to our understandings, that is once known; and because what we fee, we fee with our own eyes, we are apt to over-lock or forget the help we had from others, who fhewed it us, and firft made us fee it, as if we were not at all beholden to them for those truths they opened the way to, and led us into; for knowledge being only of truths that are perceived to be fo, we are favourable enough to our own faculties to conclude, that they, of their own ftrength, would have attained thofe difcoveries, without any foreign affiftance; and that we know thofe truths by the ftrength and native light of our own minds, as they did from whom we received them by theirs, only they had the luck to be before us. Thus the whole stock of human knowledge is claimed by every one, as his private poffeffion, as foon as he (profiting by others difcoveries) has got it into his own mind and fo it is; but not properly by his own fingle industry, nor of his own acquifition. He ftudies, it is true, and takes pains to make a progrefs in what others have delivered; but their pains were of another fort, who firft brought thofe truths to light, which he afterwards derives from them. He that travels the roads now, applauds his own ftrength and legs, that have carried him fo far in fuch a fcantling of time, and afcribes all to his own vigour, little confidering how much he owes to their pains, who cleared the woods, drained the bogs, built the bridges, and made the ways paffable; without which he might have toiled much with little progrefs. A great many things which we have been bred up in the belief of, from our cradles, and are notions grown familiar (and, as it were, natural to us, under the gospel), we take for unquestionable obvious truths, and eafily demonftrable; without confidering how long we might have been in doubt or ignorance of them, had revelation been filent. And many are beholden to revelation, who do not acknowledge it. It is no diminishing to revelation, that reafon gives its fuffrage too, to the truths revelation has difcovered. But it is our mistake to think, that, because reason confirms them to us, we had the first certain knowledge of them from thence, and in that clear evidence we now poffefs them. The contrary is manifeft, in the "defective morality of the Gentiles" before our Saviour's time, and the want of reformation in the principles and measures of it, as well as practice. Philofophy feemed to have spent its ftrength, and done its utmoft; or if it should have gone farther, as we fee it did not, and from undeniable principles given us Ethicks in a science like mathematics, in every part demonftrable, this yet would not have been fo effectual to man in this imperfect ftate, nor proper for the cure. The greateft part of mankind want leisure or capacity for demonftration, nor can carry a train of proofs, which in that way they must always depend upon for conviction, and cannot be required to affent to till they fee the demonstration. Wherever they stick, the teachers are always put upon proof, and muft clear the doubt, by a thread of coherent deductions from the first principle, how long, or how intricate foever that be. And you may as foon hope to have all the day-labourers and tradefinen,

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the spinsters and dairy-maids, perfect mathematicians, as to have them perfect in Ethicks this way: hearing plain commands is the fure and only courfe to bring them to obedience and practice: the greateft part cannot know, and therefore they muft believe. And I afk, whether one coming from heaven in the power of God, in full and clear evidence and demonftration of miracles, giving plain and direct rules of morality and obedience, be not likelier to enlighten the bulk of mankind, and fet them right in their duties, and bring them to do them, than by reafoning with them from general notions and principles of human reafon? And were all the duties of human life clearly demonftrated, yet I conclude, when well confidered, that method of teaching men their duties would be thought proper only for a few, who had much leisure, improved understandings, and were ufed to abstract reafonings: but the inftruction of the people were beft ftill to be left to the precepts and principles of the gofpel. The healing of the fick, the reftoring fight to the blind by a word, the raifing, and being raised from the dead, are matters of fact, which they can without difficulty conceive; and that he who does fuch things must do them by the affiftance of a divine power. These things lie level to the ordinarieft apprehenfion; he that can diftinguish between fick and well, lame and found, dead and alive, is capable of this doctrine. To one who is once perfuaded that Jefus Chrift was fent by God to be a king, and a Saviour of those who do believe in him, all his commands become principles; there needs no other proof for the truth of what he fays, but that he faid it: and then there needs no more but to read the infpired books to be inftructed; all the duties of morality lie there clear and plain, and eafy to be underftood. And here I appeal, whether this be not the fureft, the safeft, and most effectual way of teaching; efpecially if we add this farther confideration, that as it fuits the loweft capacities of reasonable creatures, fo it reaches and fatisfies, nay, enlightens the higheft. The moft elevated understandings cannot but fubmit to the authority of this doctrine as divine; which coming from the mouths of a company of illiterate men, hath not only the atteftation of miracles, but reafon to confirm it, fince they delivered no precepts, but fuch as though reafon of itself had not clearly made out, yet it could not but affent to when thus difcovered, and think itfelf indebted for the difcovery. The credit and authority our Saviour and his apoftles had over the minds of men, by the miracles they did, tempted them not to mix (as we find in that of all the fects of philofophers, and other religions) any conceits, any wrong rules, any thing tending to their own by-intereft, or that of a party, in their morality; no tang of prepoffeffion or fancy; no footfteps of pride or vanity; no touch of oftentation or ambition appears to have a hand in it: it is all pure, all fincere; nothing too much, nothing wanting; but fuch a complete rule of rule, as the wifeft men must acknowledge tends entirely to the good of mankind; and that all would be happy, if all would practife it,

