fons pretending to inspiration, whose known probity and approved integrity, clears them from all fufpicion of impofture; and whofe prudence and understanding fets them above being deceived: From the extraordinary evidence and teftimony of working of miracles by thofe, who publish divine revelations; which must be unquestionable as to their number and quality, and the publick manner of doing them: From the prediction of future events, which God claims as a prerogative to himself alone; becaufe fuch things being out of the reach of any created understanding, are a more certain proof of a divine power, than even the working of miracles themfelves: From the matter of the revelation, which when it concerns mankind in general, must be worthy of God, as proceeding from him, and must tend to the advantage, the fatisfaction, and happiness of mankind, to whom the revelation is made; for juftice, holiness, and goodness, are as neceffary and as effential to our thoughts of God, as power; and confequently, a revelation that contradicts thefe attributes, cannot come from the Father of truth. Sufficient to convict. pre The neceffity and reasonableness of this evidence shews it to be a proof of the highest nature; for being fuch as every man, who is a mafter of fenfe and reafon, can judge of, truly it is what every man ought to be determined by. And, as in all other things, which have been done at a great distance of time, fo the evidence neceffary to fatisfy us of the truth, and to oblige us to believe that revelation, fent from God by divers perfons, and in divers manners, is the credible report of eye and ear-witneffes concerning the miracles that have been wrought, and the dictions which have been foretold, to prove perfons infpired, conveyed down to us in fuch a manner, and with fuch evidence, as that we have no reason to doubt of the truth of them: befides the inward evidence of the chriftian revelation confirms the outward evidence that was given to it; for as it excels all other forms of religion, that ever appeared in the world, fo it is every way worthy of God, entirely beneficial to his creatures, and agreeable to the best reafon and fenfe of human nature. And where The addition of any doctrine, which natural reafon could lency. not discover, it is fo far from contradicting the It's excel- plain and evident fenfe of mankind, that upon confideration, it appears highly useful to us in the state, in which we now are. The great fears and doubts of mankind, concerning the way of appeafing the offended justice of God, are removed and fatisfied; and the wifdom of God did fo difpofe the method of our falvation, that by the facrifice of the cross, both the guilty fears of men were relieved, and the dishonour that was done to his juftice and holiness was fatisfied, The chriftian religion proposes a reward, exThrough Je- cellent in itself and lasting in it's duration; and fus Chrift. clearly and plainly revealed. The precepts, laid down for the direction of our lives, comprehend all forts of virtue, that relate either to God, or to our neighbour, or to ourselves; they have cleared what was doubtful by the light of nature, and have made the improvements of it neceffary parts of our duty. It fupplies us with powerful affistance for the performance of our obedience; light for our dark minds; ftrength for our weak refolutions; and courage under all our difficulties; and above all, fets before us an exact and perfect pattern for our inftruction and encouragement. So that the chriftian revelation in itself, as well as the external evidence, proves it's original to be from God. Demands Hence confider the great guilt of those who reour belief. ject the chriftian revelation; for, they refift the utmost evidence, that any religion is capable of receiving both from it's inward value, and from that outward attestation that God hath been pleased to give it, by miracles and prophefies; and confequently, by this act of theirs, they condemn themselves, because they reject the only means of their falvation, though it is fupported by all the faith of hiftory and uninterrupted records, which is all the evidence in fuch circumstances, that can be prefumed neceffary, or can poffibly be had; which, therefore, is fufficient to infpire us with the knowledge of God, and of his Son Jefus Chrift our Lord, and with a thankful remembrance of all things they have done and promised to us, and an abhorrence of all that fhall fhall from scripture appear to be difpleafing to the Almighty. For, The chri ftian faith in one God. VII. When we profefs our belief in one God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth; we not only declare that we acknowledge him to be the Lord; and that he has revealed his will to us to guide us in the way of truth; but that he has referved fome things to himself, of which, as they regard not the creature, he hath made no revelation, as namely, the manner how there can be three perfons in one God; how the divine and human nature could be united in one person, Christ Jefus, or how a virgin could conceive and bear a son without the knowledge of a man. Therefore, When we fay I believe in one God; let it not be fuch a belief only as the heathens, or those who only follow the dictates of nature, have, who collect from the things that are feen the eternal power and godhead; but it must be that christian faith, which believes there are three diftinct perfons in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, who is the one only living and true God; existing of himself, by the neceffity of his