fully prejudiced in favour of that Communion, to which they have revolted, by the Temptation of fecular Intereft and Advantage; in this Cafe, let them know that God will not be mocked; and that to force our Understandings, is no less Criminal than to force our Confciences.

God hath propofed fufficient direction to us in the Holy Scripture, and will by no means pardon us, if we wilfully fhut our Eyes against the Truth. We need not go any farther than the Words of my Text for this Direction. The Apostle commands all Chriftians to be ready to give an answer of the reafon of the faith that is in them. If then any Society of Men difcourageth and overthrows the ufe of Reason in private Chriftians; if it teacheth Doctrines contrary to Reason, and refuseth to give any Account of them; we may infallibly conclude it to be erroneous, and to have departed from the true Faith. Yet we know a Church, that hath wholly evacuated the Apoftles Precept, by inhibiting to private Chriftians the ufe of Reason in divine Matters, and fetting up an infallible Judge to whom all ought blindly to fubmit; that useth her utmoft endeavours to difable private Chriftians from giving a Reafon of their Faith, by forbidding them to read theScripture; that hath made Christianity irrational, by adding to it abfurd and contradictive Doctrines. For what Reafon can be given, that Men should not use their Reafon? What Reason can be affigned for Tranfubftantiation, which is directly contrary both to Sense and Reason? What Reason

Reason for a blind Submiffion to a pretended infallible Judge, which defeats all use of Reafon? But thefe Things are too apparent. Iomit them, and pass to the second and last Branch of Application. That

2. We ought to adorn this most rational and holy Religion of our Saviour with a correfpondent Holiness and Purity of Life. The Apostle draws this Inference in the Words immediately preceding and following my Text: But fanttifie the Lord God in your hearts, and, having a good confcience; and indeed moft naturally. For if it be the higheft Perverfeness to reject the Gospel after fo clear a Demonstration of the Divinity of it; what a Degree of Folly and Impiety must it be in thofe, who are perfwaded of the Truth of it, to contradict the Evidence and Design of it by the Wickedness of their Lives, and live as if they believed it to be moft falfe? The Apoftle urgeth it as the utmost Aggravation of the Sin of the wifer Heathens; that they held the truth in unrighteousness: and furely with much more force will the Argument fall upon immoral Christians. For the Heathen Sages diffembled their Opinions from the World, and fo no wonder that they directed not their Actions by them: Whereas these publickly profess their Belief of Christianity, and yet live in open Contradiction to it. And indeed it is a moft aftonishing Confideration, that rational Creatures fhould deliberately violate thofe Laws, upon which they acknowledge the Hopes of Eternity to depend. Do we really believe the Chriftian Religion to be divine;

and

and yet go on without Remorfe to trample under foot its Laws and Precepts? Are we perfwaded that infinite Rewards in another World attend the Performance of our Duty in this; and yet prefer the Temptations and Pleasures of the World to the Attainment of them? Do we profefs our Belief of eternal Punishments; and yet are not affrighted from the Commiffion of any pleasing Sin by the Terror of them? However we may pretend a firm Affent to all thefe Articles; yet certainly it will be impoffible to perfwade a confidering Man, that the Belief of them can be reconciled with the Practice of the contrary. And after all, if we fhould be allowed to be, what we pretend, Believers in Chrift; Can faith fave us? No, Shew me thy faith by thy works. If a fober Heathen fhould come among us, and compare the Rules of Chrift, with the Lives of Chriftians; the Exercife of Piety, Temperance, and Chastity, and all moral Vertues commanded by the one in the highest Degree,and upon the feverest Penalties; and Impiety, Intemperance, Luft, and all enor mous Vices openly and greedily practised by the other; he would be tempted to believe that the Religion of Chrift were no more than a pleafing Fable, wherewith Chriftians fometimes entertained themselves. An ancient Father, who lived in the declining Times of Chri ftianity, tells us, how the Heathens in his Age formed dishonourable Thoughts of Chrift, from the scandalous Lives of his Difciples: Quomodo bonus eft Magifter, cujus tam malos videmus Dif cipulos? How can he be a good Lawgiver, that VOL. I. hath

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hath no better Followers? How can his Laws be excellent, that do not reform the Lives of their Profeffours? And then proceeds to deplore this Scandal. In nobis Chriftus opprobium patitur: Thus we defame our most excellent Religion, dishonour our Saviour, and blafpheme him in our Lives. Let us live up to the Rules of our Religion, and by a conscientious Practice of them, manifeft that we are perfwaded of the Truth of it; otherwise it will be in vain to be ready always to give an answer to every one, that asketh us a reafon of the hope that is in us: This were unanfwerably to refute our Arguments by our Practice, and add to our own Condemnation. Let us demonstrate the Divinity of our Religion, by the Influence it hath upon our Lives; and profess an intire Belief of it by a conftant Obedience to it: That fo we may not fall fhort of the Promises annexed to it; and others feeing our good works, may glorifie our Father, which is in heaven.

SERMON

SERMON V.

131

Preach'd December 2, 1688. at Lambeth Chapel.

Rom. II. 4.

Not knowing, that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.

T

HE infinite and wonderful Love of God towards Mankind, is in nothing more visible and confpicuous, than in the various Methods which he makes use of to draw us to himself. The Faculties and Paffions of our Soul are not more numerous and different, than are the Means which he hath employed to render us happy, and oblige us to the performance of our Duty: Inducing us by all those Motives and Arguments which in other moral Actions are wont to make impreffion on us.

He hath engaged our Understandings, by propofing to our Belief and Practice, a reafonable and holy Religion, attended with the greatest Evidence, and in all things highly agreeable to the Nature of Mankind, and first Principles of Reafon. He hath affured our Wills, by prefenting fuch Objects to it, as employ every fingle Paffion of it. If the defire of obtaining the greatest Good can move us; he hath allured us by the Promife of an infinite and eternal Happiness. If fear of Misery hath K 2 any