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VI.

FAITH WITHOUT REASONING.

[IF I had but seen a miracle, say some men, I should be converted? They would not talk in this manner, if they knew what conversion really meant. They imagine, there is nothing in it but merely to acknowledge there is a God; and that to worship him, consists only in uttering certain verbal addresses, but little different from those which the heathens made to their idols. True conversion consists in deep abasement of ourselves, before that sovereign, Being whom we have so often provoked, and who every moment might justly destroy us; in acknowledging that we can do nothing without his aid, and that we have merited nothing of him but his displeasure. It consists in knowing that there is such an invincible opposition between God and ourselves, that without a Mediator, there could not be any communion between us.

Think it not strange, that illiterate persons should believe without reasoning. God gives them the love of his righteousness, and an hatred of themselves. He inclines their hearts

and saving faith, unless God inclines his heart: and no man, when God does incline his heart, can refrain from believing. This David well knew when he prayed, Incline my heart, O God, unto thy testimonies. Ps. cxix. 36.

[If some men believe without having examined the proofs of religion, it is because there is produced in them a disposition truly holy; and because what they hear affirmed of our religion is perfectly agreeable to that disposition. They are sensible, that God is their Maker; they are resolved to love none but him, and to hate none but themselves; they feel that they are without strength, that they are incapable of going to God, and that, unless he is pleased to come to them, they cannot have any communion with him; and they hear our religion declare, that we are to love God alone, and hate only ourselves; and that, whereas we are altogether corrupt, and incapable of coming to God, God became man, that he might unite himself to us. There needs no more than this to convince men who possess such a disposition of heart, and such knowledge of their duty and of their own incapacity to perform it.]

[Those whom we see become Christians, without the knowledge of prophecies, or other such evidences, form as sound a judgment of their religion, as those who have that knowledge. They judge of it by the heart, as others judge

by the understanding.

God himself inclines

them to believe, and by this means they are most effectually persuaded.

I confess, that a Christian who believes without argumentative proof, is not always qualified to convince an infidel, who has a great deal to say for himself. But those who are acquainted with the proofs of religion, can easily demonstrate, that such a believer does truly receive his faith from the inspiration of God, though he may not be able to prove it himself.

VII.

THAT THERE IS MORE ADVANTAGE IN BELIEVING, THAN IN DISBELIEVING THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

UNITY, added to infinity, does not increase

it, any more than a foot-measure increases an infinite space. What is finite, vanishes before that which is infinite, and becomes nothing. Thus does our understanding before God; and our righteousness before his righteousness.

There is not so great a disproportion between unity and infinity, as there is between man's

We know that there is an infinite; but we are ignorant of its nature. For instance, we know that numbers cannot be finite: there must, therefore, be an infinity in number. But we know not what it is. It can neither be equal nor unequal, because adding unity to it, cannot change its nature in the least. So we may certainly know there is a God, without comprehending what he is; and you ought by no means to conclude there is no God, because you cannot perfectly comprehend his nature.

[To convince you of his existence, I shall not avail myself of faith, by which we most certainly know it; nor of some other proofs of which we are in possession, because you will not receive them. I shall argue with you only upon your own principles; and I take upon me to show, from the manner in which you reason every day concerning things of the smallest importance, how you ought to reason respecting this; and which side you ought to take, in the decision of this important question> concerning the existence of God. You say

then, that we are incapable of knowing whether there is a God. Now it is certain, that either there is a God, or there is not; there can be no medium. Which part then shall we choose? Reason, you will say, is not able to determine. There is an infinite chaos between us. We play,

as it were, for Cross or Pile, at an infinite distance. For which will you wager? By reason you can assure yourself neither of one nor the other. By reason you can disprove neither one nor the other.

Do not then accuse those of duplicity, who have already made their choice. For you cannot know that they are wrong, and have made a bad one. No, you will say, but I blame them not for making this choice, but for making any he that takes Cross, and he that takes Pile, are both in the wrong; the right had been not to wager at all.

[Nay, but there is a necessity to wager; the thing is placed beyond your will; you are actually embarked in it, and by not laying that God is, you in effect lay that he is not. Which side then will you take? Let us balance the gain and the loss of taking the affirmative. If you gain, you gain every thing; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, therefore, that he IS, without delay.-Well I must lay-but perhaps I shall stake too much? Let us see-Supposing the chance to be equal, and that you had two lives to gain, and but one to lose, you might safely lay then. And in case there were ten to win, you would certainly be imprudent not to hazard one life for ten, at a game where the chances were even. But here is an infinite number of lives of infinite happiness, to be won