Page Page Self-love, why made the Measure of our That the State we find ourselves in is 56 very pr per for a state of Discipline Summary of our Duty to our Fillow- Various Instructions for this purpose presented to us by Nature, by our Of Justice and Injustice, with respect own Bodies and Minds, by the Consti- to our Neighbour's Property-10 bis tution and Course of the World, and Reputation-to his Person-and to The whole species forined naturally ca- of social Duties, and first, of the Love Difficulties in the Divine Economy of Reciprocal Duties of Parents and Chil. the moral World attempted to be dren-of Spiritual Pastors and their Flocks-of Teachers and Scholars-of Difficulties to be expected, and even to Masters and Servants-ot Husbands be looked upon as a Beauty, in a and Wives--of collateral Relations Scheme su august and extensive 20 --of Friends of the Rich and poor 78 Duty of the Wise and learned, and all That our Species, and all Rational A. Duty to Benefactors and Enemies ib. their Part properly, and contributing Divine Intention in engaging us in such a Variety of Connexions ib. Selfiexamination on the foregoing Heads 82 are under, to wit, with regard to Themselves, their Feilow-creatures, of our Obligations with respect to our Cur Duty, with respect to Ourselves, Creator; and first, of impressing our consists in the proper Care of the Miuds with a rational and practical two Parts of our Nature, the men. 22 Oi bis Right to our Obedience and Ado- of the Passions or Motions of the Mind 23 Useful Moral Reflections on the Di. the due Regulation of the Passions 24 Absurdity of Pride, and Advantages of On the Omnipresence of God--his 27 Eternity-his Power-his Wisdom-- Necessity of Self-knowledge, and of Self- reverelice 30 of the Duty of Prayer, and Objections General Rule for the Conduet of the Passions 105 of the Passion of Love, or Desire, its proper Objects, and due Regulation ib. Of Praising God 34 Amazing Stupidity of Numbers of Man- Of Ambition, or Desire of Praise 35 kind, who altogether neglect their Creator, and all the Duty they owe Of the Passions of Envy, Malice, and 40 One Hundred and Sixty Miscellaneous 43 of the Appetites of Hunger and Thirst, OF REVEALED RELIGION. the Us and Abase of thein 44 That supposing it possible, or probable, that a Revelation may have been Religion to inquire with Candour, into its Pretensions, and to give it a proper Recaption 131 may have been given 132 133 neglecting a Revelation from God of the Wisdom of attending to Reve- vine Dispensation to that People A direct Revealed law highly proper Reflections on the wbole and fit for such Beings as Mankind 134 Revelation given as a part of our Trial Consideration on some Particulars in The World probably never wholly with The Doctrine of Providence, though a Previous Requisites for a proper In- Point of Natural Religion, more pro- perly considered under Revelation; as receving from thence its chief Previous Objections against a Revela- Arguments for its Truth, first, from tion in general, and that of Scripture Reason, as from the Necessity of a in particular, considered. And first, continued Divine Interposition, and of the Need Mankind stood in of ex: Agency, in the Natural World 180 press Information from Heaven, in Other Arguments and Presumptions answer to the Objection of the Suf- ficiency of Human Reason for all Best established by Revelation 137 The Difficulties relating to the Effects The Hottentots, and other barbarous Na. of the Fall, upon the Species in ge. tions, the only tair Examples of the neral, considered Reach of mere Human Reason; most Parts of the civilized World bave been partly illuminated by Revela- of the Incarnation and Humiliation of tion, and therefore not altogether in a 138 of the Efficacy of his Death for the Rese or the State of the Antediluvian and toration of Mankind succreding Times, and Countries, in of the Resurrection of the Body ib. which Revelation was but little of the future general Judgment 197 of the Incapacity of mere Human Rea. Considerations on the credibility of son, in religions Matters, as it ap- Scripture pears in the Mahometan and Popish Requisites for thoroughly examining 141 the various kinds of Evidence for ib. 142 Fallacious Proceedings of the Opposers Objection, of the Abuse of Revelation, of Revealed Religion by weak or designing Men, consider: Testimonies of Heathen Writers, which of its being unworthy of the Divine Simplicity of the Narration, an Argu. Wisdom to have Recourse to an ex. ment for the Truth of the Accounts Revelation analogous to the Constitu. or the Seripture Miracles 208 tion and Course of the World 145 of the Difficulties of the Dæmoniacs 213 Absurdity of opposing Revelation on of Prophecy account of its not suiting our pre-con- A view of some of the most unquestion- 146 abl. Predictions of Holy Scripture 220 Difficulties to be expected in a Reve- No satisfactory Account to br given of 148 the Prevalence, and Establisbment Difficulties no objection; though direct of Christianity, but its being really a absurdities and Contradictions are 150 Divine Institution