dibility is established. But where the Divine Being is pleased to reveal his will, the matter becomes an object of ferious and weighty importance. He has a right to our attention and obedience it is at our peril, if we neglect or disobey his awful call.

FAITH is really an act of moral obedience. For though the ultimate act of affent belongs to the judgment which clofes involuntarily with full evidence, yet the will and temper has a great share in its production. There is a serious application and attention of mind neceffary to the discovery of truth; and the will often diverts or fufpends this neceffary attention it often transmits to the judgment only a partial view of the evidences; it often throws them into shade, and presents objections in the most advantageous point of light. Corrupt paffions fecond the deception: prejudices, not just principles, are made the criterion of the examination.

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It is a just proverb, we eafily believe that to be true, which we wish to be true; and difbelieve what thwarts our interests and inclinations. The process is ufually this: paffion at firft urges us by its violence to tranfgrefs even against clear evidence, and in time draws reafon over to its fide.-Let any one but obferve, and he will find that men's general way of thinking is determined much by their profeffions or habitual pursuits-enslaved to appetite, in particular, the mind becomes by degrees corrupted, lofes its true tafte, and begins to think that natural and right, which custom has reconciled to it. To a well-practised mifer, I fuppofe, liberality becomes a mystery; to a proud man humility is a paradox, and to a fenfual man purity of heart an idle vifion.

THERE is, befides, no truth, which is not encumbered with fome difficulties; there is no fact, which appears not differently

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ferently, in different attitudes and pofitions. In this embarraflment of things, it is difficult often even for the difpaffionate to form a fteady right opinion: others almost neceffarily err according to the bias of their refpective prejudices.

AND if we attend to fact, we fhall accordingly find, that there is generally fomething vicious, where men renounce the comforts and hopes of religion; fomething wrong in their caft of judgment, temper, or disposition. Stupid indolence dreads the trouble, gay diffipation dreads the gloom of ferious reflection. Anxious business wants the time, profeffed pleafure wants inclination, to examine into the pretenfions of religion. And in the very act of attention, there are numbers, who will be gratified only, according to their own peculiar taftes. The Jew expects a fign, the Greek wants wisdom. The quaint critic wants elegance of ftile; the abstracted philofopher wants demon

demonftrative clearness or fyftematic refinement. Greatness fcorns to be taught by fishermen and mechanics; and fingularity scorns to think in common with the herd.

To men, labouring under any difqualifications, the hearing of truth is an irksome task. They either fuffer it not to reach their hearts, or they haften to forget its difagreeable effects amidst the loose laughter of licentious company, or the tumult of former occupations.

THEY will apply any delufive artifice to evade its general force. Something incidently arifes, for instance, which, half understood, is capable of being perverted the ridicule of this feizes their attention and ferves to efface all ferious impreffions. Something arifes, which is liable to doubt or objection. Happy in this little perplexity, they think it fufficient to counterbalance the whole concurrent evidences of religion. All difputers, all writers against religion S 4 proceed

proceed in this way: their cavils are topical, and levelled against particular little parts in the grand fcheme of redemption. By fuch a method all truth in the world may be embarraffed and overruled; the volume of nature may be obfcured, and the foundations of the most useful of human sciences overthrown.

BUT let men come to religious enquiry with the usual dispositions of finding truth, let them have proper application of mind, let them be serious, attentive, and well inclined to the general interefts of virtue, and faith will fpring up of courfe: it meets with its proper foil; a good and honeft heart: it ftrikes firm root and grows up, proof against fuch affailing temptations as arise in the future courfe of life.

If we but bring this teachable temper to religion, and feek nothing in it but a rule of virtuous conduct and a scheme of saving grace, we shall find a

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