The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

And here the first question shall be, How the Apostles, and all other the first witnesses, knew it themselves? For it is by every reasonable man to be supposed, that they who were present, and we who are 1668 years distance, could not receive the knowledge of the matters of fact, in the very same manner. It is certain that their knowledge was by their present sense and reason: They saw Christ and his miracles: They heard his words: They saw him risen from the dead: They discoursed with him, and eat and drunk with him: They saw him ascending up bodily to Heaven. They need no other Revelation to tell them what they saw, and heard, and felt.

If you had asked them then, H•w know you that all these things were said and done? they would have answered you, Because we saw and heard them. But we were not then present: we did not see, and hear, what they did: Nor did we see or hear them, who were the eye-witnesses. And therefore as their senses told it them; so the natural way for our knowledge, must be by derivation from their sense to ours: For when ⟨p. 126⟩they themselves received it in a way so natural, (though not without the help of Gods Spirit, in the remembering, recording and attesting it) we that can less pretend to inspiration, or immediate revelation, have small reason to think that we must know the same facts, by either of those supernatural ways. Nor can our knowledge of a history, carried down through so many ages, be so clearly satisfactory to our selves, as sight and hearing was to them. And yet we have a certainty, not only infallible; but so far satisfactory, as is sufficient to warrant all our faith, and duty, and sufferings for the reward which Christ hath set before us.

If you had asked them then, H•w know you that all these things were said and done? they would have answered you, Because we saw and heard them. But we were not then present: we did not see, and hear, what they did: Nor did we see or hear them, who were the eye-witnesses. And therefore as their senses told it them; so the natural way for our knowledge, must be by derivation from their sense to ours: For when