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A65927
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A discourse of the necessity of Revelation and an holy life deliver'd in a visitation-sermon at Guilford, October 7, 1697 / by William Whitfeld.
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Whitfeld, William, 1658-1717.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing W2014; ESTC R26358
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13,394
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24
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believe without declaring any thing of his hidden Wisdom in their wonderful Production which therefore when we speak of we speak and understand as Children Indeed our knowledge in these things is much enlarg'd by the Revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who hath brought Life and Immortality to light but yet there are still remaining many Mysteries in the Work of our Redemption far above the reach and capacity of our Natural Reason to comprehend which in this Life we must content our selves to view only in a Giass darkly and not expect to behold them now as we shall hereafter Face to Face and to see as we shall be seen And it is the high Privilege of the Gospel that we may behold these Wonders of the Lord in this Glass which the Law as the Apostle saith look'd upon thro' a Veil but it is our advantage to see those Promises of God fulfilled which our Forefathers beheld at a great distance from their Completion and by the Light of Prophecy only which shone in a dark place or else thro' Types and Figures But since it pleased God to require so strong a Proof of Abraham's Faith that hoping even against Hope and not staggering at the Promise of God thro' unbelief He rejoyc'd to see the day of the Lord and He saw it even thro' this thick and gloomy Veil and was glad much more reasonably may God expect from us that we should now be fully perswaded that what he hath promised he hath been able also to perform since it is given to us to see the performances of our God to adore his Goodness in the fulfilling all his Promises and in the completion of his Predictions and to read the Mysteries of our Redemption in the Gospels of Jesus Christ And this Information not coming otherwise unto us but from the Reveal'd Word of God gives us a sure Ground for our Belief and for our Knowledge likewise in these Mysteries in which we cannot with any shadow of Pretence complain that we have not a good Foundation for our Faith no more being requir'd to be believ'd concerning them but as much as is Reveal'd of them by God nor any thing farther necessary to be known of them but what is declar'd by him nor otherwise than as he hath declar'd In this assurance we stand unmov'd against all vain Suggestions of the impossibility of there being any such Mysteries in the Christian Religion and of our own incapacity to believe things which our Vnderstanding cannot comprehend Which assertions proceed from a bold but mistaken Philosophy ignorant of the great Power of God and not rightly distinguishing between the measure of Knowledge sufficient for Faith and for Demonstration nor knowing that where the Veracity of the Affirmer and the Power of the Author of any Miracle are unquestionable there we have a good Authority to believe his Relation of any thing tho' it shall be wonderful and far above our Capacity to comprehend Now what God hath affirm'd we have this reason to believe and as far as we are capable of apprehending the Truth of a Proposition in which any Mystery is revealed by him so far the Mystery becomes a necessary object of our Faith and we may be said to understand enough of it to believe even when we cannot comprehend the manner and way by which it was produc'd which when they are not Reveal'd we say remain a Mystery still and when they are Reveal'd they are often so likewise being above our Understanding in as much as the Power that wrought is infinitely superiour to all our Faculties of Reasoning For Example In the Incarnation of Christ because God hath declar'd this in the Gospel it is therefore an Article of the Christian Faith but because the incomprehensible Union of the two Natures of perfect God and perfect Man is not shewn and would have far surpass'd all our Knowledge if it had been Reveal'd it is therefore as the Apostle saith a Great Mystery without all Controversie God manifest in the Flesh Nevertheless we may say that we have some Notion in our Minds of what we believe herein for the Truth of this Proposition God took upon him the Nature of Man being there is no contradiction in the Terms may be conceiv'd in our Minds And since we can conceive the Truth of this Mystery and have a full assurance likewise of the Truth of that which the God of all Power and Truth hath declar'd we may affirm that we do understand what we believe in this great Article of our Faith and that we have a sufficient measure of Knowledge for our Belief and we may shew the Reasons why we do believe it It is I know impossible for the Eye of Natural Reason to look clearly and strongly into the Works and Counsels of Almighty God but this can be no Objection either against our apprehending the Truth of these Works and Counsels so far as they shall be Revealed nor can the weakness of of our Understanding be any hindrance to our believing them after they have been declar'd by God For Example It will not be deny'd I suppose that Almighty God hath Created this World out of Nothing and we conceive what we mean when we profess in our Creed that we do believe it But our Belief and Knowledge of this must depend upon the Authority of Revetation and not upon the strength and powers of Natural