their Divinity, and being once convinced of that, acquiefce in them; and in a Word, ufe all means which God hath abundantly provided for our Inftruction. We must not fatisfie our felves with an Hiftorical Knowledge, but inquire into the Reasons of the Divine Oeconomy, reflect upon the reasonableness of it, and make it the Subject of our Meditations. A Subject than which none can be more worthy the Dignity of our Nature, or more neceffary to the being of a Chriftian. By this we shall be convinced, That the performance of all Christian Duties, is not only enforced by the revealed Will of God, but also commanded by the Law of Nature; that the constant Practice of them is our greatest Perfection, and would be our utmost Happiness, although attended with no Rewards. Every increase of Knowledge will argument the force of our Obligation, and bring fome perswasive Argument to the Exercise of our Duty.

But then, if we confider what the Reve lation of Christianity hath added to thofe imperfect Discoveries made by the Light of Nature; the Mysteries of our Redemption; the Sacrifice of the Crofs; the free Pardon of our Sins; the hopes of eternal Life; and thofe Fœderal Rites, the Sacraments, by which we are intitled to these Benefits fhall be able more perfectly to comprehend the Wisdom and Goodnefs of God, and the Greatness of our Obligation to him. Thefe Advantages naturally flow from a perfect knowledge of our Faith. However

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; we

However the Apostle, in giving this Precept, more immediately refpects the Conviction of thofe Perfons, who spoke evil of the Christians, as of evil doers, as appears from the following Verfe. For when Chriftianity first appeared in the World, teaching the Worship of one only God, and our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, Commanding all men every where to repent, and enjoyning them upon the feverest Penalties to live godlily, holily and righteously in this prefent World; Men decried it as leading to Atheism, and the Extirpation of divine Worship; because forbidding any Worship to be given to those false Gods, who were the univerfal Objects of Adoration at that Time, and changing all pompous external Ceremonies into a spiritual and internal Worship. They traduced it as irrational, and debafing the Dignity of Mankind; because not propofed with the ufual Oftentation of worldly Wifdom and Philofophy, and requiring Men to deny their Lufts, conquer their Delires, and forfake their most darling Paffions. Laftly, they rejected it as impious and execrable, as an unheard of Superstition, and a fond Credulity; because they knew not those Arguments upon which it was founded; nor confidered the demonstrative Proofs, which recommended it. To convince the Folly and Ignorance of these Men, the Apostle requires all Chriftians to be ready always to give an answer to every man of the reafon of the hope that is in them, that fo whereas they speak of them as evil doers; they may be convinced, that

neither

neither the Doctrine of Chriftians leads to Immorality, nor their Practice favours it. For the Knowledge of Chriftianity was not intended to be a fpeculative Science, meerly to inform the Judgment, and not correct our Errors: But as an operative Knowledge, which might visibly exert it self in all our Duties to God and Man. The Divinity of Heathen Philofophers tended to no other End, than to foment their Pride, and create in them a vain Opinion of their own Wisdom and Merits. They referred it not to God, nor employed it as a Principle of Obedience to him. It abated not their Paffions, reformed not their Lufts, and had no vifible Influence upon their Lives, fave in making them haughty and fupercilious, the conftant Character of those Philofophers.

In Oppofition to this the Apoftle Wills, that we express the Divinity of our Religion in the Holiness of our Lives, that we be not puft up with Pride, nor imagine it to be the product either of our own Merit or Understanding; that we acknowledge to have received. it from God, and profess that we expect either to be faved or damned by our Obedience to the Rules of it; that we perpetually maintain an awful Regard of the Commands of our Almighty Lawgiver, and fet our felves to the Performance of them, with the most profound Humility and Submiffion; that we be not affrighted from the Profeffion of our Faith by the greatest Threats or Terrors; nor be betrayed to the Omiffion of our Duty by fupine

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Negligence and want of Confideration. But this in a Word, That we be ready always to give an answer to every man, that asketh us, a reafon of the hope that is in us, with meekness and fear. In Difcourfing of thefe Words, I fhall infift upon these two Heads, which naturally offer themselves to our Confideration.

I. That the Chriftian Religion is agreeable to the Principles of Reafon, and carrieth fufficient Evidence along with it.

II. That it is the Duty of every Chriftian, not wanting the means of fufficient Inftruction, to enable himself to give a Reason of his Faith.

I. That the Chriftian Religion, &c. For the Apostle commanding us, To be always ready to give a reafon of the hope that is in us, plainly intimates, that a Reafon may be given of it. For that by this Term of the hope that is in us, is to be understood the whole Syftem of our Faith, appears as well from the Context, as from the frequent Acceptation of those Words in the fame Sense in divers places of the New Testament. This Religion, as it carrieth eminent Marks of its Divinity on many other Accounts, fo chiefly in the reasonablenefs, and evidence of it; and that either,

1. In refpect of the Nature of it, and the Rules prescribed by it: Or,

2. In refpect of the undoubted certainty of its having been revealed by God,

I. If we refpect the Nature and Conftitution of the Chriftian Religion, and the Rules of Life and Worship propofed by it, we shall

find

find it exactly rational, and attended with the greatest Evidence. This might be proved by many Confiderations:. But at prefent I fhall infist on no more than two. As,

1. Christianity propofeth a divine Worship moft confentaneous to the Nature of God, and tendeth most effectually to fecure his Honour among Men. The primary end of all Religion is the Worship of God, and is intended either to pay to God that Tribute of Adoration and Thanks, which his infinite Majesty, and Right of Creation, Redemption, and other Benefits require; or to implore his Favour in pardoning our Sins, fupplying our Necessities, or conferring his Graces on us.

All these Actions ought to be directed in that Way which is moft futable to his Nature, and may best exprefs the Perfection of it. God is a Spirit, and therefore requireth to be worshipped in fpirit and truth. Our Soul alone is truly capable of Religion, can alone entertain the Idea of God, and form an Act of Worship. All outward Ceremonies, and corporeal Modes of Worship are no otherwise holy, or to be accounted of, than as they tend to fhew the inward Devotion of the Soul; which is wont to declare its Thoughts and Motions, when vehement and intenfe, by external Indications. All other voluntary external Acts of Worship, which are not the natural Effects and Signs of an inward Zeal and warmth of Devotion, ferve only to gratifie a foolish Superftition, and relate no more to the Worfhip of God, than any other irregular Motions of the Body.

If