TRUE RELIGION, THE EVIDENCE OF A GOOD UNDERSTANDING. PROV. ix. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding. WE E all naturally defire happiness: we all know, that obtaining it greatly depends on a wife choice of our conduct in life and yet very few examine, with any care, what conduc is likelieft to procure us the felicity that we feek. The livelier part of the world, hurried along by a giddy tumult of paffions and fancies, venture, with a moft intrepid gaiety of heart, on whatever looks pleafing to them: and are in much too great hafte for prefent gratification, ever to stay and once think, what may be the confequences, either to others, or even to themfelves. The good-natured and flexible are easily drawn to follow the more active and enterprifing of their acquaintance; and the thoughtless and indolent find it unfpeakably the leaft trouble to let themselves be borne along by the tide of cuftom and fashion, just as it flows and ebbs by turns. Yet furely reafon doth not make part of our nature for no purpose; nor experience discover any thing more plainly, than the numberlefs miferies that proceed from going on thus at all adven tures. Thofe, therefore, who are a little more confiderate, take a different courfe: yet often scarce a better, and fometimes a worfe. They despise the weakness of being caught with every bait of prefent pleasure, or abandoning their lives to the direction of mere chance; and follow, with great attention, art and industry, what the world calls their intereft. But this being their only view, the disappointed are totally miserable; and, VOL. II. more more or lefs, all are difappointed; the far greatest part, very grievously. And the fmall remainder, who feem to attain their wishes, betray, under the faireft fhew of outward profperity, evident tokens, that they have very little inward enjoyment to compenfate for the many and long anxieties that ufually precede. Few things come up, even at first, to what they promised and fuch as do, fall below it very foon ; leaving the mind, at best, languid and unfatisfied. But if such persons have taken, as they commonly do take, forbidden ways, amongst others, to their ends; then additional uneafineffes croud in upon them: painful reflections on their past behaviour; folicitous apprehenfions of what may follow, both here and hereafter. For there is deeply rooted in the heart of man an inbred fenfe of right and wrong; which, however heedlefly overlooked, or studiously fuppreffed by the gay or the busy part of the world, will, from time to time, make them both feel, that it hath the jufteft authority to govern all that we do, as well as power to reward with the trueft confolation, and punish with the acuteft remorse. Others, therefore, see the abfolute neceffity of bringing virtue and duty into the account, when they deliberate concerning the behaviour that leads to happiness. And were the regard, which they pay to thefe, univerfal and uniform, their happinefs would be as complete as human nature and circumstances permit. But too often they, who practise conscientiously some duties, with strange inconfiftency, utterly defpife others. Ard, which is ftranger yet, many, who profefs the moft generous concern for moral obligations, quite forget the first and ftrongeft of them all, the reverence due to him who made us. The ties, which unite them to their fellow-creatures, they readily acknowledge but unaccountably flight their abfolute dependence on their Creator, and the confequent veneration, which they owe to that being, of whom, and for whom, and to when are all things *. Now if any difpofitions are good, religious ones are fuch. They proceed from the fame principle, with the very best of others: the exercife of them is the nobleft exertion of that principle; and yet fome affect to fet up virtue in oppofition to piety; and would be thought defirous to ferve the • 1 Cor. viii. 6. Heb. ii. 15. Rem. xi. the former, by deprecating the latter. Some again, who are more upon their guard, yet explain themselves freely, on occafion, to allow nothing further than this; that religion may be of ufe to keep the bulk of mankind in order not reflecting,. that the upper part have ftill greater need of its reftraints, than the lower; and that whenever it comes to be spoken of, as only an inftrument of policy, it will be no longer fo much as that. But lighter minds run wilder lengths by far: and abfolutely indifferent what harm may come of it, perpetually treat all facred fubjects, as if freedom of thought about them consisted in pouring the utmost contempt upon them that was poffible. Yet perhaps very few, if any, of thefe, would they confult their hearts honeftly, do fo much as imagine they have any reafon to doubt, but a world, fo vifibly full of beautiful order and gracious defign, must have been first formed, and be still governed by a moft powerful, intelligent, and beneficent caufe. This, the leaft degree of confideration, how elfe the frame of things could be what it is, will fufficiently fhew: and every advance in the knowledge of nature, makes the proof, in proportion, fuller and more obvious. If then there exists a fovereign of the univerfe, almighty and all-wife, it cannot be a matter that we are unconcerned in. He, by whose pleasure we are, and according to whofe determinations about us we hall be happy or miferable, is not a being unrelated to us: nor, while he continually fuperintends every thing else on this earth with the exactest care, will he ever neglect the worthiest object, which it presents