Ye read of Zechariah (that good man, Father of John the Baptist) that when the Angel brought him tidings of a child, in way of his special Mercy; he would not believe it. And in the 1. of Luke, and the 20. verse: ye read how he was punished for it: Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not ⟨p. 175⟩able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words. But what hindered him? what kept him off from this work of believing? you shall find at the 18. verse; too much attendance unto, and considering of the means, and the deadness thereof. Zechariah said unto the Angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. He looked too much upon, and considered, he stood poring too much upon the means; and this was the enemy unto his Faith. You know Beloved, that the Scripture hath laid a flat opposition between Faith, and sense. We live by Faith, says the Apostle, and not by sight, or by sense. The reasons drawn from sense, are sense: and when a man does live by reason drawn from sense, and bears up his heart therewithal, he does live by sense. If you live by Faith, you don't live by sense: if you do live by sense, you don't live by Faith. They are as two buckets, the life of Faith, and the life of sense; when one goes up, the other goes down: the higher Faith riseth, the lower sense and reason: and the higher sense and reason, the lower Faith. That is true of the schools, Reason going before Faith, weakens, and diminisheth it: But Reason following upon Faith, increases and strengthens it. Besides, you know Paul says; Not many wise &c. Why not many wise called? Those that are wise, they consider the things of God, and of the Gospel in a mere rational way, and therefore not many wise are called: it hinders them from the work of believing: Luther says well: If you would believe (says he) you must crucify that Question, why? God would not have us so full of wherefores. And if you would believe, you must go blindfold into Gods command: Abraham subscribes to a blank, when the Lord called him out of his own Country.
Ye reade of Zacharias (that good man, Father of John the Baptist) that when the Angell brought him tidings of a child, in way of his speciall Mercy; he would not beleeve it. And in the 1. of Luke, and the 20. verse: ye reade how he was punished for it: Behold, thou shalt be dumbe, and not ⟨p. 175⟩able to speak, untill the day that these things shall be performed, because thou beleevest not my words. But what hindred him? what kept him off from this work of beleeving? you shall find at the 18. verse; too much attendance unto, and considering of the meanes, and the deadnesse thereof. Zachary said unto the Angell, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. He look't too much upon, and considered, he stood poring too much upon the meanes; and this was the enemy unto his Faith. You know Beloved, that the Scripture hath laid a flat opposition between Faith, and sence. We live by Faith, sayes the Apostle, and not by sight, or by sence. The reasons drawn from sence, are sence: and when a man does live by reason drawn from sence, and beares up his heart therewithall, he does live by sence. If you live by Faith, you don't live by sence: if you do live by sence, you don't live by Faith. They are as two buckets, the life of Faith, and the life of sence; when one goes up, the other goes down: the higher Faith riseth, the lower sence and reason: and the higher sence and reason, the lower Faith. That is true of the schooles, Reason going before Faith, weakens, and diminisheth it: But Reason following upon Faith, increases and strengthens it. Besides, you know Paul sayes; Not many wise &c. Why not many wise called? Those that are wise, they consider the things of God, and of the Gospel in a meere rationall way, and therefore not many wise are called: it hinders them from the worke of beleeving: Luther sayes well: If you would beleeve (sayes he) you must crucify that Question, why? God would not have us so full of wherefores. And if you would beleeve, you must go blindfold into Gods command: Abraham subscribes to a blank, when the Lord called him out of his own Countrey.
