Sean. CLXX. Reapnablenefr of Divine Faith. 463 and eafie Directions for the attaining of Eternal Happinefs, and efcaping Eternal Mifery 5 they would converfe'Much with it, make it their Companion and their Counfellor, meditate in it Day and Night, read it with all diligence, and put in pra&ice the Dire5hons of it. So that whatever Men pretend, it is plain, that thofe who negle&God and Re- ligion, and contradi& the Precepts of hisWord by their Lives, they do not firmly believe there is a God, nor that this Book is the Word of God. If this Faithand Perfwafion were firmly rooted in Men, they could nor live Wickedly. For a Man that defires Happinefs, can no more negle& thofe Means which he is convin- ced are neceffary for the obtaining of ir, thañ a Man that defires Life can negleL`t the Means which he knows to be neceffary for the Prefervationof ir. Secondly, If Faith have fo great an influence.upon Religion, then the next ufe !hall be to perfwade Men to .believe. No Man can be Religious that doth not believe thofe two things. Frrß, The Principles of Natural Religion ; that there is a God 5 that his Soul is Immortal ; and that there are future Rewards: Secondly, That the Scriptures are the Word of God 5 or, which comes all to one, that the Doctrine contained in them is a Divine Revelation. Therefore whoever wouldperfwade Men to be Religious, he mutt begin here 5 and whoever would improve Men in Religion and Holinefs, he mutt labour to ftrengrhen this Principle of Faith. Faith is the Róòt of all other Graces ; and they will Aourifh, or decay, according to the degrees of our Faith. Now he that would perfwade aMan, or prevail with him to do any thing, muft do it one of thefe three ways either by Entreaty, or Authority, or Argument ; either he muft entreat him 'as a Friend, or command him as Subje& to him and under his Power, or convince him as a Man. Now he that fhould go about to entreat Men to believe any thing, or to charge them fo to do, before he hath convinc'd them by fuficient Arguments, that it is reafonable to do fo, would, in my Opinion, take a prepo= !terms courfe. He that entreats or chargeth a Man to do any thing, fuppofeth that he can do the thing if he will : but a Man cannot believe what he will 5 the Nature of a Humane Underftanding is fuch, that it cannot affent without Evi- dence, nor believe any thing to be true, unlefs it fee reafon foto do, any more than a Man can fee a thing without Light. So that if the deareft Friend that I have in the World should beg of me with the greateft importunity 5 or any Man that bath the greateft Authority over me, fhould lay his feverelt Commands upon me to believe a thing, for which I fee no reafon, I could not do it ; becaufe no= thing can command Affent, but Evidence. So that he that would perfwade Men to believe either the Principles of Natural Religion, or any Divine Revelation, muft convince them of the truth of them': for it is unreafonable to defire a Man to believe any thing, unlefs I give him good reafon why he should. And this being the proper courte which is to be taken, there are two forts of Perfons to whom I !hall apply my felf in this Exhortation : thofe who do not be lieve thefe 'things ; and thofe who are perfwaded of them : to the former, in order to the begetting of Faith in them 5 to the latter, in order to the Arengthning and confirming of their Faith. Thofe who do not believe, are of two forts : either fuch as do pofitively believe thefe things, and make it their bufinefs to arm themfelves againft themwith all the Arguments they can ; who are fo far from believing a God, or any Divine Revelation, that they endeavour toperfwade themfelves of the contrary, that there is no fuch thing 5 or elfe they are fuch as are indifferent about thefe matters. They have received the Principles of Religion by their Education, and they have nothing to fay againft them, nor for them ; they never confider'd them, nor the proper confequences of them 5 they neither believe nor disbelieve them upon any reafonable Account. Now all thefe are to be dealt withal in the fameway : for whatever will convince the Disbeliever, will much more perfwade the indifferent, and confirm the weak. For Faith is to be ftrengthned by the fame Arguments by which: it is wrought. Therefore I hall apply my felf my felt to convince Unbelievers ; and every one may Mammtmw'
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