far. Many, who have no notion of faith, may at first be wrought on by the moral rectitude of actions. From thence they may be led to acknowledge the chriftian religion as the best fyftem of morals-and from thence, by God's affifting their pious endeavours, to acknowledge their faith in its founder and doctrines. Had unqualified faith been the first doctrine preached to fuch people, it would probably have had little effect.

Others again, who have fine affections, and feelings, refolve all duty both to God and man into love. But many people of blunt affections can never raise in themselves thofe divine heights of love to God, or man; yet ftill, if they practise religious duties from a sense of pleasing God; and avoid fin from a fear of offending him, we cannot doubt of their obtaining the end of the command

ment.

In fhort fo much ftrefs fhould never be laid on faith, or any other motive of action, as to exclude others. Each of them may lead by degrees to the

end of the commandment.

Whoever is acquainted with the blunt, and low conceptions of the vulgar, muft tremble for the falvation of men, if they cannot be faved without exalted ideas of faith, and love. St. Paul fpeaks

of

of making himself all things to all men, that he might by all means fave fome. That is, I prefume, he placed different motives before them, as he saw occafion. The fcriptures certainly hold out different motives of action. They make charity indeed the end of the commandment; but they feem not to expect, that every man fhould attain it on the fame motive. They talk of faith, and hope, and fear, and love, and other motives, each of which may, by degrees, be the happy mean of drawing men to the end of the commandment.

In the mean time, with regard to his own private case, let every man practife on that motive, which from his own feelings he discovers to be most effectual. Only let us not judge one another, and fay, that the end of the commandment can be obtained by no means, but thofe, which we ourselves feel the most effectual.

I cannot here be misunderstood to suppose, that any chriftian virtue can be exercifed without chriftian faith. What I contend for, is, that men are drawn to embrace the chriftian faith by various means.-There are different degrees alfo of faith; and the vulgar, unlettered chriftian, who works for his daily bread, may have that general belief in his

bible,

bible, which may lead him to the end of the com mandment; and fecure to him the favour of God; tho he may not have that exalted faith, which fome religionists require from all without diftinction.*

* This fentiment was fuggefted to me by the following circum. flance. I had been converfing with a very worthy person, who was rigorous in maintaining thofe opinions, which are commonly called methodistical; and particularly a rigid zeal for faith in oppofition to worth. In the midft of our converfation I occafionally mentioned an old man in the parish, who with great industry (for he was only a day-labourer) had brought up a large family; and had afterwards faved enough to keep him from the parish. His wife was dead: his family was grown up; and he lived alone in a little cottage, on the edge of the foreft. He was near eighty years of age; but ftill continued his labour, as far as he was able; and spent the remainder of his day in reading his bible, and in prayers. Of. ten, when I have opened his cottage-door fuddenly, I have found him in fome religious exercife. He was conftant also at church, and generally at the facrament. He was very ready to give out of his little to his poor relations. I have known him give oftener than once five guineas at a time. He bore great infirmities with great refignation; and would talk of death with as much ease, and indifference as of going to bed. To me this old man appeared to fill his ftation with great religious propriety. But upon my mentioning him to my friend in a favourable manner, tho he was as well ac quainted with all these circumstances, as I was, he directly replied, That he did not think he was in the way of falvation. On my en. quiring with furprize into the reason of what appeared to me fo uncharitable an opinion, I found that in fome late converfation the old man had been speaking of his own fobriety; and faying, if he had spent his money at the alehouse, as many did, he should have been now in the poor-houfe. My friend called this felf-righteoufnefs.

And

XXV.

And thefe fhall go away into everlasting punishment.

-Matthew 25. xlvi.

TH

HE eternity of future punishments hath occafioned much controverfy among divines, Inftead of taking part with either fide, I am rather inclined to fhew the impropriety of bringing the question at all into difcuffion.

In the first place, as enquiries of this kind muft end, as they began, in uncertainty, it is ufelefs to difcufs them. We can know nothing on the subject but from fcripture; and we see scrip ture is not fo decifive, as to prevent disputes.

Secondly, enquiries of this kind argue fome degree of diftruft in providence. God Almighty has declared himself in numberlefs paffages of fcripture, to be a righteous judge-a juft rewarder; and a juft punifher of all our actions. What need we enquire farther? Do we diftruft his word? When a man makes me a promife, if I believe him to be an honeft man, I fimply take

his

his word. But if I have any doubt, I begin to enquire how he means to perform what he promif ed. Let us not then fhew fuch diftruft to God. He has affured us that he is a righteous judge, Let us therefore depend upon his word, without enquiring into the means he propofes.

I would obferve farther, that the difcuffion of fuch a queftion, appears alfo to have a bad tendency. Notwithstanding all the influence of eternal punishment, vice cannot be kept in awe. Would you then loofen a tie, which does not at all appear too ftri&t? It injures certainly no man to have his fears impreffed in this cafe: but has rather a good tendency. If it were once fairly eftablifhed, that future punishments were not eternal, it might fet the inclinations of many a licentious man at liberty; and open a wide door to fin. It may, no doubt, be the fecret wifh of many to find fuch a theory right; but, I fuppose, in general, the converts to it would be fuch as wifhed rather to eafe their fears, than to cure their infidelity. As thefe therefore will be the chief perfons, who will attend to your arguments, I should think it would be of more fervice to religion, to leave them to their own conjectures. They become nice cafuifts for no reafon but to become fafe finners.

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