intuition of the act itself. It is as unreasonable a thing, then, to doubt whether we have such intellectual souls, because they know not themselves directly or fully, as long as they know other things, as it is to doubt whether we have eyes, because they see not themselves, as long as they see external objects.

2. Moreover, this corruption doth often discover itself, in that men will not believe the truth of the thing revealed, because they cannot reach to understand the causes of it; so many will question God's decrees of predestination and preterition, because they cannot reach the cause. And many will deny the very work of creation, because they cannot know the way of creation. They will question whether they have immortal souls, because they cannot tell how they are caused, whether by seminal traduction and propagation, or by immediate creation? They will deny the work of God's differencing effectual grace, because they know not how it is given out, or wrought in the soul.

And as well might they deny that they have flesh or bones, till they better know how they were caused in the womb; and they may as well deny that they have any blood in their bodies, any nutrition or augmentation, till they better know the mystery of sanguification and other nutritive works; and as well may they say that the sun doth not shine, or warm us, till they know how it is that these are caused by the sun. They know not how the plants are animated and specified, nor how they suck their nutriment from the earth, and yet they know that such things are. They know not how the silly snail doth form her shell, or nature for her; or how the feathers of the peacock are so beautified; and the several sorts of birds, beasts, plants, fruits, are so diversified and adorned: and yet they know that such things are: or, as Christ telleth Nicodemus here, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and you hear the sound thereof, but know not whence it cometh," &c. And do we, therefore, say that there is no wind, because we know not whence it cometh, or what is the inferior cause of it? Will you say that the sea doth not ebb and flow, or there are no earthquakes, thunder, and lightning, because men do so little know the causes of them. Felix qui potuit, &c. It is not every man's lot to reach such causes; nor any man's on earth to know the causes of all things which he knoweth to be, nor fully the causes of any one. 3. Moreover, this folly of man's heart doth discover itself thus in that men will not believe the truths revealed by God, because they cannot see God's ends and reasons, and the use of

the things. Many Many an evident truth is rejected by the proud wit of foolish man, because God hath not told them why he hath so determined and ordered the business; or, if he have told it, yet they understand it not. So many infidels and Socinians do deny Christ's satisfaction as a ransom and sacrifice for sin, because they cannot see any reason for it, or necessity of it. They cannot see, but God may pardon sin without satisfaction: and then, what need of all this ado, or what likelihood, that God would lay so much on his Son, or make so great a business of this work for our good, and his glory, if all was needless? and thus many deny the universal extent of his satisfaction, as being for all mankind, because they are not able to see the reason and use of it. They thrust in their dead quorsum as a sufficient answer to the most express words of God, and ask what good will it do men to be ransomed, and not saved. They fear not to say that this is a thing unbeseeming God, and such a weakness as men would not be guilty of: so that if we can prove that such a thing there is, they will not fear to charge it on God as his unreasonable weakness. The like we might show in many other points.

And must God unlock to us the reasons, ends, and uses of his truths and works before we will believe that such things are? We will allow parents to conceal the reasons and ends of many precepts from their children, and a prince to conceal the reasons of many laws, and to keep to himself the arcana imperii, the mysteries of state; and must God open all before he can be believed? Is not the wisdom and the will of God the most satisfying reason in the world? Must you have proper reasons and intentions in God; or will you have a cause of the first cause, or an end of the ultimate end of all? Alas! how little do the wisest men know of the use and ends of many a creature, over their heads, and under their feet, which their eyes behold; yea, how little know they of the use and ends of many a part of their own bodies! And yet they know that such things there are.

What abundance of 'whys' hath an arrogant infidel upon the reading of Scripture, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation, which must all be satisfied before he will believe. Of all which God will one day satisfy them; but not in the manner as they would have prescribed him.

4. Another expression of this arrogant ignorance is, when men will not believe the several truths of God, because they are not able to reconcile them, and place each one in its own order,

and see the method and body of truth in its true locations and proportion; nay, perhaps they will believe none, because they cannot discern the harmony.

What abundance of seeming contradictions in Scripture do rise up in the eyes of an ignorant infidel; as strange apparitions do to a distracted man; or as many colours before the inflamed or distempered eye. These self-conceited, ignorant souls do imagine all to be impossible which exceedeth their knowledge; and because they cannot see the sweet consent of Scripture, and how those places do suit and fortify each other, which to them seem to contradict each other, therefore they think no one else can see it; no, not God himself. They are like an ignorant fellow in a watchmaker's shop, that thinks nobody can set all the loose pieces together, and make a watch of them, because he cannot when he hath tried many ways, and cannot hit it, he casts all by, and concludeth that it is impossible.

And upon this account many cast away particular truths, though they will not cast away all. Some cannot reconcile the efficiency of the Spirit with that of the word, in the conversion and confirmation of sinners; and therefore some exclude one, and some the other, or own but the empty names; some cannot reconcile the law and the Gospel and too great a part of the teachers in the christian world have been so troubled to reconcile God's grace with man's free-will, that, of old, many did too much exclude grace; and, of late, too many exclude the natural liberty of the will, upon a supposition of the inconsistency; only the names of both were still owned.

