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text expreffes it, in the fruit of goodness, SERM. and righteousness, and truth.

BUT this leads me to another obferva

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tion, with which I fhall conclude: And
that is,
That the way I have taken of
confidering this subject is the only one that
can give strength and credit to Religion;
which can never be fupported with honour,
nor effectually recommended to wife and
unprejudic'd judges, but by advancing Mc-
rality. On the contrary, the representing
religion as having a certain incomprehenfible
and mystical fublimity ---as more fpiritual
and refined than mere moral virtue,

and diftinct from it -- muft, of course, de-
ftroy the respect and confidence, which are
otherwife due to religious characters. And
this melancholy and reproachful confe-
quence of fo ftrange and injudicious a
conduct is, already, too visible, and plain
from experience. For it is the remark of
a very great and admired writer, that

If we are told a Man is religious; we fill afk, "What are bis Morals *?"--But there could be no poffible foundation for fuch a

*Characteristicks, Vol. II. p. 6.

VOL. II.

bitter

V.

SERM. bitter farcefm, by which the most veneV. rable name, and the beft caufe in all the world, are treated with fcorn and ridicule-If religion was always defcribed as a rea sonable service; in which moral obligations maintain'd their proper rank, and were acknowledg'd to be an essential, nay, the superior, part.

MEN of thought and ingenuity ought to be above being mifled by mere fhew and outward appearance; which is the just character of the ignorant and the fuperficial. And if they argued impartially, upon the truth of things, and not upon Popular prejudices, they would quickly difcern, that Religion, confider'd as it is in itself, must aid and strengthen every Moral Tie. For it retains every motive that Morality, in the separate notion of it, includes, arifing from either -- its beauty or ufe; its agreement with the natural order and relations of things, its advancement of perfonal perfection and happiness, its tendency to promote the Publick good. -- And to give the greater force to all thefe, it adds another highly rational motive, and that is, the authority of Gcd, the wife and merciful Governour

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Governour, the righteous and impartial SERM, judge, of Mankind. And if religion, fair- V. ly reprefented, had only its direct and genuine influence, and was practis'd in its full extent, the state of the question would deserve to be alter'd: And when we heard, that a man had honeft Moral principles, and was a person of natural juftice and good temper; inftead of acquiefcing in this, for our more complete fatisfaction, as to the folid ground of repofing confidence in him, we might, reasonably, be follicitous to know farther "Whether be " was religious and devout?" Indeed, the noble author above-mention'd was pleased to fay, that this is a queftion we feldom think of. And, as we are apt to think but feldom of other questions, that are not only pertinent, but of the utmost importance, the fact, perhaps, may be in a great measure, as he has ftated it. But from what does it proceed ?--From the true nature of religion? This cannot be pretended, without betraying extreme weaknefs, and want of reflection. It must therefore, fpring entirely---either from our own

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V.

SERM. ignorance of religion; or other mens corruptions of it by fuperftition and vice. But notwithstanding both of these, it may, when it is rightly explain'd, be the most natural ground, and the ftrongest guard, of mutual faith and confidence. And I will venture to affert, upon the reasons already produc'd, that the Mere Moral Man (if fuch a one there is, or can be) without religion, is not able to give the fame security to the World in general, of his honesty; to his Country, of his steady and uncorrupted duty; or to his Friends, of his inviolable honour and fidelity; as he can do, who is both Moral and Religious. And the Chriftian character, in particular, can be confider'd in no other light, without doing it an unpardonable wrong, than as most friendly to Human commerce, and calculated for the most complete prefervation of all our natural and focial rights; fince the fruit of the Spirit, which effentially belongs to it, is exprefly faid to be the Moral virtues that fupport the order and happiness of Societies-viz. Goodness, and Righteoufnefs, and Truth.

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SER

SERMON VI.

Of Anger.

EPHES. iv. 26.

Be ye angry, and fin not: Let not the fun go down upon your wrath.

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T will be found, upon reflec- SERM.
tion, that the whole of Re- VI.
ligion is little elfe, befides the
right conduct and govern-

ment of our Affections and

Paffions. If these are well regulated, the natural confequence will be Piety, Order,

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and

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