4. THAT man is in a depraved state, at enmity with the Deity, is known without revelation; and must have been known so soon as that state of enmity began.

In this depraved ftate, man, attentive to his own circumstances, must have been in a condition infinitely wretched, the object of the juft indignation of the Almighty here and hereafter; helplefs, and hopeless, because no defence against offended justice; and must have continued incapable of hope, or comfort, or of attempting any means of placating, or of obtaining the protection of the Deity; unless the mercy of God, and his acceptance of the atonement provided, had been revealed to him, with evidence of the authority of that revelation, fo convincing as to gain abfolute belief. This, and nothing less, could render life tolerable.

I. We know certainly that all men are, and from the earlieft ages have been, in a ftate of enmity and corruption.

2. THAT men now have, and from the earliest times have had, comfort, from a persuasion of mercy and forgiveness from God,

con

contrary to reason, and the strongest evidence which from thence can refult.

3. THAT the whole world, from the earliest times, used nearly the fame rites, ceremonies, and inftitutions religious, for placating the Deity, averting wrath, procuring favour, returning thanks, by Sacrifices, Burnt-offerings, Blood; means that, in nature, have no fort of connexion with the end propofed, and therefore could not poffibly have had their origin from reason, or natural light.

AND, as this belief, and these religious obfervances, prevailed over all mankind, without any fupport from, but rather contrary to reason, it is a juft conclufion, that the authority for such a belief, and fuch observances, must have been exceeding high and strong; and man cannot think of any fufficient authority to have produced that universal faith, fhort of divine revelation.

THE doctrine of remiffion of fins, and expiation by blood, is, till the fecret is explained by revelation, fo deftitute of any foundation in reason, and apparently fo contrary to it, that no Reasoner could ever have thought of it; and, if he had, no one could have given credit to it, without fome convincing proof for the authority of that doctrine, C 2 which,

which, as has been faid, could not poffibly have been from reafon. The universal reception then of that doctrine is a demonftration, in its own kind, that it had a divine authority.

IF the Deity had determined to pardon man, by and through an Interceffor, and upon fatisfaction, that would not have answered the end; unless man were acquainted with, and believed it, he would remain in the fame gloomy state of defpair, without the feaft glimpse of hopes, or encouragement to pray, to praise, to love, or to rejoice in the mercy and falvation of God; which would have left him a prey to his terrors and his lufts, and muft have determined him to have fhut out all thoughts of the Deity. For nothing could poffibly determine man to hope, to pray, to praise, to serve, to rejoice in the protection of the Deity, but a firm conviction and belief that God was placated, would forgive, and protect, and was pleased with fervices.

IF then it was the intention of God to pardon man, to reftore him to a capacity of ferving him, to reclaim him from his finful ftate, to encourage him to love, fear, and ferve his Creator; it was abfolutely necessary, towards

that.

that defign, to acquaint man with his intentions, to give fuch proof of those intentions, as fhould convince, and thoroughly perfuade those to whom the revelation was made, and to preserve such evidence of that revelation to mankind, as should be fufficient to support their faith and hope.

THE lowest degree of faith that can poffibly 'be fufficient to quiet the foul of man, and to restore him to a capacity of ferving comfortably his God, and trusting to his favour and protection, is a firm conviction that God is placable, and will pardon upon repentance, and protect.

WHATEVER degree of evidence or revelation fixed this in man's mind, reftored him quiet, and a poffibility of endeavouring to gain the favour of God; and, fuppofing the belief abfolute, muft determine the man, fo believing, to feek and ferve God, to the best of his abilities and understanding.

THEY to whom the merciful intentions of God have been the moft fully revealed, and to whom the evidence of that revelation has the most distinctly appeared, are in a much happier condition, and have many more incentives and helps to piety and devotion, than those who have juft light enough to know C 3

that

that God is merciful, and to believe that he will pardon, upon repentance, and a hearty conversion of the defire of the foul towards him. But, if the belief of the latter is total and absolute, it may change his heart, and his course of life, and bring him within the favour and protection of his God. Hence faith, fo much prized in the Old and New Teftament; not that faith, as fuch, is of value; but because, where it truly is, it must produce a change of foul, and obedience. No man, who verily believes any fruit to be poifon, will taste it; and let any man, who knowingly fins, fay what he will, he has not faith, when he fo acts.

As this belief is abfolutely neceffary to all mankind, and muft have been intended to reach them all, the evidence for inducing it must be of that nature as to accommodate itfelf to all fpecies of men. There must be that fort of evidence that leads the vulgar, the unthinking, the illiterate; and there muft be alfo fuch proof as fhall determine the ingenious, the inquifitive, the learned.

By much the greateft part of mankind have no other evidence for this belief, than general received opinion; what has been held by their fathers, and all their acquaintance,

paffes,