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what is fo in itself, fomething that contra- SERM.IV. dicts a confeffed Principle or Conclufion of Reason, and this is unchangeably the fame at all Times and Places: Or it is what is relatively fo in Regard to Time, Place and Perfon. In the latter Sense it is of no fixed Nature but an arbitrary Term That being abfurd in fome Circumstances, which would be very proper, if Things were differently circumftanced. As for Abfurdities of the former Kind, I know not any Thing in the Emblematical Actions of the Prophets that carries the leaft Appearance of Sin or Immorality, except that of Hofea's taking a Wife of Whoredoms: which, though but an Appearance, is obviated, if we confider the promiscuous Use of the Imperative and Future in the Hebrew Tongue. For the Words may be rendred, not, Take thee a Wife, &c. but, Thou wilt take a Wife; a Prediction, not a Command: and the Sense may be, "I foresee, that in fo corrupt and degene"rate an Age thou wilt chuse a Woman "who will prove unfaithful to her Conju"gal Vow." And as for Abfurdities of the latter Kind, let it be confidered; that however untoward an Afpect these Modes

of

SERM.IV. of Converfe and Vehicles of Senfe may now

Several

have; if they were accommodated to the
Tafte of the Eastern Nations, they were
worthy of those who were fingular in No-
thing but Goodness, and wifhed they were
not fingular even in that; complying with
their Countrymen in every Thing, their
Sins only excepted, and refifting unto Death,
rather than comply in thofe.
Customs, which now univerfally prevail,
would feem quite as abfurd, were we in
another Point of View. But as in a Veffel,
where all Things move alike, nothing feems
to move at all: So where every one com-
plies with fomething irreconcileable to the
ftrict Rigour of Reason, it seems as if none
did fo. In a Word, the Arguments for
the Inspiration of the Prophets are founded
on good Senfe, which is the fame Yesterday,
To-day, and for ever: But the Objections
against them, are only Objections againft
the Age in which they wrote, and to which
they adapted their Discourses; mere Preju-
dices of our Time and Country.

Those Truths do not affect us moft, which obviously and immediately appear to be fuch. We are then most pleased when we are agreeably undeceived in finding fome

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fomething, which bore a Refemblance of SERM.IV. Error, turn out, upon a ftricter Scrutiny, a manifeft Truth. And how many furprizing Truths have been discovered, which once looked like Impoffibilities? Some formerly conceived it abfolutely impoffible, that Noah's Ark fhould contain all the Creatures neceffary to replenish the Earth. But now the Capacity of it to this Purpose hath been even demonstrated, and Infidelity is for ever filenced on that Head. And when fo many Stumbling-blocks have been removed by the Sagacity of former Times, this would incline one to think that those Intricacies, which remain, may, in Procefs of Time, receive a satisfactory Solution. The more wonderful and astonishing any Thing in the Bible is; the more likely one would think it is, that it fhould be true: because it more evidently bears the Signature and Imprefs of Him who only is wonderful, and only doeth wondrous and aftonishing Things, and doeth nothing but what is fo. Why should we expect, when every Atom in the Creation is big with Wonders, confounding our reafoning Powers and inexplicable to Man, that Revelation fhould be entirely free from every Thing of that Nature? But whatever VOL. I. ftrange

H

SERM.IV. ftrange Things fome may suppose the Chri

ftian Religion to contain; it would be much stranger than all of them put together, that, though Man was defigned by God to be a religious as well as focial Creature, no true Religion was any where profeffed from the Beginning of the World to the present Times: which yet must be the Cafe, if Christianity be not true. For Chriftianity hath, at leaft, every Signature of Truth ftamped upon it, with which any other Religion, fuppofed to be true, be it the Patriarchal or Jewish, comes recommended to us. So that if we difcard Christianity, we muft take away along with it every other Religion that can make any rational Pretenfions to Divinity. As for Natural Religion, it never was profeffed or established any where, pure and unmixed; nor is it calculated for Men in active Life, to whom the Restraints of Religion are most neceffary. Such Men might fay, "We cannot fatisfy "ourselves with abftract Notions of God's "Mercy in general, which leave us unde"termined how far it may extend, as di"rected by infinite Wisdom: We want to "have Mercy particularized, or reduced to

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our particular Cafe. If indeed a Perfon

"rofe

"rofe from the Dead and afcended into SERM. IV.

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Heaven, we could eafily, on his authen"tic Declaration, believe that he came "down from Heaven to fave Sinners. This "would be Mercy, not in Idea only; it "would be Mercy realized in Matter of "Fact. It would not be an airy, fleeting, "unfubftantial Notion of which our groí"fer Understandings could lay no Hold; "it would be Mercy fubftantiated and "embodied; defcending from above, that "it might conduct us thither.

It is allowed in Philofophy, that a Course of repeated Experiments is of more Weight to confirm any Theory, than all the abftracted Reasonings that can be invented, independently on them: Juft so in Divinity : thofe Hopes that are grounded on a Course of miraculous Facts (a Kind of Experiments performed by an Almighty Hand) are much better fupported than any built on mere Speculation. The Mind is got too high on the Wing, and can find Nothing to reft upon in those airy Regions, in which it is foaring. Suppofing, as fome have fuppofed, the Præ-existence of our Souls; and that they fpeculated then, as we do now, from the Wisdom and Goodnefs of God; how

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