to confider these matters; and if there be weight in SERM. these confiderations to sway reasonable men, that they CCXXIV. would not fuffer themselves to be biaffed by prejudice, or passion, or interest, to a contrary perfuafion. Thus much I may with reason defire of men: for though men cannot believe what they will, yet men may (if they will) consider things serioufly and impartially, and yield or with-hold their affent, as they shall fee cause, after a thorough search and examination. If any man will offer a ferious argument againft any of the principles of religion, and will debate the matter foberly, as one that considers the infinite consequences of things one way or other, and would gladly be fatisfied; he deserves to be heard. what he can fay: but if a man will turn religion into raillery, and confute it by two or three bold jests; he doth not make religion, but himself ridiculous, in the opinion of all confiderate men, because he sports with his life. So that it concerns every man that would not trifle away his foul, and fool himself into irrecoverable mifery, with the greatest feriousness to enquire into these things, whether they be so or no, and patiently to confider the arguments that are brought for them. And when you are examining these matters, do not take into confideration any fenfual or worldly intereft; but deal fairly and impartially with yourselves. Think with yourselves, that you have not the making of things true or false; that the principles of religion are either true or false, before you think of them. The truth of things is already fixed; either there is a God, or no God; either your fouls are immortal, or they are not; either the scriptures are a divine revelation, or an imposture; one of these is certain CCXXIV, SERM. certain and necessary, and they are not now to be altered. Things will not comply with your conceits, and bend themselves to your interests. Therefore do not think what you would have to be, but confider impartially what is *. And if upon enquiry, you be convinced that it is the greatest reason and prudence to believe that there is a God, and a future state, and that the scriptures are the word of God; then meditate much of these things; attend to the proper consequences of fuch a perfuafion; and resolve to live as becomes those who believe there is a God, and another life after this, and that it is best for you to obey the precepts of his word, being perfuaded that whatever is there promised in cafe of obedience, or threatned in case of disobedience, will certainly be accomplished. And labour to strengthen yourselves in this belief; because faith is the spring of all rational actions, and the root of all other graces; and according to the strength and weakness of faith, your holiness, and obe? dience, and graces will flourish or decay. And because the matters of faith do not fall under our fenfes, and the things of another world are invisible and at distance, and confequently not so apt to effect us, as present and visible things, we should take the more pains with ourselves, that by revolving frequently in our minds the thoughts of God, and representing to ourselves the happiness and misery of another world, they may have as great an effect upon us, as if they were present to us, and we saw them with our bodily eyes. * Of this see more in the fermon above mentioned. SER 209 SERMON CCXXV. Of the chriftian faith, the means of it's conveyance, and our obligation to receive it. JOHN xx. 31. But these are written, that ye might believe that JESUS is the CHRIST, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name. IH M. } this text Have largely discoursed concerning the general SER nature of faith, and more particularly concern- CCXXV. ing the faith which is truly divine and religious; in The first the latitude of which is contained a perfuafion con-fermon on cerning the principles of natural religion, the being of Gop, the immortality of the foul, and a future state; and a perfuafion of the divine revelation of the scriptures, and the matters contained in them. Now among matters of divine revelation, the doctrine of the gospel is a principal part; which is the last and most perfect revelation which God hath made to the world, by his Son JESUS CHRIST; and a firm belief and perfuafion of this is that which is called christian faith, or " the faith of the gospel;" and which, by way of eminency, is usually called "faith" in the new testament. Now christian faith is not opposed to a divine faith, but is comprehended under it; as being a principal and eminent part of divine faith, but not all that which may be called divine faith. Christian faith supposeth a belief of the principles of natural religion, and a belief of those revelations which God formerly SERM. merly made under the old testament; but it doth CCXXV. only formally contain in it a belief of the gospel, viz. that revelation which God hath in these last days made to the world by his Son JESUS CHRIST. The heathens who were destitute of divine revelation, did only believe the principles of natural religion; and the generality of them did not believe those, but in a very imperfect manner. The "Jews, to whom " were committed the oracles of God," did superadd to the belief of the principles of natural religion, the belief of such revelations as God was pleased to make to them under that dispensation. Christian faith fuperadds to both the former, a belief of the revelation of the gospel. I shall now therefore, by God's assistance, endeavour to open to you the nature of christian faith from these words; in which you have these three things confiderable. First, the end of committing the gospel to writing, which was to perfuade men to believe in CHRIST, to propagate and continue christian faith in the world; " these things are written, that you might believe " that JESUS is the CHRIST, the Son of GOD:" and by faith to bring men to a participation of those benefits, and the falvation which CHRIST was the author of; " and that believing, ye might have life " through his name. These are written," ταῦτα "these," which may either refer to σημεία, " thefe "signs or miracles," referring to the former verse, " and many other figns, &c." but " these signs," or "miracles are written" to confirm JESUS to be the person he pretended to be, the Meffias, the Son of God, and confequently to confirm the truth of the doctrine which he delivered; that by this confirmation, men might be induced to believe him to be the the true Meffias, and to give entertainment to his SERM. doctrine. Or else (which is very probable) the word ταῦτα may refer to the whole history of the gospel, in which you have an account of the life of CHRIST, and the doctrine which he taught, and the miracles which were wrought for the confirmation of it. And fo we may look upon these two verses as a conclufion of the whole history of the gospel writ by the four evangelifts. For as for the chapter following, it seems not to be written by St. John himself, but by the church, probably as Grotius conjectures by the church of Ephefus, where he had refided, and whom | he had acquainted with the particulars which are there set down; the principle of which is, the prediction of our SAVIOUR concerning his long life, for the fake of which the rest of the story seems to be brought in; which particular was not fit to be recorded till after his death; I say, it seems probable that St. John ended his gospel here, and that the last chapter was added by others, as the last chapter of the pentateuch was added by some other after the death of Mofes; and the last chapter of Joshua after his death. And this seems very evident from the 24th verse of the chapter; where, after a relation of Our SAVIOUR'S prediction, concerning "the difci"ple whom JESUS loved," it is added, "this is the " disciple which teftified of these things, and wrote "these things" (that is the foregoing hiftory of the gospel) " and we know that his teftimony is true;" which seems plainly to be spoken by some other perfons: for it were improper for him to say this of himself," we know that his testimony is true." So that here seems to be the end of the history of CHRIST, which St. John wrote: and these two verses feem CCXXV. |