Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

3. Nor is it a clear knowledge of every Revelation, that is the Condition of this Covenant. God in his kindness to Man hath made Revelations of himself, but his Goodness is manifested in obliging us to believe him, not fully to understand him. He hath made them by sufficient Testimonies as clear to our Faith, as they are incomprehensible to our Reason: He hath revealed a Trinity of Persons in their distinct Offices in the business of Redemption, without which Revelation of a Trinity, we could not have a right Notion and Scheme of Redeeming Grace. But since the clearness of Mens understanding is sullied ⟨p. 634⟩by the fall, and hath lost its Wings to fly up to a knowledge of such sublime things as that of the Trinity, and other Mysteries of the Christian Religion: God hath manifested his Goodness in not obliging us to understand them, but to believe them, and hath given us reason enough to believe it to be his Revelation, (both from the Nature of the Revelation it self, and the way and manner of propagating it; which is wholly Divine, exceeding all the Methods of Humane Art) though he hath not extended our understandings to a capacity to know them, and render a reason of every Mystery. He did not require of every Israelite, or of any of them that were stung by the fiery Serpents, that they should understand, or be able to discourse of the Nature and Qualities of that Brass of which the Serpent upon the Pole was made, or by what Art that Serpent was formed, or in what manner the sight of it did operate in them for their Cure; it was enough that they did believe the Institution, and Precept of God, and that their own Cure was assured by it: It was enough if they cast their Eyes upon it according to the direction. The understandings of Men are of several sizes and elevations, one higher than another: If the Condition of this Covenant had been a greatness of knowledge, the most acute Men had only enjoyed the benefits of it. But it is Faith, which is as easy to be performed by the ignorant and simple, as by the strongest and most towering Mind: 'Tis that which is within the compass of every Mans understanding. God did not require that every one within the Verge of the Covenant, should be able to discourse of it to the reasons of Men: He required not that every Man should be a Philosopher, or an Orator, but a Believer.

3. Nor is it a clear knowledge of every Revelation, that is the Condition of this Covenant. God in his kindness to Man hath made Revelations of himself, but his Goodness is manifested in obliging us to believe him, not fully to understand him. He hath made them by sufficient Testimonies as clear to our Faith, as they are incomprehensible to our Reason: He hath reveal'd a Trinity of Persons in their distinct Offices in the business of Redemption, without which Revelation of a Trinity, we could not have a right Notion and Scheme of Redeeming Grace. But since the clearness of Mens understanding is sullied