own nature; abfolutely inde- The Father. pendent, eternal, omniprefent, unchangeable, incorruptible; without body, parts, or paffions; of infinite power, knowledge, and wisdom; of perfect liberty, and freedom of will; of infinite goodness, juftice, and truth, and all other poffible perfections, fo as to be abfolutely felf-fufficient to his own infinite and unalterable happiness. And if fo, it will certainly follow that this fame fupreme felf-existent cause and Father of all things, did The Son. before all ages, in an incomprehenfible manner, by his almighty power and will, beget or produce a divine perfon, ftyled the Word, or Wisdom, or Son of God; begotten not made; God of God, in whom dwells the fulness of divine perfections, the image of the invifible God; the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his perfon; having been in the beginning with God, partaker with him of his glory before the world was; the upholder of all things by the word of his power; and himself over all God bleffed for ever. The Holy Ghoft. with In like manner, what has been faid of the Son, may little variation, be, very agreeably to right reason, understood concerning the original proceffion, or manner of derivation of the Holy Ghost from the But one God. Father and the Son. As we believe God to be one, fo we believe him to be in fuch a manner one, that there cannot be poffibly another; for, all other beings must derive their being from him, and whatsoever being has it's exiftence from another, cannot be God, but must be a creature. Why neceffary. And this unity of God, is of univerfal obligation to be believed, that we may be fixed as to the object of our worship, and place our religious adoration there only, where 'tis due: and alfo that we may give him that honour which is due to him; part whereof is, that we have no other gods but one: for this is the ground of all religion, him only muft we ferve; because he only is God: in him only must we truft; because he only is our rock: to him only must we direct our devotions; because he only knows the hearts of the children of men: him must we love with all our heart; because he only has infinite goodness, mercy, beauty, glory, and excellency. And Why called the Father. The fame reafon that demands our believing one God, obliges us to believe that one God to be the Father; for unto us there is but one God the Father by creation; which is fometimes called generation, as where it is written, these are the generations of the heavens and the earth: as alfo, in refpect of his converfation, as a man is faid to be the father of him, whom he educates. Likewife, in respect of redemption from a state of misery to a happy condition; for, he is the true Father, whose word it is, even the Father of lights, who of his own will begat us with the word of truth. Thus whofoever believes that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God, is God's workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus to good works. Finally, in refpect of adoption; thus it is faid, that he has predeftinated us to the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himself, and that we receive the fpirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. Yet ftill there is a higher and more proper notion of God's paternity, in refpect whereof he is the Father of Chrift; by whom whom he is fometimes called the Father, fometimes my, fometimes your, but never our Father. 'Tis true indeed, that he who fanctifieth, and they who are fanctified, are both of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren: but not all of him after the fame manner; Christ the beloved, the first born, the only begotten, God's own Son; we as being predeftinated to be conformed to his image, as being the children of God by faith in Chrift Jesus. The benefits thereof. The perpetual obligation for us to believe that God is our Father, appears in that it is the ground of our filial love, fear, honour, and obedience; gives life to our devotions, affurance to our petitions, being directed in obedience to our Saviour's commands, to God as our Father; fweetens our afflictions, and his fatherly corrections; and the affurances of his love and pity to us infer the neceffity of our endeavouring to imitate him, to be holy as he is holy, merciful as he is merciful, and perfect as he is perfect. almighty. VIII. When we fay that he is almighty, we profefs God's abfolute authority, in refpect of making whatfoever he pleaseth, in fuch manner as beft pleafeth Why called himself in refpect of poffeffing and governing all things fo made by him; which right is independent, as being received from none, and is the fole fountain of all fuch right in any other : infinite in respect of the object, as extending to all things in heaven and earth; and in respect of the fulness of it, as being abfolute and fupreme, far above what the potter hath over his clay; and in refpect of it's continuance, as being all powerful and eternal. And whereas he has the abfolute use, and is the end for which all things were created, they being made to demonstrate his glorious attributes, and being made to and for, as well as by him; he in that refpect, is faid to want nothing, receives from his creatures, what he is pleased to accept, as having fome likeness to what gives joy and pleasure to others, and takes delight in the works of his hands, and rejoices in the works of his wisdom, power, and goodness. And, We must believe this dominion, to work in usan The benefit awful reverence of his majesty, and an entire fub- thereof. jection |