SERM. of mind, which Christianity produceth in III. him, a strong prefumption in favour of the author of it is unavoidably suggested; and hard it will be for him to perfwade himself, that the perfon, to whom he oweth this discipline, was an impoftor.

Let it be farther obferved, with what an honeft negligence, a perfon, in this state of mind, muft bear objections raised against Christianity, taken only from little circumstances; or things not material to the great defign of it, of which men given to dif putation may seem to make a great deal. The sense of what it hath produced, and the prefumption in its favour arifing from that, will not be overcome by fuch objections. Truth, indeed, by a candid mind will always be embraced, and no valuable intereft will ever fuffer by it. So that if the evidences of the truth and divine authority of the Christian religion could be clearly overthrown, an honeft and fair mind must then give it up: but when there is such strong proof, that Chrift was fent of God; objections raised, at such a distance of time from the great facts, or taken, perhaps, from fome things not at all effential to the religion of Chrift, which

are

are hard to be understood, however by men SERM. of fubtile minds plaufibly urged, will very III.

little avail. And he, who, being a fincere believer, hath, as the Apostle John speaketh, the witness in himself, will not find reafon to be greatly moved by them.

Nothing can be more natural, than for a believer to reafon after this manner, with a perfon, who would perfuade him to renounce Christianity-What is it you would have me to do? Would you have me to cease to love my Maker, to adore and worship, to serve and obey, and in all things to fubmit myfelf to him? Or would you have me to ceafe to love my neighbour, to be benevolent, generous, and liberal, tender-hearted, juft, and faithful? Would you have me to give up purity, charity, temperance, moderation, and all the discipline of the mind, which I fee is necessary to make me what I ought to be? Would you have me not to pursue, what I clearly perceive to be the end of my very being and to defert a state the most honourable, worthy, and happy, which human nature can be in? Surely, this cannot be your meaning. Now, if I am to be a worthy, an honest and a good man, I

muft

SERM. muft ftill conduct life as I have hitherto III. done, ander the influence of the Chriftian

faith, profess what I will. What is it then you require? That I fhould no longer believe, that Jefus Chrift was fent of God; or had any authority to give these laws, which are contained in the New Teftament? But if I am certainly to obey these laws, whether I believe the author of them was fo fent or not, my believing, that he was fent of God, which muft naturally engage me to be more observant of my duty, will be a real advantage to me. : At the fame time, I fee I have all the reafon in the world to believe, that the author of thefe laws did not intend to impofe upon mankind in any inftance; and as he claimeth regard and fubmiffion, as being sent by the Father, fo the difcipline, which he hath taught, and delivered to the world, is perfectly worthy of a perfon in fuch a character, and of one cloathed with divine authority fo that I cannot but be difpofed to give him credit. Such wisdom, such purity, fuch juft and fublime reprefentations of the ends of human life, and of what is laid up for the righteous, fuch grace to mankind, fuch terms of acceptance

as

as our Saviour hath declared, fuch an ab- SERM. stractedness from the world, and indepen- III. dancé on all things temporal, as he hath fhewed, and which he taught all his difciples, thefe furely have nothing in them, which favoureth of impofture. If we fhall suppose the most friendly and upright mind to have really defcended from heaven, to be the teacher of mankind, he must on the whole have taught as our Sa viour did. And why fhould I not receive his testimony, the receiving of which can, in no refpect, obftruct, but greatly aideth me in my progress towards that perfection, which is my highest aim in life? If all this should be looked upon as no more than prefumption, yet it will be acknowledged to be a strong prefumption; and in which the mind may reft perfectly secure against fuffering by it in any respect.

I fhall conclude this difcourfe with one very natural inference from what hath been faid, and which may be very properly addreffed to believers; namely, that one way to become established in the Christian faith is to be diligent in the practice of Christianity; to give the greatest pains in fubduing all irregular affections, and in cultivating

SERM. cultivating those, which are good and wor III. thy; in doing good, and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness. The purer the heart and the life are, the more discerning the moral eye will be. And as corrupt affections bribe and biafs the understanding, and pervert the judgment; fo purity and goodness of heart prepare the mind for acting its part with impartiality, and for judging aright. But what is principally to my purpose is, that men, who conform their tempers and actions to the precepts of Christianity, and attain to the holy and divine life, must have, in themselves, a witness to the happy tendencies, blessed effects, and to the importance of that religion; a witness, which other, men have not. They must be fenfible, that they are in a right ftate, and enjoy human nature and human life in the beft manner. And furely, nothing will more contribute to establish the mind in believing, than this. The direct evidences of the truth and divine authority of the, religion of Jefus, from prophefies and miracles, are strong and convincing to the judgment: but it is the experimental fenfe of what that reli

gion