Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

SERM. then we are not free in doing this, but are VIII. at the fame time enflav'd to fomething or other, that hinders us from giving them a true Direction and their just Measures. And as to every other Principle of Thought and Action Christianity fets us free, by directing all the Faculties of the mind to their proper Objects. In a word, and to describe the whole Power of Chriftianity at once. As the Devil is the great Enllaver of Mankind, and Sin the Chain that ties them down to Bondage, fo Chrift by conquering this Tyrant has loos'd the Chain, and redeem'd us from the Slavery of it, and fo is truly and properly the Saviour, and Redeemer of Mankind: So true is that Saying of St. John, If the Son makes us free, then are we free indeed: But to this Liberty we are entitled only by the Gofpel. I come now to fhew,

Thirdly, That Pretences to it from the Side of Infidelity are falfe, and groundlefs. And here let us fee what Liberty it is, that Infidelity pretends to promise. Is it a Liberty that will free us from every Incumbrance? Will it deliver us from the Dominion

Dominion of Sin, and make us free in all SERM. our thoughts and Actions? i. e. Will VIII. it remove every thing, that can hinder us from thinking, and doing right? For this I have fhewn to be the Nature of true Liberty. If fo, we have nothing more to do but to feek it out and embrace it: But who ever met with this ineftimable Jewel in any earthly Treafure? We have often heard of Liberty indeed, and great things have of late been faid of it. A particular Set of Men, who have thrown off the Ties of Religion and Nature, and fet themselves loofe from their Dependance upon God and the World about them; how, under Pretence of doing Honour to Reafon, have fap'd the Foundation of it, and inftead of rooting out, and deftroying all Faith, which, if they know their own Principles, is what they are concern'd to do, have fet up a monftrous and unnatural Credulity in the room of it; who have discarded Sense, and the Paffions, and rob'd Human Nature of the kindeft Impreffions ftamp'd upon it by the Divine Being; thefe have indeed talk'd

of

SERM. of being free, i. e. free to do what is VIII. right in their own Eyes; to do right or

[ocr errors]

wrong, just as it happens; free from all
Laws and Obligations whatsoever. Now,
if they could make it out, that they are
then indeed free, when they do whatever
they please, whatever Fancy, or Caprice
leads them to; that when they difpenfe
with the Obligations which the Wisdom
of God and Man has laid upon them,
they become then fo free, as to be subject
to no other Laws, or Obligations, there
might be fome Plaufibility in it: But if, on
the contrary, when they thus do what is
right in their Eves, they are not
therefore free, but tied
wn and enflav'd
to fome wrong Principle within If
when they shake off all Religious Obliga-
tions, they are at the fame time bound
fafter with the strong Cords of Obftinacy,
and Perverseness: If they defpife and de-
preciate the Common-Senfe and Reason
of all Men, and yet at the fame time ido-
lize, and deify their own, and Liberty
is nothing else in fact but Licentiousness;
then they, that pretend thus to promise

:

Liberty,

Liberty, promife more than they can per- SERM. Let us now fee whether this be

form.
not the Cafe.

And here, the first Step, that is taken in order to procure Liberty from the fide of Infidelity, is that which most effectually drives Men from it; and that is, to shake off all Reveal'd Religion: For to fet out upon this Principle is to fet out upon a Principle of Slavery; it is to fet out with a full Resolution not to give the Faculties within us their proper Scope, but to hinder the free Exercife of them by subjecting all to one, or by making one or two to govern the reft as for example, the making the Reafon, which is but a fingle thing, and that too rather the Refult of all the reft, than a leading Principle, predominant over every thing else. For if the Faculties had the Power to exercise themselves as they ought, Revelation must have a Weight with us in Proportion to its Truth; i. e. if we believe, and hope, and fear, &c. freely, Revelation must carry a Weight with it in Proportion to the Reason there is in it for fo doing;

Y

[ocr errors]

SER M. doing; but if we allow either of these too VIII. great a Weight, it will of courfe bear

down the rest in exact Proportion;

and tho' a Man may do this, yet Obftinacy, and not Liberty, must be the Principle by wich he does it.

But after all, let us examine a little more particularly how the throwing off Revelation fets a Manat Liberty. Does he by leaving this go over to fome better Scheme? This is pretended, and in order to make it out, it is faid, that Reafon alone is a fuffi. cient Guide, and in following that we follow Nature, and confequently Christianity, being by the Suppofition unneceffary, becomes an Incumbrance, and must be taken off in order to be free, and at liberty. If by Reason was meant right Reafon, this might be true enough, if we could but tell how to come at it: But this is not the Meaning of it, nor do they mean the Reason of Mankind, but only an infinitely fmall Pittance of it, the Reason of an Indidual, which comes as fhort of right Reafon, as finite does of infinite; and not only fo, but is alfo as much below the

Reafon

« FöregåendeFortsätt »