the human Nature in a Revolt from it's rightful Sovereign.
And because this is so great an Article of real Christianity, and that you may not be mistaken in so important a Point, upon which all our Hopes of future Happiness are dependent, I shall now proceed, with all convenient Plainness, and Brevity, to set before you, what appeareth to me to be, the true Gospel Notion of Faith in Christ, or, what the Gospel intendeth by a Sinner's believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Salvation of the Soul: for this the Apostle, in the Verse following my Text, giveth, as a direct Answer to the Iayler's Enquiry; Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
Now, in the General, this Faith, which the Gospel requireth, in order to a Man's being justified, and saved, doth not seem to me, to mean, the Act of any one particular Power, only, of the Soul, but, of all the Powers of it, and so it is the whole Soul exerting itself, in it's Regards towards the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Demands of the Gospel. It must be the Act of the whole Soul, because the whole Soul is designed to be brought Home to God, by the Faith of Jesus Christ; and Faith must have it's Regards to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the special Object of it, because it is in, and by, him alone, as our only Mediator, that we can have any Access unto God; and it must be according to the Demands of the Gospel, because therein only we have a Revelation from God, how we may have Access to him, by Faith in Christ Jesus. And therefore, as I conceive, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, includeth, more particularly, these Things in it.
1. A serious, and firm, Perswasion of Mind concerning the Truth, and Certainty, of all that is revealed to us, in the Word of God, relating to Jesus Christ, and the Way of Salvation by him.
2. An entire Satisfaction with the Methods of Salvation, by him, propounded to us in the Word of God.
3. An hearty Acceptance of, and Closure with, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Saviour, according to the Gospel Offer.
These Things, which seem to me to be level unto every ones Capacity, and comprehend in them that Faith in Christ, which the Gospel Revelation insisteth upon, as necessary to Salvation, require to be more distinctly considered by us. And I beseech you to give Attention to these Things, for they are your Life; and, as we go along, see whether these Tokens of Salvation are to be found upon you. Accordingly,
1. That Faith which the Gospel demandeth, as necessary to Salvation, includeth in it, a serious, and firm▪ Perswasion of the Mind of the Truth, and Certainty, of all that is revealed to us, in the Word of God, relating to Jesus Christ, and the Way of Salvatio… by him. Under this Head, are considerable, The general Nature of Faith, as being a firm Perswasion of the Mind; The special Nature of this Faith, as differencing of it from that which … merely humane, in that it is the Perswasion of the Mind of the Truth, and Certainty, of all that is revealed to us, in the Word of God; and the special Object of this Faith, namely Jesus Christ, and the Way of Salvation by him, as so revealed. So that I am to consider,
The general Nature of Faith, as being the serious and firm Perswasion of the Mind of Things reported to us. The Seat of this Faith is the Mind; Rom. xiv.5. Let every Man be fully perswaded in his own Mind. By the Mind, in this Place, I specially intend the Understanding, that noble Power in us, by which we have any Conception of Things handed to us by our Senses, deduced by our Reasoning, or reported to us. The exercise of the Mind about those Things which are the Objects of Faith is, it's being seriously, and firmly perswaded of them; and the Foundation of this Perswasion, or what produceth this Exercise, of the Mind is, the Report that … made to us of any Matter, or Thing. So that Faith, in the general Notion of it is, the Perswasion of the Mind concerning any Thing which is reported to us. And thus those Things that might, possibly, be objected to our Senses, or be deduced from Principles of Reason, yet, by being first handed to the Mind, by Report from others, become properly the Objects of our Faith. So, Through Faith, we understand that the Worlds were framed, by the Word of God, so that Things which … seen were not made of Things which do appear. Heb. xi.3.
Though in a more lax Way of speaking, we often use the Words, Faith, and Knowledge, promiscuously, yet they are really two distinct Things. We come at all our Knowledge, by our Senses handing the various Images of Things to our Minds, and by our Reasoning upon them: and when those Images of Things, in our Minds, are exactly agreeable to the Objects which excite them, our Knowledge is then certain, or, it is true and proper Knowledge; but so far as the Images, or Conceptions, in our Minds, come short of a correspondent Agreement to the Truth, and Reality, of the Things represented by them, so far our Knowledge is uncertain, and imperfect, and at best can be no more that a fluctuating Opinion. By Reasoning, and Discourse, we infer less evident Truths, from those that are more plainly, and certainly, evident to us; and if, from certainly known Principles, we make a just Inference, we have a certain Knowledge of the Conclusion also; but if, either our Principles are not certainly true, but false, or precarious, or, our Inference is not just and good, we have no true Knowledge of the Thing concluded upon, but deceive ourselves with a vain Notion of it.