Many cannot reconcile the sufficiency of Christ's satisfaction with the necessity of man's endeavours, and inherent righteousness; and therefore one must be straitened or denied. Many cannot reconcile common love and grace with that which is special and proper to the elect; and therefore some deny one, and some another. The like might be said of many other cases, wherein the arrogancy of man's wit hath cast out God's truth: if both parts are never so express, yet they are upon this unbelieving, questioning strain, 'How can these things be? How can these agree together; how can both be true?' when yet is evident, that God hath owned both.

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It is certain, that the truths of God's word are one perfect, well-jointed body, and the perfect symmetry or proportion is much of its beauty. It is certain, that method is an excellent help in knowing divine things; and that no man can know God's

truths perfectly, till he see them all as in one scheme or body, with one view, as it were, and so sees the location of each truth, and the respect that it hath to all the rest; not only to see that there is no contradiction, but how every truth doth fortify the rest. All this, therefore, is exceedingly desirable, but it is not every man's lot to attain it, nor any man's in this world perfectly, or near to a perfection. It is true, that the sight of all God's frame of the creation, uno intuitu, in all its parts, with all their respects to each other, would acquaint us with abundance more of the glory of it than, by looking on the members piecemeal, we can attain; but who can see them thus, but God? at least, what mortal eye can do it? And we shall never, in this life, attain to see the full body of divine, revealed truths, in that method and due proportion, as is necessary to the knowledge of its full beauty. It is a most perfectly melodious instrument; but every man cannot set it in tune, so as to perceive the delectable harmony.

What, then, because we cannot know all, shall we know nothing, or deny all? Because we cannot see the whole frame of the world, in its junctures and proportion, shall we say that there is no world, or that the parts are not rightly situated, or feign one to be inconsistent with the rest? We must rather receive, first, that which is most clear, and labour by degrees to see through the obscurities that beset the rest; and if we first find, from God, that both are truths, let us receive them, and learn how to reconcile them after as we can; and if we cannot reach it, it is arrogancy, therefore, to think that it is not to be done, and to be so highly conceited of our own understandings.

5. Another way by which this arrogant infidelity worketh, is this when men will not believe any revealed truth of God, unless they can see a possibility of accomplishing the matter by natural means; and, therefore, whenever in reading the Scripture, they come to a work that passeth the power of the creature, the Nicodemites stagger at it through unbelief, and say, "How can these things be?" and the fixed infidels, with Julian, deride it. When they read the Scripture miracles, they cannot believe them, because they are miracles. Is this a likely matter,' say they, 'that such and such things should be?' And, why is it unlikely? Because it is too hard for God? What! doth his creature know his infinite power? And can you set him his bounds, and say; Thus far God can go and no further! Thus much God can do and no more! Is it ever the more dif

ficult to God because it is impossible to such as we? Will you say, that a horse cannot carry you on his back because a fly cannot? Creatures may be compared to creatures, but between the Creator and the creature, there is no comparison. Have you read how God posed Job in point of power and knowledge. (Job xxxviii. 39-41.) But who is he that hath posed God? What is that work that should be difficult to him, that by his word or will, did make all the worlds? Are they greater works than those which he hath certainly done, that you speak of so incredulously? If you had never seen the sun, or moon, or stars, or earth, or sea, and had merely found it written, that God made such a world, it is likely you would as doubtingly have said, "How can these things be?" If you had no more seen the light or sun, than you have seen the angels, or souls of men, it is likely you would have as little believed that there is such a thing as light or a sun, as you now do that there are angels and immortal souls: but I hope you are satisfied with the things you see; and may not they shame your incredulity of the things you do not see: you see there is a sun, and moon, and firmament, and earth; you know these had either a maker and cause, or else were eternal, and as an eternal cause to themselves. If they were eternal, or made themselves, then they are the first being and cause, and so are gods. And is it not more reasonable to believe one God than so many? and to believe that God is a perfect, incomprehensible, superintellectual Being, than to believe, that the senseless earth is a god? Is it not more reasonable to conclude, that this one perfect, eternal God, made all things, than that every stone did make itself; or that the sun, or moon, or any creature, made itself? If you believe, that all things are the works of God, then you see that with your eyes that may shame your foolish, dark incredulity. Do you see a greater work, and think it unlikely that the same power should do a less? Do you see so much of the world that was made by a word, and do you ask, "How can these things be?" when you read of any miracle or unusual work. If it were yourself, or such as you, that had been the doer of such works, you might well say, "How can these things be?" But God is not as man in his works or word.

6. Yea, many times when men do but hear, read, or think of some objection against the truth of God's revelations, which they cannot tell how to answer themselves, they presently begin to stagger at the whole truth, and question it on every such slight