SERM. V. upon thefe Subjects, as they bestow upon Matters of lefs Moment. When Men have thought themselves obliged to set about a Thing in good Earnest, they have done that, which they defpaired before of ever being able to do. There are Abilities fometimes in the Mind unknown to the Poffeffor of them for Want of fomething to call them forth. When the Soul ftrives to raise itself above the Ground, above low Concerns, it's Wings expand and unfold themselves, and in Proportion as they do unfold themfelves, discover, what would otherwife have escaped the View, new Beauties, a greater Luftre, Glofs and Brightness, which were folded and shut up before.

Suppofing Chriftianity, which has stood the Scrutiny of fo many Centuries, should be totally rejected; Truth would receive the greatest Wound it ever felt: a total Uncertainty would follow as to every Doctrine, but those for which we had Mathematical or

Metaphyfical Certainty. What can we believe as certain, would People say, if God has fuffered an Impofture to come recommended to us with fuch ftrong and commanding Evidences, as have deceived as wife, as inquifitive, and as difinterested Men, as ever lived? For fuch have lived and died in the Profeffion of Chriftianity. What can we depend upon as fufficiently proved, if that be fet afide as falfe, which has fo

ftrong

ftrong Proofs, that no Inftance can be given ŠERM. V. of any Thing, that was ever fufpected to be false, which had so many bright Indications of Truth, as Christianity has? Chrif tianity ftands upon as good a Footing as any Parts of our Knowledge, except fuch, as are founded upon abstract Ideas, or immediate Senfations. In fhort, upon the total Rejection of Chriftianity that would' be brought to pass, which was brought to pass at the Crucifixion of it's Founder, the Sun of Truth would be Eclipfed, and there would be a lafting Darkness over the Face of the Earth; a Darknefs, like that too, not produced by the Laws of Nature, by the Laws of our Nature, which requires us to proceed, if we would act at all, on Moral Certainty; and often, on Evidence fhort of that. The Defenders of Chriftianity have, I think, fully proved, that there is, all Things confidered, a Moral Demonftration of the Truth of it. And as in Matters capable of Mathematical Demonftration, we ought to abide by a Propofition fo demonftrated, notwithstanding it may be attended with inextricable Difficulties: fo in. Matters capable only of Moral Proofs, we are obliged to acquiefce in a Moral Demonftration; notwithstanding there may be feveral Intricacies, which we cannot clear up. Thofe, who have departed either from Christianity, or the fundamental Doctrines

thereof

SERM. W thereof, upon the Account of numerous Difficulties, have run themfelves always into grofs and palpable Abfurdities; of which numerous Inftances might be given, They have acted like that injudicious Fencer in Tully; who, while He was guarding against a Pafs from which He might have received fome flight Harm, laid Himself open to one, which affected His Vitals. Thofe, who will not believe any Thing, unless they can account for every Thing relating to it, fhould, one would think, in Purfuance of their Principles, fall into the wild Scheme of Egomifm, The Egomifts having refolved to admit nothing that was Myfterious or Incomprehenfible; and find¬ ing that every Thing was fo, more or less, came at last to this Conclufion; that no Man ought to believe any Thing but His own Existence, For, though how he came into Being, and was continued in it, was a Mystery and Intricacy which He could not clearly account for, yet these very myfterious Difficulties and Intricacies proved His Existence; it being a self-evident Propofition, that, unless he had exifted, He could have raised, or had, no myfterious Difficul ties or Perplexities in His Mind at all.

Since then the Evidence for Christianity is fo ftrong; and the Importance of It's Doctrines fo great: and fince Difbelief would be attended with a Train of bad Confe

quences

quences; it follows, that God might require SERM. V. our Belief on Pain of His Displeasure. And it is a Matter of Kindnefs in any One, to warn us of the dangerous Nature of Unbelief (fome uncommon Cafes known only to God excepted;) as it would be Uncharitableness to lull us into a fatal Security; inftead of awakening our Attention to Truths of fo high Concernment. I proceed,

IIIdly, To offer one or two fhort occafional Reflections, which arise from the Subject Matter of my Difcourfe.

ift, Let us, besides the Reasonableness and Neceffity, reflect on the Defirableness of the Chriftian Faith.-That the best Man, who had an humble Sense of Himself, a deep Senfe of His Guilt, and an awful Senfe of God's Holinefs and Purity, would not be willing to truft to the hazardous Event of Uncovenanted Mercy: He would wish, affectionately wish, That Religion to be true, which lays before Him a full Pardon for His Sins upon Repentance, by an exprefs Covenant: And fuch is the Goodness of God, that we may prefume, nothing that is falfe can deferve the affectionate Wishes of the beft of Men.

Infidels may be divided into two Claffes; the Men of Pleafure, and the Men of Thought. As to the former, None are greater Selfdeniers than those, who deny themselves no

fenfual

SERM. V. fenfual Pleasures however criminal. By indulging a Pruriency of the coarfer Defires, and thereby inducing a Calloufnefs of Heart, they must beget in themselves a Difrelish for every manly, rational, and valuable Enjoyment; contract an habitual Littleness of Soul; and an Infenfibility to each humane, tender, and refined Sentiment. Surely, a good Chriftian, in Belief and Practice, muft have more fubftantial Gratifications; and confequently be, in strict Propriety of Speech, more a Man of Pleasure, of real Pleasure (which will ftand the Teft of cool Reflection) than the Perfon, whom the World mifcals a Man of Pleafure. As to the Men of Thought; however they may appear in Company, yet when one traces them to thofe Places, where they throw off all Difguife, one finds that, generally speaking, their Tempers are as dark and embroiled, as their Syftem, the gloomy Syftem of unrelenting Neceffity. The Truth is, though they will not fee Evidence enough to make them good Christians, they cannot almost help feeing as much as will make them uneafy. Where there is fuch a ftrong Day-light of Evidence, however they may endeavour to fhut up all the Avenues of Light, yet fome unwelcome Beams will force themselves in to disturb their Repofe. Hence that Virulence against Christianity. For when Men are uneafy, they must discharge their Spleen upon that, which makes them fo.