3. The only remedy and cure for this is faith, and external revelation from God. The blindness of reason is cured by the word ; the pride of reason is cured by the grace of faith. Eevelation supplies the defect of it ; and faith takes down the pride of it, and captivates the thoughts into the obedience of the truths represented in the word ; so that reason now cannot be a judge ; at best it is but a handmaid to faith. And though the mysteries of religion transcend reason, yet that is not an argiunent of the falsity of the word, but of the imbecility and weakness of our own reason : and those mysteries, which we cannot comprehend, do but put us in mind of the sad consequences of the fall of man.
4. The doctiine of the creation is a mixed principle ; much of it is liable to reason, but most of it can only be discovered by faith. We must consider the creation two ways, either ex parte rei, or ex parte modi ; either the thing itself, or the necessary circumstances. Eor the thing itself, that was known to the heathens, that there was a creation; but the manner how was wholly hidden from reason, and can only be supplied by revelation of the word. Nature doth confess a creation, but faith must teach us what it is.
More distinctly I shall lay down my sense in these further propositions —
[1.] By the light of nature it may be known that there was a crea- tion. It may be proved by evident reason that there was a first cause, from whence all propagation begins ; otherwise we shall be left to a ])erpetual wandering, and shall not know out of what womb all things that are in the world issued forth. Plutarch propounds the question ; M'hether the hen were before the egg, or the Qg^ before the hen? Look upon all creatures ; is the acorn before the oak, or the oak before the acorn ? the spawn before the fish or the fish before the spawn ? therefore at first there must be fishes created, and there must be oaks created. To this purpose the apostle quoteth Aratus, Acts xvii. 28, TQv 'yap Kal yevoL eajxev, for we are his offering.
[2.] The heathens discovered that there was also a first mover, a
VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 411
first cause of all things in the world. Aristotle, though he held the eternity of the world, confesseth there was irpoiTav alriav Koafxov koI T^9 rd^eoo^ ira.ar}<i ; and he saith that Homotimus and Anaxagoras were necessitated by the appearance of the truth to acknowledge it ; and that all perfections which are in other things by participation, are in the first cause essentially; and that this first cause was of such infinite power and wisdom, as appeared, because all things are ordered to such good uses and purposes. The apostle saith, Kom. i. 19, 20, ' That which may be known of God is manifest in them ; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even Ids eternal power and godhead.' And he disputes upon it as a granted principle, that there was a fii'st cause : Acts xvii. 28, ' For in him we live, and move, and have our being ; ' and Acts xiv. 15, ' He is the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and. the sea, and all things that are therein.'
[3.] This knowledge in the heathens was but faint, and full of hesi- tancy and confusion, of very little profit and comfort. Though they did acknowledge a God and first cause, yet they multiplied feigned deities and .set up many gods ; they had not any full and saving light, which might be a comfort and profit to their souls ; they could not see this first cause, so as to fear him, and trust in him for his power, love him for his goodness, and honour him and adore him for his wisdom : Rom. i. 21, 22, 'They become vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened ; professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.' They could not draw otit the necessary consequences of these truths, to love, trust, fear, worship, and honour this first cause ; there they were vain in their imaginations. Therefore our Lord pro- poseth the gentiles as a pattern of unbelievers : Mat. vi. 32, ' After all these things do the gentiles seek,' when he spoke how we should trust God. They had but rude and imperfect notions of the power and care of God, and could not apply them for their profit and benefit, therefore they are carking and caring, and cannot trust God.
[4.] The manner and the necessary circumstances of the creation were wholly unknown to the heathens. Efiects discover the cause, but they cannot discover the circumstances of action, because those depend wholly upon the will of the agent. So because the circumstances of the creation were not neces.sary, but did wholly depend upon the will of God, reason and nature cannot know them, unless God make them known in the word ; as, for instance, they knew not perfectly who made the world ; not when, nor how it was made, nor whence it was made. Not who made the world : though they had some rude and gross conceits of the first cause, yet they looked upon him as a servile agent, working out of mere necessity, communicating his influ- ences, because he could not choose to do otherwise. So when the world was made, the beginning and duration of it, this was wholly hidden from the heathens. The scripture can only show it to us. Therefore many of the heathens complained of the great defect that was in their chronicles, that they had not an ancienter monument than the destruc- tion of Troy; Cur supra helium Trqjanum, et funera Trojce ; so Lucretius, Macrobius. The writings of Moses are much more ancient