Bocf. That a Christian should be so persuaded in religion that neither spirit, nor word, nor writing, should be able to shake or unsettle his mind. 1 shall show you : —
1. What ways or what means God hath appointed whereby a man may settle his choice as to opinions in religion.
2. That the word of God will sufficiently fortify him against all these false ways by which error is wont to be insinuated.
' 1. For the first, if a Christian would be established and guided aright in the choice of a religion, he must follow both the light of nature and scrij)ture.
[1.] The light of nature, antecedently to any external revelation, will sulhciently convince us of the being of God and our dependence upon him : Rom. i. 19, 20, ' That which may be known of God is manifest in tiiem, for God hath showed it to them ; for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.' •For I must know there is a God, or else I cannot be certain that he hath given us a rule or revelation of his mind. We begin with what is natural, and then go on to what is spiritual. 'Nature will tell us that there is one God, the first cause of all things, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness ; that it is reasonable he sliould be served by those whom he hath made ; that he will reward and punish men as they disobey or serve and please him : but how God will be served, how they shall be rewarded or punished, or how they shall escape punishment, if after a breach they are willing to return to their duty and obedience to him, this is revealed in the word of God.
[2] The written word shows us the true way of worshipping and pleasing God, and being accepted with him; therefore it is u sufficient direction to us : tliere is enough to satisfy conscience, though not to please wanton curiosity ; as that may quench tiie thirst of a sober man that will not satisfy the lust of a diunkard : there we are ' made wise unto salvation,' 2 Tin], iii. 1.5—' Thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation ;' and Ps. cxix. 105,
2 TlIES. 11. 2.] THE SECOND SERMON. 23
' Thy word is a light unto my feet, and a lanthorn to my paths.' There we liave the knowledge of many things evident by the light of nature discovered with more clearness and certainty ; and that which could not be found out by natural light, as salvation by a Redeemer, or the remedy of our lapsed estate, which, depending on the sole will and good pleasure of God, could not be known till it was manifested and revealed by him. When man sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, it was necessary that God should some way or other reveal his mind to him by word of mouth or by writing. By word of mouth, that is, either by oracles or extraordinary messengers. That sufficed while God saw fit to reveal but a few truths, or such as did not much burden the memory ; and men were long-lived, and the church confined within a small compass of ground, and not liable to so many miseries and changes as now in the latter ages ; and then he put it into writing, that meii may not obtrude upon us their own conceits, but we might have a standard or rule of faith and manners : Gal. vi. 16, ' As many as walk according to this rule,' &c.
[3.] The natural truths contained in the word of God are evident by their own light. The supernatural truths, though they are above natural light, yet they are not against it, or contrary to it, and do fairly accord with those principles which are naturally known ; and are con- firmed,— partly by an antecedent testimony, which is prophecy ; partly by an innate evidence in their own frame and contexture ; partly by a subsequent evidence, which is valuable testimony as to matter of fact. The antecedent testimony : John v. 39, ' Search the scriptures, for in them ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me ;' 2 Peter i. 19, ' We have a more sure word of prophecy, to which we do well to give heed, as to a light shining in dark places.' The innate and concomitant evidence : 2 Cor. iv. 2-4, * We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, com- mending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. For if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.' The subsequent testimony, the apostles: Acts V. 32, ' We are witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.' They were eye and ear witnesses of great fidelity and credit ; their religion forbiddeth them to lie for God, and they were accompanied with the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, not only in giving them success in the face of the learned world, hunting out the devil everywhere, but also by miracles, divers signs, and wonders ; and they and their followers endured all manner of torments and death to witness to the truth of these things, and transmitted them to us with assurance of God's owning this doctrine.