The Death of Chrift was, as the holy Scripture teaches, foreordained before the Foundation of the World: And fince God intended, in the Fulness of Time, to offer Salvation to the World through Faith in the Sacrifice of his Son, it is reasonable to suppose, that the Sacrifices before and under the Law were introduced and countenanced to prepare the Faith of the World to receive the Tender of God's Mercies, in virtue of the one Sacrifice to be offered for the Sins of the whole World; that, being accustomed to ask Pardon for Iniquities by the means of Sacrifices, Men might be ready and difpofed to receive the Grace of God, when offered under like Conditions.

Sacrifices in the heathen World, as all other Parts of Religion, were corrupted, and applied to corrupt Purposes; but they appear at first in the religious Worship of the best and most approved Men in the earliest Time, and were established as Part of God's Worship in the Church of his own founding among the People of Ifrael. Had this been a mere Piece of Superftition and human Invention in its Original, however we may suppose God to accept graciously the freewill Offering of a weak Mind, yet it is not

to

to be supposed that he would adopt the Superftition, and make it a necessary Part of a Religion of his own Establishment. To avoid this abfurd Confequence, it must be maintained, that the Ufe of Sacrifice was introduced by divine Precept for the Atonement of Sins. If Sacrifices were introduced by the Command of God, they had fuch Virtue as he thought fit to annex to the Performance, in confequence of the Promise which attended them; but if they came in any other Way, it is impoffible to conceive that there was any Virtue in them. fince we are taught that the Sacrifice offered up by Chrift is the only true expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of the World, it is manifeft that all other Sacrifices accepted by God owed their Efficacy to the Relation they bore to this one Sacrifice, through the Appointment of him, who gave them for Signs and Figures of better Things to come.

And

This Reasoning upon the Principles of Revelation taught us in the Gofpel, may shew us, that the Efficacy of Chrift's Sacrifice is not confined to any particular Age or Time; that Sacrifices in the antient Church of God were Figures and Representations of this one great Sacrifice, as the Eucharist in the Chriftian

2

Christian Church is the Memorial of it; and that the moft material and fignificative Part of Worship among the People of God has ever been, the fhewing forth the Lord's Death, in Types and Figures before the Coming of Chrift, and in the Communion of his Body ever fince.

This Sacrifice conveys to us the Charter of God's Pardon, and, together with it, the certain Hope of Glory and Immortality. We are now no longer our own, that we should obey the Lufts of the Flesh; but we are his, who hath purchased us with the ineftimable Price of his own Blood; purchafed us, not to be Slaves, but to be his Brethren, and Heirs with him of the Kingdom of God.

These are great Hopes, and are built upon our Faith in the Promises of God through Christ Jefus. How reasonable this Foundation is, a little Confideration will fhew. All Religion ultimately resolves itself into Trust and Faith in God. Men are not apt to refer those Conclufions to the Head of Faith, which they collect from their own natural Reason; and yet, oftentimes, thefe Conclufions have no other Support. In common Affairs of Life, where we have long known

Men

Men to act upon Principles of Honour and Virtue, we think ourselves as fecure in our Dealings with them, as if we pursued them in every Step with Bonds and Obligations. This is, without Doubt, Truft and Confidence; and yet it is a natural Conclufion of our Reasoning upon the Characters and Qualities of Men about us. This is the very

Argument upon which

Natural Religion forms all its Conclufions: It reafons from the Character and Attributes of God, and rests itself in this Conclufion, That so just and reasonable a Being will deal justly and reasonably with the Children of Men; and what is this but Faith and Truft in God? To any higher Point of Certainty Natural Religion cannot arrive: For though we may certainly conclude, from the Wisdom, Goodnefs, and Justice of God, that he will, in all his Dealings, act wifely, mercifully, and juftly; yet we cannot draw this general Conclufion into Particulars, and fay precisely what is the very Thing which God will do in any Cafe, or by what particular Method he will bring it about. To determine this we must be as wife as God; for no Being not infinitely wife can, with Certainty, fay what is the best Thing for infinite Wisdom

to do: For, though we learn from Natural Religion to depend on God for future Happiness, if we do well; yet Nature presents us with great Difficulties: We die, and moulder to Duft, and, in that State, what we are, or where we are, Nature cannot fay: Whether we are Beings capable of Enjoyment out of the Body; whether we are to have the fame, or other, or any Bodies; what kind of Happinefs is prepared for us; what Capacities and Powers we fhall be endowed with, and the like, are Inquiries in which we can have no Light from mere Reafon. What does Natural Religion do then under thefe Difficulties? Why, it supports itself upon this one rational Conclufion, That God has Power and Wisdom to conduct this great Affair in the best Method; and to him it may be fecurely left. And is not this a Religion of Faith, which trufts God for all its deareft Concerns?

This Faith of Natural Religion is the Bafis and Foundation of Gospel Faith: For, as Reason teaches us to depend upon the Attributes of God's Wifdom, Juftice, and Goodness, it teaches us alfo to depend on his Veracity: And therefore, upon God's declaring the Method in which he will fave

the