VIII. things hard to be understood; it holds SERMON forth much, that if practiced will improve our nature: enough fo chearing and intelligible, as to excite our endeayours to understand it more and more. Sto The doctrinai parts of religion are icientific and where is the fcience, that hath not s myfteries? The most demonftrable of all fciences, even mathematics, has them. Look through nature, as the lies before you in the works of this our world and mystery meets the mind at every ftep. And will you extend your thoughts, beyond the confines of this habitable globe, to God, and a world to come; and not expect to find fome mystery there? Shall we reject as falfe whatever we cannot comprehend? To how narrow a compafs then fhall we reduce truth? Doth human reafon rank fo high or is God fo level with the capacity of mankind? Shall we queftion his declarations, becaufe we cannot accom SERMON accommodate to the fize of our minds the VIII. defign and propriety of them? Shall! we faftidiously refufe affent to what He' hath been pleased to reveal; becaufe He hath not revealed more? Or fhall we not rather with due gratitude and humility acknowledge the goodnefs of God, who hath by the revelation of Jefus Chrift revealed fo mnch: who hath condefcended to unveil the blaze of divine majesty in fuch degree, as to enable mankind acceptably to ferve Him; and fo far made known the nature of another world, as to quicken our exertions, amidst the various manfions there to attain to a station of blifs and glory, through the applied merits and mediation of the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord? Such is the anchor of hope, we have in Chrift and fuch in fum and fubftance the doctrine, which in answer to the words of my text the fcriptures dictate. It is not in the ability of man to mend hemoIn VIIL mend them; nor fhall human devices SERMON prevail in refining, them. In plain legis ble characters, they contain the words, all the words, of eternal life. Sed died 97 Had 10 4 stoto t * See Lindley's fequel to his apology page 119.30 DE STATU PARADISIACO. CONCIO IN ECCLESIA BEATE MARIE APUD OXONIENSES HABITA. Ecclus. vii. 30. Hoc tantum inveni; quod Deus homines perfectos creavit, ipfi autem ratiocinia plu rima invenerunt. IX. TERRARUM hic nofter orbis, & CONCIO quicquid in orbe viret, quicquid ultra hujufce mundi fines aut oculus affequi, aut mens deprehendere poffit, Deum optimum maximum arguit: tanta fapientia, tanta ubique patet Potentia. O orbem fœlicem, fummi artificis, omnibus abfolutum numeris, opus ; cui herba S quæque |