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XI.

stances of our outward condition, as the difSER M. positions of our minds and our moral conduct.eu query?

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- This argument has been largely infifted
on, and the force of it clearly feen by wife
and thoughtful men, without the advantage
of a revelation, even when they were un-
certain concerning a future state, as fome of
them at all tîmes, and probably all of them
at fometimes, were: It was the foundation
on which they maintained the excellence and
the eligibleness of virtue, as moft becoming
the dignity of a rational nature, and the
chief good of man, abftracting from any
confideration of God's interpofing, to re-
ward and punish men according to their
works. But if we take in that confidera-
tion, the ftrength of the argument will
become irrefiftable, and the prophet's affer-
tion in the text will reft, not only on the
conftitution and state of human nature, as
we find it by observation and experience, but
the evidence we have of the being, the
perfections, and the moral government of
God, from which it is a just consequence.
We are, then, to confider righteousness not
merely as the glory of the human mind,
and the naturally felicitating exercise and
attainment

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SERM.attainment of its powers, but farther as it is XI. approved, and recommended to mankind, by the Deity, their rightful and fupreme ruler. That there is an intelligent and good author of nature, all his works proclaim; and that he has manifefted his will and fome of his designs in his works of creation and providence to his rational creatures, thereby to direct them in the course of their voluntary actions, is alfo very evident. For as we cannot but conclude in general what he intended by the relations, dependency, and order of things. For inftance, to what end the fun and the earth were placed in fuch a fituation, with respect to each other as they are; that the earth affording fuch a variety of conveniencies for animals was defign'd for their habitation; we know by confidering the uses of the feveral parts in our ani mal frame, what nature, that is, the author of nature form'd them for; that eyes were made for feeing, feet for walking, and hands to be inftruments for action; fo fince, in particular, it appears that we are creatures capable of various pleasure and pain, in confequence of our own voluntary actions, and we can foresee the confequence, it is not with any pretence of reason to be doubted, but the wife and good author of nature defign'd,

fign'd, hereby that the course of our actions SERPIS fhou'd be fo directed, as we might pro- XI.

mote our own happiness and avoid mifery. Now this is as evidently true, with refpect to moral actions, and the confequences of them, as any other; we know their difference as clearly, and are as free in our choice, we are as certain, too, of the event of the connection between virtue and happiness, between wickednefs and mifery; from whence it plainly follows, that God defign'd by this constitution and state of things wherein we are placed, that we should choose what is morally good, and refuse the evil; in other words, that we are under a moral law, and God is our moral governor, or that he has declared his will concerning our conduct, and given us a rule of action, enforced by a fanction, or by rewards and punishments, annexed to the obfervance of it, and our disobedience to it, which should determine our behaviour as rational crea

tures.

Hence arifes a confideration of great weight; not only we find by experience, in the ordinary course of things, that it is well with the righteous, and ill with the wicked; or, that there is in fact a connection between VOL. I.

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virtue

SERM. Virtue and happiness, and between vice and XI. mifery; but it is fo established by the fo

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vereign will of the great law-giver, whofe power none can refift. We have the cleareft evidence that he approves the good actions of men, and difapproves the bad; whence we infer that one part of his own character is moral rectitude, which is a perfection that neceffarily appears to our minds amiable, and every way worthy of the most excellent nature; and fince he is our natural governor, by whose will we exift, are preferv'd, and all the circumftances of our condition are determined, here is a fufficient intimation of the rule, according to which he doth, and will always proceed, in his difpenfations towards us, making us happy or unhappy. This being fuppos'd as a certain principle, let us fee how it is to be applied to the prefent ftate of things, and what confequences follow from it. The adminiftration of providence in this world has a contrary appearance, for it feems to be promifcuous: As Solomon fpeaks, all things come alike to all, none knows either love or hatred; that is, the favour or difpleasure of God, by all that is before him, by the events which happen

to men in the ordinary course of the world, SERM, which makes the point we are now confi- XI, dering appear doubtful; and great multitudes of mankind feem not to believe it; at leaft, it has not that influence on their dif pofitions and their lives, which a principle of fuch importance feriously believed and attended to might be expected to have. The true answer to this difficulty, is, that though God be a ruler perfectly righteous, who moft certainly will diftribute rewards and punishments to his reasonable creatures, according to their works, yet in this he acts freely and with perfect wisdom; not neceffarily at all times, and in every difpenfation towards them, making the difference among them which is to be made finally and in the whole, but choofing the manner and the time for his righteous diftribution, which to his infinite understanding appears the most proper: And that we now appear plainly to be in a state of difcipline, wherein one part of our appointed trial arifes from the imperfection of our knowledge, concerning the event of virtue and vice in our practice. It pleases God now to leave the obligations of virtue more imperfect, and the motives to it less over

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bearing

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