3. The outward forms of "worfhipping the Deity" wanted a reformation: ftately buildings, coftly ornaments, peculiar and uncouth habits, and a numerous huddle of pompous, phantaftical, cumberfome ceremonies, every where attended divine worship. This, as it had the peculiar name, fo it was thought the principal part, if not the whole of religion; nor could this poffibly be amended whilft the Jewish ritual ftood, and there was fo much of it mixed with the worship of the true God. To this alfo our Saviour, with the knowledge of the infinite, invifible, fupreme fpirit, brought a remedy, in a plain, spiritual, and suitable worship. Jefus fays to the woman of Samaria, "The hour cometh, when ye fhall neither in "this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, worship the Father: but "the true worshippers fhall worship the Father both in fpirit and in "truth; for the Father feeketh fuch to worship." To be worshipped in spirit and in truth, with application of mind and fincerity of heart, was what God henceforth only required. Magnificent temples, and confinement to certain places, were now no longer neceflary for his worship, which by a pure heart might be performed any were. The fplendor and diftinétion of habit, and pomp of ceremonies, and all outfide performances, might now be fpared. God, who was a spirit, and made known to be fo, required none of thofe, but the fpirit only; and that in public affemblies (where fome actions muft lie open to the view of the world), all that could appear and be seen should be done decently, and in order, and to edification. Decency, order, and edification, were to regulate all their public acts of worship; and beyond what these required, the outward appearance (which was of little value in the eyes of God) was not to go. Having fhut indecency and confufion out of their affemblies, they need not be folicitous about useless ceremonies: praises and prayer, humbly offered up to the Deity, was the worship he now demanded; and in these every one was to look after his own heart, and know that it was that alone which God had regard to, and accepted.

4. Another great advantage received by our Saviour, is the great encouragement he brought to a virtuous and pious life; great enough to furmount the difficulties and obftacles that lie in the way to it, and reward the pains and hardships of thofe who ftuck firm to their duties, and fuffered for the teftimony of a good confcience. The portion of the righteous has been in all ages taken notice of to be pretty scanty in this world: virtue and prosperity do not often acfolcompany one another, and therefore virtue feldom had many lowers and it is no wonder fhe prevailed not much in a state, where the inconveniences that attended her were vifible, and at hand, and the rewards doubtful, and at a distance. Mankind, who are and must be allowed to purfue their happiness, nay, cannot be hindered, could not but think themfelves excufed from a strict obfervation of rules, which appeared fo little to confift with their chief end, happinefs, whilft they kept them from the enjoyments of this life; and they had little evidence and fecurity of another. It is

