eft Impediments. To this it was owing that Children and Babes (as our Saviour beautifully calls them) enjoyed a clear Revelation of those Truths, which were hid from the Eyes of the Rulers themselves. That Hiding might be partly judicial, as a juft Reward of Hypocrify and Villany. But doubtless it was chiefly occafioned by a wilful Perversion of their own Faculties -In fhort, if Miracles are fufficient for the Conviction of a reasonable Man; but not fufficient for the Satisfaction of an unreasonable one: then it must be allowed that our Saviour's Ministry afforded Room for the Exercife of thofe Virtues, on which I found the Excellence of Faith.

ONE Thing more I think it needful to obferve, before I quit this Part of my Subject.It may poffibly be thought that the Virtue of Faith, as I have here explained and defended it, belongs only to Philofophers and Scholars. But this, I prefume, is far from the Truth. The Quantity of Knowlege actually gained cannot indeed be confiderable in the Bulk of Mankind. But the good Difpofitions of Mind, from whence it's Moral Worth is deduced, are of as great Extent as any other : nay, they are frequently the most confpicuous in the illiterate Part of Mankind. Humility and Learning have long been confidered as Rivals. And if we would fearch for Inftances of the highest and most unreasonable Partiality,

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lity, we fhall but too often find it intimately joined with the largest and most comprehenfive Erudition. It is further to be confidered, that Men of Learning may be influenced by wrong Motives. Perhaps they only want the Fame of Learning: perhaps they have fome Selfish View to ferve: perhaps they fear to discover the Truth; left the Discovery should incapacitate them for what they efteem more valuable than Truth. Such Men, however difqualified for the Acquifition of true Wif dom; yet are not difqualified for that which wears her Mafque, and by common Eyes is mistaken for her. For the Attainment of what is vulgarly called Learning, little more than Diligence can be reputed neceffary. And when it is attained, it is often inftrumental in producing the very contrary Qualities, to those which I confider as the Sources of Knowlege. The very Pains it cofts us, is enough to give us an immoderate Value for it; and the Singularity of the Accomplishment raises that Value fill higher. Till in a little Time we begin to think our felves incapable of all further Information: and what we think, we are. Is it better then to avoid fo dangerous a Qualification, and to fit down contented without it? By no means. I am not endeavouring to depretiate Learning. It is of great and excellent Ufe to a Mind willing to make a right Ule of it. But the best Things in the World

World are liable to Abufe; and, when this happens, they become the worst.-If the Progrefs we make in Human Learning does not engage us to relinquish those better Qualities, which have been already enumerated; nor take us off from the Pursuit of more important Truths: if, on the contrary, all other Studies are purfued in conftant Subordination to that which is the chief of all, the Study of our Maker and our felves-the Improvement of our Faith cannot but keep Pace with the Improvement of our Understandings; nor will it fail of producing it's genuine Effect, in making us wifer and better Men.

THE Sum of what has been faid amounts to this. That, by a very natural Figure of Speech, the Excellence of the Caufe is often transferred to the Effect: That no fufficient Reafon appears, why the fame Way of speaking may not be used on the Subject before us: That Religious Knowlege in general proceeds from the noblest Caufes, whether we confider the Motive on which it is purfued, or the Means by which it is obtained: That the Faith of a Chriflian involves thefe Excellencies in a ftill greater Degree: That a right Belief of particular Doctrines prefuppofes, even in our own Times, a confiderable Share of Virtue and Difcretion: That in the earlier Ages a general Belief in Chrift deferved all the Praifes which are beftowed upon it in the New Teftament:

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Testament: And lastly, that the particular Inftances, which occur there, contain nothing inconfiftent with the Account here given; but, on the contrary, confirm and fupport it.

IT was farther affirmed that Chriftian Faith was not only the Effect, but the Ground of Virtue; and on this Account alío morally excellent. But the Profecution of this Part of my Subject will fall in under the next Head.-Before I enter upon that, it it may be proper to take Notice, that the Senfe in which I have hitherto understood Faith, and in which I have attempted to vindicate it's Excellence, is not the only Sense which occurs in Scripture. There are three others in which the Signification of the Word is a little more restrained and particular.* For,

ift, BECAUSE a Belief of God's Veracity lies at the Foundation of all Faith whatever; therefore we fometimes find Faith ufed for the Belief of this fingle Article; and especially of God's Faithfulness in performing Promifes.

2dly, BECAUSE a fpeculative or habitual Faith will not anfwer the Ends of Faith; it has therefore been brought to fignify an actual Knowlege, frequently prefent to the Mind, of the most important Doctrines in Religion.

3dly, BECAUSE the Doctrine of a Future State

All these Senfes of the Word fuppofe or imply the Affent of the Understanding. I have taken no Notice of any other Senfes, becaufe they are ufually attended with no Difficulty.

State is more important than any other; Faith therefore fignifies, yet more particularly, a practical Belief of this very Doctrine. So that to have Faith, according to this Interpretation, is frequently to recollect, carefully to confider, and earnestly to regard the Joys that are fet before us in another Life.

BESIDES these Inftances, in which Faith is confidered fubjectively, it is alfo in fome Places taken objectively; and denotes the Truths themselves, either in whole or in part, which are revealed under the Gofpel Difpenfation.

IN which of these Senses the Word is to be understood, in any particular Paffage, can only be determined from the Context.-But the ift Kind of Faith here mentioned is plainly included in that Religious Knowlege, which has been fo particularly confidered: The 2d and 3d have a peculiar Merit of their own: and the last is entirely foreign to our Purpose.-I conclude therefore, upon the whole, that the MORAL EXCELLENCE of Faith, as reprefented to us in Scripture, is feen and confeffed by Right Reajon. I ought not to dif femble that fome of the best Judges have chofen to explain this Matter in a Way fomewhat different from mine. Inftead of deriving the Excellence of Faith from the good Difpofitions of Mind, by which it is produced, they have maintained that the Word, which we render Faith, may properly fignify thofe