Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

done; Duty continues as fast as ever, and even the Law of Liberty is a Service.

16. And now that this may not be thought a Hard faying, and make fome of Jefus his Difciples to go back, (as once they did) and walk no more with him when they hear of Duty, and fomething to be done, I fhall now proceed to Demonstrate the Reasonableness of that Service which Chriftianity requires of us; which was the Second general Propofition I parpofed to speak to.

17. Religion is fo very agreeable, both to the Inclinations and Difcourfings of Human Nature, that as none is Capable of being Religious but a Rational Creature, fo 'tis almoft Impoffible for a Creature to be indued with Reafon, and not to be Religious. Hence 'tis, that there is no Nation fo Barbarous and Degenerate, but what has fome Religion or other; and tho' Ignorant of the true Object as well as Manner of Worship, yet rather than wholly abftain from Religious Applications, will adore implicitely, and Erect an Altar, Agvas e, to the

unknown God.

18. Nay, fo great a Congruity is there between Refigion, and the Radical Notices and Sentiments of a Human Soul, that all Mankind, except only fome few dif torted and Anomalous Heads (for there are Monftrofities in the Soul as well as the Body) are unanimously agreed upon the fundamental and fubftantial Maxims of it; which for their Correfpondency to our Rational Natures, are ufually diftinguifhed by the Name of Natural Religion. For there are Practical as well as Speculative Principles; and that he who does no Hurt, is to receive none, is as evident a Propofition in Aforality, as that the Whole is greater than its Part, is in the Mathematics; or, That Nothing can be, and not be at once, is in the Metaphyfics.

19. And as Religion and Natural Religion, carry fuch frict Conformity to our Rational Faculties, fo does Revealed Religion too. All the Lines of this, as well as of the other, point all the way at, and at laft concentre

[ocr errors]

in the Happiness and Welfare of Mankind. 'Tis a purfuance of the fame excellent End, only by more clofe and direct Means. For God in all his Intercourfes with us, does accommodate himself to our Natures; and as he will not forcibly determine us to good, becaufe he has made us free, to neither does he require any thing from us, but what is good, and confiftent with Reafon; becaufe he has made us Rational. And altho' we cannot by this Candle of the Lord, Prov. 20. 27. find out fome of the great and wonderful Things of his Law (for herein confifts the formal difference between Natural and Reveal'd Religion) yet when they are once propofed to us, they are highly approved by our Intellectual Relifh, and frike perfect Unifons to the Voice of our Reason; fo that even he that tranfgreffes the Law (for 'tis of him the Apole there fpeaks) confents to the Law that it is good, Rom. 7. 16.

20. And indeed, were it not fo, it would be as unfit for God to propofe, as hard for Man to receive; fince even the Prudence of a Nation, is by no one thing either more Juftified or Condemned, than by the good or ill Contrivance of its Laws. Shall not then the Law-giver of the whole World, enact that which is right, Gen. 18. 25. as well as the Judge of all the Earth do right? Shall he not be as Wife in the Framing of his Law, as he is Just in the Execution of it? God in contriving the Mechanifm of the material World, difplay'd the Excellency of his Divine Geometry, and made all things in Num ber, Weight and Meafure. He eftablished the World by his Wifdom, and ftretched out the Heavens by his Difcretion, Fer. 10. 12. And fhall he not govern the Intellectual World with as mech Wifdom as he made the Natural one? Queftionless he does; and the Law which he has. prefcribed to us, is as Perfect and Excellent, as that whereby he wrought the Beauty and Order of the Univerfe. For the Lord is Righteous in all his Ways, and Holy in all his Works, Pial. 145. He has accommodated his Statutes and Judgments, both to the Infinite Perfection

of his own Nature, and to the actual Perfection and Capacity of ours. God is a Spirit, and accordingly (as the Apostle tells us) the Law is Spiritual, Rom. 7. 14. Man is Rational; and accordingly, the Homage he is to pay to him that made him fo, is no other than a Rea Jonable Service.

4

21. But to be as Compendious, and withal as juft and diftinct as may be in fo Copious and Plentiful a Subject, I confider, That as the whole Rational Nature of Man confifts of Two Faculties, Understanding and Will, (whether really or notionally diftinct, I fhall not now difpute) fo Chriftianity, whofe End is to Perfect the Whole Man, and give the laft Accomplishment both to our Intellectual and Moral Powers, will be wholly ab folved in thefe Two Parts, Things to be believed, and Things to be done. If therefore in both thefe, it can Acquit it felf at the Bar of Reason, the Conclufion is, evident, That it is a Reasonable Service.

