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which Natural Religion and Morality of theirs, how far it may avail them for their good, we are not concern'd to determine. This we are fure of, that it will make their Condition more tolerable in another World; and if they fall under condemnation, it will mitigate and allay their mifery.

V. In what Senfe this Faith or Perfwafion of the Principles of Natural Religion may be faid to be Divine? In these two refpects.

1. In refpect of the Object of it, or Matters to be believed, which are Divine, and do immediately concern Religion, in oppofition to that which I call a Civil and Humane Faith, which is of fuch things as do not immediately concern God and Religion.

2. In refpect of the Divine Effects of it, which are to make Men Religious, and like God. And a Faith may as properly be faid to be Divine in refpect of the Object of it, as in refpect of the Argument where

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by it is wrought: fo that a Faith of the Principles of Natural Religion XII. is as truly Divine, tho' it be not wrought in us by the Arguments of Divine Teftimony and Authority, as a Faith of the Matters of Divine Revelation

tures:tain'd in the Holy Scrip

tures: for why a Faith may not as well be faid to be Divine for its relation to God as the Object of it, as for its relation to the Teftimony of God as the Caufe of it, I cannot understand.

Secondly, The Second fort of Faith, which I call Divine or Religious, is a perfwafion of things Supernaturally Reveal'd, of things which are not known by Natural Light, but by fome more immediate manifeftation and difcovery from God. Thus we find our Saviour, Matth. xvi. 15, 16, 17. oppofeth Divine Revelation to the difcovery of Natural Reafon and Light. He asks his Difciples whom they believed him to be, Whom Say that I am? And Simon Peter anfiver'd and faid, Thou art the Christ, (that is, the Meffias) the Son of the living God, And Jefus answered and

ye

faid unto him, Bleffed art thou Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee; but my Father which is in Heaven; where a Revelation or Discovery from Flefh and Blood, is oppofed to a Revelation from God, Flesh and Blood being a Hebrew Phrafe or manner of speaking, fignifying a meer Man, or fomething meerly Humane. So we find the Phrafe ufed, Eph. vi. 12. We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood; but against Principalities, and Powers, and Spiritual Wickedness; that is, the Enemies we are to contend with, are not only Men, but Devils; and which is nearer to our purpose, Gal. i. 16. where the Apostle would exprefs to us, that he receiv'd not his Commiffion from Men; but immediately from the Lord Jefus Christ; he tells us, that when it pleafed God, who feparated him from his Mothers womb, and called him by his grace, to reveal his Son in him, that he might Preach him among the Heathen, immediately he conferred not with Flesh and Blood; the word is προσανεθέμην, I did not apply my felf to Flesh and Blood; that I did not go to Men to receive

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my Commiffion from them: for fo he Volume explains it in the next words, Neither XII. went I up to Jerufalem, to them tha

were Apostles before me; that is, I did not apply my felf to the Apostles, to derive any Authority from them to preach the Gofpel, because he had no need of that, being called immedi ately by Christ to this Work; which words are nothing elfe but a farther explication of what he had faid be fore, ver. 11, 12. I certife you Bre thren, that the Gospel which was preach' by me, is not after Man: for I neither receiv'd it of Man, neither was taugh it, but by the Revelation of Jefus Chrift So accordingly here our Saviour tell Peter that this truth, That Chrift wa the Meffias, the Son of the living Goa was not revealed to him by Man, no by any meer Humane Principle o Testimony, but by his Father whic was in Heaven; that is, by the Testi mony which God himself gave of hin in the Holy and Divine Gospel whic he taught, and thofe Miracles whic he wrought in confirmation of it.

So that this kind of Faith is a pe fwafion of fuch things as are not know b

by Natural Light, nor difcover'd to us by Men; but fome way or other Sermon reveal'd by God; I fay fome way or I. other; for the ways of God's revealing and manifefting himfelf to us are various, and arbitrary. God may chufe what ways he pleaseth to difcover himself to us by. So the Apoftle tells us, Heb. i. 1. God, who at fundry times, and in divers manners Spake in times paft unto the Fathers by the Prophets. God revealed himself as at feveral times, by feveral steps and degrees : so in various manners; fometimes by Visions, fometimes by Dreams, fometimes by Oracles, fometimes by a Spirit of Prophecy, and fometimes by a Voice from Heaven, fometimes by a fecret and gentle Infpiration. Now it matters not which of these ways God chufeth to reveal himself to us, provided we have fufficient Evidence and ground of Affurance that the thing is revealed by God.

As to us thiefe extraordinary ways of Revelation are now ceafed, and we have a fix'd and standing Revelation, that is, the Records of those Revelations which God formerly made

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