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SERMON IV.

Of the Faith or Perfwafion of a
Divine Revelation.

The fourth Sermon on this Text.

HEB, XI. 6.

But without Faith it is impoffible to please God.

Sermon
IV.

I

N difcourfing of the Faith or Perfwafion of a Divine Revelation, I propos'd the confidering thefe feven

things.

I. What we understand by a Divine Revelation..

II. The

Volume
XII.

II. The feveral kinds of it.

III. Whether a Perfwafion concerning a Divine Revelation be properly Faith.

IV. How we may come to be af fured of a Divine Revelation; or by what Arguments, a Faith or Perfwafion of a Divine Revelation is wrought in us.

V. The degrees of this Perfwafion or Affurance.

VI. The Effects of it.

VII. In what sense it may be faid to be a divine Faith.

I was upon the [IVth] of these, viz. Confidering by what Arguments a Faith or Perfwafion of a Divine Revelation is wrought in us; which led me to confider the Evidence of Miracles; and I propos'd to fhew particularly these three things.

i. That the divine Authority both of

of the Doctrine of Mofes and Christ, is refolv'd into Miracles.

2. What affurance of Miracles is fufficient to perfwade men to believe that Teftimony, for the Confirmation of which they are wrought.

Sermon
IV.

What affurance they give us, that the Scriptures are a Divine Re

3.

velation.

I proceed to treat of these in their order.

1. I fhall fhew that the divine Authority both of the Doctrine of Mofes, and of Chrift, is refolved into Miracles. We find the Scripture lays the whole weight of the divine Authority both of the Law and Gofpel, of the revelation of the Old and New Teftament, upon this Evidence. Exod. 4. 1, 2, 3. When God fends Mofes, he objects, That they will not believe him, nor hearken to him, but will fay, The Lord hath not appeared unto him. Thereupon God gives him a power of Miracles, that they may believe, That the Lord God of their Fathers,

Fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Volume and Jacob had appeared unto them; and XII. by the evidence of thofe Miracles which he wrought,he prevail'd over the Magicians. And generally throughout the Story of the Old Teftament we find all perfons yielding to the evidence of Miracles, as a fufficient atteftation to a Prophet and his Meffage. When Elijah had prevailed with God in a miraculous manner, to confirm his own Worship, and confute the Worfhip of Baal, by fending Fire from Heaven to confume the Sacrifice, the People yield to this Evidence, and ery out, The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God, 1 Kings 18. 39. When Elijah raised the Woman's Son, then the own'd him for a Prophet, 1 Kings 17. 24. Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true. So likewife Naaman was convinced by the miraculous Cure which the Prophet Elifba wrought on him, 2 Kings 5. 15. Behold! now I know that there is no God in all the Earth but in Ifrael.

And