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upon immediate Revelation. Because the fame difpofition of mind muft be wrought in Man, before he embraces Chriftian Truths, whether they be revealed to him mediately or immediately.

3. They alledge, Prov. 28. 5. Evil men underStand not judgment; but they that feek the Lord, underftand all things. That is, a perverfe and wicked Spirit, enflaved by fin, does not rightly difcern the will of God; whereas an humble and fincere Soul, that is defirous of knowing its duty, and earneftly befeeching God to inftruct it therein, fhall be guided by God's Grace, and the Truth fhall be discovered to it. But will these words prove, that those who seek the Lord, and who by feeking the Lord do get understanding; that fuch Perfons, I fay, cannot understand God's will, unless it be difcovered to them by immediate Revelation? Such Arguments deferve rather to be laugh'd at, than answered.

4. And yet there is another no lefs impertinent. Our Saviour fays, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my Difciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, John 8.31, 32. That is, if ye fincerely endeavour to practife what I teach you, then are ye truly my Difciples; and ye fhall by the Grace of God, which is conftantly beftowed upon fuch as improve what has been already given them, increafe more and more in the knowledge of my Doctrine, which fhall deliver you from the flavery of fin, which the World labors under. But how does this Text prove, That God teaches Men the Truth by immediate Revelation? Does our Saviour fay, that immediate Revelation is the only Method, by which he can make the truth known to Man? If not, this Text will as foon teach us

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the neceffity of praying to Saints, as of immediate Revelation?

5. 'Tis alledged, that our Savior promised to be with his Church alwaies, to the end of the World, Matt. 28. 20. and from his being prefent with his Church, our Adverfaries conclude, that he teaches all the true Members of it by immediate Revelaon. But the weaknefs of this argument will foon appear, if we confider, what our Savior's prefence with his Church imports. We know, our Lord fpake these words, when he was about to afcend into heaven; and confequently could no longer be prefent with his Church, as to his humane Nature. Wherefore his prefence for the future must refpect his Divinity; and imports that as he is God, he will be ever prefent with his Church. Now as he is God, he is Omniprefent; that is, he is prefent with all Perfons, at all times, and in all places. So that as he is God, he is prefent with Infidels, as well as with the Society of Believers, which we call the Church. But then it must be obferved, that when God's prefence is at any time promised, it denotes fomething peculiar to thofe Perfons to whom the promife is made, and confequently his bare Omniprefence cannot then be meant; which because it is, and cannot but be, common to all, is therefore peculiar to pone. fignifies therefore his being prefent as a Friend, and implies, that he will protect, affift, and bless those whom he is present with.

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Of this there are innumerable inftances in holy Writ. I shall mention only a few, which are fo very plain, that they need no Comment. And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phi. chol, the chief captain of his hoft, spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doft, Gen.

21. 22. God fays to Ifaac, fojourn in the Land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee, Gen. 26. 3. And again, Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, v. 24. And Jacob vowed a vow, faying, If God will be with me, and will keep in this way that I go, Gen. 28. 20. And the Lord faid unto Jacob, Return unto the Land of thy Fathers, and to thy Kindred, and I will be with thee, Gen. 31. 3. And Mofes faid unto God, who am I, that I fhould go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the Children of Ifrael out of Egypt? And he faid, Certainly I will be with thee, Exod. 3. 11, 12. If fo be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, Josh. 14. 12. With us is the Lord our God, to help us, and to fight our battles, 2 Chron. 32. 8. I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Pfal. 23. 4. I am with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and bring him to honour, Pfal. 91. 15. Then Spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vifion, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no Man fhall fet on thee to hart thee, Acts 18. 10. In thefe and infinite other places Gods prefence denotes his Protection, Affiftance and Bleffing. And accordingly our Saviour's prefence with his Church imports, that he will protect, affift and blefs the true Members of it.

But furely no Man can gather from Christ's prefence with his Church, that he will teach all the true Members of it by immediate Revelation; unless he be weak enough to imagine, that Chrift cannot protect, affift, and blefs, otherwife than by immediate Revelation.

6. They alledge St. Paul's words, 2 Cor. 13.5. Know ye not your own felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except ye be reprobates? I fhall not at pre

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fent give my felf the trouble of fixing the true Sense of these words; because tho' we allow that very Interpretation of them, which alone can feem to favour the Doctrine of our Adverfaries ; the Argument drawn from them is most easily anfwered. For tho' it be granted, that Jefus Chrift is here faid to be in (or among) all fuch Perfons as are not Reprobates, that is, (in the opinion of our Adverfaries) in all good Chriftians; yet it is abundantly manifeft from what I have already faid, that our Saviour's being prefent with, in, or among good Chriftians, imports (not his inftructing, and teaching them by immediate Revelation, but) only his favourable prefence to protect, affift and bless them.

7. St. John fays, He that keepeth his Commandments, dwelleth in him, and be in him; and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, I John 3. 24. This Text has two parts. 1. He that keepeth his Commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him. 2. Hereby we know that he dwelleth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. I fhall confider them diftinctly, and Thew that neither of 'em. does countenance the Doctrine of our Adverfaries.

For the Explication of the former of them, two things must be noted, viz. First, That a Man's being, dwelling, abiding or continuing in Chrift or God, often fignifies his living in the profeffion of, or obedience to, the laws of the Gofpel. This will appear from the following Texts of Scripture. Whofo keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby we know, that we are in him. He that faith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked, 1 John 2.5, 6. If that which ye have heard from the beginning, shall Cs

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remain in you; ye alfo fhall continue in the son, and in the father, v. 24. Whosoever abideth in him, finneth not, 1 John 3. 6. If any Man be in Chrift he is a new Creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17. Secondly, That God's abiding or dwelling in, or with Man, fignifies the Continuance of his favourable prefence with him. For I have already fhewn, that by God's being with Man is frequently meant his favourable presence with him to protect, affift and blefs him. And accordingly God's dwelling or abiding in, or with Man, imports nothing more than that his favourable prefence is not tranfitory, but lafting.

These things therefore being premifed, the meaning of the former part of the Apostles words is plainly this, that he that keepeth his (viz. God's) Commandments, God dwelleth in him by the Continuation of his favourable prefence with him; and he (dwelleth) in him (viz. in God) by living in Obedience to his Laws. And furely God's favourable prefence may be continued to Man, and Man may live in Obedience to God's Laws, although there be no immediate Revelation in the Cafe. For immediate Revelation is by no means the neceffary effect of God's dwelling in Man. Nay, God himfelf exprefly declares by the Prophet, that he dwelt in Man for very different purposes, faying, Thus faith the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth eternity, whofe name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place; with him alfo that is of a contrite and humble Spirit (fuch as all true Chriftians are) to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones, Ifaiah 57. 15. And accordingly muft our Savior's words be understood, John 14. 23. If any Man love me, he will keep my words; and then my father will love him: And as a proof of that love, we will come unto him, and make our

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