CATECHETICAL EXERCISES By CHARLES BULKLEY. Kvtxu $*t tttrttv Aoyov, a tteaet TO (jutprvfov AA# yx? xa " 7iv '**' tf'-^^'iv ttxt Clement. Alex. Strom. L. \l. Be Cure to teach your children with all the fweet- nefs and gentlenefs you can j left if you fhould be fevere, and over-taik them, religion fhould feem to them rather a burden than a bleffing. BISHOP KEN. And thou fhalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and flialt TALK of them. MOSES. LONDON: Printed for J. JOHNSON, in St. Paul's Church- Yard. MDCCLXXIV, 20G77S8 PREFACE. author of the following A flieets has always confidered himfelf as being accountable both to God and his fellow-creatures for the life that he makes of his time, and of any (lender powers he may be pofTefied of: and, if he be not much miftaken, always carries about with him a bro- therly and cordial affection towards human kind, and it is upon this prin- ciple that he has ventured them abroad ; hoping that they may poflibly be of fome ufe towards fuggefting a method of catechetical inftruclion that may at leaft have its advantages among the reft for the improvement of younger minds, he would by no means depre- ciate from the well known perform- ances of others in this department: A 2 nor PREFACE. nor even allows himfelf to imagine, that thole which may perhaps feem to fome to be too child ifh even for children themfelves, muft needs be without their ufe. he cannot however but be of opinion that in one period or another of early life this mode of inftruction mould be fo conducted, as to be to the pupil himfelf an exercife of his own rational and mental pow- ers, and not merely a declaration of what others have to fay. this has too much the air of authentic; and too great a tendencie towards leading the younger fort into an apprehenfion, that religion has no other foundation than that of venerable cuftom and parental difcipline. and though it may ferve to awe their minds for the prefent, it is well if afterwards it have not a very different effect, efpecially if in the very manner of preceding upon theie occafions a certain fevere and rigid form be too flrictly adhered to. to prevent which, and in order to give to this PREFACE. this exercife a more chearful, manly and fociable appearance, it mould be permitted fometimes at leaft, to inter- mingle itfelf with the other religious offices belonging to a family ; and with fome more general addrefies upon a topic of this nature; and, as, apt occafion may offer, in fome fort, and in a more tranfient way, into freer con- verfation. by this means a way will be made for thofe other catechetical treatifes not fo immediately calculated for the initiatory difcipline. fuch I mean as thofe of OSTERVALD, USHER, BAXTER, HAMMOND, treatifes of this kind have certainly their diftincl: ufe, all elfe being as nearly alike as may be, as at little intervals of leifure, or upon particular occafions they may more readily and profitably be confulted. befides that in writings of this con- ftruction, there is a natural tendency to lead the reader into that molt ufeful practice of foliloqny and felf-examina- tion, which, where there is any thing of PREFACE. of a ferious turn, will be apt in the perufal of them to fteal upon him ere he is aware, in the mean while, fome of our fmaller catechifms may be made occafionally to accompany fome fuch plan of inftruc"lion as that we have in the following lectures exhibited, and the author has only here to add, that he has fuch a thorough conviction of the high importance and fovereign excel- lency of religion, that mould they but in the leaft degree contribute to the promoting of its influence, he fhall think himfelf well rewarded for the publication. ERRATA, ERRATA. Page 46, !. 14, for is, read are. p. 174, 1. aj, dele the inverted comma, p. 188, 1. 5. note, for elifdmus, read eiijcimus, p. 202, 1. 24, after ctarafler, a full ftop. p. 203, 1. I fo much the more eafily is it to be'"" "*" "" difcerned by every capacitie. fo that reli-Capacitie. gion being founded upon the plaineft and moft convincing arguments, upon the ftrongeft and moft demonftrative reafon- ings, muft on that account be fo much the more eafily inculcated in the rational na- ture of i^ even upon the young and tender mind.- you fee what -a copious fubjecl we have undertaken ; a fubject in which thofe of all parties are alike concerned, fince it is by the firft and fundamental principles of religion that all particular ccntroverfies are to be decided ; and were there no fufficient foundation for religion in the general na- ture and idea of it, all oar partie difputes muft be at an end of courfe. but more par- ticularly ftill, as to the fubjecls we propofe to treat of; they are firft, a deitie, his be- ing, his attributes, his providence; and Topics.. with refpect to this laft it's realitie, it's na- ture as a plan of moral government, i.'s extent, it's views, fecondly, man, his origin, his nature, his connexions, the end of his creation, his happinefs, his dutie, his prefent fituation, natural and moral ; and his character in general, thirdly, a . B 3 future- CATECHETICAL I. future ftate ; and the hope and expectations 'of mankind in reJation to it, fourthly, the chriftian religion, it's ^efign, it's evidences^ principles, ufefulnefs and duties, in treat- ing upon the feveral topics of religion as founded in reafon and nature I (hall take frequent occafion to illuftrate them by the language and maxims of