racter of the divine being, and on the benefits which we daily receive from his hands; that we, more especially, reflect upon his univerfal prefence, and providence; till every object, and every occurrence fhall introduce the idea of God, as our creator, preferver, benefactor, moral governor, and judge. In this cafe a regard to him cannot fail habitually to influence our difpofitions and conduct, so as to prove the ftrongest prefervative against all vice and wickedness.

7. Prayer must be joined to meditation. We must frequently addrefs ourselves to God, expreffing our veneration for his character, our gratitude for his favours to us, our humiliation for our offences, our devotedness to his will, our refignation to his providence, and alfo our defire of any thing that he knows to be really good for us. This kind of intercourfe with the deity tends greatly to ftrengthen every proper difpofition of mind towards him. Prayer is the univerfal dictate of nature, not fophisticated by the refinements of philofo

phy;

phy; and, in fact, has been the practice of all mankind.

Befides, though God be fo great and good, though he knows all our wants, and is at all times difpofed to grant us every proper bleffing; yet he who made us, fo as that we cannot help having recourse to him as our father, benefactor, and protector, in the fame manner as we have recourfe to our fuperiors and benefactors on earth, will no doubt approve, encourage, and condefcend to that manner of behaviour and addrefs to him, which the fame difpofitions and circumstances neceffarily prompt us to with refpect to one another. We may affure ourfelves, therefore, that the divine being will realife our natural conceptions of him, and reward his humble worshippers. Since we cannot rife to him, and conceive of him in a manner that is strictly agreeable to his nature, and fince our intercourfe with him is neceffary to our virtue and happiness, he will certainly condefcend to us; fo that we may depend upon finding him to be

what

what the best of his creatures hope, and expect concerning him.

It will not therefore be the fame thing, whether we apply to him for the good things we ftand in need of, or not. Do not the wifeft and beft of parents act in the fame manner towards their children? It has been the fource of great error, and rafh judgment concerning the ways of God, to confine ourselves to the confideration of what God is in himself, and not to confider what it even becomes his wifdom and goodness, both to reprefent himself, and actually to be, with respect to his imperfect

creatures.

Befides, if good difpofitions be regarded as the only object and end of prayer, it should be confidered, that an addrefs to God for what we want is a test of good difpofitions, as well as a means of improving them, fuppofing it be known to be the will of God, that we should pray to him. But it must be acknowledged that, without revelation, or fome exprefs intimation of the will of

God,

God, in this respect, the reasonableness and obligation of prayer is not fo clearly, though fufficiently evident.

In fact, there are fimilar reasons for asking favours of God, as for thanking him for the favours we have received; fince it may be said, that if we be truly grateful, it is quite unneceffary to tell the divine being that we are fo; and thus all intercourfe with God by words must be cut off. But certainly there can be no real impropriety in expreffing by words whatever is the language of the heart; and it can only be an unreasonable and dangerous refinement to diftinguish, in this cafe, between love, gratitude, defire, or any other difpofition of mind.

PART

PART III.

Of the future expectations of mankind.

HAV

VING endeavoured to investigate the rules of human duty, from the principles of natural reason, I fhall proceed to ascertain, from the fame principles, what we have to expect in confequence of our obfervance, or neglect of them.

The natural rewards of virtue, and the punishments of vice, in this life, have been already mentioned occafionally. I, therefore, propose, in this section, to confider the evidence with which nature furnishes us concerning a future life, impartially stating both its strength and its weakness.

1. The argument that, in general, has the most weight with the wife and good, in fa