Reason for from this we can have no Idea in our Minds of this beautiful Frame produc'd to be and arising up from the Term of not Being but we have from that an assurance of the Truth of it We do in like manner agree in believing the Omnipotence of our Creator but what Notion can our narrow Understanding receive of the ubiquity and plenitude of his Presence Now if these things do far exceed all the Limits and Powers of Natural Reason more especially so doth the wonderful Mystery of our Redemption by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the greatest Work by far of God's Power and Love to Mankind which in its full extent can never lye within the compass of Human Knowledge nor ever become naturally the Object of it being that which neither Eye hath seen nor Ear heard nor could it ever have entred into the Heart of Man without a particular Revelation from God From whence alone it is that we come to know the truth of this Mystery and to apprehend in some measure what is meant by the words of a Proposition wherein we profess our belief of a thing far above our Comprehension and from whence we have in like manner the same Notion of all the most marvellous workings of God's Love for the compleating our Redemption which are and will continue to be Mysteries so long as our Understanding is Finite and not commensurate to the Power of an Almighty Being and Infinite Spirit whose Mercies as well as Judgments are unsearchable and his Mightiness to save past finding out This may serve to
advancing his Knowledge of the Just one that inhabits Eternity than Memory or Wit He finds that Chastity Temperance and Purity in Heart do best dispose his Soul to receive a most lively Impression of the God of all Holiness Universal Charity will display upon our Minds the brightest Rays of Infinite Mercy A constant regular Worship in the House of God and the Returns which are made by him unto our daily Prayers will shew us truly God's Goodness And Lastly a Worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion will make us one with Christ and Christ with us This is to order our Conversation aright and from this Station God hath promis'd to shew us his Salvation I will conclude with some Considerations upon what hath been said by way of Application 1. If we are firmly secure of our true Knowledge of the Salvation of God in the Faith of that Church which we do profess Let us then keep this Faith in Purity of Heart and true Holiness of Life without which no Man shall ever see the Lord. 2. If any Man is doubtful amidst the many Disputes which do at this time wound the Christian Religion and break the Bond of Peace If he is serious in his Enquiries after that Knowledge which is to lead him to Eternal Life Let him then in the sincerity of his Heart make this Trial and from a good Life begin his searches after the Knowledge of the Salvation of God Let Piety Humility Integrity and Charity be the Foundation upon which he builds a true Faith and let him firmly believe and faithfully practice all that his Conscience shall tell him God hath assuredly revealed and commanded with a Mind free from prejudice and ready to receive greater Measures of Knowledge as they shall be tender'd unto him from his Word And for his Encouragement he hath an instance in the Scripture of a good and holy Man who came to the Knowledge of the Salvation of God this way Cornelius a devout Man one that feared God with all his House which gave much Alms to the People and prayed to God always His Prayers were heard and his Alms had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord and he was soon after this shown the Salvation of God From his sincere performance of that which he did know to be God's Will he was led on successfully to the Knowledge of the Salvation of Jesus Christ of which he was ignorant from a Proselyte of the Gate to be baptized into the Christian Faith And of a truth God is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation He that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him 3. Wickedness of Life is the most fatal step to Infidelity and sets us at the greatest distance from this Knowledge of the Salvation of God For Vice as the Platonists observe doth much cloud and weaken the Understanding and shews its Mastery and Dominion over the Mind by the Captivity it hath brought it under And without this Natural Incapacity if I may so call that Inability which proceeds from the Corruption of Nature impure Minds are very improper Judges of true Holiness and the wicked Liver insufficient for the Salvation of God from the Knowledge of which he seems to be particularly excluded God saying unto Him in the Psalm of my Text What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes Or that thou should'st take my Covenant in thy Mouth Whereas thou hatest Instruction and castest my Words behind thee The wicked Man hateth Instruction Even He that is often the much-boasted Master of right Reason and only impartial Seaarcher after Truth He that sets by himself as the best qualified for Knowledge because he doubts and disputes every thing treading servily in no Man's steps generously freeing his Mind from prejudice and raising his Understanding above all that have gone before him But still the wicked Man casteth the Words of God behind him the Words which God hath revealed to instruct him in His Faith and to direct him in an Holy Life and he hateth Instruction hating as the Psalter translates it to be reform'd For thou givest thy mouth to Evil saith God when thou sawest a Thief then thou consentedst with him and hast been Partaker with Adulterers And with these Qualifications thou settest up for a Reviler of Christ Jesus and a Director in Religion God forbid