SERM. VL The Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of our Creator may be demonstrated by numerous and inconteftable Arguments from the Creation. But one may look long enough into the Creation, and confider it throughout, before one can deduce one Argument from thence to prove, what Mankind most wants to have proved, his Mercy to repenting Criminals. What signifieth it to prove God's Goodness to the World in general, without proving, that he will be good to us Men, to (what we all are) miferable Sinners? Arguments of God's clear and unmixed Mercy to penitent Offenders, there can be none from Matter of Fact, if we fet the Scriptures afide; Arguments from Metaphyfics are very inconclufive; but if they were not so, they are too abstracted to make any strong and durable Impreffion upon fuch Beings as we are: One express and authentic Declaration from God himself would be of more Weight, than a thousand fine-fpun Conjectures without it. Accordingly the God of the Chriftians is not merely our Creator and Preferver, a Being of inexhauftible Power and unfathomable Wisdom; he is a God of Mercy and Comfort, who is not willing that any fhould perish, who pitieth us, as a Fa-SERM.VI ther pitieth his own Children, who bealeth the broken-hearted, who rescueth us from the Bondage of Corruption by his Grace, and redeemeth us from the Punishment of it by his Merits. Such a God we finful Creatures wanted; and fuch a God the Scriptures, which are exactly adapted to our Neceffities, have reprefented him to us. No Religion whatever hath given us a clearer Infight into both the Dignity and Meannefs of our Nature. The fame facred Writings, which inform us, that we were made in the Image of our Creator, and that we shall be hereafter Heirs with him, with feveral other Confiderations very proper to beget in us an Ambition of acting up to the Dignity of our Nature, and to Spirit up the most low and grovelling Minds ; the same facred Writings teach us that we can do nothing of ourselves without the Grace of God co-operating with us, that nothing but the Merits of our Saviour can entitle us to any Rewards, with feveral other Reflections proper to preserve in our Minds a Sense of our Dependance, and to humble the most haughty and infolent. Thus the Christian Religion, which giveth us the most amia SERM. VI ble as well as august and awful Ideas of our Creator, difplays at once the bright and dark Side of human Nature, the one to animate the Endeavours of the Good, and the other to damp the Prefumptions of the Vain. But this brings me, Ildly, To confider the intrinfic Excellency of the Scripture as to the Plan of Morality, which is laid down there, together with the Motives and Encouragements by which it has fupported and enforced that Plan. The Scriptures have taken Care to lay down fuch pregnant Truths, as are big with feveral others, and fruitful in their Confe quences. Of this Nature is the Precept about loving God with all our Strength: Of this Nature likewise is that about loving our Neighbours as ourselves; or what is much the fame, that we should do to others, what we fhould judge reasonable others should do to us, if we were in their Cafe. This laft Precept is fufficient to determine all Cafes of focial Morality; it being the Foundation of Honefty, Equity, Mercy, and Charity. It is a Duty incumbent upon us to fore our Understanding with fuch lead leading Truths; becaufe fuch great Truths SERM. VI. come as it were in State to the Understanding, waited upon by a numerous Retinue of inferior dependent Truths: Like the Sun attended by a large Train of Planets, which are subordinate to him, and receive their Light from him. The Scriptures have been very full in pointing out every Duty in general: Bebackcause corrupt human Nature is very ward in tracing out and difcovering Duties, But they have not pointed out each Limi tation of our Duty; Because corrupt Nature is very ingenious, and not at all reluctant to do that Office. It is rather apt to make Limitations, where there are none, than not to find them where they really are. It was not fo much the Design of Revelation punctually and exactly to fix the Theory of Morality, as to engage our Hearts to the Practice of it by the most powerful and affecting Confiderations. And that may be one Reafon, why it often refts in Generals, without defcending to minute Particularities. For if our Hearts be not engaged in Favour of Virtue, it will be of no Avail to have each minute Particularity. of Duty adjusted: We thall break through N 4 it, SERM. VI. it, however minutely and particularly it is laid before us. A general Knowledge of his Duty is fufficient to him, whose Heart is right; and all the particular Unfoldings of it will be of little Significancy to him, whofe Heart is not fo. God, who knew what was in Man, and has fuited his Revelation to our Exigencies; has taken most Care to fupply us with that, which was most wanted: And therefore the Scriptures are most full, explicit, and par ticular, as to those Branches of Morality, to which our Nature was most averse. And though fome complain that the Bible is not clear and determinate enough as to certain Points; yet, if I mistake not, the main Quarrel against it is, that it is too clear and determinate in enjoining certain Duties, and forbidding certain Vices; as to which they could have wifhed to have been left more at large. It cramps their Freedom of Action, and will not give certain importu→ nate Paffions their full Scope. It is there that the main Stress is laid upon those Virtues, in which the Heathen World were moftly or entirely defective, fuch as the Love of God with all our Heart, univerfal Benevolence, the Forgiveness of our Enemies, Meek |