which is not first the Object of the Understanding, he must have the Knowledge of the Things of this Life, and of Religion, and confider them under the Notion of Good or Evil with refpect to himself.

The

Now the Enjoyment of the Things of this World is the Bufinefs and Employment of the fenfual Man: The good Things of Futurity and another Life are the religious Man's Care and Concern. As the Objects are of different Kinds, fo the Means of obtaining the Knowledge of the Objects are likewife different. Things prefent are reprefented to our Minds by every Sense; the Things of Futurity by no Sense: And in this fingle Point lies the great Advantage which the World has over Religion. World has as many Ways of making itself familiar to us, as we have Senfes: Religion has only the dark Glimpse of Futurity, such as Reason, in its prefent feeble and low Condition, can discover. The only Thing then that is wanting to fet Religion upon as good a Foot as the World, and to make it able to bear up against the Impreffions of Sense, is a certain Principle of Knowledge with refpect to the Objects of Religion: For, could we as evidently poffefs ourselves of the Reality of the Things of another Life,

Cc 4

Life, as we are poffeffed of the Reality of the Things of this, there would be no more Competition between Senfe and Religion, than there is Comparison between the Things of this Life and of Eternity. To supply this Darkness of our Knowledge in Religion is the very End and Defign of Revelation: For, could we as plainly difcern the good Things of Futurity, as we fee and feel the good Things prefent, there would be no more Want of Revelation to make us acquainted with the other World, than there is to make us acquainted with this. Now, as Senfe is evidently to be distinguished into a Principle of Knowledge, and a Principle of Action, fo is Faith likewife. We never esteem a Man to be fenfual or worldly-minded, merely because Sense has furnished him with a comprehenfive Knowledge of fenfible Objects: So neither is a Man to be accounted a religious Man, because of that Faith which flows from Revelation, confidered merely as a Principle of religious Knowledge. This Distinction between Senfe as a Principle of Knowledge, and a Principle of Action, may be feen in any or in every Inftance. An honeft Man knows the Ufe and Value of Riches, as well as a Thief. "Tis not thereObject, but the

fore the Knowledge of the

immoderate Defire of it, that makes the Dif

ference:

ference: And one Man may be justly hanged for ftealing five Pounds, and another be very innocent who had feen and examined the Value of the Mines of Peru. In Religion the Cafe is just the fame; Faith, as long as it continues to be a mere Object of the Mind, is no Principle of Religion; and one is no more a religious Man for knowing the Articles of Religion, than he is a fenfual Man for walking with his Eyes open and seeing the World. An unbelieving Heart is the fame Thing in Faith, that an Antipathy is in Senfe, and supposes us rather to hate than not to know our Duty. Many Men are ruined by the Love of Wine and strong Liquors. Stop but the Paffage to the Heart, and these Objects lofe all their Force and Power, and a Man fees the Wine sparkle with less Concern than he fees the Moon fhine. And this is the Cafe of all those who have a natural Averfion to ftrong Drinks, which is no uncommon Cafe. This Averfion affects Senfe only as 'tis a Principle of Action, and leaves it free as 'tis the Principle of Knowledge: And in like Manner, the unbelieving Heart deftroys that Faith which is the Life and Principle of Religion, though it may not, perhaps, disturb the Objects of Faith which have their Refidence in another Place,

Upon

Upon the whole then; fince Religion is not a mere Science and Speculation, but is to be the Work and Employment of our Lives, and to exert itself in the Love of God and our Neighbour, as our blessed Saviour has taught us; fince the Knowledge of any thing, or the Belief of any thing, confidered merely as Acts of the Mind, are no Principles of Action; but every Action proposes to itself some End, which is the Object of fome Defire; it evidently follows, that Faith cannot be a Principle of Religion, till it becomes the Object of our Defires, that is, till it has its Effects and Operations in the Heart. This Notion of Faith is not only probable, but neceffary, upon the View of our own Nature, and the Origin of all our Actions, which arise in the fame Manner, whatever the Principle of Action be. Even Senfe works in the fame Manner, and, powerful as it is, has no Effect, till it has made its way to the Heart, the Seat of all our Paffions and Affections. There, and there only, it prevails as a Principle of Action. Senfe produces no Senfuality, till it warms the Affections with the Pleasures of the World; and Faith produces no Religion, till it raises the Heart to love and to embrace its Maker.

The great Advantage the World has over Religion lies in the Certainty and Reality of

its Objects, which flow in upon us at every Senfe. To fupply this Defect on the Part of Religion, Revelation was given to affure us of the Certainty and Reality of Things future, without which Affurance they could have no Effect or Influence on our Affections. The Objects of Faith then fupport Religion in the fame Manner as the Objects of Senfe promote and encourage the Love of the World: And, as there could be no fenfual Love of the World, if there were no Objects of Senfe; fo neither could there be any Religion, where there are no Articles of Faith: For as, in general, there can be no Defire, where there is no Knowledge; fo, in particular, there can be no Principle of Faith, where there are no Objects of Faith.

All the Articles of the Gofpel tend to one of these Ends, either to affure us of the Certainty of the Revelation and Redemption by Chrift Jefus, or to fet before us the very Subftance and Image of the Things hoped for. For this last Purpose our Lord rofe vifibly from the Grave, to give us the very Evidence of Senfe for that Part of our Faith, which feemed to be most contradictory to the Experience of Sense. For the firft Purpose, to affure us of the Certainty of the Revelation and Redemption by Christ Jefus, our Lord was declared to

be