But now, Faith doth not result from this, or the other, Object, striking immediately upon our Senses, nor from our Reasoning upon such Ideas as our Minds are stored withal, but is grounded purely upon Testimony, and ariseth from the Evidence we have of the Credibility of the Thing reported to us; If I say the Truth, why do ye not believe me; Joh. viii.46. so that the Mind yeildeth it's Assent to the Truth of what is testifyed, upon the Evidence he have, or which we suppose we have, of the Veracity of the Speaker.
Thus, again, Faith is a very different Thing from Fancy, which, according to some, is but a faint Resemblance of those Things which are perceived by our external Senses; and therefore while the Imagination has but a confused Notion of Things, it is not to be wondered at, that those, who are very much under the Power of it, should be led into Wildness, and Confusion. Whereas the Objects of our Faith, I now mean our Christian Faith, are Things which Eye hath not seen, nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive of them; they do not arise from our Senses, nor from our Reasonings, but God hath revealed them unto us, in Terms plain, and easy to be understood.
Farther, Faith is very distinct from Presumption. For Presumption is no other than the Mind'… being perswaded of the Truth, or Certainty, of a Thing, upon no Foundation, or without any sufficient Evidence to support it; which, in Religion, is of the most dangerous Consequence: whereas the Faith required of us, is the Perswasion of the Mind, of any Truth, or Fact, upon full, and clear Evidence of the Ability, and Integrity, of the Speaker; and we may depend upon it, that God will never find Fault with any Man, for his not believing what he had no sufficient Evidence of. Hence the Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews giveth this Definition of Faith, Heb. xi.1. Now Faith is the Substance of Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not seen. Faith is built upon full Evidence, as the only solid Foundation of it.
And because Faith is founded upon Testimony, therefore, according to the Evidence we have of the Credibility of that Testimony, so will the Mind be either firmly perswaded of the Truth of the Thing reported to us, or remain in Doubt, and be at Uncertainties about it: and thus our Reason is assisting to our Faith, by forming a Judgment of the Credibility of the Thing reported to us; for though we may not be able to see into the Reason of the Thing reported, (as is the Case of all who, at first, are instructed in the Principles, and Documents, of any Art, or Science,) yet we may have all imaginable Reason to be satisfied in the Veracity, and Integrity, of the Reporter, and so be able to give a good Reason why we believe what he hath told us; but if, either the Thing, testified to, be flatly contradictory to the Principles of right Reason, or the Speaker be unworthy of our Credit, we then suspend our Faith, and believe nothing of it. This seemeth to me to be the general Nature of Faith. But then
2. I must consider the special Nature of that Faith, which is required of us in the Gospel, and that is, the firm Perswasion of the Mind of the Truth, and Certainty, of all that is revealed to us, in the Word of God; by which it is differenced from that Faith which is merely humane.
Humane Faith is, the Assent of the Mind to the Truth of what any Man hath told us, upon probable Evidence of his Knowledge of the Thing reported by him, and his Veracity in delivering himself to us according to his Knowledge, and without any Design of imposing upon us; and as our Evidences, of the Truth of an humane Testimony, are more or less strong, and conclusive, so our Faith will be firm, or wavering; and because the fullest Evidence of the Truth of an humane Testimony, unattended with Divine Credentials, can amount to no more than a moral Certainty of the Ability, and Integrity, of the Speaker, which by no Means supposeth the Impossibility of it's being otherwise, so our Faith, of what is spoken, though it may be every Way sufficient to influence us in our Practice, and Conduct, in all the Affairs of this World, yet, can be no more than the Mind's Assent to the very great Probability, not absolute Certainty, of the Truth of the Thing spoken.
