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fettle the abfolute Nature of it, nor to SERM. give it a proper Sanction: So that this VIII. Religionof Nature, or Reason, is no one knows what, because it is to be found no one knows where.

Now upon the Foot of Christianity every thing is clear and eafy; here every thing goes on confiftent with Nature. This Scheme confiders Man, as being what he is, in a State of Corruption and Slavery by Sin; for of whom a Man is overcome, of the fame is he brought in Bondage, and provides a Remedy for it by directing every Faculty within us to its proper Object. It deftroys no Advantage to be had from Reason, but carries it on to greater Perfection: It deftroys Reason indeed, when it becomes arrogant, and exalts itself into the Throne of God. In this Senfe it is, that it deftroys the Wif dom of the Wife, and brings to nothing the Understanding of the Prudent: For, as the Apostle further obferves, God bath made foolish the Wisdom of this World. And we fhall fee a lively Inftance of this, if we compare two Sorts of People together;

they

Foolishness.

SERM, they who rely entirely upon Philosophy, VIII. and the Wisdom of Man; and they, who, knowing nothing of this, depend only upon that Wisdom, which the Greeks call'd It is It is very remarkable, that a plain honest Man has a better Notion of things than the other with all his Learning and Philofophy: For fuch a one acts more agreable to the Simplicity of Nature, gives his Faculties room to exert themselves in a kindly Manner, and fuffers them to have their proper Influence: Whereas, on the contrary, the Man of Reafon is for ever contradicting Nature; the Senfes, the Paffions are nothing in his Scheme; he-believes nothing unless he fees the Reafon of it; accordingly Philofophy is bound to give it him, which it does: And what is it after all, but one Link of that grand univerfal Chain that is drawn over all Nature, and reaches up to the Infinity of God. How much wifer does he act, who, finding the Impoffibility of difcerning the whole of any one thing in Nature, i. e. the thing with all its Relations, refts fatisfied in the Faith of God, who from an abfolute

Knowledge

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Knowledge of all Nature has furnish'd SERM.

him with fuch Rules, as are the Refult of VIII.

the infinite Relations of Things, which

is of the fame Advantage to him, as if he knew all Nature himself?

Here then lies the Difference between the two Schemes: Philofophy refers all things to the Wisdom of Man, and Faith refers all things to the Divine Wisdom ; that it may not ftand, as the Apoftle fays, in the Power of Man, but in the Wisdom of God. In one Scheme all things are confiftent, a Man acts agreable to his Make, and does not labour under the Abfurdity of contradicting Nature : In the other every thing is revers'd, it is all Confufion and Inconfiftency, it is unhinging the whole Human Frame, and rooting up the Foundations of Reafon, Morality, Religion, and every thing; and is as contrary to true Philofophy, as it is to Religion: For to difcard the Senfes and the Paffions, when there is a Ufe for them in Nature, and to reject Faith, when every thing offers that is proper to create it, is altogether as unphilofophical, if Philofo

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SERM. phy had a fair Hearing, as it would be to VIII. refufe to exert any one Act of our Reason.

Now where after all is the Seat of Liberty? And who is the free Man? Does it confift in a Power of oppofing the Truth, fitting loose to every thing, and in cloging the Wheels of the grand Machine of Human Nature? Or, is a Man therefore free, because he can, or will do fo? No. Liberty is not a fluctuating thing, an Indifference to Truth or Falfhood, but a happy Situation of the Mind to Truth only; and he is more or lefs free, whose Mind is more or less fituated that Way. Philosophy cannot give us that Situation, because it cannot direct us to abfolute Truth; but if we do not prevent it, it will lead us to that that can, which is to Faith, and this is all it can do.

Thus then it appears, that Faith alone can give us Liberty, and that they, who promise it upon any other Foundation, are themselves the Servants of Corruption. And thus does that Faith, which was to the Jews a Stumbling-Block, and to the Greeks Foolishness, and to every Unbe

liever

liever ever fince, Nonsense and Abfurdity, SERM. triumph over all the Wisdom and Philo- VIII. fophy of Man: And among the many great and excellent Advantages that attend it, this one is moft remarkable, which is the redeeming the captivated World from the Bondage of Corruption into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God.

It only remains for us, who are thus call'd to Liberty, to take care not to turn it into Licentioufnefs; and to remember what I have already often obferv'd, that this Liberty does not authorize us to do Right or Wrong, Good or Evil: People may indeed call this Liberty, because they find in themselves a Power to do so, but the true Christian Liberty directs us only to what is Right and Good.

In short, Liberty is the Abfence of Slavery, of every thing that can lay an Incumbrance upon the Mind; and the more we enjoy of it, so much the more shall we be like that Divine Being, who is the Sum of Liberty, as he is the Sum of all things.

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