to give an account of their conduct, it must be in some such manner as this: Having our heads full of abstract, and, to the generality of mankind, unintelligible notions, we do not persuade, but amuse men. And others, who perhaps are not so refined as this comes to, are apt sometimes to discover a wonderful tenderness in denouncing the judgments of God against all ungodly men. But since a Being of infinite wisdom sees it necessary to restrain men by the threats of eternal punishments; and since we find by experience that even these, in many instances, are scarce effectual, it can be no great argument, either of our piety or sense, to diminish the influence of these terrors, either by suggesting that they will not be executed at all, or not to that degree of severity with which they are threatened. No wise and good lawgivers ever enforced their laws by such penalties as they had neither right nor power to put in execution. And it is hardly consistent with the wisdom of the supreme Lawgiver to threaten what any other perfection of his nature forbids him to inflict. His design in revealing those punishments, is to preserve men from them; and therefore, to contradict this revelation of them in any measure, is so far to defeat his design, and a likely way to bring men into that place of torment, which he had graciously warned them to avoid. All pretences of this softening kind, however speciously coloured over, amount to little more than an impious affectation of making ourselves appear wiser and better than God.

Thirdly, therefore, and to conclude. Let us all learn, from the admonition in the text, to fear God. Even let them fear him, who, by their station in life,

may be placed in some degree above the fear of men. Let those, who, in any capacity, appear at the tribunals of earthly judges, most seriously remember, that they must one day appear before the judgmentseat of Christ. Let them remember, that God is a God of truth and justice, and consider the sacred obligations he has laid them under to promote them. Let those who give evidence, consider the nature, the sanctity, the religion of an oath, and what dreadful punishments hang over the heads of those, who dare solemnly appeal to the God of truth for the attestation of a lie. This religious regard for an oath, according to the writer formerly mentioned, is one of the highest advantages superstitious restraints have procured. When men thus invoke Almighty God, they are under the most weighty impressions of fear; and this terror, he allows, in some instances, may extort the truth. After all which, he has the sense and goodness to say, that he would have men left to themselves, to the influence of unsophisticated reason and pure natural religion, without any interposition of superstitious hopes and fears, which is leaving them indeed in a condition, in which the benefits of civil society (if society could then subsist) would not be preferable to the To preblessings of his applauded state of nature.

vent such consequences as these, let us all in our several stations earnestly endeavour to promote the fear of God; that reasonable and religious fear, which naturally arises from the relation between God and us, and which he expressly requires in his word: which, when all worldly motives fail, will in

q 2 Cor. v. IO.

all circumstances support us in the practice of what is right, and, at all events, be alone sufficient to carry us through in the discharge of our duty, both to God and the king, with fidelity and honour.

SERMON XIV.

. ACTS xvii. 28.

For in him we live, and move, and have our being. THERE is no proposition in nature more clearly and certainly capable of demonstration, than the existence of an eternal, infinitely wise, and powerful Cause, to whom all other beings owe their existence, and on whom they entirely depend. And as it is not consistent with perfect wisdom to give being to creatures without some valuable end and design, we may justly reason further, that, as he originally made them, he still continues to overrule and govern them in such a manner, as tends most effectually to answer the great ends of their creation. As these truths have the deepest and strongest foundation in nature and reason, so have they always had the sanction and authority of the general consent of mankind. Every nation and people, where there was any order or form of government, had also some profession of religion; and wheresoever any religion is professed, there must be some notions of a God and Providence. Indeed atheism is far from having been the epidemical wickedness of mankind. Amongst the fools that said in their hearts, There is no Goda, some few have been foolish enough to declare and avouch it; but the world in general has been much apter to multiply the objects of worship, than have none at

a Psalm xiv. 1.

all, and to believe in gods many, and lords many, rather than deny the existence of any superior power. This was the state of Athens, when our apostle preached there upon the subject of my text. He saw the city wholly given to idolatry, and so superstitiously fearful, lest any of the gods should be neglected by them, that altars were erected to gods unknown, of whom they did not know so much as the name.

Some learned mend are of opinion, that this altar was dedicated to the honour of the one true God, the Maker and Governor of the world; who is therefore styled unknown, because he is not only invisible, but also incomprehensible by mortals. But whatever the Athenians might mean by it, it is certain St. Paul took occasion from hence to discourse to them of God, that made the world and all things therein, who is Lord of heaven and of earth: "who "was incapable of being confined within any temple "or human fabric; that no image could be made as "a proper instrument to represent him; that he "needed no gifts or sacrifices, being himself the "fountain from whence life, breath, and all other "blessings were derived to particular beings: that "from one common original he had made the whole "race of mankind, and had wisely fixed and deter"mined the times and bounds of their habitation; " and all to this end, that men might be the strong"lier obliged to seek after him, and sincerely to "serve and worship him. A duty which they might

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c Acts xvii. 16.

b 1 Cor. viii. 5. d Among whom is Cudworth, Intellect. Syst. 474. Compare Cave, Life of St. Paul, sect. 3. Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, 139. Rous's Attick Antiq. p. 38.