SERM. into the evidence upon which it is founded.
XV. So the mind of man is fram'd, that some ideas

and perceptions do neceffarily arife in it from
external objects, or by an attention to its own
powers and operations. There are alfo felf-
evident truths, which we cannot help affenting
to as foon as they are intelligibly propofed. But
the principles of Religion are not of this fort;
the existence of God himself, the firft of
them all, we have not fuch an intimate know-
ledge of as we have of our own existence,
but muft by searching find it out, that is,
collect it by reafoning, or infer it from the
existence of other beings, and from other
truths firft difcerned and acknowledged;
this foundation the understanding pro-
upon
ceedeth to discover the divine attributes and
works, and by confidering the relations we
and other creatures ftand in to God and to
each other, attending at the fame time to
the fenfe of good and evil indelibly written
in our hearts, we are convinced of moral
obligations, and are enabled to form a system
of duty which is the proper guide of life.
In like manner christianity is so proposed to
us that we may have a rational perfuafion
of its truth; the divine Author of it
and his apoftles addreffed their doctrines to
the understandings of men, supporting them

with proper arguments to induce an intelli- SER M¿ gent belief; fuch as the figns, wonders, and XV. divers miracles, which were worked for confirming them; the evident accomplishment of ancient prophecies in the principal facts recorded in the gospel, which are the main articles of our faith, befides the intrinfic goodnefs of its precepts, and their perfect agreeableness to the beft fentiments of the human mind: Thus God as a law-giver dealeth with us according to that conftitution of our nature, of which himself is the Author. Our minds are capable of no other obligation with respect to points of belief, than to -examine impartially, and without prejudice, that we may affent upon rational grounds; and this is all he requireth. Some indeed have advanced and endeavoured to impose upon others a quite different notion of faith, as if it were a confident persuasion founded upon mere authority, not only without, but directly contrary to, reafon; this hath had very unhappy effects. The tendency of it is to turn religion into nonfenfe and absurdity, and to prejudice men against it as an affront to their understandings, only calculated for fools; and in the believers themfelves it hath produced nothing but fuperstition and enthusiasm instead of a reasonable service. Cc 2 But

SERM. But as the mind of man was not made for XV. fuch a faith, indeed duly exercifing its intellectual powers, is not capable of it, however fome, by strong prejudices and stupid thoughtleffnefs, may get into a confufed notion which they call believing; fo let us never imagine that it is countenanced by the fcriptures, which are written for wife men, and able to judge what is faid. Particularly, the faith which the apoftle fpeaketh of in the text, and by which he and other chriftians walked, is oppofed to fight or fenfe, not to reafon, of which it is the nobleft ufe and improvement; and the obedience of faith is refignation, not of our understandings, but of prejudices and corrupt affections.

2dly, It is abfolutely neceffary that the great effential principles of religion, both natural and revealed, be duly attended to, and maturely confidered, that they may have their proper effect. It is not enough that we have been once fully fatisfied concerning the truth of them, and given our affent even upon the moft juft and rational foundation; they must be frequently reviewed, and made the fubject of our defigned and deliberate meditation, in order to their having a fuitable influence on our temper

temper and practice; for they do not ope- SER M rate like the ideas of fenfible objects, which XV. immediately and neceffarily excite defire, and prompt to action, but by calm and attentive reflection they enter into the heart, and captivate the affections. Experience fheweth, that the most important truths, even known and believed, often lie dormant in the mind like points of useless fpeculation, without producing any fuch difpofitions, or fuch a converfation as they tend to; which is the cafe of the most abandoned and profligate finners, whofe crimes are highly aggravated by their being committed against conviction. One caufe of this furprizing appearance, so disagreeable one would think to the conftitution of the human nature, is ftupid inattention, which in many cafes, and particularly in religion, hath the same effect that ignorance hath. As there can be no affection to that which is altogether unknown, and confequently it cannot ingage us in any profecution; the object which is not attended to, is in this refpect as if it were unknown; no defires are excited, the mind feeth no importance in it, feeleth no attractive force. This feemeth to be the cafe of the unfruitful hearers of the gofpel, defcribed by our Saviour in his parable of the fower: They Cc3 bear,

2

SERM, bear, but they do not understand; which XV. doth not proceed from an incapacity, for then it could not be imputed as a fault, but from careless inattention; the caufe whereof generally is, that vicious inclinations, by habitual indulgence, have got the afcendant in the heart, rendering it infenfible of the beauty and the great advantages of religion; but whatever the caufe be, neglecting to apply its thinking powers to the confideration of important fubjects intelligibly propofed, is properly the guilt and the reproach of a reasonable creature; and the prophet Ifaiah had reason to call upon tranfgreffors to fhew themselves men, by bringing to mind or seriously attending to the proper motives of action; for that is an obligation from which rational and moral agents can never discharge themselves. And this I take to be an effential ingredient in the crime of unbelief, which is reprefented in the gospel as fo heinous, and whereby fo many finners come fhort of falvation.

3dly, That faith may be the governing principle of our lives, it must be rooted in the affections as well as the understanding, and the objects of it have the full approbation and confent of the mind. The leaft reflection will enable us to diftinguish be

tween