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MOllAL PHI L_ O S O P II Y.
'y. grows as it Wtre infe nfible to thoCe minmcr ir- 2nd checrrl}ln~rs, ir (he evid(:nce i:s clear ud con\'incing;
udiations of it upon ¡trd r. T o , lhercfore, of a ~er· and fi n"lIy, ir it bring to li6lH any new rehtiolls or con–
ccnary love of G od. or which hu fear for ¡es princip:\1 n:étioos, rdigioo.wlll perfuade in fincere 'foury
ingredient, i, equ. lly impiou, and abCurd. Ir w" do nOI - fallhfully lO comply wi lh ,he obligarion" and perform Ib~
lave the +Ovelidt 'objett iD ¡he univerfe for his own ["kc, duties which reCule from "hofe reJations and conneltioDS a
no prorpefl of good or fear of ill can ever bribe our e· - Thi, is ,heifm, piery, ,he completion of morali,y !
fieern, or captivate our loye. Thefe affea ions are too I We mufi further obferve. that Al) lhoft affl.:étioDs which
noble 'o be bougb, or rold, or barte"d in ,he way of we cuppored 10 regard ,he D ei,y as ,heiT immedia« ·and
gaín; worth, or merit, as their objea, thei r reward primary objcét, are viul cr:ergits of the foul, and confe–
i, romething fimilar ie kind. ¡ndulces fuch quently excrt ,hemrelves in,o aa ; .ed lIke all i.. o,her
{entiments and aff'eétions towards the D eity, muij. be con· en::rgics, gain nreogth or greater aélil'ity by that exerden,
ftrOled in th,f lov! ofl'inue, in a deure) o imitate iu all· l lis therefore ourduty, as well 'as highelt iorcrell. often,
perfeét Patte~n, and in a cheerful fecuritythat all his greolt al fi.uep. times; and .by decent and folemn aéls, to eOR–
coneeros, ,hore of his frieDds "nd of ,be univerfe, !hall ' emplate and adóre ,he grea, OrigiDal of our exillence, ,he
be abrolu,ely· fafe uDder ,he coedufl of uneTring wif· P aren, of all beauty, and of all good ; to expref. Our ..-
dom and unbounded goodoeCs. lt is in his care and nera,ion and lo.e, by ae . wful .nd de.out recogoition of
providenee alone that the good man, who is anxious for his perfeélioos; and to evidenee our gratitude, hy cdebra...
,he happinefs of .11, fiods perfefl fereni,y, a CereDi,y ,ing bis goodners, and ,hankfully acknowlédging all hi.
"ci,her rulll. d by partial ill, Dar Coured by private dif.? benefi,s. lt is lik.wife our du,y, by proper exercifes of
,oiotment. forrow and humiliation, to confer, our iogratitude and
(o"fider ,he unflaiDed puri,y and abColu'e pero rolly; to fi gnify our depeodence on God, •• Dd OUT con6i
f.a ion of ,he di.ioe Da,ure, and reftefl wi,h, l on Ihe deocc iD his goodnef., by imploring bis bleffing aDd gr••
imperfeétion and various blemifhes of our own, we man d ous coocurrenee io,affifiing the weaknefs, aod curing lhe
Gnk, or be convinced we ought to link, into th: deepell: corruptions of ourCnature ; aDd finally, lO temfy our feofe
bumility and proflration of· foul befor.e H im ",ho is fo of hi, au,hori' y,'.od our fai,h in his government, by de–
wooderfuJly grea' ·and holy. When, fa"her, we eaJl ' o .o,in~ ourCehes 'o do his will, 'Dd religning· ourfelve....
mind wha, low and languid feeliogs we have of the Di. jne his difpofal. Thefe dUli.. aTe no' ,herefore obliga,ory,
Prefence aDd Majefly; wbal infenfibililY of his f.,herlr beeaure ,he D ei,y needs or can bel'rofited by ,hem; but
Olnd univc:rfal goodnefs, nay, what ungrateful returos we as they are appareotly decent aod mora); fuitable to tbe
have made to j[ ; how far we come lhon of the perfeétion rdations hefpll:aios of our Crearor, Beoefaétor, Law.givc:r
of his law, and ,he digni, y of dur own nature; how mueh and J udge ; expreffive of our and obligatioDs; and
we indulged ' o ,he Celfilh poffions, and how linle to i",proviog ' o OUT ,empers, by mal<in~ us more r·atioeal,
tae benevolen, ·one. ; we mufl be confcious Iha, il is OUT Cocial, godlike; .od conf~queDtly more happy . .
