Understandings intelligible; the Duties which it requires us to perform to God, to Ourselves, and to our Neighbours, are fuch as, when offered to us, we cannot but in our Minds and Confciences approve: And therefore the Gofpel, as far as it is a Rule of Life, is far from being myfterious, fince both the Sense and the Reason of the Law are open and plain, and fuch as we cannot but see, and, when we fee, confent to.

But, fince this is not the only Notion or Idea of Religion, That it is a Rule of Life; let us confider whether, according to the other Ideas which belong to it, it be equally abfurd to fuppofe it in fome Points mysterious. Let us examine it then under this Notion, as containing the Means by which God is reconciled to Sinners.

And firft, 'tis obvious to observe, that here is not the fame Reafon against Mysteries as in the other Cafe: For, though we cannot practise a Law without understanding it, yet God may be reconciled to us, and we have the Affurance of it, without our being able to comprehend and account for every thing that was done in order to it. A Malefactor may receive a Pardon, and enjoy the Benefit of it, without knowing what it was that induced his Prince to grant it; and would,

without

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without doubt, be thought mad to stand out against the Mercy, merely because he could not dive into the fecret Reasons of it. Could not a Sinner receive the Benefit of God's Mercy without understanding all the Methods of it, it would then be neceffary indeed, that even this Part of Religion should be free from Myfteries, and made plain to every Man's Understanding: But, fince a Sinner may be faved by a Mercy which he cannot comprehend, where is the Abfurdity of offering Sinners Mercy, and requiring them to rely on it, or, in other Words, to believe in it, though it be never so incomprehenfible or myfterious? Were it unreafonable or impoffible to believe Things to be, without knowing how they came to be, Faith could never be reasonable in Religion, or in any thing elfe: But, fince the Knowledge of the Effence of Things, and of the Existence of Things, are two distinct Kinds of Knowledge, and independent of one another; our Ignorance of the Effence of Things, and of the Relation they have to each other, can never be a good Argument against the Belief of their Existence: And yet this Objection contains all the Argument that Unbelievers bring against the Mysteries of Christianity. Why do they, for Instance, refufe

3

refufe to believe Chrift to be the Son of God? only because they cannot comprehend how he can be the eternal Son of God: And, if they will be true to their Principle, and carry the Objection as far as it will go, they must in time come to deny the Existence of every thing in the World, themselves not excepted. Since then to comprehend the Reason and Nature of Things, is neither neceffary to our believing the Reality of them, nor yet to our receiving Benefit and Advantage from them; how comes it to be neceffary, that in Religion there should be nothing that we do not understand? Neceffary it cannot be to our Salvation, for we may be faved by Means we comprehend not; nor yet to our Faith is it neceffary, for we may, and do daily believe the Reality of Things without knowing any thing of the Nature and Reasons of them. And, if Mysteries may fet forward our Salvation, and are not deftructive of our Faith, upon what other Views they can be excluded from Religion, I cannot conceive.

Thus much then may ferve to fhew, that according to this Notion of Religion, That it contains the Means by which God is reconciled to Sinners, no Argument can be drawn to weaken the Authority of any Religion,

because

because some Parts of it are mysterious: But, if you confider it farther, it will appear, that this Part of Religion must neceffarily be mysterious, and the Means of Reconcilement fuch as Reafon and Nature cannot comprehend. This I partly observed to you in a former Part of this Discourse, and shall therefore the more briefly touch it now. The Principles, from which this Confequence I think will follow, are thefe: That Men are Sinners: That God must be reconciled to Sinners in order to their Salvation : That Religion must contain the Words of eternal Life, or the certain Method by which we may obtain eternal Life. The Confequence of thefe Principles is evident, That Religion must contain the Means by which God is reconciled to Sinners; for, fince this Reconcilement is neceffary to eternal Life, Religion cannot have the Words of eternal Life without it. Now then, if there be no fuch Means of Reconcilement, which Reason and Nature can either discover or comprehend, this Part of Religion must neceffarily be mysterious; fince what Reason cannot comprehend, is mysterious. Now, from the natural Notion we have of God and his Attributes, there arifes fuch a Difficulty in this Cafe, as Reason cannot get over :

For

For 'tis certain, according to all the natural Notions of our Mind, That it is just for God to punish Sinners: "Tis likewife certain, That God can do nothing but what is juft: If therefore he forgives Sinners, and receives them to Mercy, and remits their Punishment; 'tis then certain, That 'tis just for God in this Circumstance not to punish Sinners. Now, Reason cannot comprehend how it should, with refpect to the fame individual Sinners, be just to punish, and just not to punish them. If it be not just to punish Sinners, there wants no Reconcilement for Sinners; and, if it be not just not to punish them, no Reconcilement can be had, for 'tis contrary to the Nature of God to do what is not juft. The fame Argument lies from all the Attributes of the Deity, which are at all concerned in the Redemption of Mankind: His Wisdom and Holiness, and even his Mercy, are as indifcernible as his Juftice. Now try how far Reason can go towards discovering the Means of Reconcilement : Lay down first thefe certain and allowed Principles; That it is just for God to punish Sinners, That God can do nothing but what is juft: And try how you can come at the other Conclufion, which must be the Foundation of a Sinner's Reconcilement to

God;