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XV.

fon, and be commenfurate with the Hopes, SERM. Fears and Defires of every Faculty of Man. Accordingly, they always pretended to fome Revelation, and whether their Pretenfions were juft or not, there was always a Foundation for them, as well from the Imperfection of human Reafon, as from the Care and Superintendance which the Creator might be fuppos'd to have over his Creatures, and from the Benevolence of his Nature, which the Excellency of their Nature might. give them Hopes to confide in, whatever they might fear from his Juftice. 'Tis no Wonder that this fhould be the Cafe, because it is by no means an uncommon Thing among Christians to meet with Perfons, who are for refolving all the Attributes of God into that of Goodness: And not only Sinners do this, who have nothing to hope from his Juftice, but even good Men themselves, who have thought, tho' not aright, that the Goodness of God had the Predominancy over the other Attributes. Indeed from his Dealings with Men, 'tis natural enough to think fo, but then there is no arguing from what happens in a small Part of Time in this Life, to what will be in Eternity, where it will be feen, that God is infinite every Way, and that Juftice will be done

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SER M. to every Man, and every Action of Man, XV. however they may efcape it here in this Life, through the Chance that belongs to Time. But to proceed, There was always I fay, a Foundation for a Revelation from God, to fupply the Defect of human Reafon, and People always pretended to one, and accordingly have ever appointed an Order of Men to officiate in this divine Intercourfe between God and Man, and to fet afide their Time and Study to explain it to others. Now, 'tis monftrous to fuppose, that the private Judgment of any one Man could be of fo much Signification, where this Revelation has been pretended, whether that of the Jews, or this of the Chriftians, either to himself or to others, as the united Judgment of a Body of Men, whofe whole Bufinefs it was (befides their being Men of equal Parts, for this must be fuppos'd, where we talk of Bodies of Men, and alfo the fuperior Affiftance they are justly, especially in the Chriftian Religion, fuppos'd to have,) to look into thefe Matters, and ftand in a better Situation for it than any others can poffibly do. If private Judgment is not fufficient to carry a Man any great Lengths in civil Affairs; if it will not help him to attain any Art or Science without

without the Affiftance of thofe that have SERM. made fuch a particular Art, their Study (and XV. he can only know his Proportion as he ftands to it) much lefs can it do any great Matter in Religion; for we ftand in no better a Situation in this Cafe, than in the other, nor in fo good a one, because those who are appointed for Guides in these Affairs, befides, that this is their Belief and Employment, are fuppos'd by the Chriftian Scheme to have a double Portion of the Spirit to affist them. And indeed, whoever confiders the Importance of the Chriftian Religion, together with the Difficulties that muft of course attend the Study of it, partly from the Language in which it was written, which has for many Years become a dead one, and partly from the Nature of the Writings themselves from particular Customs and Circumstances of thofe Times, fo that a competent Skill in thofe Things is requifite, in order to the better understanding them, and explaining them to others, will fee the great Reafon and Neceffity that a Set of Men fhould be employ'd about these Things, and the Neceffity likewife of their being affifted by the Spirit of God. 'Tis true, the Precepts of Christianity are plain and easy, and for the most Part level to the meaneft CapaciRr 2 ties,

SERM. ties, but then a good deal is not fo, a XV. that which is, would have been a dead Let

ter ftill, had they not been tranflated from the original Language for the use of ordinary People. And befides, were they, as to the whole, ever so plain and eafy, yet the wifeft are so subject to the Infirmities of human Nature that they want frequently to be reminded of them, or else they would have but little effect, which alfo fhews the Neceffity there is for an Order of Men to be fet apart for that Purpofe, which I come now, 2dly to, confider.

It can be but of very little Signification, that there is this Provifion made for Mankind, if they will not, like the Perfon in the Text, fhew a teachable Difpofition. What Ufe can a Guide be of to one, who thinks he wants none, who is in his own Opinion allfufficient? To fay now-a-days, how can 1 understand except fome Man teach me? would pass among fome for nothing but Banter and Grimace: The Language now is, I will learn of none, I have a Right to act and think for myfelf; and no one has any Bufinefs to deprive me of it by any Authority whatsoever, and to fet himself up for Inftructor: But however this may premy vail among fome few conceited Men, and

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XV.

whatever ill Opinions they may entertain of SE R M、 others, and good ones of themselves, yet it certainly argues a very degenerate State of Mind and Depravity, as refufing to suffer the Motives of Reafon and Truth to have their due Influence upon us. For if it be a Truth that a Man may put Truft in his own Understanding, is it not equally fo to put fome degree of Truft and Confidence in another's? And if it be, how can he be in a right State, when every Truth has not its : due Influence upon him. Indeed if a Man was confcious, that he was infinitely wife, and was really fo, then it would be a Truth to give an abfolute Credit to his own Underftanding, because where no Knowledge is, by the Suppofition, wanting, there no Degree of Truft fhould be with-held from it; i. e. if . he were a God, he would have no Occafion to give any Understanding Credit but his own, for the Truft we put in others, is only to fupply the Deficiency we find in our felves But as he is but mortal Man with : a limited Understanding like his fellow Crea tures, fo much Room there will be for a proper draw-back to this Truft, and an equal Occafion for placing a proper Degree of it in others; for God has given abroad Truth to Mankind (and not confin'd it to

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