requires; and confequently, all which right reafon can expect: And that the ftrongest of their objections to it arife from the abufive exercife of our Faculties, employed on objects which thofe Faculties can neither apprehend nor reach.

III.

But now, all PARTIES, in fupport of their oblique interefts, have concurred to decry this method of Inquiry; whereby, from the various genius, the comparative excellence, the mutual dependence, the reciprocal illustration of the feveral parts of God's moral Difpenfation to Mankind, and the gradual progress of the Whole towards perfection, great difcoveries have been made in these latter times, by men who dared to break the barrier, which Bigotry and Superftition had been fo long forming, to obftruct our views both of NATURE and of GRACE.

Thefe PARTIES afk, How it happened that Discoveries fo fublime and useful, as is pretended, were now to make; when

the

the light of the fpirit was fent fo early, and had illuminated the Church fo long?How it happened, that these Truths were denied to the best times, and, after lying hid for many ages, were referved for the reward of the very worst? And then, in their real or pretended reverence for Eftablifhments, concur in condemning all EXPE RIMENTS IN RELIGION.

To thefe, under their fad fufpicions of the iffue, in forfaking the OLD POSTURE OF DEFENCE, it will be sufficient to reply,

1. That the promise and gift of the Holy Spirit may be confidered, either as they referred to the first Propagators of the Faith, or as they concerned the Teachers of it, ever fince.

As to the first Propagators, there is no doubt of their being abundantly enlightened for the work of their Miniftry; whether it was in making Converts, in founding Churches, or in compofing thofe occafional inftructions, by which the Faithful, in all ages, may improve the current benefits of the fame Spirit. As to the fucceeding Teachers of the word, the affistance they

receive

receive from the HOLY SPIRIT, is the fecond point we are more particularly to confider.

Now the endowment of GRACE is, in this refpect, pretty much the fame with the endowment of NATURE; of little advantage to the receiver without his cooperation. God hath bestowed upon us hands and feet, to procure good, and to avert evil; but it is to the careful and habitual application of these members to their proper ufes, that we owe all the benefits they are capable of producing. So it is with the free gift of the Spirit. It is bestowed upon us, to enlighten the understanding, and to redrefs the diforders of the Will. But it does not work like a Charm for if either we neglect to employ thefe given powers, or will divert them to improper fubjects, the ufe and efficacy of Grace must certainly be defeated.

This Ordinance, in the economy of GRACE, may receive credit from what is feen to have happened in the oeconomy of NATURE. The power, wisdom, and goodnefs of the Almighty is fo evident and convincing,

3

vincing, from every obvious configuration of matter furrounding us, that these Attributes cannot escape the most inattentive, or lie concealed from the most short-fighted. Hence a GOD, the Maker, the Preferver, and Governor of the World, is the univerfal voice of Nature.

Now CREATION and GOVERNMENT, from whence the morality of human Actions is deduced, are the foundation of NATURAL RELIGION: fo that GoD cannot be faid to have been wanting in the discovery of himself to the lowest of his rational Creatures: Yet, though the general and obvious marks of his power, wifdom, and goodness, obtrude themselves upon all men, it is nevertheless certain that a well-directed study of the Book of Nature opens to us such stupendous wonders of his Power, fuch awful Scenes of his Wisdom, and fuch enchanting prospects of his Goodnefs, as far exceed all conception of the unlearned and uninftructed Beholder. Some faint taste of these delights the more inquifitive enjoyed very early; But those who came after, by indulging too much to abftract

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stract SPECULATION, and trufting too little to EXPERIMENT, instead of difcovering a real world, the Archetype of its Maker, invented a variety of imaginary ones, all as difhonourable, as they were unrelated to him. At length, two of our own countrymen of fuperior- genius chalked out a different road to the study of Nature, in which vague conjecture was excluded; and facts, verified, on experiments, were allowed to be the only inlet to phyfical knowledge. Henceforth, NATURE was fet before us, unveiled; and her Sacred Myfteries held out to the knowledge and admiration of all

men.

This was the progrefs in the ways of NATURE: The ways of GRACE ran the very fame fortune.

The great Principles of revealed Religion are FAITH and OBEDIENCE. Thefe, which are alone fufficient to make men wife unto Salvation, are clearly and fully taught in the Gospel. But we fhould greatly dero-. gate from God's moral Government, did we not allow it to abound in the like fublime Wonders with the Natural. And to the study