a

hend; both the efficient and the final causes being, in many cafes, unknown to us: whereas the clearer ideas we have of the characters of men are acquired from reflection fuch upon parts of their conduct as we can both fully comprehend, and are capable of ourselves; so that we can tell precisely how we should feel and be disposed, if we acted in the same manner. The knowledge, alfo, of the manner in which men express themselves, upon known occafions, is a great help to us in judging of what they feel, and confequently in inveftigating their proper character; and this is an advantage of which we are intirely deftitute, with respect to God, on the principles of the light of nature. It is from revelation chiefly, if not only, that we get a juft idea of what we may call the proper character of the divine being. There we may both hear his declarations, and fee various fpecimens of his conduct, with refpect to a variety of perfons and occafions; by which means we have the best opportunity of entering,

as

as it were, into his fentiments, perceiving his difpofition, learning what are the objects of his approbation or diflike, in fhort, of gaining a proper and distinct idea of his moral character.

PART

PART II.

OF THE DUTY, AND FUTURE EXPECTA

TIONS OF MANKIND.

H

SECTION I.

Of the rule of right and wrong.

AVING feen what it is that nature teaches us concerning GOD, our next inquiry respects the proper rule of human conduct, and our expectations, grounded upon that conduct. No man comes into the world to be idle. Every man is furnished with a variety of paffions, which will continually engage him in fome pursuit or other; and the great question we have to decide is what paffions we ought to indulge, and what pursuits we ought

ought to engage in. Now there are several very proper rules by which to form our judgment in this cafe; because there are feveral juft objects that we ought to have in view in our conduct. It is very happy, however, that this variety in our views can never mislead us, fince all the great ends we ought to keep in view are all gained by the fame means. They are, therefore, like fo many different clues to lead to the fame end; and in the following inquiry I fhall make ufe of any one of them, or all of them, as it may happen that, in any particular cafe, they can be applied to the most advantage.

Strictly speaking, there are no more than two just and independent rules of human conduct, according to the light of nature, one of which is obedience to the will of God, and the other a regard to our own real happiness; for another rule, which is a regard to the good of others, exactly coincides with a regard to the will of God; fince all that we know of the

will

will of God, according to the light of nature, is his defire that all his creatures fhould be happy, and therefore that they fhould all contribute to the happiness of each other. In revelation we learn the will of God in a more direct method, and then obedience to God, and a regard to the good of others will be distinct and independent principles of action, though they both enjoin the fame thing. The fourth, and laft rule of human conduct, is a regard to the dictates of conscience. But this is only the fubftitute of the other principles, and, in fact, arifes from them; prompting to right conduct on emergencies, where there is no time for reasoning or reflection; and where, confequently, no proper rule of conduct could be applied.

Having thus pointed out the proper diftinction and connection of these rules, I fhall confider each of them separately. The first object of inquiry, in order to inveftigate the proper rule of right and wrong