St. JOHN xx. 29. Bleffed are they that have not feen, and yet have believed.

T

HESE are our Saviour's Words to St. Thomas after his Refurre Єtion. The Occafion of them was this: The other Difciples had assured Thomas, that our Saviour was risen from the Dead, and that he had in Perfon appeared to them. Thomas would not be lieve this upon their Report, but required VOL. II. farther

F

farther Evidence. Except (faith he) I fball fee in his Hands the Print of the Nails, and thruft my Hand into his Side, I will not believe. The next time that our Saviour appeared to them, Thomas was in the Company, and then he was pleased to give him fuch a Proof of his Refurrection as he himself had ftood upon; for he calls upon him, and bids him reach forth his Finger, and behold his Hands where the Print of the Nails was, and reach forth his Hand, and thrust it into his Side, and after this, not to be faithlefs, but believing. Hereupon Thomas owns himself fully convinced, and in Token thereof, he answered and faid unto him, My Lord, and my God. Then come in the Words of the Text: Jefus faith unto him, Thomas, Because thou hast feen me, thou haft believed: Bleffed are they that have not feen, and yet have believed.

In which Words, as our Saviour tacitly reproves Thomas for his Incredulity, in not believing a Matter of Fact well attefted, unless he himself faw it; fo he lays down an univerfal Propofition for the Encouragement of all Mankind in future Ages of the World, to believe in him, though they had not feen him.

J

Our Saviour knew very well, that this was to be the Cafe of far the greatest Part that were to believe in him. For it was only to the Men of that Age in which he lived, and of that Country

where

where he converfed, to whom it was given to hear from his own Mouth his Divine Doctrines, and to fee with their Eyes the Proofs that he gave of his Divine Miffion, particularly that Illuftrious one of his Refurrection from the Dead. But for all the fucceeding Generations of Men, they were to believe without feeing. Their Faith was not to be grounded on the Evidence of their own Senfes, but on the Teftimony of thofe that had had that Evidence. And therefore for the obliging and encouraging all Mankind, in the Ages to come, to embrace his Religion upon fuch Motives and fuch Evidence as this, he pronounceth thefe Words, Bleffed are they that have not feen, and yet have believed.

I doubt not but that all Chriftians are fully fatisfied both of the Truth and Reafon of this Propofition of our Saviour, and are convinced that they have Motives enow to oblige them to believe in him, and to own his Religion; though they never faw, nor were capable of feeing the Original Proofs and Evidence he gave for the Truth of it. Indeed, if it were otherwife, none of us at this Day could be Christians upon rational Grounds. But this Doctrine will not pafs among all Men. On the contrary, by feveral, their not See ing, is made the great, if not the only Pretence, for their not Believing. This being fo; I hope it will not be Time mis

F 2

spent,

fpent, if I endeavour to answer this Plea of theirs; and, I think, I cannot to better Purpote difcourfe upon this Text, than by doing fo.

The Cafe is this. Some there are among us that endeavour to run down all Reveal'd Religion. If you ask them, whether then they are for any Religion' at all? They will tell you, Yes; they are for that which Natural Reafon teacheth. We wish they were in good Earneft when they fay this: For then we fhould hope to be foon all of a Mind. For we cannot doubt but that whofoever doth fincerely believe all that Natural Reafon will teach him about Religion, and doth seriously endeavour to frame his Life accordingly; fuch a one will not fail to embrace Chriftianity, whenever the Doctrines of our Saviour, and the Proofs he gave for the Truth of them, are fairly reprefented to him. But, in truth, thefe Mens loofe way, both of difcourfing, and of living, renders it fufpicious, that their Profeffion of Natural Religion is not very fincere; but only for the fheltering them from the Imputation of Atheism, and ferving other fecular Ends. For fuch a Scheme of Natural Religion have they framed to themfelves, as will not much trouble their Con fciences, let them live how they will. But now the Chriftian Religion (which is that they chiefly oppose under the Name of

Re

Revealed Religion) is a more stubborn Thing, and will not fo eafily be brought to comply with their Humours and Inclinations. And that we fear, though they are loth to own it, is the fecret Reason of their Grudge against it. The Gospel of Chrift doth not favour fuch Sort of Principles as thefe Men have taken up, nor fuch a Kind of Life as they are engaged in; but, on the contrary, feverely declares against them. And therefore fome colourable Reason must be found out, for the fetting afide the Au thority of this Gospel, which is fo contradictory to their Interefts. But how is this to be come by?

To object against the Sufficiency of the Proof that our Saviour gave to the World of his being fent from God to teach this Religion to Mankind, that there is no colour for For they are fenfible, that if his Hiftory, as it is related in the Gospel, be admitted to be a true Hiftory, so that one may depend upon the Matters of Fact there recorded concerning him: If this, I fay, be admitted, it cannot be denied, but that our Saviour gave abundant Evidence, that he was what he pretended. to be, the Son of God, and the great Prophet whom all Men were to be obedient to, if they meant to be faved.

Since therefore they cannot faften upon this, they pitch upon another Method. F 3

They