CONCLUSION. I AM not without hope that the arguments which I have thus advanced may be thought enough to show the reasonableness of believing in that Gospel whereunto we have been all baptized; and the hardihood (not to use a stronger word) of those who laugh us to scorn as the followers of "cunningly devised fables." But, useful as such arguments are for effecting our conviction of the truth of Christianity, still must we ever bear in mind that more than mere conviction arising from reasonable proof, is required to make our faith a saving faith. The devils may believe the facts of the Gospel, as one of the homilies of our Church asserts, and yet they are but devils. More than a mere acquiescence of the mind in the veracity of Holy Writ is demanded, to make up that lively faith which shall strengthen us against temptations, and support us in distress,-which shall make us more than conquerors in this life, whatever may be our troubles, which shall induce us to repose -- perfect confidence in the providence of God, however we may be cast down,—to bow with submission to his decrees, however mysterious they may seem, to despise the things which are seen and temporal, as compared with the things which are not seen and eternal,-to look steadfastly in the course of our pilgrimage to "that city which hath foundations." He who counts upon all this, resulting from the conviction of his understanding employed on the evidences of Christianity, counts upon it in vain-" for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." (Rom. x. 10.) God has not thought fit that the evidence of the Gospel should be of a nature so overwhelming as to leave no room whatever for dispute, no choice but to follow its commands. How, indeed, could a blessing be attached to a conviction which would be as irresistible as the impression of an object of sense; or what trial of our virtue could this life afford, when we should walk, if not "by sight," at least by a guidance as peremptory? Still, evidence enough God has given, to prevail upon our understandings, and to lead us to a lively faith, provided the workings of our understandings be seconded by those other means on which God has thought fit to make a lively faith in part depend. Now one of those means is prayer. The Almighty has determined that we shall acknowledge our dependence on Him for faith, as for every other good gift-has determined, that our reason shall not altogether satisfy us without succor, lest we be exalted in our minds. "He that lacks wisdom, let him ask it of God," is the advice of St. James. (i. 5.) "Lord, increase our faith," is the prayer of the Apostles. (Luke xvii. 5.) "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief," is the petition of the afflicted father of the possessed child, and it was heard and answered. (Mark, ix. 24.) And when Peter expressed to Christ his belief in him, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven :" (Matt. xvi. 17:) that is, it was not merely by evidence working on the understanding through the senses, that thou wast convinced, but by the immediate grace of God. Another means is a moral life-for it is no less true that the life influences the faith, than that the faith influences the life. Perhaps the weakness of their faith, which so many acknowledge, may not unfrequently spring from a neglect of this wholesome truth. Such men may think that leading a careless, an ungodly, a sensual life, can make no difference. in their faith-that the life cannot affect that -that faith is to be determined exclusively by proof, and not by practice. Reasonable, however, it is, and scriptural too, to maintain that it is determined by both. "We must not forget our nature," says Pascal, speaking upon this very subject, "we are body as well as spirit; and hence it comes to pass, that the instrument by which conviction is produced, is not demonstration only. How few things are there demonstrated? Demonstrations act only on the mind; but custom produces our strongest convictions-it engages the senses, and they incline the understanding, without even giving it time for thought. Who has ever demonstrated the certainty of to-morrow's light, or of our own death-and yet what is more universally believed; Custom, therefore, persuades us of it. Custom makes so many men Pagans and Turks, and so many artisans and soldiers. It is true that we ought not to begin with custom in our inquiries after truth, but we must have recourse to it when once we have discovered where truth is, in order to refresh and invigorate our belief, which every passing hour inclines us to forget; for a regular train of arguments cannot always be present to our minds. We want something more easy -a habit of believing, which, without violence or art or argument, compels our assent, and so inclines all our powers towards it that we naturally fall into it. It will not be enough, that we are willing to believe any thing upon force of conviction, when our senses are soliciting us to believe the direct contrary. The two parts of ourselves must always proceed in concert; the understanding, by those arguments which it is sufficient once in our lives to have understood: the senses, by habit, and by not being suffered to throw their weight into the opposite scale." More I might add from the valuable Chapter of the Thoughts of Pascal, which has supplied me with this long extract. It is the seventh, and well deserves the attention of every man, for the useful helps it suggests to the cultivation and improvement of a sound and vigorous faith. Neither is this notion of improving faith by practice reasonable only, it is scriptural also. Thus, to take a more enlarged view of the subject; the law, which was preparing the way for the gospel, was almost entirely prac |