Christianity must be conducive to our Salvation.

BUT our Inquiry may be contracted one Degree further; by obferving that all Moral Obligations are relative to the Capacities of the Agent. From whence it follows that Men's Obligations and Knowlege keep Pace with each other; and that the former cannot extend, in any Inftance, beyond the latter. If therefore any Part of Mankind have been unavoidably deficient in the Knowlege of their Duty, a proportionable Deficience in the Practice of it would, in that Cafe, be without Blame. Such Perfons therefore cannot, in thofe Inftances, be fit Objects of Punishment. It is therefore impoffible that their utter Ruin fhould, in any Degree, depend on these involuntary Tranfgreffions. I pretend not to fet them on a Level with thofe who have known more, and deferved better; but I cannot think it credible that their final State of Happiness or Mifery should depend on the Performance of fuch Conditions, which they could not poffibly know to be required of them, and were under no Obligation to fulfil.

THE Queftion before us is now reduced to this-Does our Belief of Chriftianity render it more probable, that we fhall be fincere and confcientious in the Discharge of our Duty? that we shall be careful to obey the Divine Will to the best of our Knowlege, and the

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best of our Power? If it does this, it plainly conduces to our Everlasting Happiness.-Now this, I prefume, will not be denied by him who confiders these two Things. First, That Christianity strengthens the Motives; and Secondly, That it fupplies the Means to fuch an Obedience, as I am here confidering. I shall

be very brief upon both these Particulars, because they have been fully handled by others.

1. THE great Motive to an uniform Course of Virtue, is the Greatnefs and Certainty of it's Future Rewards: and every Degree of fresh Information adds fresh Weight to that Motive. Now whatever adds Weight to the Motives of Religion, increases our Defire of becoming religious; and whatever increases this Defire, increases the Probability of our acting religiously.-Will it then be faid, that the Chriftian Religion has yielded us no Information on this Subject? It cannot be thought; it will not be pretended. For Natural ReaJon, when improved to it's utmost Perfection, can afford us very little Certainty, either as to the Nature, or Duration of the Happiness to be enjoyed after Death. That this Life is the only State of Probation; That the Life to come will be free from Pain and free from Fear; That the Bleflings it contains are immensely great, exceeding every Thing we can conceive or imagine; That all paft Offences will be utterly forgot, and entirely forgiven; That

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we shall enjoy the Society of Beings perfectly virtuous, and be favoured with a more intimate Knowlege of the Deity himself; and laftly, That this happy State will continue for ever, and improve for ever-Thefe are Doctrines purely Scriptural; and yet tending, in the highest Degree, to allure and invite us to the Discharge of our Duty.-We might easily extend thefe Obfervations to the contrary Motive; that, I mean, which arifes from the Fear of Punishment. But, if what has been faid be not fufficient, nothing of this Sort can be fufficient. I fhall therefore conclude, without further Hefitation, that the Man who is animated by the Motives of Chriftianity, is in a fairer Way to obtain Salvation, than he who is left to the Direction of his own Reafon.

2. ALL the Danger of tranfgreffing our Duty arifes either from Inattention to the Dictates of Reason, or from the prevailing Influence of our Appetites and Pafions; and whatever provides a Remedy for thefe Evils, will proportionably diminish that Danger. If therefore the Faith of a Chriftian be the Means of procuring fuch a Remedy, it is alfo a Means of preferving us from Sin.-Now we think we have fufficient Ground from Scripture, to fuppofe that the Influence of the Divine Spirit is either confined to Believers, or communicated to them in a peculiar and fig

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nal Manner. We are further perfuaded that this Spirit frequently fuggefts to our Minds thofe very Motives which we are apt to overlook and at the fame Time abates the Force of the contrary Temptations; by moderating the Violence of our corrupt Affections, and bringing them into Subjection to the Law of Reafon. If we are mistaken in afcribing these Effects to the Spirit; yet, in general, we are very fure that he aids and encourages us in the Performance of cur Duty, and renders it lefs difficult to be performed.-If Faith then, by Divine Appointment, draws along with it thefe Advantages, it may certainly be confidered as a Means of Salvation.

BUT the Belief of Chriftianity not only conduces to the Security of our Future Happinefs, but also to the Increase and Improvement of it.- -Not only Happiness, but the Degree of Happiness depends folely on Moral Qualifications. As might eafily be fhewn, both from the Nature of the Thing, and likewife from the exprefs Declarations of Scripture. Whatever Reasons determine the Deity to make a good Man happy, the fame Reasons will undoubtedly determine him to make a better Man more happy.-Suppofing then, for the prefent, an Infidel and a Believer equally upright and fincere; I afk, which will be the better Man? Certainly He, whofe religious Knowlege is moft extenfive. For in Propor

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tion to the Extent of his Knowlege will be the Number of his Obligations: and therefore, fuppofing him honest, the Number of his Virtues will be in the fame Proportion. If then our religious Knowlege be greatly extended by the Chriftian Revelation, it follows that the Chriftian Revelation is a Means of Moral Improvement.-I do not fay that an Infidel deferves Blame, for not difcharging imperceptible Obligations; which are indeed, ftrictly speaking, no Obligations at all. But I maintain that a right Ufe and Improvement of ten Talents deferves more Praife, and more Favour too, than a proportionable Improvement of only five. And he who fhall affert the contrary, muft maintain that the Virtue of the moft ignorant Soul upon Earth is, or may be, equal to that of an Archangel.

How far the Doctrines of Chriftianity exceed the utmost Efforts of Human Reason, I fhall not stay to inquire. It is enough for my Purpose that some of thofe Doctrines lay us under new Obligations; that others ftrengthen the old; and all of them uniformly tend to make the Good more Good. I am the more willing to stop here, both because these Matters have been fufficiently explained by others, and also because I am under no Neceffity of resting the whole Strefs of my Cause on this fingle Point. I have hitherto only compared Chriftianity with fuch an imaginary Improve