men to mercy; to univerfal charity; and the most extenfive benevolence, than thofe of the chriftian inftitution, or any of its fublime and attractive motives. And therefore let none deceive themfelves, or foolishly fuppofe, that the bare belief of divine revelation, or an inactive fruitless faith, will be any atonement for impenitency, nor discharge them from generofity, or acts of humanity, or exerting their endeavours, to conquer the inordinate defires of the world, and keep off its bewitching folicitations. St. Paul to Titus is particularly ftrong to this purpose, and in words most expreffive, Jays, This is a faithful faying, and thefe things I will that thou affirm conftantly, that they who have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works; for these things are good in their nature, and profitable unto men, i. e. they are of invariable importance, and of fingular utility and prefent advantage to focieties, as well as to every individual. St. Peter exhorts fuch as embrace the faith, and the glad tidings of falvation, and declare themselves members of that community, of which Chrift Jefus is the head, and through whom they derive fpiritual life, to join to their faith intellectual and moral virtues; otherwife christianity is but an empty name, or a barren unprofitable fyftem, and of no fervice to its profeffors. Would we participate of thofe rational and celeftial delights, which the profane are utter ftrangers to, and the fcoffer has no tafte or relish for, we must add to cur faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, to patience godlinefs, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness charity. These are the indelible marks

C 2

of

of true chriftianity, and the clearest description of our intelligent natures, which if we with fervour strive to maintain, through the numberless different circumftances of human life, we shall be interested in the manifold mercies of God, and in his exceeding great and precious promifes. To encourage our perfeverance, and prevent our apoftacy and fatal degeneracy, we are intreated in the most perfuafive and emphatical expreffions, to give all diligence to make our calling and election fure, for if we do these things we shall never fail, but an entrance fhall be miniftred abundantly into the everlafting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ. These evangelical graces, and moral virtues, which are fo many beams of God's image, or reflexions of his goodness, on reafonable creatures; must be duly observed in all our contracts and mutual engagements. But if these facred ties are neglected, we shall smart severely for our remiffness, and never feel thofe fecret fprings of blifs, which defcend from the ineffable fountain of light, and the pure fources of unchangeable love. Whatever the bleffed Jesus has done upon earth, or is now doing in the realms of glory, will never gain us admittance into heaven; unless we tread in his facred fteps, and yield entire fubmiffion to the directions and prefcriptions of uncorrupted reafon.* The whole

fcheme

*Reafon and revelation reflect a mutual light upon one another. Natural and revealed religion, communicate fuch ftrength and firmnefs to each other, as do the feveral parts of an arch, out of which a stone taken at the top, weakens the whole frame as much as one at the bottom. Without natural religion, revealed religion is a building founded upon

the

scheme of man's redemption, is according to godlinefs, and founded on the unchangeable relation of things, and their clofe connexion and infeparable union with each other; and therefore no arguments can be fairly produced, nor confequences justly drawn from, any of its commands, but what tend to mortify vehement defires, to raise our fouls above this inconftant and mutable state, and all its fluttering and fleeting The blood of Chrift cleanseth from all fin, and is an expiation only, for fuch as are washed from its defilements, and purified from all its infectious and noxious qualities. The great high priest of our profeffion, whom God raised from the dead, has fuch a regard for moral virtue, as renders him inexorable to

amufements.

all,

the fand: but by the help of it, it is founded upon a rock, against which we know who has told us, the gates of hell fhall not prevail. Notwithstanding all the affaults of thofe, who have taken great pains, racking their brains for arguments, and ranfacking all antiquity for teftimonies, in order to invalidate and depreciate that, which if we wanted, we fhould, with all their boafted light of nature, be like a ship at fea, out of fight of land, and without chart or compass. Bp. Cum. de legibus naturæ, p. 168, tranflated by Maxwel.

The connexion between natural and revealed religion is fixed and unalterable; the motives of the latter are so strong and powerful, to bind us to the performance of the former, that whoever pretends to raise natural religion above revealed, leffens the obligations that tend to enforce it. So likewise they that depreciate the laws of reason, under pretence of exalting divine revelation, do the greatest injury to it; for they fap the foundation of all religion, introduce enthufiafm, establish fuperftition, and every wild and whimfical imagination. The laws of reafon and revelation, go hand in hand, and mutually fupport and ftrengthen each other; were they but once feparated, it would be impoffible for either to exift or continue long in being. Reason, without

the

all, but fuch as are actuated by his spirit, and determined to follow that difcipline and direction, which is from above, and cometh down from the father of light, with whom there is no variableness, nor fhadow of turning. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation, bath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness, ve fhould live foberly, righteously and godly in this prefent world. The paying that adoration to the deity, and regulating our voracious lufts and appetites, by the invariable rules and directions of this divine compendium, will diffuse joy and gladness into our hearts, and complete and perfect that holinefs, without which we shall never fee the Lord. But if men are felf-willed, and obftinately refuse to observe these injunctions, or the preffing admonitions of confcience, they are fwayed by

per

the help of revelation, would not be able to maintain its ground, or to fupport its unquestionable authority; and revelation, unaffifted by right reason, muft unavoidably lose its weight and efficacy. Truth commits men into the hands. of religion, for their improvement in virtuous principles, and religion commends men to the dictates of truth, as the beft expedient to advance in virtue, and in the practice of morality. Reafon always approves of religion, as moft conducive to its intereft, and the real happiness of reasonable beings. Religion readily concurs with the maxims of reafon, as the fureft method to fupport its credit with free agents, and bring them to hearken to that rule of life, which warms the heart with the love of God, and to delight in doing acts of humanity and works of mercy among men. Reason, fays an eminent writer, is undefervedly and ignorantly traduced, when it is fet up and fhot at as the irreconcileable enemy to religion. It is indeed the very crown and privilege of our nature. A ray of the divinity fent into a mortal body. The ftar that guides men to Chrift. The lanthorn that leads the eye of faith, and is no more an

enemy

pernicious principles, and the ruling powers of fin, and know nothing of internal vital religion, but are totally deftitute of the power and spirit of genuine christianity. Because all the parts of this pure, and religious fyftem, discover the ufefulness of juftice and honefty, of mutual forgivenefs and forbearance, moderation and flexibility, and their falutary influences, to all ranks and orders of men. Every article in the chriftians creed implies light and love, every petition in his prayer, is intended to fupprefs impiety and profaneness; to promote purity and chastity; to beget in our minds the fublimeft thoughts of God, and the higheft reverence for his infinite and incomprehenfible majefty. Every motive in the gofpel, is adapted to the craving defires of our fouls; to facilitate the general good, and the fpiritual benefit of mankind; to ftrengthen and establish them in virtue and the principles of religion; to raise their goveling minds and carnal appetites to the invifible world, to the contemplation of our immortal Saviour, and to our beneficent and adorable Creator. Were our compaffionate Mafter's doctrines and

precepts,

pro

enemy to it, than an obedient handmaid is to a difcreet miftrefs. Those indeed, whofe tenets will not bear the test of it, and wares go off beft in the dark rooms of ignorance and credulity, and whofe faith has as much caufe to dread a difcovery as their works; these I fay may decry reason, and that indeed not without reafon. Nor can I perfuade myself, that God gave us eyes not only that we may pluck them out, and brought us into the world with reason, that being born men, we might afterward grow up and improve into brutes, and become elaborately irrational. No, furely reafon is both the image and gift of God, and every degree of improvement, is a further degree of likenefs to him, who is reason and perfection itself. Dr. South, vol. 4, p. 291.