A Divine Faith, which is the Faith required of us as necessary to Salvation, is the Assent of the Mind to the Truth of a Thing spoken, upon a Divine Testimony, or because God himself hath spoken it. And because we have the highest Assurance of the Infallibility of God, that he cannot be deceived, and imposed upon, with any wrong View, and Conception of Things, but … a most perfect Knowledge of them, as they truly are in their real Nature, and all their Circumstances; and of his infinite Purity, and Veracity, which cannot possibly admit of his designedly imposing upon us; therefore, upon having sufficient Evidence of any Thing's being a Revelation from God, we have full Assurance, not of the Probability, but, of the absolute Certainty of the Truth of the Thing so revealed, without the least Grounds for Doubting, and Hesitancy; and the … here upon becometh firmly perswaded, that … God hath spoken is infallibly true, though, at the same Time, she cannot comprehend the Reason of the Thing revealed. This is the Faith which God requireth of us, and therefore hath he spoken to us; and upbraideth our Unbelief, saying, … ▪ xiv.11. How long will ye provoke me? How long will it be e'er ye believe me? It was well pressed by Iehoshaphat, King of Iudah, 2 Chron. xx.20. Hear me, O Iudah, and ye Inhabitants of Ierusalem, Believe in the Lord your God. And justly did the Apostle, for the Comfort of his Companions, upon what God had told him, say, Acts xxvii.25. I believe God.
There is no one Principle in Nature, that carrieth clearer Evidence with it, and striketh the Mind with greater Force, than this, That God is true; and it is utterly impossible that it should be otherwise. The Apostle therefore maketh his Appeal to the common Sentiments of all Mankind, as well as assureth the Believer, of the absolute Certainty of the Word, and Promise of God, saying, Heb. vi.18. It was impossible for God lye. And therefore, whatever Doctrines God is pleased to reveal to us, though ever so far transcending all that our Reason can possibly comprehend, our great Duty is, to pay this just Regard to the Authority, and Veracity, of the Speaker, as firmly to believe what he has spoken, because he is infallibly true; and not first to search into the Nature of the Doctrine, and credit, or reject, it according as we can understand the Mystery contained in it, or no: for this is, not to believe what God saith, but, to believe the Report of our own Reason. Can nothing, I beseech you, be true, but what thou understandest the Nature, and Reason of? Where is the Man that has so little Modesty, and so much Ignorance, as to assert, or even suppose this! And what then, should hinder the Divine Being from revealing such Things to us, as are absolutely true, and yet exceed the Power of our narrow Conceptions to understand them. Verily the naked Word of God is as certain as a Demonstration, and more so, because, possibly, a Man may be mistaken in forming a Demonstration, as many great Men have been; whereas the Word of God is infallibly true, and therefore more to be depended on than a Demonstration. Reason must submit to Faith, or give Place to it, in supernatural Things, which fall not within it's Sphere, but are above it; yet there is the highest Reason to credit the Truth of them, when God has revealed them: because we owe the Submission of our Minds to the Truth of a Revelation from God, as truly as the Subjection of our Wills to the Authority of his Precepts. And as God never will require it of us, to believe what he does not afford us sufficient Evidence of it's being a Revelation from him, so neither will he ever require us to believe any farther than he hath seen Cause to reveal; and therefore, tho' the Nature of the Thing revealed may remain a Mystery to us, yet the Truth of it is what we are more specially concerned with, as the Object of our Faith, and whatever lieth hid in the Nature of it doth not belong to us: for secret Things belong unto the Lord our God, but those Things which are revealed belong unto us. Deut. xxix.29. Thus the Truth of this Revelation, that Iesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, is all that we are concerned to believe; but how he is the only begotten Son of God, belongeth to us neither to know, nor believe; if it did God would have revealed it unto us.
This, then, is the great Thing demanded of us, to believe, credit, and yeild the Assent of our Minds, to the Truth of all that God hath spoken to us, in his Word, which he hath confirmed with the most incontestable Evidences of it's being a Revelation from him; Heb. ii.4. God himself bearing Witness, to the first Publishers thereof, both with Signs, and Wonders, and diverse Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his Will. And therefore we are called upon, Ma…. i.15. to believe the Gospel; to give Credit to all that God, in his Gospel, hath spoken, and revealed to us.
This Faith, being the Assent, or Perswasion, of the Mind, founded upon divine Testimony, cannot, considered in Reference to the Object of it, admit of Degrees; because all that God hath said is equally infallibly true; but yet, considered as it is in us, so it admitteth of various Degrees, and is more or less strong, and firm, according to the different Degrees of Evidence which we have, of such a Thing's being a Revelation from God, and proportionably to the different Degrees of Application, which we make of the Evidences offered to us, to our own Minds. I should proceed to a third Head, but must leave it to the Afternoon.