wisdom and prudence have been shewn, and will perhaps hereafter more clearly appear to be the fruit of virtue, and therefore become the neceffary duty of every one, and are attainable by all, as far as they are requifite to happiness.

But if we bestow one confideration farther on its tendency to promote our welfare, not to be omitted, we shall ftill fee more just reason to refpect it. By banishing ill-founded fufpicion from the human breaft, it fo far removes mifery; and, thus restoring ferenity, it discovers to view a chearful and bright scene of things, exhibiting it, however lefs pure than it originally was, still worthy on the whole of its Divine Author, who ever governs by his providence the work which he once pronounced to be good. It thus becomes the parent of Hope, the great and peculiar bleffing of man, which relieves his present evils, and heightens his present good by the expectation of "things unfeen." It is, moreover, to raise yet higher and, as it were, to fanctify our veneration for it, the parent of Charity, the bond of peace and of all virtue. Being "the substance "of things hoped for," it caufes a general prejudice in favour of men, from whofe abilities and integrity fuch benefits are to be derived, And, as thefe ideal fubftances become realized to us by the exercife of fuch qualities, it leads our

minds unto Benevolence and Efteem. From fuch principles springs every action, that can evince the grateful fense we acquire of fuch merit and by this process a mutual interchange of good offices established, as it opens to us all the blesfings we need in this world, so it diffuses that spirit and temper of Kindness, which constitute the virtue and effect the happiness of mankind. Nor therefore, laftly, are the benefits of human Faith limited to this world; fince it contributes to qualify us for that state, wherein the benevolence thus begun fhall be continued unto perfectnefs, and the happiness thus derived shall be enlarged beyond our conception, crowned with glory that is unfpeakable, and certain for evermore.

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So then Faith cometh by hearing, and bearing by the word of God.

HAVE, thus far, engaged your attention to the confideration of Faith in refpect to human teftimony alone; having not adverted any more than by bare intimation to the Revelations vouchfafed from Almighty God, or treated of the regard which is due to them. The reafon of this is obvious. For fince thefe, where allowed to have been made, by their nature preclude all poffibility of doubt, the only question. left in this cafe is about the fact, that fuch communications have been imparted. To those who immediately received them, or were bleffed with any miraculous confirmation of them from the Source of all truth, this question did not belong. But the rest of mankind, who can partake of fo high a bleffing only by the means of such perD 2

fons

fons as thefe, are neceffitated to make this inquiry. It is plain therefore, that the main evidence to which our attention and examination are to be directed in all matters of religious Faith, is that of human Testimony; which, as a general subject, has already been treated at fome length in the preceding difcourfes. It now remains, that we fhould eftablish the authority of this most important inftance of fuch teftimony by those proofs of credibility which have been hitherto adduced.

It is plainly fuperfluous to spend any time in expatiating on the feveral Religions that have been profeffed in the world. Natural Religion, or rather Paganism, in which the witness that the Almighty gave of himself and his will was for the greater part left to each man's reason to perceive and argue from, deserves but little notice. The blindness of understanding, and the depravity of life, which in this sad state of imperfection generally overspread mankind, give us no reafon to dwell on the contemplation of it. It was indeed a scene of darkness, and of the shadow of death. Nor is there occafion to be detained on account of the Revelations, by which the Jews, the selected people of God, were honoured. As far as both these fyftems are pure and genuine, Christianity in

cludes