~u,y 'o "penl of a temper and eondufl fo uDworthy our W e have oow coofidered ioternal piety, or theworlbtp
nalure, and unbecorniRg our oblig:nioos to in AUlhor, of lhe miod. that whieh is in (pirít aDd in truth; we. fb~l
aDd to refol ve and endeavour 'o afl a wifer aDd bener conel ude ,he feélion wi,h a !hOrt aceoun' ~f ,ch "
parl for...t e (uture. externa!. Ex'c:rnal worJhip is (ounded on lhe fame pri~.
N everthelef., from ,he char.fler which his works ex· ciples as in,( rnal, aud of a fl rifl moral oligatioo. lt ti
hibit of him, from thofe delays '9r allevialions C?f puniCh. eilher private or pub!:c, ' D'et'otio:l, thal is inward, ot
mcol which offeriders oflcn expericoce, and from the purely intclJeltuar, 1S lOOfpiritual and abnraltcd an op~·
múciful tenour of his adminillr:u ioninmany otAer iAfh,o· ration for the bulk of mankiod. , "he operatioris of lbelr
ce., the fin cere penitent m.. y eoteruio cood hopes that mind" fueh efpeci.ally as ar.e employed 0 0 the. mon fub–
his ~arcn, .nd J udge will no' be a ria 10 mar k iniqui,y, bur lime immaterial objca. , mufl be affill,d by ,hete ou
wíll be propitious and f..vourable to him, ir he honellly org,tn!, 'or by (ame h~lp from the im"g~nation, otherwlfe
ende..ours to ..·oid hi, forma praflices,' and fubdue hi. they will be foon diffipated by fenlible impreffions, Qr ero,.
{ormer habiu , and to live in a greater conformity lOthe tirerome if tOo long cominued. Ideas are fueh BCCtlDg
divine will for lhe fu ,ure. If .ny doubts or fcars !hould ' hings ,ha, ,hey muf\. be· 6Ked , aod fo fubtle ,ha, ,hey
flill re , how rar i, may be confiaenl wi,h the refli. mufl be exp,elfed and deline.tcd"as i, were, by feofible
tude and equity of the di\'ine ga.ernmenl to Jet his ini· marks 'and imagel t otherwife \Ve cannot altend at thero,
qui lies pafs unpuni!hed; ye, he canno' ,hink i, unfuitable nor be OIueh affefled ' o ,hem. Tber~fore ,erbal . dora–
to his péuern¡,1clc01ency and wifJom lOcontri, e a method tiOD, prayu, praife. thankfgiving, ~nd coofdlio~ , are ad·
of retrieving the penítent o{fcnder, (hat {hall unile and mir,able aids [O inward devotion, fix our atttnttoo, cont–
reconeíle the majcH.y ~nd mere}' of his govcrnment, If pofe and enlivcn our thoughlS, imprcfs us more dt:C'ply
rearon cannOl of ¡trdf fuggeH fuch a fcht:me, ir gives at with a fcnre of the .. wful prefence in \l.'hich wc are, 3"",
lea(l fome ground lOexpetl. it. Hut though natural reli . b.y a natural and r.leeh.mical fon of ence) t~nd to
.gion cannOI let innlore 1iJ.!ht and 2lfurance on fo intcrdHllg heighten thoCe devout feeJinRs and ...ffcélions y,~luch \\'C
a fubjcét. yel iI wdl le:Jch the humble lheill to wait Wilh ought la entertain, and afterlhis m:lOner reduce lOtO (or.
great fu bmifLon for any fanller ¡ot¡malinns it may pl~are Inal and explicit aét .
the Stlprc:mc GovernorlO give of his \ViII; eX-Imille with This holds [flle in :\0 higher cte~rce in ,he c!'lfe of pul.>.
c::andou r and iOlpanialiry whatevc r evidence 1h:,1I be pro. líe \Val fhip, whcre the prefc,,!ce of our fdlow-.cfC':..tures,
pofed 10 him 01' a rlivint: revelation~ whether th:Jl t:'vidence and lhe f.owe rful contagian of the (ocia! ,¡fI:C:~ I?ns. con·
is nalural or fupernatur~d; tocU!braec it with vene ration fpire to kiodle and fprcad lhe devou( llam~ WItH gll'ater
ell!rgy_