SER. VII. out fuch a plaufible and confiftent Scheme,

as our Faculties cannot confute.

How

comes it then, that the facred Writers, in fetting before us the Nature and Offices of good and bad Angels, the Joys of Heaven, &c. have kept clear of all flagrant Errors, for any thing that we can make out to the contrary? How comes it that all Inquirers after them, have been unable to prove any Thing relating to thefe Points, which they have not faid; and to difprove any Thing, which they have faid? How comes it, if they were uninfpired, that though they have delivered feveral Doctrines, which Reason cannot ascertain; yet they say nothing which Reason can gainfay, upon Subjects to which our Faculties are difproportioned, and as to which we are therefore moft fubject to Abfurdities?

Add to this, that we have a vital Senfe of the Goodness of Chriftianity. No Body that heartily believed in our Saviour, and acted agreeably to his Precepts, ever repented that he had done fo: Thousands have felt a Remorfe and Compunction, of Soul, that they have not been altogether ChriftiThe more a Man has been a fincere and found Chriftian; the more Peace and Sunshine

ans.

Sunshine of Mind he has felt in himself, SER. VII.
and the more Confidence he has expreffed
towards God. For this fenfible Experience
of the Goodnefs and Truth of Christianity
we have the united Suffrages of Men of
distinguished Piety, from the firft Birth of
Christianity, down to the prefent Times.
Several of them enjoyed as much Peace as
this World can give; and all of them that
Peace, which it cannot give. He certainly
acts most agreeably to the Will of the Dei-
ty, and to (what is infeparably connected
with his Will) the Truth of Things, who
embraces and adheres to that Religion,
which will make him the meekeft, hum-
bleft, the most benevolent, pious, and, in
all Refpects, the best Man; which gives
him the most astonishing, yet the most
amiable Views of the Divinity, and the
most rational and interefting Account of
Heaven and Hell, which contains, what-
ever God, through a diffusive Goodness,
has done for Mankind; and what Man-
kind have yet to do for themselves, to work
out their Salvation.

The intrinfic Excellency of Chriftianity,
I am afraid, has given many the greatest
Distaste for it. For I never could affign

any

SER. VII. any

any Reafon, why Mahometans and Papifts
(great Numbers of Them) feem to be very
much in earnest about their Religions; but
We (too many of us) very remifs and in-
different to Ours, but this very bad one,
viz. that thofe Religions chiefly confift in,
and lay too great Strefs upon, outward Acts
and little Obfervances: Whereas true Chri-
stianity descends deep, into the Heart, con-
verting the Soul, and indispensably enjoins
an unreserved Obedience to God, and an
inward Relish of Goodness rooted in our
Minds, and influencing our Practice through-
out. Now Men would rather undergo in-
numerable bodily Aufterities, and obferve
all the Outfide of Piety; than cultivate an
univerfal and unfullied Purity of Heart.
A Self-Indulgence as to that Sin which moft
eafily befets us, be it Vanity, fpiritual
Pride, Luft, or any other Vice, gives us
so great Pleasure, that no Self-Denials, as
to other Points, can countervail it, if they
can be called Self-Denials. For then we
effectually deny ourselves, when we refrain
from those darling, but unlawful Pleasures,
whether of Body or Mind, to which we
have the strongest Biafs. A pure undefiled
Religion coming from God, the great

Searcher

1

Searcher of Hearts, requires this Sacrifice SER. VII, of the Heart, without which no other Sacrifices, no external Performances, however seemingly difficult, will be of any Avail. A Religion commanding us to be as ftrict and regular in our Lives, as the Pharifee in our Saviour's beautiful Parable, and yet as humble and unpretending as the Publican, was worthy of God; but we, by raising idle Cavils against it, make ourfelves unworthy of it.

A complete Syftem of moral and religious Truths, comprehending every Thing that has a Tendency to purify a rational Mind, and to qualify it for everlasting Bliss, seems to be, a Work beyond the Powers of any unenlightened Man, the Excellency of whose Writings, whatever confiderable and important Truths they might contain, to fhew he was a bright and able Man; would be adulterated with impure Mixtures, and debased by coarfe Alloys of Errors, perhaps of a dangerous Nature, (not to mention many Omiffions,) to prove he was a mere Man: Much more was fuch a Scheme above the Abilities of uneducated Men. There feems to be fomething in Man's Nature, which difqualifies him from form

ing

SER. VII. ing a Religion for himself, without taking in any Affiftances from Heaven. And whoever has fet about it, has either curtailed and maimed it, leaving out fome important Duties, which is the Cafe of Deifm; or he has blended it with fpurious and fuperftitious Additions, which is the Cafe of Popery. Those who want to have the modelling of Religion in their own Hands, are like the Countryman in the Fable, who requested the Management of the Weather as he pleased: They had much better leave that Affair to his Direction, who alone can order all Things for the beft. Take a Survey of all confeffedly human Inventions; and you will find, that when compared with Chriftianity, they have no Glory by Reafon of the Glory, that excelleth.

Difficulties indeed and Obfcurities there are in Scripture, as well as other ancient Books: But then we must distinguish between Difficulties which affect the main Defign of a Revelation; and those of a fighter and lefs momentous Nature. Notwithstanding the Charge of Difficulties and Obfcurities ; the Scripture, though deep, is clear in every Doctrine, that tends to the Glory of God, the Good of Mankind,

and