World, they may have as great an

Sermon Effect upon us, as if they were present to us, and we saw them with YI. our bodily Eyes.

OD

Sermon

VII.

SERMON VII.

Of the Christan Faith, the Means

of its Conveyance, and our
Obligation to receive it.

The First Sermon on this Text.

JOHN XX. 31.
But these are written, that ye might

believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that believing ye
might have life through his Name.

I

ing the

Have largely Discoursed concern

general Nature of Faith, and more particularly concerning the Faith which is truly Divine and Religious; in the latitude of which is

CON

contained a Perswafion concerning the Volume

Principles of Natural Religion, the XII.

Being of God, the Immortality of the Soul, and a Future State; and a Perswalion of the Divine Revelation of the Scriptures, and the matters contained in them. Now among matters of Divine Revelation, the Doctrine of the Gospel is a principal part; which is the last and most perfect Revelation which God hath made to the World, by his Son Jesus Christ; and a firm belief and perswasion of this, is that which is call'd Christian Faith, or the Faith of the Gospel; and which by way of Eminency, is usually call?d Faith in the new Testament.

Now Christian Faith is not opposed to a Divine Faith, but is comprehended under it; as being a principal and eminent part of Divine Faith, but not all that which may be call’d Divine Faith. Chriftian Faith supposeth a Belief of the Principles of Natural Religion; and a Belief of those Revelations which God formerly made under the old Testament: But it doth only formally contain in

it

it a Belief of the Gospel, viz. That
Revelation which God hath in these Sermon
last days made to the World by his VII.
Son Jesus Christ. The Heathens who
were deftitute of Divine Revelation,
did only believe the Principles of Na-
tural Religion; and the generality of
them did not believe thote, but in a
very imperfect manner. The Jews, to
whom

committed the Oracle's
of God, did superadd to the belief of
the Principles of Natural Religion,
the belief of such Revelations as God
was pleased to make to them under that
Dispensation. Christian Faith super-
adds to both the former, a belief of
the Revelation of the Gospel.

were

I Mall now therefore by God's af sistance, endeavour to open to you the Nature of Christian Faith from these words; in which you

have these three things considerable.

First, The End of committing the Gospel to Writing, which was to perswade men to believe in Christ, to propagate and continue Christian Faith in the World ; these things are written that you might believe that Je

Jus