Religion. It is certain that mere pofitive Inftitutions are not founded upon any moral Reason of the Actions themselves: 'If they were, they might eafily be drawn from these general Precepts without the Help of a pofitive Command; For the whole moral Reason of Religion is either the Love of God, or the Love of our Neighbour; and to make any Thing elfe to be Religion, strictly fpeaking, that does not partake of this moral Reafon, is Ignorance and Superftition. But then there is a very manifeft Difference between Religion and the Means of Religion: And whatever is Part of our Religion, and yet not fo upon the account of the moral Reason, can only be efteemed as a Means of Religion; not ordained for its own fake, but for the fake of that Religion which founded upon moral Reafon.

This Distinction between Religion and the Means of Religion would be of use, if carefully attended to: It would teach Men where to point their best Endeavour, and where to place their Hopes and Expectations: For, if your Zeal and Fervor be spent only upon the Means of Religion, and goes no farther, ye are ftill in your Sins.

And from hence it is plain, that there can be no Competition between the Duties called [Moral,

Moral, and those called Pofitive: For, if the pofitive Duties are the Means and Inftruments appointed by God for preferving true Religion and Morality, true Religion and Morality can never be at variance with the Means appointed to preserve them. And, as to the Obligation of obferving thefe Duties, 'tis on all fides equal: For, fince we are bound to obey God by all the Ties of moral Duty, and fince the Inftitutions of Religion are of God's Appointment, whatever the Matter of the Inftitution be, the Obligation to obey is certainly a moral Obligation: Which, duly confidered, will fhew, that the Text extends to all Parts of Religion, and that on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

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A a 4 DISCOURSE

枣水

DISCOURSE XIV,

PART I.

HEBREWS iii. 12.

Take heed, Brethren, left there be in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief in departing from the living God.

T

HE Words of the Text contain an earnest Exhortation, as is evident the first View: And upon

the Subject of the Exhortation is

Faith towards God; for Faith is

the Principle destroyed by an evil Heart of Unbelief. But Faith, as fome think, is no proper Subject for Exhortation: For, if Faith is a mere Act of the Mind judging upon Motives of Credibility, 'tis as reasonable to exhort a Man to fee with his Eyes, as to

judge

judge with his Understanding; and the warmeft Admonition will not enlarge the Sight, which will ftill depend upon the Goodness of the Eye, and the Distance and Pofition of the Object. In Faith the Cafe is much the fame; If the Affections are throughly raised, and made eager to embrace the Faith, they may chance indeed to Step in between the Premises and Conclufion, and make Men profess to believe, without knowing or confidering the Reasons of Belief; which is to destroy the Foundation of Faith: Or, if they keep their due Distance, and leave the Cause to be decided by Reason and Understanding, their Influence will be nothing, and they might as well have been left out of the Cafe; fince Faith will follow the Judgment the Mind makes upon the Motives of Credibility.

But then, if this be the true Notion of Faith, That it is merely an Act of the Mind affenting to a Truth upon Motives of Credibility, how comes it that in every Page we find the Praises of it in the Gofpel? What is there in this to deferve the Bleffings promifed to the Faithful? Or, whence is it that the whole of our Salvation is put upon this Foot? Abraham, we are told, was juftified by Faith, and by Faith inherited the Promises:

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