the fcriptures, tho' r^heir authoritie and evidence come not till afterwards diftinclly to be ccnfidered. in the mean time by this manner of preceding, we {hall have as we go along, and before we touch directly upon that particular, one confiderable argument in favor of the fcriptures, namely, their harmony and agreement with natural religion ; a point fo confiderable indeed, that were it want- ing, nothing could be fufficient to eftablifii their authoritie, nor any other reafonings whatfoever amount to a proper and fatif- fa<5iorie evidence in favor of them, and as to the duties in particular of religion, I {hall {hew how they arifeout of each troth r principle of it as I go along, and a one and the fame dutie has oftentimes a foundation in feveral different truths or principles of religion, thefe diftincl: grounds of that particular dutie will be pointed out under EXERCISES, f under each, after which a fummarie of Ltcr. I. thofe duties, according to all the force of obligation derived from, thefe feveral principles, may \ve apprehend with the moft- proprietie, and advantage be introduced. As religion has fuch an ample and ftrong foundation in truth and nature, we cannot but conclude, that effects of a proportion-- able kind, and in the higheft degree con- ducing to the good of mankind would arife from the profeffion of it, were fuch a pro- feffion attended with proper ideas , and diftincr, conceptions of it's nature and im- portance in the mind, but here lies our grand defect; 'and the reafon why we feefy little either of the love, or of the fruits of religion ; and why there is fo little zeal among us either for its puritie or its pre- valencie, is that we give fo little attentioa to it's fundamental principles, and to thofe reafons, which are with fuch force and evidence to be affigned in favor of it. but here, whilft we are talking of religion and making mention of that deitie, whofe being is the ground, an-d whofe perfections are the object of it, fomeof thofe children perhaps, whofe intfreft in this de'.ign I have fo much at heart, may be ready to afk, . 84 " but CATECHETICAL but where is the God you fpeak of, a God my maker ? I have often beard of " ^/w with the hearing of the ear ;, I have " heard my parents talk of fuch a being; " and on a certain day of every week I ** hear much difcourfed of concerning " him : butmethinks I ftiould be extremely " glad if mine eye could fee him ; and, if " I cannot fee him, how is it that I arn " to be made fenfible that there is fuch a being ? why, pray, my dear child, " did you ever fee the king ? no. but '* you believe, I fuppofe, that there is a ** king of England ? yes, fir, I have no- " doubt of that, why then, may you not " reafonably believe that there is a God, " though you have never feen him ? I can- " not fay, fir, that I am altogether fatif- " fied with your argument j becaufe, tho' " 1 have not myfelf ever feen the king, " I have heard of, and been in company " of thofe that have feen him, but I never *' heard of, or have met with any one " that has feen God. nay, I have been Deitie in- * e told, that no body can fee him', and I have vififeie, read the f ame j n tne bibi e but pray, " did you ever hear of any body that had -? feen the wind, that often makes fuch a " ruftling EXERCISES. 9 " ruftling noifc in the ftreets, that raifes LECT. I. " the duft of the ground aloft into the air, *"""" v ^ " and fometimes fhakes the- very houfes in " God I muft fay, that I have not beard.* " bis voice at any time, any more than^ ct bisjhape. why then, my dear child, let ** me afk you, did you ever think ? O yes. "- 1 am always thinking about fomething; " or another. but do you -apprehend > " that there is any man or woman in the " world that can fee you thin-k, or -hear " you think? no; that is impoffible. but isthebeft; that he underftood by it the being who made and preferves the world, and it is the fame in effect with that explication, idea, or notion of it that has been given by the noble author of the chara&eriftics : " whatfoever, as he ex- *' preffes it, is fuperior in any degree over ** the world, or rules in nature with dif- *' cernment and a mind, is what by uni- " verfal agreement men call God." the next queftion then proper to -be put to the child is, why he believes that there is fuch a being. " and here, my dear child, you " remember, that in the laft converfation " we had together upon the fubje&, you " told me that the exiftence of a God Light of " muft be proved by the light of nature j nature, an( j y OU p rO rnifed to inform me what " you meant by that exprefiion j will you " now make that promife good ? I will *' endevor it. what then do you mean by " the light of nature ? by the light of " nature, fir, 1 mean all thofe conclufions of the univerfe implies the original pro- duction of it by fome defigning mind, and of the two, there muft, I think, be a greater abfurditie in pretending to account for the continued regularise and order of the world V from the beginning to the prefent time, without the continued agencie of a defign- ing mind, than in attempting to account for the firft immediate exiftence of it with- out fuch a defigning caufe ; the evidence apparently heightening in proportion to the permanency of the effect, fo clofeJy is the Providence, doctrine of a providence connected with the notion of creation, and fo extremely foolifh and ridiculous was that argtment which fome fceptics of old feem to have ma^e ufe of againft a providence;' that " all things continued as they were from " the beginning;" which is a demonftra- tion that there is a providence, and it is an argument too that is continually growing upon our hands: we have the experience of our own to add to that of every preceding age ; and the longer the world continues in the fame regularitie and order in which it now appears, fo much the ftronger will be the argument arifing from that regularitie and order EXERCISES. 