7

22. First then, As to the Things which are to be believed. Now thefe are either the Authority and Truth of the whole Chriftian Inftitution; or the Truth of parzicular Mysteries contained in it. The firft of these will appear to be a reasonable Object of Faith two ways; ft, From the Nature of its Defign, and its excellent Aptnefs to Compafs it; and 2ly, From Extrinfick Arguments, and Collateral Circumflances. And First, 'Tis recommended to us by the Nature of its Defign, and its excellent Aptnefs to Compafs it. It is (according to the precedent Representation) a very Wife and Rational Hypothefis, above the Reaton of Man indeed, at first to Contrive, but fuch as when propofed, it must needs Approve and Acquiefce in, as at once the Power and Wifdom of God, 1 Cor. 1. 24. because (as I firft obferved, and fhall hereafter more plainly demonftrate) 'tis fo admirably fitted to the Honour of God, and to the Neceffities of Man, thereby verifying that double part of the Angelical Anthem at the Appearance of its Divine Author; and at once bringing Glory to God of

High, and on Earth Peace, good Will towards Men, Luk:

2. 14.

23. And as it appears thus Rational in its general Idea or Structure, and thereby fpeaks it felf worthy of God; fo Secondly, that it came actually from him no Rational Perfon can doubt, that confiders that Conjugation of Arguments, that Cloud of Witnesses, whereby its Divine Original ftands Attefted. Such as are the variety of Prophefies and Prefigurations, their punctual and exact Accomplishment in the Author of this Inftitution, his Birth, Life, Miracles and Doctrin, his Paffion, Death, Refurrection and Afcenfion; with all the wonderful Arrear and Train of Accidents that enfued for the Confir mation of Christianity; fuch as the wonderful Suftentation, Protection, Increafe and Continuation of Chrift's little Flock, the Christian Church; the Miraculous Affiftances, and Miraculous Actions of the Apoftles; the Har mony of the Evangelifts; the Conftancy and Courage of his first Witneffes and Martyrs; the Defeat of the Infernal Powers in the filencing of Oracles; the juft Punifhment that lighted upon his Enemies; and lastly, the Completion of all Prophefies that proceeded out of his Divine Mouth while on Earth; which I fhall here only point at in general, and leave to the inlargement of every Man's Private Meditation.

24. Then as for the Particular Myfteries contained in Christianity, I know but of Three that threaten any di fturbance to our Philofophy; and thofe are the Three Ca tholick ones, the Trinity, the Hypoftatick Union, and the Refurrection. Now concerning the two first, I obferve, that they are indeed above the adequate Comprehenfion. of our Reafon; but not contrary or repugnant to it, For as we cannot conceive how these things can be, fo neither do we pofitively and clearly perceive that they cannot be, as we do in Contradictions and Things contrary to Reafon. But as to the laft, I don't in the least understand why it should be thought a thing incredible that God (whofe very Notion involves Omnipotence) fhould raise the

M

Dead,

Dead, Acts 26. 8. 'Tis true, we may be as Ignorant how this can be, as in either of the former Articles; but that it abfolutely may be, there is much plainer evidence; especially to thofe who think it reafonable to Believe a Creation. Which if taken according to ftrictness of Notion, for a Production of Something out of Nothing, is moft confeffedly a greater and more difficult performance (as to the Nature of the Work) than the Raising of the Dead can be. Or if more largely, for producing Something out of præexiftent, but naturally unapt mat ter, yet 'tis ftill at leaft Equal with it. He that with the bare Energy of his Omnipotent Word, could infpirit the dead, ftupid, void and formlefs Mafs, and make it move into a Frame fo Elegant and Harmonious, that the mere Contemplation of its Beauty and Order, has by many Philofophers been thought a fufficient Entertainment of Life, may eafily be prefumed to be able to do the fame in the leffer World, and with effect to fay to a rude and diforder'd Heap of Duft, the Chaos of a Human Body, Stand up and Live.

25. But after all, were this Article of the Resurrecti on much more thick-fet with Difficulties than it is, yet would we, before we venture to determine against its Poffibility, fit a while and confider, that we are nonplus'd at a Thousand Phanomenas in Nature, which if they were not done we should have thought them abfolutely impoffible; (as for Inftance, to go no further, the Central Libration of the Earth) and now they are, we can. not comprehend 'em ; that we have feen but a few of God's Works, and understand yet fewer: And lastly, That as the Poffibility of the Effect is above the Comprehenfion of our Reafon, fo the Power of the Agent is much more fo; we fhould difcern great Reafon to be Cautious how we fet Limits to the Divine Omnipotence; and fhould rather fupport our Faith against all Objections, with that. Univerfal Salvo of the Apotle, I know whom I have be lieved, 2. Tim. 1. 12.

« PoprzedniaDalej »