That Revelation might be expected That Christ must have either been truly to suit our Notions in some particu. the Son of God and Saviour of the lars, and in others to differ froin them 151 World, or an Impostor, or Madman 234 153 That he could not be either of the lat- SECTION II. That' the Christian Religion is not a A Compendious View of the Scheme pious Frau , shown of Divine Revelation 155 Presumption in Favour of Christianity from the Conduct of those who lived 156 at the Time of its first Apprarance- The Accounts given by it, plainly supe- of the Apostles, and particularly of of the Creation-the Fall, and Death, The Character and Conduct, or Christ 243 its Consequence-of the first Prophe himsell considered more particularly, cy of a future Restoration of 'Man- as a Presumption in Favour of his kind-of the general Deluge-the Religion Noachic Dispensation-the Tower of CONCLUSION. Babel-the Destruction of the Cities Self-examination recommended to the of the plain-the call of Abraham- Reader, on the chief Points in which the miraculous History of his Poste- the Dignity of Haman Nature con- rity, the Israelites and Jewe-the Di. sists. 1 DIGNITY OF HUMAN NATURE. BOOK II1.-CONTINUED. OF VIRTUE. SECTION V. The present very proper for a state of Discipline. Objections answered. Were we to imagine a plan of a state of discipline, for improving a species of beings, such as ours, for high stations, and extensive usefulness, in future states; how could we suppose it contrived in any manner that should be materially, different from the state we find ourselves in ? What scheme could be imagined, likely to answer the purposes of planting in the mind of the creature the necessary habit of obedience to the Supreme Being; of giving it an inviolable attachment to virtue, and horror at irregularity; and of teaching it to study a rational and voluntary concurrence with the general scheme of the Governor of the Universe ; what method, I say, can we conceive of for these noble purposes, that should not take in, among others, the following particulars, viz. That the species should be furnished with sufficient capacity, and advantages of all kinds, for distinguishing between right and wrong: that the ingenuity of their dispositions, and the strength of their virtue, should have full exercise, in order both to its trial, and its improvement: that they should have rewards and punishments set before them, as the most powerful motives to obedience : and that, upon the whole, they should have it fairly in their power to ata tain the end of their being put in a state of discipline ? If we consider the present as a state of discipline, all is ordered as should be. We enter into life with minds wholly unfurnished with ideas, attachments, or biasses of any. FOL. II. : kind. After a little time, we find certain instincts begin to act pretty strongly within us, which are necessary to move us to avoid what might be hurtful, and pursue what is useful to the support of the animal frame'; and these instincts are appointed to anticipate reason, which does not at first exert itself; and bring us that by mechanical means, which we are not capable of being worked to by rational considerations. Nature has ordered that our parents shall be so engaged to us by irresistible affection, as to be willing to undertake the office of caring for us in our helpless years; of opening and cultivating our reason, as soon as it begins to appear; and of forming us by habit, by precept, and example, to virtue and regularity. As we advance in life, our faculties, by habitually exerting them upon various objects, come to enlarge themselves so as to take in a wider compass. We become then capable of reasoning upon actions, and their consequences, and accordingly, do, in general, reason justly enough about matters of right and wrong, where passion does not blind and mislead us. When we come into the vigorous and flourishing time of life, excited by our passions and appetites, without which, with the slow degree of reason we then enjoy, we should be but half animated, we proceed to enter into various scenes of action. It is true, that innumerable irregularities and follies are the consequence. But without passions and appetites, we could not be the compounded creatures we are, nor cons sequently fill our proper station between the angelic and animal ranks. Here then is the proper opportunity for exercising our virtue; for habituating us to keep continually on our guard against innumerable assaults; for watching over ourselves, that we may not be surprized, and fall before temptation; or if we fall, that by suffering from our errors, we may be moved to greater diligence and attention to our duty, to a stronger attachment to virtue, and a more fixed hatred to the crimes which have brought such sufferings upon us. And though the necessary propensions of our nature do indeed eventually lead us, through our own folly, into irregularity and vice, it must yet be owned at the same time, that by the wise and kind constitution of nature, we have inpumerable natural directions, and ad |