DISCOURSE I.

PART I.

JOHN vi. 67-69.

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Then faid Jefus unto the twelve, Will ye alfo go away Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou haft the words of eternal life. And we believe and are fure that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the living God.

IN the foregoing part of this chapter we read,

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that the doctrine of our Saviour had given fuch offence to his hearers, that many even of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him upon which occafion our Saviour put this question to the twelve, Will ye also go away? To which St. Peter, in the name of all, made anfwer, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou haft the words of eternal life. And we believe and are fure that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the living God. In this anfwer there are three things expreffed, or implied, as the ground of their conftancy and adherence to Chrift:

I. The firft is, The miferable condition they fhould be in if they did forfake him, having no other in whom they could truft: Lord, to whom Shall we go?

VOL. I.

II. The fecond is, The excellency of his religion, and the certain means it afforded of obtaining that which is the great end of religion, a bleffed life after this: Thou haft the words of eternal life.

III. The third is, The authority and divine commiffion of Chrift, upon which their faith and confidence were built: We believe and are fure that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the living God. To believe, because we have fufficient reafon to determine our belief, is a rational faith; and this is what is meant in the word ἐγνώκαμεν : We believe, because we have, from the things we have heard and seen of you, determined with ourselves, that thou art the Chrift, the Son of the living God.

These three reafons, which St. Peter gives for adherence to Chrift, refer to as many general principles or maxims :

As first, that religion, the only means by which men can arrive at true happiness, by which they can attain to the last perfection and dignity of their nature, does not, in the present circumftances of the world, depend on human reasoning or inventions for, was this the cafe, we need not to go from home for religion, or to seek farther than our own breast for the means of reconciling ourselves to God, and obtaining his favour, and, in confequence of it, life eternal. Upon fuch fuppofition, St. Peter argued very weakly, in faying, To whom Shall we go? For to whom need they go to learn that which they were well able to teach themfelves?

The fecond principle referred to is, that the great end of religion is future happiness; and con

sequently the beft religion is that which will moft furely direct us to eternal life. Upon this ground St. Peter prefers the Gospel of Chrift: Thou haft the words of eternal life.

The third thing is, that the authority and word of God is the only fure foundation of religion, and the only reasonable ground for us to build our hopes on. Thus St. Peter accounts for his confidence in the religion which Christ taught: We know and are fure that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the living God.

In this ftate of the cafe, the neceffity of religion in general is supposed; and the only question is, from what fountain we muft derive it. The dif pute can only lie between natural and revealed religion. If nature be able to direct us, it will be hard to justify the wisdom of God in giving us a revelation, fince the revelation can only ferve the fame purpose, which nature alone could well fupply.

Since the light of the Gospel has fhone throughout the world, nature has been much improving; we see many things clearly, many things which reafon readily embraces, which nevertheless the world before was generally a ftranger to. The Gospel has given us true notions of God and of ourselves, right conceptions of his holiness and purity, and of the nature of divine worship: it has taught us a religion, in the practice of which our prefent ease and comfort, and our hopes of future happiness and glory, confift; it has rooted out idolatry and fuperftition; and, by inftructing us in the nature of God, and discovering to us his unity, his

omniprefence, and infinite knowledge, it has furnished us even with principles of reason, by which we reject and condemn the rites and ceremonies of heathenism and idolatry, and discover wherein the beauty and holiness of divine worship confift: for the nature of divine worship must be deduced from the nature of God; and it is impoffible for men to pay a reasonable service to God, till they have just and reasonable notions of him. But now, it seems, this is all become pure natural religion; and it is to our own reafon and understanding that we are indebted for the notion of God and of divine worship: and whatever elfe in religion is agreeable to our reafon, is reckoned to proceed entirely from it: and, had the unbelievers of this age heard St. Peter's piteous complaint, Lord, to whom shall we go? they would have bid him go to himself, and confult his own reafon, and there he fhould find all that was worth finding in religion.

But let us, if you please, examine this pretence, and fee upon what ground this plea of natural religion can be maintained. If nature can inftruct us fufficiently in religion, we have indeed no reason to go any where else; so far we are agreed: but whether nature can or no, is, in truth, rather a question of fact, than mere fpeculation; for the way to know what nature can do, is to take nature by itfelf, and try its strength alone. There was a time when men had little elfe but nature to go to; and that is the proper time to look into, to see what mere and unaffifted nature can do in religion. Nay, there are ftill nations under the fun, who are, as to religion, in a mere ftate of nature: the glad

tidings of the Gospel have not reached them, nor have they been bleffed, or (to speak in the modern phrafe) prejudiced with divine revelations, which we, lefs worthy of them than they, so much complain of in other matters they are polite and civilized; they are cunning traders, fine artificers, and in many arts and fciences not unfkilful. Here then we may hope to fee natural religion in its full perfection; for there is no want of natural reason, nor any room to complain of prejudices or prepoffeffion but yet, alas! these nations are held in the chains of darkness, and given up to the blindeft fuperftition and idolatry. Men wanted not reason before the coming of Chrift, nor opportunity nor inclination to improve it: arts and fciences had long before obtained their juft perfection; the number of the ftars had been counted, and their motions obferved and adjufted; the philofophy, oratory, and poetry of thofe ages are ftill the delight and entertainment of this. Religion was not the leaft part of their inquiry; they fearched all the receffes of reason and nature; and, had it been in the power of reafon and nature to furnish men with just notions and principles of religion, here we should have found them: but, instead of them, we find nothing but the groffeft fuperftition and idolatry; the creatures of the earth advanced into deities, and men degenerating and making themfelves lower than the beafts of the field. would fail me to tell of the corruptions and extravagances of the politeft nations. Their religion was their reproach, and the service they paid their gods was a difhonour to them and to themselves:

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