SERM.

X.

Now, if it be fo, it follows that they who do the will of God made known to them by the light of nature shall know a doctrine that is of God, and diftinguish between it and that which falfly pretends to that character; just in the fame manner and for the fame reason, that they who fincerely obey a former true revelation are beft qualified to judge of a latter one. In the one cafe the honeft mind receives the new divine doctrine because it is agreeable to what he was before fatisfied God. had revealed. In the other, because he per+ ceives it agreeable to what his reafon fully affured him before, was the will of God, And in both cafes it is the corrupt affections of men, as a law leading them in captivity to fin; which cause them to rebel against the light that makes manifeft their evil deeds, or occafions their unbelief. Nor can we reafonably doubt but the declaration of our Saviour in the text was intended by him to be understood in this extenfive fenfe. For he knew and designed that his gospel should be preached to the Gentiles who never had any other pofitive revelation, as well as to the Jews, who had Mofes and the prophets, and that it would meet with various reception among both. Therefore, the character and

qua

qualification he gives us of those who fhould SERM.
rightly understand and fincerely embrace it, X.
may be univerfally applied to the hearers,
fince the reason of it is univerfal; and in fact
we find that among the Gentiles, as well as
the Jews, corrupt men under the power of
vicious affections and devoted to their selfish
interests, could not difcern the evidences of
christianity when it was published to them,
but rejected it with abhorrence. As at
Epbefus, Demetrius, and the craftsmen, ap-
prehending the loss of their gainful trade, in
making filver fhrines for Dianą, if the gof-
pel were entertained, gave it violent oppofi-
tion, and raised a tumultuous perfecution
against the apoftles. On the other hand,
men of probity gave it a fair hearing, and
perceiving the convincing proofs of its truth,
they received it with candor, of which Cor-
nelius is an illuftrious example. And as the
apostle Peter excellently obferves on that
occafion, that God is no refpecter of perfons;
but in every nation he that feareth him, and
worketh righteousness, is accepted with him *
fo from the fame inftance it is apparent, that
in every nation he that feareth God and
A worketh righteoufnefs; in other words, he
S 2
that

;

Ats. x. 34, 35.

SERM, that doth his will, fhall know of a doctrine X. faid to be of God, whether it be really for

Ifhall only, add, that doing the will of God, the condition mentioned in the text, must be understood in a fenfe accommodated to the imperfect state of human nature, Whatever difpenfation men are under, whether without law, or under a law, as the apostle speaks; that is, a pofitive written law, it is the fincerity of their hearts, and the integrity of their lives in the general tenor of them, that will qualify them for knowing the doctrines which are of God; not a finless perfection, for that is what no man can attain to in any state while he is in this world. God will communicate all neceffary light to an honeft mind heartily difpofed to understand the truth, and to practise what is good as far as it is at prefent known, making gra cious allowances for unavoidable infirmity.ov

I come, in the fecond place, to confider what our Saviour pronounces concerning the perfon qualified, as already explained, that he fhall not fail of making a right judgment of Christianity, or of any other divine revelation, or pretended revelation. He ball know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whe ther I fpeak of myself. If a doctrine falfely

lays claim to a divine original, it is for that SERM. very reafon to be rejected. It may indeed indeed X. contain fome truth which ought to be still received. But the fcheme is an impofture, and the author a perfon of the most infamous character, a prophet that lies in the name of the Lord. Now that we may be able to diftinguish in this cafe, between a divine doctrine and a human invention, or whether the real original author be God or a man only falfely pretending a commiffion from him, we ought to have a ftandard to judge By; that is, fome previous knowledge of the will of God, with which all other declarations, which really come from him, always will and neceffarily must be confiftent, it being impoffible that he should contradict himself. It is true, God may reveal to men what 1S. 1st.28 new, Sand could not be known without a revelation: but then it cannot be contrary, or have an oppofite tendency, to what was dif covered by a former certain revelation, or to the invariable law of nature, but rather muft tend to ftrengthen it and promote its defign. This is the fure ground upon which the affertion in the text refts. The good man who fincerely does the will of God, knows it beft, and not having his mind biaffed with any cor

SERM. rupt affection which may mislead his judgment, X. is best able to difcern what is agreeable or dif

agreeable to it. Any one who is acquainted with human nature and has made obfervations on mankind, must be fenfible that the affections and paffions of men have a very great influence on their understandings, inclining them to judge of things quite differently from what they would do, if their minds were free from prejudices. And this makes the great difference between good and bad men in judging of moral doctrines. The former readily receive the truth because they are heartily willing to obey it; and the more they difcover of it, the greater fatisfaction they have arifing from a confcioufnefs of their own integrity: or as our Saviour speaks, * He that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifeft, that they are wrought in God. The other, the obftinately vicious, are averfe to the fame truth because it reproaches them for their wickedness which they are unwilling to forfake, and therefore they catch at every handle or colourable pretence whereby they may fupport themselves in rejecting it; or, according to our Lord's expreffion in the place juft now referred to † Every one that

doth