to his view, the affections and behaviour of his rational creature, man. He must expect every thing to act, as its nature requires. And having distinguished ours with the knowledge of himself; he cannot have left it in our choice, to lay him afide out of our thoughts, as if we knew him not but must have intended, that we should pay him thofe regards, which are his due. Now the first of thefe, and the foundation of all the reft, is a proper temperature of fear and love: two affections, which ought never to be separated in thinking of God; and, therefore, whichfoever is expreffed implies the other. The text hath mentioned only fear: but evidently means that kind, which children feel towards a wife and good parent; which the Pfalmi had in his thoughts, when he faid, there is mercy with thees 002 : more or lefs, all are difappointed; the far greatest part, very grievously. And the fmall remainder, who seem to attain their wishes, betray, under the fairest fhew of outward profperity, evident tokens, that they have very little inward enjoy. ment to compenfate for the many and long anxieties that ufually precede. Few things come up, even at first, to what they promifed and fuch as do, fall below it very foon; leaving the mind, at best, languid and unfatisfied. But if fuch perfons have taken, as they commonly do take, forbidden ways, amongst others, to their ends; then additional uneafineffes croud in upon them: painful reflections on their paft behaviour; folicitous apprehenfions of what may follow, both here and hereafter. For there is deeply rooted in the heart of man an inbred fenfe of right and wrong; which, however heedlefly overlooked, or ftudiously fuppreffed by the gay or the busy part of the world, will, from time to time, make them both feel, that it hath the jufteft authority to govern all that we do, as well as power to reward with the trueft confolation, and punish with the acuteft remorse. Others, therefore, see the abfolute neceffity of bringing virtue and duty into the account, when they deliberate concerning the behaviour that leads to happiness. And were the regard, which they pay to these, univerfal and uniform, their happiness would be as complete as human nature and circumstances permit. But too often they, who practise conscientiously fome duties, with strange inconfiftency, utterly defpife others. And, which is ftranger yet, many, who profefs the most generous concern for moral obligations, quite forget the first and ftrongeft of them all, the reverence due to him who made us. The ties, which unite them to their fellow-creatures, they readily acknowledge: but unaccountably flight their abfolute dependence on their Creator, and the confequent veneration, which they owe to that being, of whom, and for whom, and to whom are all things *. Now if any difpofitions are good, religious ones are fuch. They proceed from the fame principle, with the very best of others: the exercife of them is the nobleft exertion of that principle; and yet fome affect to fet up virtue in oppofition to piety; and would be thought defirous to serve the * 1 Cor. viii. 6. Heb. ii. 15. Rom. xi. 3 the former, by deprecating the latter. Some again, who are more upon their guard, yet explain themfelves freely, on occafion, to allow nothing further than this; that religion may be of afe to keep the bulk of mankind in order not reflecting,. that the upper part have ftill greater need of its reftraints, than the lower; and that whenever it comes to be fpoken of, as only an inftrument of policy, it will be no longer fo much as that. But lighter minds run wilder lengths by far: and abfolutely indifferent what harm may come of it, perpetually treat all facred fubjects, as if freedom of thought about them consisted in pouring the utmost contempt upon them that was poffible. Yet perhaps very few, if any, of thefe, would they confult their hearts honeftly, do fo much as imagine they have any reafon to doubt, but a world, fo vifibly full of beautiful order and gracious defign, muft have been first formed, and be still governed by a most powerful, intelligent, and beneficent cause. This, the leaft degree of confideration, how else the frame of things could be what it is, will fufficiently fhew: and every advance in the knowledge of nature, makes the proof, in proportion, fuller and more obvious. If then there exists a sovereign of the universe, almighty and all-wife, it cannot be a matter that we are unconcerned in. He, by whose pleasure we are, and according to whofe determinations about us we fhall be happy or miferable, is not a being unrelated to us: nor, while he continually superintends every thing else on this earth with the exactest care, will he ever neglect the worthiest object, which it presents to his view, the affections and behaviour of his rational creature, man. He must expect every thing to act, as its nature requires. And having distinguished ours with the knowledge of himself; he cannot have left it in our choice, to lay him afide out of our thoughts, as if we knew him not but must have intended, that we should pay him thofe regards, which are his due. Now the first of these, and the foundation of all the reft, is a proper temperature of fear and love: two affections, which ought never to be separated in thinking of God; and, therefore, whichfoever is expreffed implies the other. The text hath mentioned only fear: but evidently means that kind, which children feel towards a wife and good parent; which the Pfalmi had in his thoughts, when he faid, there is mercy with 002 theer |