the whole Intelligent Nature is the Seat of Faith. But when we confider, what glorious Promises åre made to Faith, and that it is ftrictly enjoyn'd under Eternal Punishments to the contrary, we cannot choose but conclude, that it must have a Greater Propor tion of that Ingredient, which only makes Actions good or bad; which only is the Subject to which Commands and Prohibitions can be propos'd, which only can en title to Reward or Punishment, and that is, Will and Choice. But fhould we allow Faith to be feated in the Understanding only, as some Divines contend; yet That itself depends in fome Measure on the Will: Inaf much as the firft Application of Mind, and afterwards the Attention and Dwelling upon any Subject, Worthy to be Understood (of which Worthiness the Will too makes itself for the moft part the Judge) is altogether Voluntary. So that, tho' in Matters of Knowledge, the Will has no direct proper Concurrence, nor is the Confent of it ftrictly neceffary to the Affent of the Underftanding; yet it has such a tacit, but effe&ual Influence, fuch a domeftick conjugal Authority, that the Understanding is feldom firmly, or long on that Side to which the Other Faculty is not enclin'd. Thus every Way we fee, how much the Will is concern'd in producing and preferving Faith. And

G}

And it is highly reasonable, that it should be fo; that we may hereby make a Free-will Offering of our Belief, which if extorted from us would be of no Worth; that Our hearty Affent to the Heavenly Truths reveal'd to us, may be what St. Paul styles it, The Obedience of Faith; and that the Diffi culty of Apprehending fome of its high Objects might ennoble it, and make it capable of a glorious Reward. For as there would be no Praife due to the best Works, if either the Works were eafy, or our Wills forc'd; fo neither could there be any Merit in Faith, if the Objects of it were so plain, or our Understandings were by Demonftrative Evidence fo Overborn, that we could not help Believing.

To conclude this Head, as on one hand the Love of this World, and Sinful Lufts thereof, make Men very backward at first to believe, but very apt to raise what Objections they can against a Religion fo op pofite to 'em and catch at the leaft Shadow of Poffibility,that may stay their Minds from thinking that True, which they heartily wish were Falfe; and as the Continuance in Vice and Sin, both by a Natural Course of Working in 'em a fettled Stupidity, and Habitual Blindness; and alfo, by the just Judgment of God, who, because they did not Like to retain him in their Knowledge, gives

them

them over to a Reprobate Mind; brings 'em by steps in the end, to the laft degree of harden'd Infidelity, and downright Atheism; So on the contrary, a Love to Virtue and Goodness, first makes an Easy way for the Believing, and Embraceing the Truths of the Gospel, and by a conftant Perseverance and Practice of the plain indifpenfable Duties, (the Grace of God accompanying and rewarding Obedience with further degrees of Faith) even the most abstruse and exalted Myfteries of Religion, are fo heartily and firmly believed at laft, as to admit of no doubt or wavering. Such a Chriftian's Experience, and Inward Perception of the Goodnefs, as well as the Truth, of Religion, is more convincing than the most ftudy'd Arguments; he is too much taken up in its Commands, to have any leifure to cavil at its Doctrines; he relies with full Affurance on the gracious Promises reveal'd in Scripture, and finds too much Comfort in the Word of God, to raise any Doubts concerning the Truth of it. No more than a Man, that had given him a great Eftate, and has the Deeds of it put in his Own Hands, would fet himself on work to find out Flaws in them, and be himself the first that should question the Goodness of his Own Title.

Having thus fhewn, that it is the Goodnefs, or the Evilnefs of the Heart, by which we either believe unto Righteousness, or else depart from the Living God. I fhall proceed in the

II. Second place, To exhort, that we take efpecial Care, left there be in any of Us an Evil Heart of Unbelief, and that upon the Account of the Inexcufable Folly of Wilfull Infidelity, as well as the Inexpreffible Danger of it.

For first, Because it is not for the Intereft of the Wicked Man, that there should be any Truth in that Religion, which pronounces fo fevere a Condemnation to his Practices, and because he can't help therefore wifhing, that there were no fuch thing; to conclude from hence that 'tis falfe, Is not this the most unreasonable, and most abfurd Folly in the World? What can be more against the common Dictates of Reason, than when a Judgment is to be made in matters, that concern no less than Eternal Happiness, and Eternal Mifery, for Men not to give, at least, a fair unprejudic❜d unbyafs'd Hearing? but to fuffer the Understanding, that is the Judge, to be most fhamefully Brib'd by the Affections, that are Parties; and instead of framing their Wills, to follow what Reafon teaches, to

find out how Reafon may seem to teach that, which their Wills were fet and propos'd to Believe. Let Men only Act in this their Greateft, their Everlafting Concern, with the fame ordinary Prudence and Discretion, that they use in other matters, things of common ufe and every Day's Bufinefs. They have a great mind this or that fhould not be true, they are undone if it is. But will this ferve their Turn? or will their Wishes, be they never fo ftrong, make that which they are fo much concern'd for, either True or Falfe in itself? No Man in his Senses ever thinks fo, but immediately fets about providing against all thofe Inconveniencies and Mischiefs, which would certainly fall upon him, if what he has fo dismal an Apprehenfion of fhould come to Pafs. This, I am fure, ought much more to be the first Care of all thofe, that cannot think of an Eternity of Rewards and Punishments, without Horror and Dread; this ought certainly to be the very first Thing they fet about, to remove all thofe Sins, and to put away far from them all those Wickedneffes, that make the Thoughts and Belief of a future State fo Terrible. This is a Juft andWife Condu&,and fure nothing lefs than this can fatisfy a Reasonable Man, The other Course, that the Wicked Wretch generally takes, becomes only fuch as can

be