SERM." infinite, what I have afferted will still "hold true, viz. that it is poffible, that there

I.

may now be as many of the highest order " of Intelligences, as there would have "been, if only that fingle order had been "created. And should this which may be, "actually be, the cafe with respect to the

bigbeft order; all the other claffes of ra❝tional Beings, (in which we may fairly "prefume, from what we know of our

own Species, that there is a much greater "proportion of happiness than mifery upon "the whole) will be an addition to the "fum total of good. Nay, if we fuppofe

(which is, furely, a poffible cafe likewise) "that there are not only in the higheft, "but in every other, rank of Beings, rifing "in a regular gradation one above ano"ther, as many creatures as there would "have been, if each of these orders had "existed alone; the leaving out any fpe"cies of mere Animals whofe pleafures "exceed their pains, (which, it is most "reasonable to believe from what we clearly fee of the goodness of the Creator, " is, or will be, the cafe of all) must sub"tract

tract JUST fo much from the univerfal SERM, happiness." *

LET us learn from this discourse, to cultivate in our minds the highest reverence of God's moral character, and an honour-· able opinion of his Providence. Under the evils of life, let us behave with decency and resignation, and not give way to a peevish fullen discontent. ---- .If any are occafion'd by our own imprudence or wickedness, let us be taught more difcretion by them, and a ftricter adherence to the rules of virtue. And under thofe which are unavoidable, and spring, neceffarily, from the establish'd frame and laws of Nature, let us compofe ourselves with this rational and well-grounded reflection, that the whole fcene of Human affairs is conducted by unerring wisdom, and upon

*The poffibility of the cafes here fuppofed, cannot, I think, be disputed. And if it cannot, it neceffarily follows, that, notwithstanding the appearances of imperfection and evil in the world, there may exift a Being abfolutely perfect, the only Creator of the univerfe, and difpofer of events; who may have form'd and order'd all things for the beft. And if this only may be true, it follows as necessarily, that both Atheism, and the doctrine of two Principles, so far at least as they are built on this objection, are groundless and arbitrary schemes.

I.

the

3

SERM. the maxims of moft exact and impartial I. juftice. This thought will be of great ufe

;

A

to us, not only to preferve the refpect that
is due to God, as our infinite Creator and
fupreme Governour but to alleviate and
foften our cares, and render our afflictions;
of
every kind, more tolerable: And, be-
fides, we may joyfully hope for a better
existence hereafter, in which all those
things, which are now fo forely complain'd
of as irregularities and evils in Human
life, will be perfectly rectified; and that
happy condition introduced (at the most
fit and proper feason) which, in our restless
and impatient hours we are apt to imagine;
ought to have been the original ftate of
the rational Creation,

SER

SERMON II.

20292

Of the true principle of virtue.

PSALM CXix. 97.

O how love I thy Law! It is my meditation all the day,

II.

HAT the Pfalmift here fays, SE RM.
concerning himself, muft, in
fome measure, be the fenti-
ment of every truly good
Man:---He approves of and

admires, efteems and prefers, the rules of
Virtue and true Religion, because of their
intrinfic equity and rectitude. --- But Men
are apt, from a certain train of thinking to
which they have been long accuftom'd, or
a peculiar turn of difpofition, to carry this

to

SERM. to an extreme; throwing a fort of contempt II. on every other motive and principle of vir

tue. Thus, to be moved by the hope of a reward is defcribed as debafing moral goodness, and rendering it vulgar and mercenary; and the being determin'd by authority, tho' it be the fupreme and unqueftionable authority of the Creator and Lord of the universe, in the opinion of the objector, is acting from a kind of constraint, and is therefore reprefented to be, at least in a comparative fenfe, fervile and ungenerous. Whereas, in truth, an authority that is fit to be obeyed can include, in the idea of it, no more of real constraint, than rules that are fit to be obferved, let them be confider'd in ever fo abftracted a view. The influence of both is exactly the fame in kind: They must only be confider'd as motives, which are just and important in themfelves, and proper to work on rational Beings.

BUT if this be a wrong way of thinking, it has, however, its oppofite errors. For there are fome, again, who talk of scarce any thing but rewards; as if virtue and piety little deferved to be chofen and pursued,

for