times. The attention of men would have been turned more upon the practical than the fpeculative parts of religion, and by lefs difputation they would have become more feri oufly and truly devout.

The last abuse of reason, which it seems neceflary to point out, is in the doctrine of Predestination and Election. A future opportunity will be taken to prove, that in the Calvinistical fenfe of the words, neither our Saviour nor his Apoftles inculcated any fuch thing. In the mean time, if we begin to reafon, we shall never be able to explain, why the Almighty should give existence to any creature, who, He forefaw, would be miferable to all eternity, let the cause of that misery be what it may. If we proceed, every step will but the more bewilder us: we fhall conclude against the eternity of future punishments, or, with the Poet, we shall find out a temporary state of suffering, or, with the Romanist, have recourse to a purgatory. Thus we shall weaken the force of those threats which present to the finner a worm that never dies, and a fire that fhall never be quenched. If we imagine ourfelves in the number of the elect, we fhall prefume; if in the number of the reprobate,

we

we shall defpair; but the Lord is in his holy Temple, beholding the evil and the good, let all the Earth keep filence before him.

Many other abuses of reafon might have been enumerated, but having adverted to fuch as feemed most fatal to the real interest of religion, we shall perhaps be the more fully prepared and the more properly armed for its defence; we fhall in fome degree have adjusted the previous conditions and the legitimate mode of contention; we shall be cautious how we engage upon untenable ground, with unlawful, inefficient, unwieldy or untractable weapons; we shall be sober minded, cool, collected, we shall facrifice no folid good to specious advantages; and may the Lord of Hofts himself, who stilleth the raging of the fea, who ftilleth alfo the madness of the people, guide us with his counfel, and lead us on to conquest and unfpeakable glory, through Jefus Christ our Lord, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and praise now and for

evermore.

SERMON II.

PSALM CXIX. 130.

THE ENTRANCE OF THY WORDS GIVETH LIGHT: IT GIVETH UNDERSTANDING

UNTO THE SIMPLE.

IN

N all our religious enquiries, it is of the utmost moment previously to ascertain the nature and weight of that authority, to which we make our appeal. And as the facred writers poffefs the greatest, it is natural to begin with them. The fubject of infpiration has been frequently handled; it is intended in the following difcourfe to answer objections as they lie fcattered in various authors, whether open enemies or pretended friends, to obviate or prevent mifconftructions and miftakes. The variety of matter is difficult to be arranged in a particular method and in due regularity.

On

On this occafion, as on many others, we fhall find caufe to reject the argument, a priori. For any thing we can prove to the contrary, the Almighty might have withheld part of the information he hath been pleased to grant, or he might have added more. Suffice it for us to acknowledge with gratitude that he hath made ample provifion for all our spiritual wants and infirmities, and that his Glory is beft confulted when we confult our own real interest and happiness.

Perhaps no propofition can be more indifputable, than that if the facred writers affumed a character which did not belong to them, if they obtruded upon men their own opinions for divine truths, they must be deemed moft. hameless hypocrites. No plea of policy or temporary expediency could justify such a conduct. Solemn invocations and folemn appeals to Heaven, declarations of being not only instructed what to speak, which was frequently the act of God, but of being commanded under the fevereft penalties actually. to fpeak, would amount to nothing short of blafphemy. But the facred writers, who difdain false praife, who, with a dignity of mind unknown to other writers, record their own

failings,