tion of his times, faid, that "there was no

hope of amending mens morals, unless “ God should be pleased to send some other “person to inftru&t them;" and Plato fays, that "whatever is right, and as it should “be, in the present evil ftate of the world, "can only be fo by the particular inter"pofition of God." Socrates meeting Alcibiades, as he was going to a temple to pray, endeavoured to convince him that he knew not what to pray for as he ought, till God should difpel the darkness of his mind, and feems to refer to fome inftructor, whom God might fend for that purpofe*. To mention no more inftances, one of the speakers in the celebrated dialogue of Plato, relating to the laft fcenes of the life of Socrates, fpeaking of the uncertainty in which they were, with refpcct to the doctrine of the immortality of the foul, concludes, that it is best to follow that opinion which should appear to be the most probable, after their moft diligent enquiry; unless they could have a still more fure and certain conduct, to

*Clarke's Evidences of natural and revealed religion, p. 201, &c.

carry

carry them through this life, fuch as a divine difcovery of the truth would be,

The later Platonists and Pythagoreans were fo far from thinking divine communications to be either needlefs or incredible, that after the promulgation of christianity, they themselves pretended to frequent impulfes and infpirations, and had recourfe to their initiations, and various magical ceremonies, in order to procure them. It was, moreover, the general opinion of the heathens, that Orpheus, and others of their antient poets, wrote by a divine afflatus.

It is also a confideration of great importance, that when the authority of the old traditional religion was worn out, fomething of the fame pofitive nature was wanted to fupply its place. The reafon of mankind was by no means fufficient for this purpose. When the paffions of men are strongly engaged, and a favourite gratification is in view, reafon interpofes with little effect; whereas a pofitive precept, coming from acknowledged authority, might have real weight.

R3

weight. to find excufes for their favourite indulgences, and they will define virtue in fuch a manner, as to make their own vices either not criminal at all, or to be fo in a very flight degree.

Befides men are feldom at a lof

We have feen that, in fact, this was the cafe with the antients, in the most enlightened ages of the world; and it is remarkably the cafe with modern unbelievers. Nay, though the tendency of fome vices, especially those which consist in the irregular indulgence of the fenfes, is, no doubt, highly injurious, debafing the very fouls of men, and laying a foundation for great evils and diftreffes, both to individuals and fociety, and this at no great diftance; yet the minds of men are fo blinded and infatuated by thefe vices, that though they may think and act juftly in other refpects, they cannot, or will not fee thofe confequences, but perfift in making plaufible apologies for the most flagitious conduct. How defirable then is it, that the wife parent of the human race fhould interpose, and,

by

prac

by his exprefs authority, forbid thofe tices, which he fees to be ultimately inju

rious to us.

If we attend but for a moment to the fentiments and conduct of mankind, we fhall be convinced that the ten commandments, the plain rules of conduct laid down by our Saviour, and the authoritative denunciations of the apoftles, are of infinitely more fervice to the caufe of virtue, than all that men uninfpired of God could ever fay, or write upon the fubject.

What is the great guardian of fobriety and chastity among us? Certainly not reafon, or philofophy, which has generally made very light of the fanctions of thofe virtues, but such commands as thefe, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Ex. xx. 14. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor abufers of themfelves with mankind, nor drunkards, fball inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi, 2, 10, &c. &c.

A reverence for God is not preserved upon the minds of men by the ideas they naturally have of the awful fanctity of every thing belonging to that great being, who is the maker, preferver, and judge of all, but by fuch precepts as thefe, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, Ex. xx. 7, the exprefs commands of Chrift, I fay unto you fwear not at all; and the advice of the apostle James, Above all things, my brethren, fwear not.

Even our lives and properties are, in many cafes, more effectually fecured by the precepts, Thou shalt not commit murder, Thou fhalt not fteal, and the folemn declaration of the apostle, Neither thieves, nor covelous, nor extortioners, fhall inherit the kingdom of God, than by any fenfe that men, inflamed by avarice, or revenge, can be fuppofed to have of the value of life, and the natural right which every man has to it, and to his goods lawfully acquired.

If