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of all which Differences makes the general SER M. Judgment, or the public Understanding; fo that no one can have any more than a certain proportionate View according as he ftands to Things, and this he must have; for the most inconfiderable Man upon Earth has his Point of View, as he ftands to Things, and may yield Inftruction of one kind or another to the wifeft. Now the Cafe being fo, that the Knowledge which a Man has, is not the natural Production of the Soil, but a Collection from Abroad engrafted upon it, 'tis a pleasant Sort of Vanity, when this becomes blended and incorporated with his own, to see a Man plume himself upon it, and place it to his own Account, as if it really was fo.

Thus when a Man has got into his Poffeffion a certain Degree of Knowledge, tho' it be indeed the Work of Ages to acquire, he cries out prefently with David, tho' in another Senfe, I am wifer than the Aged, I have more Understanding than my Teachers; whereas, were he ftripp'd of his imaginary Superiority, and deprived of every foreign Affistance, he would have then less Understanding than the Foolish. The Knowledge that is of a Man's own Growth, abftracted from what he gets from the reft of

the

SERM. the World, would make but an inconfideXV. rable Figure, juft as the Proportion of One

to fo many Thoufands. And then as to Religion, 'tis juft the fame there as in civil Life; the Knowledge a Man has of that, over and above what comes by Inspiration from the Spirit of God, comes the fame Way, by the Affiftance of others. For how fhould we have known any Thing of Religion at all, if it was not for a Communication of Thoughts and Reasons one with another about it? Indeed, how fhould we know fo much as that there is a God? 'Tis true, natural Reason would help us to this Discovery, and would alfo lead us further to this, That he muft be worshipp'd, and fo on to fome Scheme of Religion: I fay, natural Reafon will do this; but what then? This natural Reafon is not the Reafon of an individual Perfon, but the Reafon of Mankind, not that That would ever have made any great Progress in this Discovery. For as much as it wanted Perfection, fo much of courfe it would want to make it compleat; it could not therefore be a fufficient Foundation to reft upon, fomething farther being ftill wanted to fupply this Deficiency, which Mankind was fenfible of, fome Revelation from God, that might fill up the Vacuity of humàn Rea

fon,

XV.

fon, and be commensurate with the Hopes, SERM. Fears and Defires of every Faculty of Man. Accordingly, they always pretended to fome Revelation, and whether their Pretenfions were juft or not, there was always a Foundation for them, as well from the Imperfection of human Reafon, as from the Care and Superintendance which the Creator might be fuppos'd to have over his Creatures, and from the Benevolence of his Nature, which the Excellency of their Nature might. give them Hopes to confide in, whatever they might fear from his Juftice. 'Tis no Wonder that this fhould be the Cafe, because it is by no means an uncommon Thing among Christians to meet with Perfons, who are for refolving all the Attributes of God into that of Goodness: And not only Sinners do this, who have nothing to hope from his Juftice, but even good Men themselves, who have thought, tho' not aright, that the Goodness of God had the Predominancy over the other Attributes. Indeed from his Dealings with Men, 'tis natural enough to think fo, but then there is no arguing from what happens in a fmall Part of Time in this Life, to what will be in Eternity, where it will be feen, that God is infinite every Way, and that Juftice will be done

SER M. to every Man, and every Action of Man, XV. however they may escape it here in this

Life, through the Chance that belongs to Time. But to proceed, There was always I fay, a Foundation for a Revelation from God, to fupply the Defect of human Reafon, and People always pretended to one, and accordingly have ever appointed an Order of Men to officiate in this divine Intercourse between God and Man, and to fet afide their Time and Study to explain it to others. Now, 'tis monftrous to suppose, that the private Judgment of any one Man could be of fo much Signification, where this Revelation has been pretended, whe ther that of the Jews, or this of the Chriftians, either to himself or to others, as the united Judgment of a Body of Men, whofe whole Bufinefs it was (befides their being Men of equal Parts, for this must be fuppos'd, where we talk of Bodies of Men, and alfo the fuperior Affiftance they are justly, especially in the Chriftian Religion, fuppos'd to have,) to look into thefe Matters, and ftand in a better Situation for than any others can poffibly do. If private Judgment is not fufficient to carry a Man any great Lengths in civil Affairs; if it will not help him to attain any Art or Science without

without the Affiftance of those that have SERM. made fuch a particular Art, their Study (and XV. he can only know his Proportion as he stands to it) much less can it do any great Matter in Religion; for we ftand in no better a Situation in this Cafe, than in the other, nor in fo good a one, because those who are appointed for Guides in thefe Affairs, befides, that this is their Belief and Employment, are fuppos'd by the Chriftian Scheme to have a double Portion of the Spirit to affift them. And indeed, whoever confiders the Importance of the Chriftian Religion, together with the Difficulties that muft of course attend the Study of it, partly from the Language in which it was written, which has for many Years become a dead one, and partly from the Nature of the Writings themselves from particular Cuftoms and Circumstances of thofe Times, fo that a competent Skill in thofe Things is requifite, in order to the better understanding them, and explaining them to others, will fee the great Reafon and Neceffity that a Set of Men fhould be employ'd about these Things, and the Neceffity likewife of their being affifted by the Spirit of God. 'Tis true, the Precepts of Christianity are plain and easy, and for the most Part level to the meanest Capacities,

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