there of mankind, even of those who are in SERM. reputation for wisdom and virtue, who make X. it their business to cultivate their rational and moral capacities, or have ever taken a resolution to make that their chief care through the course of their lives? For the most part, we learn our piety and virtue, as a foreign difcipline, and only by outward instruction. Therefore it fits fo awkwardly upon us, and the exercise of it is attended with little of fuch dexterity, vigour, warmth of affection and pleasure, as accompany the business of nature, which religion really is, in itself, and in the primary way God has taken to teach it to us, that is, by writing its main ptinciples and instructions upon our hearts. If we are fincerely disposed to employ ourfelves in this excellent, this comprehenfive duty of praifing God, wherein our best affections join their force, and all the fprings of manly pleasure unite in raifing the fatisfaction of the mind; if, I fay, we are fincerely difpofed to employ ourselves in it, the means are ready at hand. The works of God, in a moft amazing and beautiful inftructive variety, present themselves to us with their manifeftations of his wisdom; they pour their evidence from all quarters, and into all the avenues of the mind, inviting us to behold perfect coun fel SERM. fel and wife defign, which is the most agreeX. able object we can contemplate. There is no part of the universe to which we can turn our attention, nor any species of beings in it, that does not afford us the plainest discoveries of Divine skill and power in their formation and œconomy. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament fheweth his bandywork: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night fheweth knowledge. The beasts of the field and the fowls of the air teach us, and the fifbes of the fea declare to us, that he is perfectly wife who gave them their being, and appointed their various ufes, with all the cir cumftances of their condition. In this view the work of the Lord appears honourable and glorious, and it is fought out of them that have pleasure therein. They trace the fignatures of counsel upon it, with the highest admiration, and their hearts are filled with joy and praise. A heart full of fuch fentiments will be its own instructor in religion, and needs not to be taught from abroad what duty it owes to God, what love and gratitude, what confidence, obedience and refignation. Providence, as I have already observed, has afforded us great and peculiar advantages for making proficiency in this kind of knowledge, and thereby advancing in substantial piety. Some Some eminent perfons in these last days, and SER M. that part of the world where we live, have X. happily employ'd an uncommon capacity in fearching out the works of nature, and illuftrating the marvelous displays of Divine wisdom in them; fo that the fubject appears in quite a different light from what it has hitherto done, and is even brought down to the level of vulgar understandings. What has been fometimes called philofophy, the vain, the poor production of impiety, ignorance and pride, was really what the Apoftle calls, the wisdom, through which the world knew not God. But happy our times! wherein whatever is worthy to be called learning evidently terminates in religion as its laft refult, and shews us all things full of God. Let us purfue the method which has been fo clearly marked out to us. Let those whofe talents and leisure enable them, endeavour to build a farther fuperftructure on the noble foundation already laid, and by investigating the fecrets of nature, fo far as human understanding can reach, difcern the counfels of its Author, that they may give him due praife. And let them who are unqualified for fuch an undertaking, yet study to be acquainted with the ufeful difcoveries others have made; and by affectionate medi tation SER M. tation on them, feed the pure flame of ratio 4 X. nal devotion in their own breafts. But above all kinds of natural knowledge, there is one branch which may be moft profitably improved to the purposes of religion, by contemplating the wifdom of God in it; I mean the philosophy of human nature itself, not only or principally of the corporeal part, tho' even that is a wonderful work of God, a moft curious ftructure, wherein Divine wifdom shines confpicuously. It is indeed furprizing, that any who have studied the animal constitution and œconomy, should forget God its Maker. Others, we know, have made many just and pious reflections upon it, as an admirable monument of the Creator's fkill, wherein he has shewed himself great in counsel and wonderful in working. But what I chiefly aim at is, that we should apply ourselves to the serious confideration of our more inward fabric, that of the mind, whereby we are distinguish'd with the character of rational creatures. Of all the external objects we difcern, bearing, in a vast variety, the marks of the Creator's intelligence and power, there is none which has any refemblance to this. It has no fhape or colour, or any other fenfible quality; yet there is nothing more real, nothing more important to us. We are confcious of of its various, many of them deeply intereft- SER M ing, perceptions and operations, accompanied X. with different kinds and degrees of pleasure and pain. |