SERMON XI.

Of BELIEVING in GOD.

ROм. iv. 3.

Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for Righte oufness.

ELIEF in God is the Foun-S E R M. dation of all Religion both XI.

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Natural and Revealed. For, be that cometh to God must believe that He Is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek bim. Good Temper and Humanity may be, and often is the cause of many virtuous Actions; which, wherever they are found, ought never to go without

SER M. their juft commendation: But the teddy XI. courfe of a virtuous and religious life, u

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niform in all its parts and upon all occafions, refifting all the temptations of the World, overcoming all difficulties, and perfevering to the End under all discouragements; this is a Superftructure which cannot be built upon a less strong Foundation than a firm Belief of a future State, and an Expectation of the righteous Judgment of God.

Now, as without Belief in God, there can be no Religion; fo, where there is fuch Belief in God, the Scripture al ways in course fuppofès it accompanied with every other part of true Religion. The Root is always fuppofed to have the Branches joined with it; and where a Tree is mentioned, 'tis always understood to be a Tree bearing its proper Fruit. A Man, never fignifies the dead Body of a Man without the Soul or Life; neither does Faith in Scripture-phrase mean the bare Profeffion of men's Belief, without evidence of its reality by its Effects; except only where it is declared to be dead and ufelefs. As the Body, faith St James, without the Spirit, is dead; fo

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Faith without Works, is dead alfo, Jam. ii. SER M. 26. As, in natural things, to feparate Caufes and Effects, to feparate things in their own nature infeparable, to fuppose the Sun to be without Light, or the Fire without Heat, is unnatural and abfurd: fo, in matters of Religion and Morality, to feparate Belief and Practife, to separate the Obligation to any Duty from the Performance of it, is, morally fpeaking, monftrous and impoffible: the one being as contrary to Reafon, which is the Rule of Morality, as the other is contrary to the courfe and poffibilities of nature. For this reafon both in Scripture and in common Speech, the Name of any One eminent Virtue is very usually put for the Sum of All; and he that in the infpired Writings is commended particularly for One Virtue, is not thereby so much intended to be diftinguished for That, as fupposed to be thereupon indued with all others likewife. Righteoufnefs, which properly fignifies the particular Duty of fair and equitable Dealing between Man and Man, is in Scripture generally used for the whole Practice of true Religion in general. And the Character given to Noah,

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SER M. Noah, Gen. vi. 9. that he was a just man; is in the very fame verfe explained to be, that he was a man perfect in his generation, and that he walked with God. In like manner, believing in God; because 'tis the Foundation of Obedience to him, and wherever it is fincere, will naturally be attended with fuch Obedience, fignifies therefore the fame as living religiously. Which, as it is True concerning Religion in general, fo in Chriftianity in particular it is ftill more ufual, to put Faith for the whole Practife of Virtue and Religion; becaufe, as the Foundation of Religion in general, is Believing in God; fo the Foundation of Chistianity in particular, is the Belief of that great Act of God, the raifing his Son from the Dead, in order to judge the World in Righteousness. Which is what the Apostle obferves, ver. 23. of this chapter: It was not written, fays he, for Abraham's fake alone, that his Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness : But for Us alfo, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jefus our Lord from the Dead. This is the reafon, why the whole Gofpel is, in the New Teftament, fo frequently called by the

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Name of Faith. The Jewish Religion, SER M. is on the contrary, through the whole New Teftament, ufually ftiled by the Name of Works; upon account of the numerous external Ceremonies and ritual Obfervations, which, though not in reality, yet, in the opinion and practice of the greater part of that Nation, were the main Body of their Religion, or that which they chiefly and moft eagerly contended for. For fo indeed, both in antient and in modern time, the corrupt difpofition of Mankind generally leads them to this one constant Error; to value most in every Religion that which is of least importance in it; opinions or ceremonies, which distinguish them into different Parties ; and not true Virtue, Rightecufness and Goodness, wherein all, who are indeed religious, do neceffarily agree. The great Question at the first preaching of the Gospel, was, whether the Practice of Virtue required by Chrift in his Religion, was fufficient to Salvation, without the continuation of the Jewish Ceremonies. The Argument ufed by the Apostle to prove that it was fufficient, was, that Abraham their Father was himself saved, VOL. II. R.

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