who do acknowledge God, and pray unto him for his help and affiftance, have the advantage of being taught by the fpirit, and by means thereof, are in a fure way of knowledge, with the confequent effects of holiness and goodness.

By these five arguments, a man may be refolved against the atheism, infidelity, and profaneness of the world.

Now to fhut up all; from this discourse about which I have been so long,

1. I do infer; that atheism and infidelity are the most unaccountable things in the world, and inexcufable. The atheist must be every where self-condemned; and the infidel within the pale of the church. There is nothing that God hath done more in any way whatsoever, than he hath done for the security of men against atheism; for I dare fay, if any man do but think, and use reason, he may know all natural truth. And what can a man do lefs? How is he a man if he doth not either of these? Doth any man know any thing but by thinking and confidering? Yea perhaps this is all that we pretend to; for we are born to nothing elfe. All habits and difpositions, all actual knowledge, is our own acquifi-. tion (with respect to the grace of God and under his affistance) no man is born to any actual knowledge in the world, or to fpeak a word, or underftand a notion; but all habits and difpofitions are acquired. And therefore an atheift fhall be felfcondemned as one that never ufed his reafon, nor fo much as exercised his own thought. And for the infidel within the pale of the church; he must needs

be

be the most neglective person in the world; for if a man take up this book of God, he may as eafily understand what may fave his foul as any man may understand any art by any book whatsoever; if he will but fearch and confider, he may find that which, will beget faith and belief. And therefore the atheift and the infidel are the most unaccountable and inexcufable perfons in the world; for they have done nothing themselves; they have not fo much as thought or confidered; they have not seen with their own eyes. If a man living in the world or in the church, be either an atheist or an infidel, he hath been an idle person in the world, and a fluggard: his understanding hath received no. culture or care, he hath made no improvement of himself, nor done any thing worthy of a man.

2. I advise in this cafe two things.

1. I advise to purity of mind. Let men purify their minds. For wickednefs doth difable the intellectuals the naughty, malignant fpirited man hath no right judgment nor understanding but the meek will be guide in the way, Pfal. xxv. 9. and if you do thefe things, then fhall you know the doctrine, John vii. 17. Not conform to the world, but transformed by renewal of the mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable, Rom. xii. 2.

2. I advise you to take up this inftrument of God, the bible; take it up and read it, tolle & lege, and confider, that you may become a christian. I fhould wonder if any one fhould not become a chriftian, if he do take up this book, and read, weigh, ponder, and confider; at length you can

not

not but be fatisfied and refolved, that what is there propofed is true. God hath not done it to no purpofe, in committing his mind to writing, and fending it into the world to teach men. Two things will come at once, affurance that this is God's inftrument, and the knowledge of the materials of divine truth. The matter proves the inftrument to be divine, and the inftrument contains the matter; a double benefit of fingle labour.

Laftly, I fuperadd by way of obfervation and caution, four things.

1. That all that are ferious in religion, do agree in the main; fo may hold communion. If they have the love of truth in their hearts, if they mean by religion, to prepare themselves for happiness, all these men do agree in main and principal things; therefore they may hold communion ; and if they may, they ought, if they ought and do not, they fin. I except only four, atheifts, hypocrites, infidels, profane. I would have all other perfons own one another. For it is founded in nature, that what is principal, in no time whatsoever, is to be prejudiced by an acceffary or circumftant. They that do agree in the great things of religion, they do agree in that that is vital; therefore if they do not agree in other things of lefs moment, hear what the rule is; that principals in no time whatsoever are to be prejudiced by an acceffary. This is true in every matter; therefore it must be concluded, that all that are serious in religion, do agree in the main, and fo may hold communion,

2. This

2. This I advife, that you would not make a mixture, a jumble and a confufion in your religion; of certainties and uncertainties. Let all uncertains be by themselves in a catalogue of difputables, matters of further enquiry: the certains of religion let fettle into constitution, and iffue in life and practice. 3. I advise you, upon no pretence whatsoever admit any thing into any account of religion, that is in itself abfurd, irrational and not felf-confiftent That will weaken the faith of the rest, and will be a matter of argument to a tempter.

4. Let there be nothing in practice contrary to principle. For a man may work himself by use, custom, and practice, into a contrary perfuafion : he will foon form and fashion himself into a judgment without any ground. And either not to know the neceffary rules of life, or to vary from them in practice, is moft unnatural, violent and monftrous : and the monftroufnefs of it appears in two things,

1. Because it is a contradiction to our faculties, Eyes to fee, and not perceive; ears to hear, and not underftand: hearts to confider, and never the wifer. 'Tis our care of our fouls, regard to God, first to be informed, then answerably reformed. Obedience upon knowledge, ought to be first light in the understanding, and then the will follows.

2. It is a ftate monftrous; because it is a stato of conviction and condemnation. A man is lefs than himself, where he doth not understand; where he doth not understand, he is no body at all. And if he do understand and do contrary, then he cannot be in peace in himself: he cannot be at peace

within

6t

within himself, while he lives in 'difobedience to known truth. For knowledge unfulfilled, is the most troublesome gueft that can be entertained; a goad in one's fide, a mote in the eye is not more troublefome. He that affects to be an atheist is no longer at reft than God will give him leave; God will be there to awe and command at his pleafure, where he is refufed as to love and affection. I have obferved, that no men ever stood more in fear of God, than those that most deny, and least love him; and so it will be if men do affect to be atheists, that so they may live exorbitantly and loosely; there is more of flavish fear of God in these men an hundred times, than there is in them that fear, obey and love God.

DISCOURSE LII.

The Venerable NATURE and tranfcendant benefit of Chriftian Religion.

ROM. i. 16.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Chrift: for it is the power of God unto falvation to every one that believeth; to the few first, and also to the Greek.

Aving been lately upon a very fignal and remarkable argument; I thought it was best to pursue it having laid a foundation to build upon it.

I