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tion of the Jews; and of the Calling of the Gentiles; All these Doctrines are by St. Paul termed Mysteries; and they are all of them fuch as Men may clearly and diftin&tly apprehend.

SERM.

X, XI.

THE Scripture frequently fpeaks of knowing, and of making known, of revealing and of manifefting Myfteries. Which Expreffions undeniably imply, that Myfteries are Truths capable of being understood, and that they are delivered in intelligible Terms. For to say that Men know, or that God hath made known to Men, Things which they are not capable of understanding (that is, Things which they cannot poffibly know) is a flat Contradiction. Nor can Men be faid to know any Doctrine, till they know the Meaning of the Terms in which it is expreffed. And fuch Truths as are delivered in Terms which no Man can understand, are not made known, nor revealed nor manifefted to Men, but rather concealed from them. There is

therefore this plain Difference between a Gospel Mystery and an unintelligible

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Truth; Myfteries were once Secrets to SERM. Men, but ceafed to be fo when they X, XI. were revealed by Chrift and his Apoftles; but unintelligible Truths ever were Secrets to Men, and ever will be fo.

THE Christian Mysteries were revealed that they might be the Objects of our Faith. Now nothing which a Man cannot understand can poffibly be the Object of his Faith; because Faith is an Act of the Understanding. Faith is an Affent of the Mind; and the Mind affents to nothing but what is propos'd to the Understanding; and Things unintelligible are no more propos'd to the Understanding, than Things invifible are objected to the Sight, Before Men can believe the Christian Myfteries, it is neceffary that they should be made known to them by a Divine Revelation. Now (as I before obferv'd) Things which are abovę the Reach of Human Underftanding cannot poffibly be made known unto Men; and even thofe Things which are not above the Reach of Human Underftanding cannot be faid to be made known or

revealed

revealed unto Men, unless they are declared in Terms that have a certain and known Signification. From whence it evidently follows, that the Myfteries which Chriftians are requir'd to believe in order to Salvation, are intelligible Truths exprefs'd in intelligible Terms.

WHEN God expreffes himself in Terms which Men cannot understand, all that they are able to do in this Cafe is to believe that thofe Words of God, the Meaning of which they know not, have a Meaning in which they are true. And fo (in this Cafe) the Mind affents not to any Thing unintelligible, but to a very plain as well as a very certain Propofition.

SER M.

X, XI.

SOME Prophetical Parts of Scripture are (it must be confefs'd) fo obfcure, that it seems hardly poffible to difcover the true Meaning of them, till Time shall give Light to them. And there are obvious Reasons why this fhould be fo. Nor can it be pretended that the Knowledge of future Events is neceffary to all Chriftians. But it feems very neceffary

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SERM.

X, XI.

that all Chriftians in all Ages fhould rightly understand the Doctrines of Chriftianity, especially its principal and fundamental Articles. And therefore God hath been pleased to declare these with all poffible Plainnefs and Clearness.

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I FORESEE what will be objected against all I have faid upon this Head. The Mystery of the Holy and Bleffed Trinity is (in the Opinion of many) fo far from being eafy to be understood, that it is incomprehenfible. For a fatisfactory Answer to this Objection, I must refer Men to the Scriptures, in which this Myftery is revealed. If what the Scriptures have delivered concerning the Doctrine of the Trinity is unintelligible, then I must grant that this Doctrine is unintelligible; and that the Objection raifed from it is unanfwerable. But if thofe Places of Scripture which concern the Doctrine of the Trinity are not difficult to be understood, then (I think) it muft on the other hand be granted me, that the Doctrine of the Trinity may be understood, and that the Ob

jection

jection drawn from it is without Foundation.

SERM.

THERE are in the New Testament se. X, XI, veral hundred Texts, which one way or other relate to this great and venerable Mystery; and in my Judgment the generality of them are very plain; fome few of them only being fomewhat obfcure and ambiguous. Moreover, the plain Texts are of great Ufe to clear and determine the Meaning even of thefe; and do (I'm perfwaded) direct us moft times to the true, and always to a fafe Interpretation of them. The Limits of a Dif course of this Nature will not permit me to bring together fo great a multitude of Paffages. Let it fuffice at present to obferve, that the Subftance of the Doctrine taught in them is briefly this.

1. THAT there is one God the Father Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, who alone is to be worfhipped as fuch.

2. THAT there is one Lord Jefus Chrift, the beloved and only begotten Son of God, and his exprefs Image; who was

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