true, they might have argued the other way, and concluded, that, because the good were most of them ill-treated here, there was another place where they should meet with better ufage: but it is plain they did not. Their thoughts of another life were, at beft, obscure; and their expectations uncertain, Of manes, and ghofts, and the fhades of departed men, there was fome talk; but little certain, and lefs minded. They had the names of Styx and Acheron; of Elyfian fields, and feats of the bleffed: but they had them generally from their poets, mixed with their fables, and fo they looked more like the inventions of wit, and ornaments of poetry, than the ferious perfuafions of the grave and the fober. They came to them bundled up amongst their tales; and for tales they took them. And that which rendered them more fufpected, and lefs useful to virtue, was, that the philofophers feldom fet their rules on men's minds and practices, by confideration of another life. The chief of their arguments were from the excellency of virtue; and the higheft they generally went, was the exalting of human nature, whofe perfection lay in virtue. And if the priest at any time talked of the ghofts below, and a life after this, it was only to keep men to their fuperftitious and idolatrous rites, whereby the ufe of this doctrine was loft to the credulous multitude, and its belief to the quicker-fighted, who fufpected it prefently of prieftcraft. Before our Saviour's time, the doctrine of a future ftate, though it were not wholly hid, yet it was not clearly known in the world. It was an imperfect view of reafon; or, perhaps, the decayed remains of an antient tradition, which rather feemed to float on men's fancies, than fink deep into their hearts. It was fomething, they knew not what, between being and not being. Something in man they imagined might escape the grave; but a perfect complete life of an eternal duration after this, was what entered little into their thoughts, and lefs into their perfuafions. And they were fo far from being clear herein, that we fee no nation of the world publickly profeffed it, and built upon it; no religion taught it; and it was no where made an article of faith, and principle of religion, till Jefus Chrift came: of whom it is truly faid, that he at his appearing "brought life and immortality to light." And that not only in the clear revelation of it, and in inftances fhewn of men raifed from the dead, but he has given us an unquestionable affurance and pledge of it, in his own refurrection and afcenfion into heaven. How hath this one truth changed the nature of things in the world! and given the advantage to piety over all that could tempt or deter men from it! The philofophers, indeed, fhewed the beauty of virtue; they fet her off fo as drew men's eyes and approbation to her; but leaving her unendowed, very few were willing to efpoufe her. The generality could not refufe her their efteem and commendation, but ftill turned their backs on her, and forfook her, as a match not for their turn. But now there being put into the fcales, on her fide, "an exceeding and immortal weight of glory," intereft is come about to her; and virtue now is vifibly the moit enriching purchafe, and by much

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the best bargain. That fhe is the perfection and excellency of our nature, that he is herself a reward, and will recommend our names to future ages, is not all that can now be faid for her. It is not ftrange that the learned Heathens fatisfied not many with fuch airy commendations. It has another relifh and efficacy to perfuade men, that if they live well here, they fhall be happy hereafter. Open their eyes upon the endless unfpcakable joys of another life; and their hearts will find fomething solid and powerful to move them. The view of heaven and hell will caft a flight upon the fhort pleasures and pains of this prefent ftate, and give attractions and encouragements to virtue, which reafon and intereft, and the care of ourselves, cannot but allow and prefer. Upon this foundation, and upon this only, morality ftands firm, and may defy all competition. This makes it more than a name, a substantial good, worth all our aims and endeavours; and thus the gospel of Jesus Christ hath delivered it to us.

5. To thefe I must add one advantage more we have by Jesus Chrift, and that is, the promise of affiftance. If we do what we can, he will give us his spirit to help us to do what, and how we fhould. It will be idle for us, who know not how our own spirits move and act us, to afk in what manner the spirit of God fhall work upon us. The wifdom that accompanies that spirit knows If a better than we how we are made, and how to work upon us. wife man knows how to prevail on his child, to bring him to what he defires; can we fufpect, that the spirit and wisdom of God should fail in it, though we perceive or comprehend not the ways of his operation? Chrift has promised it, who is faithful and juft; and we cannot doubt of the performance. It is not requifite on this occafion, for the inhancing of this benefit, to enlarge on the frailty of minds, and weakness of our conftitutions; how liable to mistakes, how apt to go aftray, and how eafily to be turned out of the paths of virtue. If any one needs go beyond himself, and the teftimony of his own confcience in this point; if he feels not his own errors and paffions always tempting him, and often prevailing, against the ftrict rules of his duty; he need but look abroad into any age of the world, to be convinced. To a man under the difficulties of his nature, befet with temptations, and hedged in with prevailing custom, it is no small encouragement to fet himself seriously on the courses of virtue, and practice of true religion, that he is from a fure hand, and an almighty arm, promifed affiftance to fupport and carry him through.

There remains yet fomething to be faid to those who will be ready to object. If the belief of Jefus of Nazareth to be the Meffiah, together with thofe concomitant articles of his refurrection, rule, and coming again to judge the world, be all the faith required as necellary to juftification, to what purpose were the epiftles written; I fay, if the belief of thofe many doctrines contained in them, be not alfo neceffary to falvation? And if what is there delivered, a Chriftian may believe or difbelieve, and yet nevertheless be a member of Chrift's church, and one of the faithful?

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