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and which therefore Abraham as confi- SERM, dently denies, and with much more truth affirms that, if they beard not Mofes and the prophets, neither would they be perfuaded, though one rose from the dead;

, in other words, if the knowledge of God and his laws, which had been graciously imparted to them in the holy Scriptures, had no effect on their lives and manners, neither would that appearance which he was fo unreasonable as to follicit have any effect upon them; the fame obftinacy and perverfeness which made them defpife the one, would prevail on them to reject the other; that it was therefore unneceffary to administer a remedy where the disease was incurable, or to hazard an enterprize where there could not be the least prospect of success.

To fix on the minds of the hearers the truth and importance of this con

clufive

SERM. clufive affertion of the patriarch AbraXIX. ham, feems, as I before obferved to you,

the chief end and scope of the parable: I fhall therefore lay before you, in the brief remainder of this difcourse, a few of the many arguments which may be brought in the fupport and defence of it.

And First, then: Where one great and infalliable rule of conduct is laid down, and that rule is fufficient to answer every end and purpose proposed by it, to produce others is entirely useless and unneceffary: when one guide is both willing and able to bring us fafely and fpeedily to the end of the journey, why fhould we wish for more. God therefore, in the communication of his divine will to mankind, doth nothing in vain.

There is a certain degree of light which will present an object to our fight

in

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in its proper colours, and whatever is SERM, added to that will render it but the more obfcure; and fo it must be with our minds alfo. Whatever is more than neceffary to convince, can only dazzle and confound us.

Scarce any thing, it must be acknowledged, could better fatisfy the defire of prying into futurity, so natural to mankind, than what the rich man fo eagerly requested: the return of a friend from darkness and the grave to light and life, muft doubtless have amazed and aftonished, but it does not from thence follow that it would have convinced the unbelievers.

The church of Rome, which hath always been ready to take advantages of the errors and follies of mankind to promote its own ends, hath not failed to lay hold

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SERM. of this natural curiofity, this love of the marvellous and astonishing, so constantly found in human nature. Men were continually folliciting them for miracles, and they are therefore continually forging them for the multitude; and, as if the real wonders which our Saviour wrought were not fufficient, have continued a chain of fictitious ones from those times even to this day.

But again: Is it not the utmost arrogance in man to call in question the conduct of God? Are we to direct the great Governor of the universe, or to guide the hand of the Almighty? What right have we to expect that the rules which he hath established shall be changed for our pleasure, and the great fixed laws of nature reverfed for the service or for the amusement of a worthlefs individual? We may reft affured, that if we have no regard to the works of God, God

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God hath a reverence and veneration for SERM. his own, and will not difturb or confound them. If the Almighty were to perform miracles as often as men wished, and perhaps expect them of him, he would have no other employment: and indeed, if fuch a favour were granted to one, all might have an equal right to expect it. If God had permitted Lazarus to appear to the rich man's brethren, their children, and their childrens children, might with equal eagerness have follicited for, and with an equal degree of confidence required it of him. There are sharp and powerful medicines, which, when first administered, act very strongly on the conftitution, but if frequently repeated, lose all their efficacy. And so it is with what works upon the mind: those ftrange and extraordinary proofs, those miracles which might perhaps in fome measure convince the judgment, or enlighten the understanding, would, in a