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beloved fin, are neceffarily accompanied SER M. with diffidence and fear; and the finners XIV. fhunning induftriously the light of his own fpirit or confcience, which Solomon calleth the candle of the Lord, searching the inward parts; this, I say, must be attributed to the fame caufe: Shall it be faid that all this proceedeth only from human weakness; that the self applauding joy and confidence of a virtuous mind is but enthuafiafm, the effect of a deluded warm imagination; and that the diftruftful dread of a vicious one arifeth wholly from a fuperftitious fearfulness, imbibed by the prejudices of education, and cherished by the often-inculcated inftructions of weak or defigning men? I know nothing in the power of human nature in order to our being affured of truth or being delivered from error, but a fair impartial enquiry, and to that we appeal in the prefent cafe. The generality of hardened finners must according to this rule be acknowledged to have prejudged the cause, and therefore to be unqualified for determining it, for their hearts will tell them they defignedly avoid a trial: But if any one will pretend to argue upon it, let it be obferved, that there are certain principles, in which the mind muft neceffarily reft,

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SERM. without being able to proceed any farther XIV. in fearching the grounds of its perfuafion.

A clear and diftinct perception of the agree ment or difagreement of our own ideas is the certain diftinguishing mark of truth or falfhood in points of fpeculation; accordingly there are fome propofitions felf-evident, as we commonly fpeak, or the truth of which the understanding neceffarily per ceiveth as foon as they are intelligibly propofed to it, fo that it would be a ridiculous attempt to prove them: Again, we find ourfelves obliged to acquiefce in the teftimony of the external fenfes concerning the qualities of material objects, together with the immediate effects they produce in us, fuch as pleasure and pain: If, now, there is an internal fenfe by which we as neceffarily perceive the difference between right and wrong, or moral good and evil in affections and actions; and if, with an application to ourfelves, this conftantly and uniformly produceth the directly oppofite effects of felfapprobation and difapprobation, independently on our own choice, together with a confidence and a fear towards other intelligent moral agents, especially the Supreme; and, laftly, if all this appeareth to us whenever we attend to it, still the more evidently,

the more clofely we examine it and the lefs SER M. confused and difturbed our thoughts afe; XIV. whether it be fo or not, let every one judge for himfelf; if, I fay, it be fo, we may then, I think, conclude it is the voice of nature neceffarily refulting from our conftitution, and the doctrine of the apoftle in my text is the doctrine of immutable reafon, fuppofing only the being of God and his moral character.

There is nothing I believe goeth so far to wards erafing those fentiments out of the hu man mind, at least hindering their proper effect, as falfe notions of the Deity and of religion. If men can once be perfuaded that God is not a perfectly holy, righteous, and good being, or that he doth not exercise thefe pera fections in the government of his reasonable creatures; but that he dealeth with them in a way of arbitrary dominion, in confequence of which the immediate neceffary condition of their acceptance with him is not an imitation of his moral attributes, and obeying his precepts of eternal righteoufnefs to which their confciences bear witness, but fomething else fubftituted in the room of that, which it is pretended he hath revealed, or which men have invented; fuch a perfuafion must go a great length in unhinging the true foundations of hope toVOL. III. wards

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SERM.wards him and fear of his displeasure, which XIV. I have endeavoured to fhew both fcripture

and reafon eftablish; and, indeed, a great way in defeating the work of the law which is written in our hearts. The traditions of men concerning rites and ceremonies which they fondly imagine will please God, as our Saviour teacheth, tend to make void his moral precepts: And yet even these falfe notions of the Deity, and of religion, have not altogether extinguished this light which the Author of nature hath put into our minds, or fubverted the foundations of hope and fear arifing from the teftimony of conscience which are so deep laid in our hearts. When a man hath brought himself to that pernicious opinion concerning the validity and fufficiency of external acts to please God, the merit of others, good but ineffectual inclinations, or any fuch like things which may be separated from doing fincerely the will of our heavenly Father, ftill he dares not altogether trust himself on that bottom; fufpicions will arise of self-deceit, and a conscience accufing for crimes unrepented of and unreformed, will break in upon his peace, threatening him with the divine displeasure. On the other hand, the righteous is bold as a lion, he poffeffeth undisturbed

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tranquillity, is free from the foreboding ap- SER M. prehenfions of vengeance which haunt the XIV. guilty heart; nay, maintaineth his integrity in the deepest diftreffes, and amidst the reproaches of men; if even all the world fhould join in condemning him, fince he acquitteth himself, his confidence towards God remaineth unshaken.

As thefe fentiments are indelibly imprinted on the human mind, and neceffarily refult from our conftitution, of which God is the author, we must ascribe them to him. His will is declared in the nature of things, and they all serve his purpofes. Inanimate beings in their conftant motions, and the series of their operations, fulfil the law of their natures; and fenfitive creatures, directed by their instincts, always answer the ends of their being which he hath appointed; fo it is impoffible for us to doubt but that the fundamental laws of the rational nature are his will; and that, in judging and acting according to them, we judge and act agreeably to his mind. Therefore, feeing the author of our being hath endued us with that power which we call confcience, a power of self-reflection, of comparing our own difpofitions and actions with a rule engraven on our hearts, whence neceffarily arifeth

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