of life. No Man would plow or fow, if Volume he did not believe that there were fuch XII. a thing as the growing of Corn, and

that it is neceffary for the fupport of our lives, and if he were not perfwaded of the probability of reaping fome Fruit and Benefit of his pains and induftry. No Man would traffick to Turkey or the Indies, if he did not believe there were fuch places, and that they afforded fuch Commodities, and that he might have them upon fuch terms as might recompence the Adventure of his charge and pains. And fo in all other actions of Life.

So it is in Divine and Religious things, nothing is done without Faith. No Man will worship God, unless he believe there is a God; unless he be perfwaded there is fuch a Being, which by reafon of its Excellency and Perfection, may challenge our veneration; and unless he believe the goodness of this God, that he will reward thofe that diligently ferve him. For all acts of Religion being reasonable, they_fuppofe at least an Object and an End; that there is a God to be worshipped, and that it is not in vain to serve

him;

him. This Faith is neceffary to natural Religion. And in cafe God do difcover and reveal his will to men, no Man can obey the will of God, unlefs he be perfwaded that God hath fome way or other made known his will; and be perfwaded likewife as to the particular inftance wherein his O. bedience is required, that this is God's Will. For inftance, no Man will obey the Precepts of the Bible as Divine Laws and Commands, unless he be perfwaded that the Doctrine contained in the Holy Scriptures is a Divine Revelation. So likewife no Man can entertain Chrift as the Meffias and Saviour of the World, and yield Obedience to his Laws, unless he believes that he was fent of God, and ordained by him to be a Prince and a Saviour. So that you fee the neceffity of Faith to Religion.

Secondly, I fhall fhew the influence that a Divine Faith hath upon men to make them Religious. A true Divine Faith fuppofeth a Man fatisfied and perfwaded of the Reasonablenefs, and Neceffity of being Religious; that it is reasonable for every Man to be fo, L 3

and

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VI.

and that it is neceffary to his interVolume eft. Now there needs no more to be XII. done to put a Man upon any thing, but to fatisfic him of these two things; that the action you perfwade him to is reasonable; that is, poffible and fit to be done and that it is highly his intereft to do it; that is, if he do it, it will be eminently for his advantage; if he do not do it, it will be eminently to his prejudice, and he is a loft and undone Man. If once poffefs a Man, that is in any degree fober and confiderate, with these perfwafions, you may make him do any thing of which he is thus perfwaded. Now a true Divine Faith fuppofeth a man fatisfied and perfwaded of all this.

on.

you can

1. Of the reasonableness of Religi

He that verily believes there is a God, believes there is a Being that hath all Excellency and Perfection, that is infinitely Good, and Wife, and Juft, and Powerful, that made and preferves all things. Now he that believes fuch a Being as this, cannot but think it reasonable that he fhould be Efteemed, and Honoured, and A

dored

dored by all thofe Creatures that are Sermon fenfible and apprehenfive of thefe Excellencies; that fee.ng he is infi- VI. nitely Good, and the Fountain of all Being, and all the Bleffings we enjoy, we fhould love fo great a Benefactor, and thankfully acknowledge his Goodness to us; not only by conftant praise of him, but by an univerfal Obedience to his Will, and a chearful Submiffion to his Pleasure, For what more reasonable than Gratitude? That feeing he is infinitely Wife and Powerful as well as Good, we should truft in him, and depend upon him in all conditions, and seek to him for what we want. For what more reasonable than to place our confidence in him, who is able and willing to do us good; and to fue to him who knows our wants, and isready to fupply them? And feeing he is truth it felf, and hath been pleafed. to reveal his Will to us; what can be more reasonable than to believe all those Discoveries and Revelations, which God, who cannot lie, hath made to us, and to comply with the intention of them? And feeing he is the

LA

the Original Pattern of all Excellency Volume and Perfection; what can be more XII. reasonable than to imitate the Per

fections of the Divine Nature, and to endeavour to be as like God, as we can? And these are the fumm of all Religion. So that whoever firmly believes a God, and that he hath revealed and made known his will to the World, cannot but be fully fatisfied and perfwaded of the reasonableness and equity of Religion, and all those duties which Religion requires of us; and confequently of the poffibility of performing all thofe Duties which Religion requires of us, by the Affiftance of the Grace and Strength which God is ready to afford us, if we beg it of him. For no Man that believes the Goodness of God, (which every Man does that believes a God,) can think that he will make it our duty to dọ any thing which he hath left us in an utter impoffibility of doing.

2. A true Divine Faith fuppofeth a Man fatisfied and perfwaded of the neceffity of Religion; that is, that it is neceffary to every Man's interest

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