a true Conception of the Nature of Faith, the Thing we feek after. Let us confider then how the Cafe ftands between Sense and Faith, Things prefent and Things to come, between Senfuality and Religion, The Defires which God has planted in our Nature, are the Springs of Action; and we always propose the obtaining fome End, which is the Object of fome Defire, in every thing we do. It is evident then, that, where there is nothing to move and incite our Defires, we must be unconcerned and inactive. All Objects of our Defires are first Objects of the Understanding, according to the known Saying of the Poet, ignoti nulla Cupido. But there are many Objects of the Mind which are never Objects of the Paffions; for the Mind must not only apprehend the Thing, but likewise apprehend it as a real Thing, and as having the Relation of Good or Evil to a Man, before it can have any Effect upon our our Inclinations. From this Account it is plain, that to make a Man perform the Actions either of Religion or of common Life, his Defires, which are the Springs of Action, must be moved : And fince nothing can move the Defires, which is not first the Object of the Underftanding, he must have the Knowledge of

the

the Things of this Life, and of Religion, and confider them under the Notion of Good or Evil with respect to himself.

Now the Enjoyment of the Things of this World is the Business 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 Senfe: And in this fingle Point lies the great Advantage which the World has over Religion. The World has as many Ways of making itself familiar to us, as we have Senses: Religion has only the dark Glimpse of Futurity, fuch 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 Senfe, is a certain Principle of Knowledge with respect to the Objects of Religion : For, could we as evidently poffefs ourselves of the Reality of the Things of another Life, as we are poffeffed of the Reality of the Things of this, there would be no more Competition

Cc 4

Competition between Senfe and Religion, than there is Comparison between the Things of this Life and of Eternity. To fupply this Darkness of our Knowledge in Religion is the very End and Defign of Revelation: For, could we as plainly discern 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 Senfe 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 seen in any or in every Inftance. An honeft Man knows the Ufe and Value of Riches, as well as a Thief. 'Tis not therefore the Knowledge of the Object, but the immoderate Defire of it, that makes the Difference: And one Man may be juftly hanged

for

for stealing 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 Sense, and supposes us rather to hate than not to know our Duty. Many Men are ruined by the Love of Wine and ftrong 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 Sense 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; Since 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 some 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 arife 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