476 The Prejudices againft Jefus, &c. --Vol. I. Judgments even, and to fuffer nothing but Truth and Reafon to weigh with them. We generally pretend to be Pilgrims and Strangers in the World, and to be all travelling towards Heaven : but few of us have the Indifferency of Travel- lers; who are not concern'd to find out the faireft and the eafieff Way, but to knowwhich is the right Way, and to go in it. Thus it Ihould be with us, our End Ihould always be in our Eye, andwe fhould chufe our way only with Ref - pe& to that ; not confidering our Inclination fo much as our Defign; nor chufing thofe Principles for the Government of our Lives, which are molt agreeable to our prefent Defires, but thofe which will molt certainly bring us to Happinefs at the fail and that I amCure the Principles of the Chriftian Religion, firmly be- lieved and pra&ifed by us, will do. Let us then be perfuaded by all that hath been faid upon this Argument, to a firm Belief of the Chriftian Do&rine. Í hope you are in fome Meafure fatisfied, that the Obje&ions againft it are not fuch, as ought much to move a wife and confiderate Man. If we believe that God hath taken fo much care of Mankind, as to make any certain Revelation of hisWill to them, and of the way to Eter- nal Happinefs; let us next confider, whether any Religion in the World can come inCompetition with the Chriftian, and with half that Reafon pretended to be fromGod, that Chriftianity is able to produce for it felf, whether we confider the Things to bebelieved or the Duties to be pra&ifed, or the Motives and Argu- ments to the Pra&ice of thofe Duties, or the Divine Confirmation that is given to the whole. And if we be thus perfuaded concerning it, let us refolve to live up to the Laws and Rules of this Holy Religion. Our belief of it fignifies no- thing without the Fruits and Effefts of a GoodLife. And if this were once re- folved upon, the Difficulty of believing would ceafe; for the true Reafon why Men are unwilling to believe the Truths of the Gofpel, is becaufe they are loth to put them in Pra&ice. Every one that loth Evil, hateth the Light. The true Ground of molt Mens Prejudice againft the Chriftian Do&rive, is becaufe they have no mind toobey it; and when all is done, the great obje&ion that lies at the bottom of Mens Minds againft it, is, that it is an Enemy to their Lulls, and they cannotprofefs to believe it without condemning themfelves, for not com- plying with it in their Lives and Pra&ice. SER-
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