Help? Will the Idols we fet

up

SERM.

in our

own Hearts relieve us? No. Could we indeed fuppofe the Reason of Man lengthen'd out to Infinity, we must then fuppofe him perfect, and confequently free: But the Poffibility of this is not to be fuppofed of any Creature whatsoever; much less that it actually is the Cafe of Man, who we find is compafs'd about with Infirmities of every kind.

But now the Christian Religion supplies the Want of this; not, as fome think, by fetting afide Reason, but, leaving to Reafon all its Advantages, by affifting it with the Reafon of God. For if we believe Christianity to be a true Religion, we have by virtue of that Faith, befides the Advantage of our own Reason, the Benefit alfo of the Reafon of God. Thus a Christian, tho' of himself in no respect. more excellent than another Man, yet by means of the Divine Reafon, which is now by Faith become his own, is exalted to a fuperior Class of Beings, and fhines with the Divine Splendor of this Heavenly Light, while the rest of Mankind are funk

down

VIII.

SERM. down an amazing Depth below, groping VIII. in the thick Darkness and Obscurity of

their own Inventions. This Faith then is

not any thing besides, or oppofite to Reafon, but is itself a Principle, that procures us the Benefit of the higheft, and moft perfect Reason.

It also improves every Spring and Movement of Action within us to its utmost Perfection. The two great Springs of all Human Actions are generally thought to be Hopes and Fears. Now let us confider Chriftianity with refpect to both thefe, as directing them to their proper Objects, to which they must operate in exact Proportion. Now as every thing in this Life is cafual and uncertain, and confequently Good and Evil, Happiness and Misery are fo too, the Hopes and Fears that belong to these must and ought to be proportio nably small, languid, and feeble: For if they rife to any great Height, we lay out more upon these things than they deferve; but if we fuppofe Good and Evil, Happirefs and Mifery to be no longer cafual but certain, which we must fuppofe in the

Christian Scheme; if we fuppofe them to SERM. be no longer temporal things, but car- VIII. ried out into all Futurity, our Hopes and Fears muft and ought then to rise in Proportion, to receive new Life and Vigour, and be strong enough to influence a Set of good and virtuous Actions; and in a mind rightly difpos'd by Religion they will do fo.

In short, as eternal Happiness and Mifery is the Sum of all Happiness and Mifery, fo the Hope of the one, and Fear of the other is, or ought to be, the Sum of all Hopes and Fears. So that these Hopes and Fears, thus regulated by Religion, tho' they will still be employ'd about things in this Life, because Religion no way interferes in this matter, being not defigned to destroy and root them out, but to direct and perfect them; yet ftill, if a Man acts right, they will be in exact Proportion, as the Good and Evil, Happiness and Mifery, of this Life stands to the Good and Evil, Happiness and Mifery of the next. We may indeed lay them out too much upon temporal things, but

then

SERM. then we are not free in doing this, but are VIII. at the fame time enflav'd to fomething or

other, that hinders us from giving them a true Direction and their just Measures. And as to every other Principle of Thought and Action Christianity fets us free, by directing all the Faculties of the mind to their proper Objects. In a word, and to describe the whole Power of Chriftianity at once. As the Devil is the great Enslaver of Mankind, and Sin the Chain that ties them down to Bondage, fo Christ by conquering this Tyrant has loos'd the Chain, and redeem'd us from the Slavery of it, and fo is truly and properly the Saviour, and Redeemer of Mankind: So true is that Saying of St. John, If the Son makes us free, then are we free indeed: But to this Liberty we are entitled only by the Gofpel. I come now to fhew,

Thirdly, That Pretences to it from the Side of Infidelity are falfe, and groundlefs. And here let us fee what Liberty it is, that Infidelity pretends to promise. Is it a Liberty that will free us from every Incumbrance? Will it deliver us from the Dominion

Dominion of Sin, and make us free in all SERM. our thoughts and Actions? i. e. Will VIII. it remove every thing, that can hinder us from thinking, and doing right? For this I have shewn to be the Nature of true Liberty. If fo, we have nothing more to do but to feek it out and embrace it: But who ever met with this ineftimable Jewel in any earthly Treafure? We have often heard of Liberty indeed, and great things have of late been faid of it. A particular Set of Men, who have thrown off the Ties of Religion and Nature, and fet themselves loofe from their Dependance upon God and the World about them; how, under Pretence of doing Honour to Reafon, have fap'd the Foundation of it, and inftead of rooting out, and deftroying all Faith, which, if they know their own Principles, is what they are concern'd to do, have fet up a monftrous and unnatural Credulity in the room of it; who have difcarded Senfe, and the Paffions, and rob'd Human Nature of the kindeft Impreffions ftamp'd upon it by the Divine Being; thefe have indeed talk'd

of