efteemed the sheep his people to be guiltless; that fhews he knew his own fins, but not his people's; who, for their fins too, being guilty before God, were punifhed on that occafion, as David was himself, in the loss of so many subjects.

As to the use of reafon, in refpect to the particular doctrines of the holy fcriptures, it is to be confidered, that although we are not to affent to that, which, being the proper object of our reason, is a plain contradiction to it, and so against that rational faculty which God hath endued us with, to guide and direct us; as the doctrine of the Papifts, that a confecrated wafer or bread, (which we fee and feel, and tafte, to continue a wafer or bread,) is nevertheless converted into the real body of Chrift, and fuch-like; yet there may be many things above our reafon, and, which we cannot account for, through a want of the diftin&t knowledge of their nature and real properties; and yet being fatisfied that God hath revealed them, we rationally give our affent to them: So, although it is above our reafon to comprehend the doctrine of the Trinity, and the refurrection, &c. yet being fatisfied God hath revealed fuch doctrines, that he is moft wife and true, and able to do all that he hath declared he will do, it is moft confiftent with our reafon to believe them; and in this cafe reafon is not excluded, but only kept to its proper bufinefs; for here it is the proper business of reason, to find out that God hath revealed fuch truths, and to help us to discover the true fenfe of that revelation; and when that is obtained, reafon hath done its office, and the revelation of God is fufficient to ground our faith upon, however difficult or unaccountable to us the nature of fuch things may be. Thus, our eyes are given us for a guide, but we may never

thelefs go a wrong way, without fome director, whom our eyes may affift us in following.

How many things are there which are the conftant objects of our fenfes, which yet we can give but a mean account of, much lefs perfectly underftand? Such as the motions of the heavens, the wind and feas; the light of the fun; the growth of corn and other plants; to fay nothing of the union of our fouls and bodies, or how the one is affected by the other: All which so far exceed our comprehenfion, that if we did not daily fee and experience them, they would feem as wonderful as the refurrection, or any other mystery in religion. Nor can it be otherwise, fince the reafon and apprehenfion of man is finite and limited, and can proceed only by analogy, or the proportion which one part of the creation bears to another, but cannot reach the divine nature, which is incomprehenfible; and undoubtedly, had fome the knowledge of this world we live in, only from a book, they would conclude, that most of the things that are in it were as incomprehenfible, impoffible, and therefore incredible, as they fancy any thing to be in the Christian doctrine.

If it ftill be objected, that by the inftances laft mentioned, it appears indeed, that we believe many things to have a being, though we cannot comprehend how they have it; yet the reafon of such belief is, because we perceive by our fenfes, (of hearing, feeing, and feeling,) that fuch things are: But it cannot be faid fo of fome Chriftian doctrines; as of the Trinity, the resurrection, the union of the divine and human nature in Chrift, &c. In answer to this, it is also true, that we believe what we cannot comprehend ourselves, or diftinctly explain to others, thought it has no manner of

relation

relation to our fenfes. For example, an eternal duration, which we cannot conceive without fuppofing a fucceffion of time, and that will at laft carry our thoughts to fome first moment, from which thofe that follow are derived; which, as fuppofing a beginning of time, is a contradiction to eternity; and yet, without an eternal duration, or fome being from eternity, how could any thing ever have a being or motion at all, fince nothing could ever produce itself, for then it would act before it is? And how could any thing exift, or have a being, without a caufe? And yet we believe God to be felf-exiftent, or to have a being from himself; fo that there is fomething believed which we cannot conceive, and has no relation to our fenfes.

And if it be replied, that although we cannot comprehend particularly, how there could be an infinite eternal duration or being, or firft mover; yet we believe it because our reafon tells us, it must be fo in general, otherwite, there could be no being at all: Then we may as well believe the truth of any particular revealed mystery of religion contained in the holy fcriptures, tho' it be neither the object of our fenfes, nor can we otherwife comprehend it, if we have good reafon to believe the truth and divine authority of the holy fcriptures in general, which contain fuch a doctrine, and that leads us to examine the proof thereof, and be determined thereby, notwithstanding our reafon fails in the explication of fuch particular doctrine. In the fame manner one may argue from the confiftency of God's fore-knowledge of future events, which is manifeft by the prophecies, with the liberty of buman actions. And therefore, all thofe fhould weigh this matter well, who believe an infinite and incomprehenfible

prehenfible being, and yet reject any other doctrine, which relates to an infinite being, because it is incomprehenfible.

Those who pretend that the different opinions of the profeffors of Chriftianity, and the fchifms and herefies are objections against it, may as well affirm, (fince, through the weaknefs of human understanding and prejudice, difputes arife in all arts,) that becaufe fo many lawyers differ in opinion about the fense of fome laws, therefore there is no law which we can rely on. The difputes about the nature of a thing is no argument against the truth and being of the thing difputed; nay, the very difputes and different opinions being foretold by Chrift and his apoftles, are the greater confirmation of the Christian religion o. The fame may be faid concerning the ill lives of too many Chriftians, whether of the clergy or laity; fince it was foretold the time would come, when fome who had a form of godliness, should deny the power thereof d That being fo, is rather a proof of the truth of the gofpel which foretold it, as it is of the general corruption of human nature, and the prevalency of fome men's lufts and paffions over their reafon. Nor can it argue, either that fuch perfons do not believe what they profefs to teach, any more than that a phyfician believes nothing of medicine, because he does not often practife himself as he prefcribes; or that a man is not ftill a man, though he has the plague upon him.

To thofe who complain of the Chriftian religion's thwarting the natural inclinations of men, which may reasonably be fuppofed to be from God, and pretend that we feem to be born under one law, and

* Luke xii. 51, 52, 53. 1 Tim. vi. 5.

d 2 Tim. iii. 5

and bound to another; it may be answered, Firft, "God hath fuch love for men, that if "we be not wanting to ourselves, and are fin"cere, he will afford his affiftance in propor"tion to our need. Secondly, God did not de"fign to create man in the full poffeffion of "happiness at first, but to train him up to it by "the trial of his obedience; but there would "be no trial of our obedience, without fome "difficulty in our duty, either by reafon of

powerful temptations from without, or of cross "and perverfe inclinations from within. Third"ly, That God hath provided an universal re"medy for the degeneracy and weakness of hu66 man nature. The grace of God hath abound"ed to all men by Jesus Christ, to enable them to "mafter and fubdue all the bad inclinations of

nature: As he commands us to examine, fo "he affords us fufficient aids of his grace by "Jefus Chrift for our recovery, at least, so far as "he will accept of.

"Others object, that the laws of the Chriftian "religion intrench too much upon the pleasures and "liberties of human nature. But, fuch do not "confider, First, That the Christian religion does

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not hinder the reasonable, juft, and proper fatis"faction of any of our natural appetites and paffions, but the undue and irregular manner of gratifying them; and every inordinate appetite or affection is a punishment to itfelf; as intemperance, debauchery, revenge, &c. For, as "fenfual excefs goes beyond the limits of nature, fo it begets bodily pain and diseases: As it "tranfgreffeth the rules of reafon and religion, "it breeds guilt and remorfe in the mind. Secondly, As for the reftraint of our liberty, the

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