I.

SERMON in order to investigate how in the moft acceptable manner to ferve Him, is not above us it is a duty incumbent on us; it produces in us a love of Him, and fulfils the first command.

If the excellent wifdom of that full and perfect religion, which in doctrine and precept the gospel exhibits, we contraft with the two fubftitutes of it above defcribed; we shall find it neither vague, nor defective. In refpect of our duty to God, it teaches; that to love him with all our heart, and all our foul, and with all our mind, and with all our ftrength; and agreeably to fuch an inflamed, enlarged affection, to ferve Him; is the first obligation of man. And for the regulation of our conduct to our neighbour, a proper difcharge of the focial and relative duties, it lays down the completest rules in the shortest compafs. "To love our neighbour, as ourfelves ;" and "to do

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to all men, as we would they should "do unto us;" are maxims, that form

the

the ground work of the best and com- SERMON pleteft fyftem of Ethics, moral philofo

phy ever framed.

Its doctrines are authoritative and exprefs; its precepts clear and obligatory. However mens appetites, inclinations, humours, or caprice, may differ and vary; true religion will be always the fame: a perfect unchangeable rule of action. And though its precepts and doctrines we may pervert and wrest; we muft take heed, that in fo doing, we wreft them not to our own destruction. Plain and fimple in its inftitution, it feeks no adventitious colourings; free from defects, it eludes not fcrutiny, nor fhuns the light: but the more we fee, and know, and are acquainted with it, the more defireable doth it appear to us.

Reafon is the touchftone, on which the truth of religion is to be tried, Let the Mahometan fay, BELIEVE and guard the facred Koran from the fcrupulous

I.

I.

SERMON pulous eye of rational enquiry. Chrift hath faid, fearch the fcriptures; for they are they, which testify of me. And never

have books been more critically, and more enviously searched, than they: while from thofe trials they have acquired new strength; rifing from the fiery ordeals with all the acquisition of luftre, trial and truth can give. The religion, which declines an appeal to the tribunal of reafon, is always to be fufpected. To her the Chriftian commits the guidance of his faith: her facred principles will fupport its authority, when from the faftidious countenance of Deism the veil of prejudice fhall drop; and the infidious fchemes of modern refiners fhall, like air-blown bubbles, float for their moment, amufe light minds, and die away: when unstable notions, and vain conceits, by wild imaginations fuggefted, and through love of novelty entertained, shall by fober judgment be weighed, and in the cool hour of reflection relinquished. Schemes of religion,

fuch

I.

fuch as thefe, may continue for a time; SERMON but, for want of a folid foundation, at length the baseless fabric must fall.

I. On these principles, in the dif courses, which on the present occasion engage my attention, my defign is, by a chain of arguments deduced from the foundation of all religion, the divine exiftence, fummarily to evince the ground and credibility of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. In proof of that first great truth, the Being of a God, I fhall have little occafion to dwell on arguments against the direct Atheist : the fool, who fays in his heart, there is no God. I shall content myself therefore with advancing fuch only, as may be most fatisfactory and convincing: and pass on 2dly to him, who, acknowledging the Being of a God, by a denial of miracles doth in effect limit his power; a species of Anti-Theifm fcarcely lefs wicked, than direct Atheism itself. And I will 3dly advert to that more refined Atheist; whofe

SERMON whofe defperate principles of Material

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ism tend to degrade the Divine nature.

II. From the evidence of God's exiftence, we will proceed to the proofs of his fuperintending providence; a particular, as well as general, providence : that is, a providence, which not only directs and upholds the world in that ordinary courfe of nature, that fucceffion of general caufes and effects, which was in the first arrangement of things established; but fuch as with all-perva ding eye obferves, and guiding hand directs each leffer movement; every' minute occurrence, as well as every extraordinary event.

III. And from thefe adduced proofs of God's existence and providence, I in-" fer the duty of religion: that is, the proper acknowledgment of God's creative power, and upholding goodness, by acts of adoration and praife; obligatory

on