SERMON IV.

I COR. II. 5.

That your Faith fhould not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

A

FTER that it has been once fully and

clearly ascertained by any kind of proof, that a fyftem of doctrines must have been revealed by Almighty God, it may, furely, be judged unneceffary, in ftrictness of argument, to push an enquiry any farther. In such a predicament ftands the question concerning the advantage to be derived from the Internal Evidence of the Gospel. Of whatever use this evidence may be, and it is, undoubtedly, of great importance, yet, if applied, fingly or chiefly, to prove the truth of that difpenfation, it is ill adapted to such a purpose, and never was defigned to effect it. The accomplishment of Prophecy, and the atchievement of Miracles were the true criteria which our Lord brought forward against the

Jews,

Jews, and on which he rested his pretenfions.* The same attestations, when proved to have been recorded and communicated to us by credible witneffes, are the bafis on which our Chriftian Faith now ftands. Internal Evidence therefore is, in this regard, fuperfluous; and, as it hath been in fome measure fhewn, if too much depended upon, would be a precarious and dangerous fupport. It follows that great care is to be taken, with what views and intention we fet ourselves to read the matters contained in the Old and New Testament. It is to be conftantly remembered that we should not inftitute, primarily, an enquiry into their truth or falfhood, into their reafonablenefs or the contrary; but rather, a research, so far as we are neceffarily concerned, into their meaning and import. Abfolute and palpable impoffibility, or irreconcileable contradiction, would indeed distress us; but with thefe we should recollect that we are morally certain not to meet; and, we may add, no man of credit ever pretended to have detected fuch in them. While the only queftion then refpects the appearances of thefe, concerning which different men from various caufes hold different opinions, we are to remember that they are not matters that affect the admiffibility of the Scriptures, and our fubmiffion by Faith and Obedience to that

Joh. v. 32, 36, 39, 46.

which is clearly revealed It would indeed be a mark of grofs ignorance or negligence not to be aware, that in writings which treat of perfons and things infinitely removed in nature, equally imperceptible by our fenfes and reflection, as alfo in a fimple, concife, and irregular narrative of facts that commence with the creation of the world, there must be difficulties in many points: and therefore, if where they occur, they fometimes, furpass our ability to remove them, they can have no effect against our Belief. For, ac cording to what has been faid, fome points may be inexplicable because our limited nature is incapable of them; others because we are not in poffeffion of means whereby they might be inveftigated; and, again, a third class may remain obfcure because it is the will and purpose of God that we should be imperfectly inftructed in them. For of fuch a kind is the method which he has declared himself sometimes to adopt for the trial of man's fincerity:* and his counfels who fhall judge? Upon the whole, a fyftem perfectly and in all its parts clear of all difficulties it would be contrary to reafon and analogy to expect. + Nor may we expoftulate with the Moft High because every perfon is not in all ages miraculously affifted in the perufal of the Holy Writings, and infal Jibly fecured from error or becaufe herefies are

*Matt. xiii. 10, &c.

+ See Bp. Butler's Work before cited.

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permitted

permitted to disturb and perplex mankind. I do not fay that a reason for this method of his Providence has not been given, fince it has now been mentioned and ought to be humbly and thankfully received, but not unto difputatione an

It is therefore, I think, to be concluded, that, in strictness of reafoning, while there is not in revelation any point, of which we are adequate to judge, that is either plainly contradictory or impoffible, all queftion relating to the perfect admiffibility of the Old and New Teftament is unjustifiable. If any man in the perusal of them thinks that he meets with a confirmation of his Faith from the nature of the matters contained, and efpecially from the goodnefs and wifdom of the moral doctrines, let him be thankful and happy. There are undoubtedly most numerous and important confirmations of this kind, the value of which it must be far from any one's wish to fet afide or diminish. But let him remember that his Faith in and fubmiffion to them ftand originally on another foundation, which cannot be fhaken, the affurance already attained that thefe doctrines do really come from God. And therefore though it is certain that nothing but what is good can come from fuch a caufe, yet it is of infinite confequence to him to confider that he is not an adequate judge of all that is good; that he is man and not God; and there

fore