So far was Chriftianity from narrowings our Views, that it alone has raised them, as high as Heaven; and extended them as far as Eternity. A Man may look into his Bible, and fee plainly there what will become of him, when the present Scene is shifted, as to his most important, I had almoft faid, his only Concern, a future State; who, if he were left to himfelf, the more he confidered the Point on every Side, the more he would find himself bewildered in Doubts, without coming to any Determination.

Happy are we, if we know our Happiness, who have a Revelation, like it's great Author, full of Grace and Truth.

90

SERMON

The intrinfic Excellency of the
Scriptures, a Proof of their Infpi-

Be ready always to give an Answer to every
Man that afketh you a Reafon of the
Hope, that is in you.

T

O affirm, as fome have done, that SER. VIL
unenlightened Reason is abfolute-
ly fufficient, and that a Revela-

tion is needlefs, is neither better nor
worfe; than to fay, that Men either are,
or may be, fo wife of themselves, that it
is not in the Power of God himself to
make them wiser; that their natural Abi-
lities are fo very confiderable, as to fuper-
fede the Ufe of any fupernatural Notices,
even from the Father of Lights: A Po-

SER. VII. fition so shocking, that if it be not down right Blafphemy; it certainly maketh very near Approaches to it *.

But, you will fay, where was God's impartial Goodness in with-holding from others those Advantages, which he has afforded us? If a Revelation were wanted, why was not that, which was equally wanted by all, made equally known to all, at all Times ?

If we trace this Objection to it's Ori ginal, we fhall find it ftands on a wrong Foundation: It fuppofes the Deity to be determined by the Wants of Men, "exclufively of all other Regards: Whereas what may be very fit, the Wants of Men fingly

*I would not be thought to depreciate Reafon in general, which, rightly understood, as taking in all Helps and Evidences, whether intrinfic or extrinfic, is the only Facul-ty we have to difcern Truth from Falfhood. It is no more a Difparagement to Reafon to affert, it can do little in religious Affairs without the Help of Revelation; than to maintain, it would make a flender Figure without the Affiftance of Education: For what is Revelation but Affiftances and Inftructions from Heaven; as Education is Inftruction communicated to us from our Fellow Creatures? Deduct those religious Truths that were discovered to us, and only place those down, that were difcovered by us; and the remaining Sum of our Knowledge, at the Foot of the Account, will not be very confiderable.

confidered

confidered; may be unfit upon the Whole, SER. VII. all Circumstances and Confiderations being laid together. Thus confider the Neceffi ties of a poor Man feparately, and you may think it proper he should be relieved: But if you know he will abuse your Charity in Drunkennefs, or do himself or others fome Prejudice, the Fitnefs, cea feth. Here then the Fallacy lieth. We form our Judgment of what God ought to do upon one fingle View of the Neceffities of Men; where feveral other Particulars ought to be taken into the Account to make our Reasoning juft and exact. We know not,

for Inftance, whether an Attempt to remedy, the Disadvantages of those, who want a Revelation, might not be attended with greater Disadvantages to them: Whether they might not inflame their Account by rejecting it, if offered; or abusing it, if received, He alone, who fees through the whole Plan of the Creation, who knows before-hand the different Tempers and Difpofitions of all Mankind, in all Ages and Nations, and the various Confequences that would arife from every poffible Manner of acting at every Period of Time; knew alone, at what Period of