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A

VIEW

OF THE

EVIDENCES OF REVEALED RELIGION.

DISCOURSE I.

The Importance of Religion.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; but fools hate knowledge and inftruction.

PROVERBS, i. 7.

By the fear of God we may very well understand religion in general, and there can be no doubt but that by religion Solomon meant fuch principles of it as he held to be the best founded, or the revelation by Mofes. And as I propose, in a series of difcourfes, to give a view of the evidences of revealed religion, I fhall in this show that the fubject is of importance, that the knowledge we receive by means of it is of real value, tending to exalt the character,

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racter, and add to the happiness of man. Indeed if this be not the use of religion, it would not be worth our while to make any enquiry into its evidences; becaufe on that fuppofition, true or false, it would be an useless and infignificant thing. The question is the more deferving of an attentive confideration, as many, I imagine, moft, unbelievers, maintain that religion is not merely an useless, but a hurtful thing, debafing the mind of man, and adding to the miseries of his exiftence, fo that it is rendering him an effential service to free his mind from it.

Now, what is it that the friends of religion fay is fo beneficial, and its adverfaries fo mifchievous, to man? The principles of religion are acknowledged to confift in the belief of the being, the perfections, and providence of God here, and of a future ftate of retribution hereafter. The man who believes thefe things is faid to have religion, and the man who disbelieves them, who thinks that there is no God, no providence, or no future ftate, whatever he be in other refpects, whether he be virtuous or vicious, cannot be faid to have any religion, properly fo called. Let us, then,. confider the nature of thefe principles, and

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what effect they must have on those who seriously believe them. That principles, or opinions, of fome kind or other, have real influence on the general character, and on the conduct and happinefs of human life, cannot be denied. Man is a thinking being. All his actions proceed from fome thought or defign, and his actions and conduct are certainly of importance, iffuing in a better or worse state of his circumftances. If the maxims he acts upon, and the objects of his purfuit, be just,' and if his measures be well laid, he improves his condition; whereas if his maxims of conduct be falfe and fallacious, if the objects of his purfuit be unworthy of him, or his conduct be ill directed, he must expect to fuffer in confequence.

It also cannot be denied that what is called virtue, or the right government of the paffions, adds to the dignity of man, and to the happiness both of individuals and of fociety; and religion certainly comes in aid of virtue. The man who follows the dictates of paffion, and prefent inclination, without reflecting on the tendency and iffue of his conduct, is fure to involve himself in difficulties. The unrestrained indulgence of the natural

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appetites, both fhortens life, by introducing diseases and premature death, and makes a fhort life miferable; whereas moderation and difcretion is the fource of the truest and most lafting enjoyment. Manhood conducted by mere paffion and inclination, without forefight of confequences, is only a protracted childhood; and what father is there who thinks it wife to indulge a child in all its varying humours? It would foon deftroy itfelf. And equally deftructive and ruinous would be the conduct of a man who fhould make no more use of his reason, but prefer his prefent gratification to future good, which is the general defcription of vice.

Could the moft intemperate of men have a clear forefight of all the disorders and wretchedness that will be the fure, or very probable, confequence of his conduct, with refpect to his health and life, and alfo of the poverty and contempt which generally attends that mode of life, whatever might be his fondness for any fpecies of fenfual indulgence, he would certainly restrain himself. Alfo, how greedy foever any perfon might be of riches, could he forefee all the anxiety, and risk, attending a course of fraudulent practices, and the little enjoyment

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