that this should be charg'd upon all Unbelievers Many of which have Modesty and many I hope Vertue whom God I trust in his Mercy will bring home to himself in his appointed time But yet the Observation which Grotias makes upon the Nataral Man from the comparison of the Greek Philosophers most of which History delivers down as unclean and impure in their Lives we find too often verified It being a most just Judgment of Almighty God that the Despisers of his Word should walk in the Lusts of their own Hearts and be given up to the Vices as well as to the Errors of corrupt Nature to shew them how uncertain a Guide they have to their Salvation which they experience to be so far deprav'd in their Morals And of all such we may be bold to say whosoever they are that shall join Infidelity and a vicious Life together that their Enquiries into Divine Truths are vain and absurd 'T is no wonder to hear them strenuously opposing the Belief of a suture State for it is necessary that they either stifle the Thoughts of that or else forsake the Enjoyment of their present Pleasures And 't is no matter how they wrest and pervert or wholly deny the Written Word of God which being denied extinguishes the dread of Punishments to come and being perverted takes away the Eternity of their Torments 'T is no more than we may expect to find them disputing against the Eternal Law of Good and Evil For these are the Barriers fix'd against their Wickedness which they wou'd fain have remov'd And we may hear them but with Horror daily blaspheming the Divinity of Jesus Christ God blessed for evermore whom they shall find their Judge at the last Day but never their Saviour Prophaness and wilful Ignorance in these Men serve them for Pandars to their Lusts in this present Life and without severe Repentance they are the Pledges likewise of the Outer Darkness and Blasphemings which shall be their Portion and Torments hereafter O that God in his Infinite Mercies may forgive us these great Sins of Prophaness in Holy Things and Impurity of Life join'd together Sins which we see too closely united and too much triumphant O that in his Goodness He may preserve the yet Innocent and Faithful in their Integrity Faith and Vertue and open their Eyes to discover the Deceits and to avoid the Lusts of these impious Wretches And may that good and gracious God whose Mercies and Long Suffering are boundless give unto themselves a timely Repentance before he calls them to Judgment Lastly As to our selves my reverend Brethren shall I call it our Affliction or our Happiness that we have these Persons our implacable Adversaries It is to our unspeakable Grief that there will always be such Men and that this Age and Nation do too much abound with them Enemies to the Religion of Christ and to their own Souls But it is I think to our Honour that the Christian Faith and our Fanction have one Common Adversary and that the Revilers of the Ministry are likewise Blasphemers of Christ To make our Glory the greater we will be sure by the Blessing of Almighty God to adorn our Profession with an unblameable and upright Conversation the true ground-work of all our Knowledge in that Salvation which we are to teach others and to attain ourselves And herewith let us not be discourag'd They boast much of the strength of their Reason I wish it were sound and true for then there would be no Cause of difference but we I trust have that on our side experieneed from our Education how to wield the Weapon and from our Knowledge in the Scriptures where to let it fall in submission to Faith To which let us add what our Holy Function indispensably requires a good Life and our faithful Labours in the Word of God our best Security for our Knowledge in Jesus Christ Let these be our strong Hold our Rock of Defence and our Castle in which we will trust from which nothing shall ever make us to recede or draw us out beyond our Lines Not the Vanity of trying our Strength in New Schemes of Divinity not the Hardyness of rejecting the Receiv'd and Establish'd Terms of the Church of Christ not the Deceitfulness of Philosophy to forsake the Word of God And then with all assurance we may appeal to the good and unprejudiced part of Mankind which is the safest Guide to the Knowledge of the Salvation of God Reason with the Gospel or Reason without it It is the Cause of God in which we are engaged and the Redemption of all Faithful Christians through the Blood of Christ for which we contend Let us therefore play the Men for our People and for the Cities of our God! But let God himself be the Director in the Methods of his own Salvation And the Lord do that which seemeth him good And if this be Priest-Craft may our Right Hand never forget her Cunning May our Studies be serious our Endeavours strong and our Prudence and Charity always exercis'd in it That by it we may catch Men even them if it shall be the good Pleasure of Heaven who use their Craft for the destruction of those Souls for which Jesus Christ died And now O Lord behold their Threatnings and Revilings In thy Mercy renew a right Spirit within them And grant unto thy Servants that with all Boldness they may speak thy Word in Truth and Soberness That with Constancy they may teach that Faith which was once deliver'd unto the Saints That they may stand up in defence of thy Holy Scriptures not without much Blood rescu'd out of the Hands of unreasonable Men by our Forefathers of the Reformation And of thy Grace add to these Mercies Integrity of Life and Purity of Manners in thy Servants which wait at thy Altar So shall we be able O Lord by the Soundness of our Doctrine and Holiness of our Lives both to exhort and convince Gainsayers and to shew forth the Salvation of God FINIS