their natures; what natural Reafon cannot account for, and what God never intended we fhould understand: for God never intended to teach us how to make the World, nor how every Creature was made; and therefore we can not, and are not concerned to know the internal frame and conftitution of Nature.

But though neither Natural nor Revealed Knowledge extends to the Reafons and Caufes of Nature,and of effential Properties and Operations; yet both natural and revealed Knowledge is of as much ufe to us, as if we did perfectly understand all the fecret and incomprehenfible Myfteries of the nature of God, or of the natures of Creatures. Both natural and revealed Knowledge are alike up: on this account; That they only acquaint us what things are, and what ends they ferve; and then we know what ufe to make of them, without understanding the fecrer Myfteries of Nature.

Is this World, or any thing in it, the less useful to us, becaufe we cannot conceive how God created all things of nothing? Or becaufe we do not understand the nature of Matter, nor how the feveral parts of Matter came by their different Viftues and Qualities? Is Corn, or Fruit, or Herbs, the lefs nourishing or refreshing, because we know not how they grow? Does it require any Philofophy to know how to eat, and drink, and fleep? Will not our Food nourish us, unless we understand how it is concocted, and turned into Chyle, and Blood, and Spirits? Nay, is it of nó use to know that God is an Eternal, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omniprefent Being, unless we can conceive how any Being can be Eternal without a Caufe, and without à Beginning? Or can comprehend how he can do and know all things, and be prefent in all places at once, without Extenfion, and without Parts? We may make all the use that can be made of this world, and of

every thing in it, without understanding the effential Reafons and Causes, or internal Nature of any thing; and we must do fo, if we will make any ufe of it; and we know God to all the ends and purposes for which Creatures ought to know God, though his Nature be incomprehenfible.

And thus it is in matters of pure Revelation, fuch as the Doctrine of the Trinity, and the Incarnation; how unaccountable foever the Mystery of a Trinity in Unity, the Eternal Generation, and the Incarnation of the Son of God be, yet it is the most useful Knowledge in the world: Though we know not how the Eternal Father begat an Eternal Son of his own Subftance, nor how this Eternal Son in time became Man; yet it is the most defirable knowledge in the world to finners; to know, That God has an Eternal Son; and that he fo loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind, that whofoever believes in him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life; and that this Eternal Son of God became Man, lived a poor, neceffitous, laborious Life, and died an accurfed Death for the Salvation of Sinners; and to know, That the Holy Spirit, which proceeds from Father and Son, dwells in the Chriftian Church, and quickens and animates the whole Body of Chrift. If this be true (as we muft fuppofe in this Argument), all Mankind muft confefs, that this is a very ufeful Knowledge; and never the less useful, because a Trinity in Unity, and the Eternal Generation, and the Incarnation of the Son of God, are great and inconceivable Myfteries. Could we give a Rational and Philofophical Account of the Eternal Generation, and of the Incarnation, we should know more than we now do; but Faith makes it as useful to all the purposes of Religion, as the most perfect intuitive Knowledge could do.

This is a fufficient Answer to that Objection against the Usefulness of fuch Myfteries as have fomething incomprehenfible and unconceivable in their Natures: Which is an equal Objection against all created Nature, which is but one great Myftery; and yet the World is a very useful World, and we know in fome good degree what ufe to make of it: And the Knowledge of hofe Gospel Myfteries which are the Subject of our present difpute, are manifeftly of infinite ufe to us, if the certain knowledge of the Pardon of Sin, and eternal Life, by the Obedience, and Sufferings, and Death, and Interceffi. on of the Son of God Incarnate, be of any ufe; and therefore it became the Wisdom and Goodness of God to reveal thefe Myfteries of Salvation to us.

Especially if we add to this, That the lapfed ftate of Human Nature makes fupernatural Knowledge neceffary. Natural Knowledge we grant was fufficient for a ftate of Nature, though no man would have had reafon to complain, had God in a ftate of Innocence by a more familiar intercourfe with Man, or by the frequent Converfation of Angels, improved his Knowledge beyond the mere at tainments of his Natural Faculties; and it is not improbable, but this might have been; I am fure there is an impatient thirst after knowledge in human Nature, and fuch a great curiofity for fecret and hidden Myfteries, that it looks very unnatural for Men to complain, that God Reveals more to them than Nature teaches.

But yet I fay, Natural Knowledge must be allowed fufficient to all the ends of Human Life, while man continued Innocent; for that is the Original ftate of human Nature, as all men muft grant, who believe that Man was made by God.

But when man finned, he forfeited the Favour of God, and a natural Immortality; and whether he should be re

ftored

ftored or not, and by what means he fhould be restored, depended wholly on the Sovereign Will and Pleasure of God: And therefore the Light of Nature, though it could direct an Innocent Man how to Pleafe and Worship God, and to preferve himfelf Immortal, it could not teach Sinners how to make atonement for Sin, nor give themony certain hopes that God would forgive Sins, and bestow immortal Life on them; which makes it neceffary, that the Religion of a finner be a Revealed Religion. And if God in infinite Goodness is not only pleafed to reftore finners to Grace and Favour, but to advance them to a fupernatural state of Perfection and Happiness both of Soul and Body in the next World; this must be done by fupernatural Means, and therefore requires a fupernatural Knowledge; for the Light of Nature can neither raife us above Nature, nor difcover fupernatural Truths to us; and this makes it neceffary to know and believe fuch things, as we have no natural Notion or Idea of, Such things, as nei ther eye hath feen,nor ear heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive. If Nature can't fave us, it can't discover to us the way of Salvation neither; and if we must be faved by a fupernatural Grace and Power, it must be fupernaturally Revealed; and what is Supernatural, is the Object of Faith, not of natural Knowledge.

This feems to me to give a plain account, Why God thinks fit to Reveal fuch Myfteries to us as Nature cannot teach, and as we have no natural Notion of, Because our lapfed ftate has made fuch fupernatural Revelations neceffary to the recovery of Mankind; and when we are fallen below the relief of Nature, and of natural Knowledge, we ought to be very thankful to our Good God for fupernatural Knowledge, and fupernatural Means of Salvation. To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, Three Perfons, One Eternal God, be Honour, Glory, and FINIS. Power, now and for ever.

Amen.

}

Preach'd before the

University

OF

No

CAMBRIDE

On the 9th of September,

Being the Day of Publick Thanksgiving for the Delive
rance of His MAJESTY's Sacred Perfon, His
Royal Brother, and the Government, from the late
Hellish Fanatick Conspiracy.

By Miles Barne, D, D. Chaplain in Ordinary
to His MAJESTY, and Fellow
of St. Peter's College.

The Fourth Edition.

Publish'd by Authority.

LONDON,

Printed for R. Royston, Bookfeller to the King's most
Excellent MAJESTY, 1683.