PART ftate, from the Opinion of Neceffity; it has I. been fhewn, that God has given us the Evidence, as it were, of Experience, that all Objections against Religion, on this Head, are vain and delufive. He has also, in his natural Government, fuggefted an Answer to all our fhort-fighted Objections, against the Equity and Goodness of his moral Government: And in general He has exemplified to us the latter by, the former.

These things, which, it is to be remembred, are Matters of Fact, ought, in all common Senfe, to awaken Mankind; to induce them to confider in earneft their Condition, and what they have to do. It is absurd, abfurd to the Degree of being ridiculous, if the Subject were not of fo ferious a kind, for Men to think themselves fecure, in a vicious Life; or even in that immoral Thoughtleffnefs, which far the greatest Part of them are fallen into. And the Credibility of Religion, arifing from Experience and Facts here confidered, is fully fufficient, in Reason, to engage them to live in the general Practice of all Virtue and Piety; under the serious Apprehenfion, though it should be mixed with fome Doubt, of a righteous Administration established in Nature, and a future Judgment in Confequence of it: Efpecially when we d Part II. Chap. vi.

confider,

I.

confider, how very questionable it is, whe- PART ther any thing at all can be gained by Vice; how unquestionably little, as well as precarious, the Pleasures and Profits of it are at the beft; and how foon they must be parted with at the longest. For, in the Deliberations of Reason, concerning what we are to purfue, and what to avoid, as Temptations to any thing from mere Paffion, are fuppofed out of the Cafe: So Inducements to Vice, from cool Expectations of Pleasure and Interest fo fmall and uncertain and short, are really fo infignificant, as, in the View of Reason, to be almost Nothing in themselves: And in Comparison with the Importance of Religion, they quite difappear and are loft. Mere Paffion indeed may be alledged, though not as a Reason, yet as an Excufe, for a vicious Course of Life. And how forry an Excuse it is, will be manifest by obferving, that we are placed in a Condition, in which we are unavoidably inured to govern our Paffions, by being neceffitated to govern them; and to lay ourselves under the fame Kind of Restraints, and as great ones too, from temporal Regards, as Virtue and Piety, in the ordinary Course of things, require. The Plea of ungovernable Paffion then, on the Side of Vice, is the poorest of all things: for it is no Reason, and but a poor Excuse. But the proper

PART Motives to Religion, are the proper Proofs of I. it, from our moral Nature, from the Prefages of Confcience, and our natural Apprehenfion of God under the Character of a righteous Governor and Judge; a Nature and Confcience and Apprehenfion given us by Him: and from the Confirmation of the Dictates of Reafon, by Life and Immortality brought to light by the Gofpel; and the wrath of God revealed from Heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men.

The End of the First PART.

THE

THE

ANALOGY

OF

RELIGION

TO THE

Conftitution and Courfe of NATURE.

PART II.

Of REVEALED RELIGION.

CHA P. I.

Of the Importance of Chriftianity.

S

OME Perfons, upon Pretence of the CHAP. Sufficiency of the Light of Nature, a- I. vowedly reject all Revelation, as, in its

very Notion, incredible, and what must be fictitious. And indeed it is certain, no Revelation

PART velation would have been given, had the II. Light of Nature been fufficient in fuch a

Senfe, as to render one not wanting and ufelefs. But no Man, in Serioufnefs and Simplicity of Mind, can poffibly think it fo, who confiders the State of Religion in the heathen World, before Revelation, and its prefent State in thofe Places which have borrowed no Light from it: particularly, the Doubtfulness of fome of the greatest Men, concerning things of the utmost Importance, as well as the natural Inattention and Ignorance of Mankind in general. It is impoffible to fay, who would have been able to have reafoned out That whole Syftem, which we call natural Religion, in its genuine Simplicity, clear of Superftition: but there is certainly no Ground to affirm, that the Generality could. If they could, there is no Sort of Probability, that they would. Admitting there were, they would highly want a standing Admonition, to remind them of it, and inculcate it upon them. And farther ftill, were they as much difpofed to attend to Religion, as the better, Sort of Men are: yet even upon this Suppofition, there would be various Occafions for fupernatural Inftruction and Assistance, and the greatest Advantages might be afforded by them. So that to fay, Revelation is a thing fuperfluous, what there was no Need of, and what can be of no Service; is, I think,

to