3 i order in favor of a divine providence and go- LECT. 11. vernment in the univerfe. we fliould now'" """ -' precede to confider the nature, qualities and properties of this divine providence and rule, and the attributes and perfections of the divine being himfelf, did the time al- low, but we muft needs refer it to the next opportunitie. LECTURE III. IN profecution of the feveral fubjeclsLEer. ill. which we propofed to treat upon in* -v -^ this our evening exercife, we endevored at our laft meeting upon the occafion, to give you a brief view and illustration of thofe great topics, the creation of the world and ' the providence of God. in refpecT: to this latter point we obferved that the realitie of a divine providence exercifed over the world, was moft certainly to be infered even from the creation of it. for, as cre- ation neceflarily implies fome end propofed by the creating deitie, whatever we imagine that end to have been, we cannot but fup- C 4 pofc 32 CATECHETICAL LICT. nr.pofe it to be an exactly equal motive for * / 'exercifing a fubfequent providence orer the world as for the original production of it. we likewife observed that the fame truth was mod clearly to be deduced from the prefent a&ual order of the world, and that regularise of things that has fubfifted for fuch a long fucceifion of years and ages, fince it is altogether as abfurd to imagine, that, the prefent order of the world mould be the effect of chance, or not procede from fome defigning mind, as that it could have been conftituted at firft in fo regular and orderly a manner without fome defigning caufe. thefe reafonings we endevored to Watch. illuftrate by the fimilitude of a watch, that which particularly led us to the making ufe of this comparifon was not then fpeci- fied, but we will mention it now. it is a comparifon that has, as we apprehend, been fometimes applied in fuch a manner, as to weaken the argument in favor of a divine providence, inftead of flrengthen- ing orilluftratingit. it has been faid, that, as a watch-maker can make a watch, fo as that it mall perform it's regular movements without his future infpe&ion or care of it, we cannot fuppofe, unlefs by imputing fome kind EXERCISES. 3? kind of imperfection to the divine being,!^". HI.. that he could not in the original production 1 ^ l ~'~'-' of that fyftem of things which we call the world, or nature, or the univerie, imprefs fuch laws of motion and activitse, fuch a force and energie upon its component parts, as that it fhould fo long as he pleafes, con- tinue to anfwer the end of its creation by virtue of this originally imprefled force, without {landing in need of his immediate agencie for the direction and government of it. but, tho' a watch-maker can make- a watch that poffibly may not require any farther care or infpedtion of his, yet this is. only upon fuppofition that fomebody elfe,. the purchafer for inftance, undertake to- keep it in due order, and what, 1 pray, would a watch or any other mechanical production be good for, that nobody was to take care of ? fo that the fimilitude, inftead! of proving what it is generally brought to- prove, that there is no necefHlie, namely,, for any immediate agencie of the deitie in the prefervation of the univerfe, but that this may be very well accounted for by the powers originally imprefled upon the feveral- parts of it ; rather proves the direct contrary,, and fliews that a divine care and infpectiort- C 5 i CATECHETICAL Jil.is altogether as needful for the fupport and -> continuation of the order and regularitie of the world, as a divine power and energie to account for the firft production of it. but ftill it may be faid, that a watch will go, for fome time at leaft, without any one's taking care of it. why then may not the univerfe, the production of a divine power and energie, be fuppofed to continue an- fwering the ends of it's original formation for a thoufand years or any longer period in exacl; regularitie and order by virtue of fome original impreffions, without needing the immediate fuper-intendencie and care of it's creator ? but here again I muft deny the truth of the aflertion, that a watch can go even for a fingle moment without any one's taking care of it. for the art of man exerted in any of thefe mechanical operations, confifts not in giving new-laws of motion to matter, but only in accom- modating thofe which naturally belong to it to fuch and fuch particular ufes. fo that every fingle movement of a watch depends as much upon a divine agencie fupporting and maintaining the general and natural laws of motion, as even the revolution of the planets, nay, without this divine agencie EXERCISES. 53 lagencie the parts of which it is compofedLEc-r. in. could not fo much as adhere to one an- 1 '"v -^ other ; but, if they did not inftantly fink into nothing, would however immediately fly afunder into an infinity of atoms, for cohefion is no effential propertie of matter.Cohefioai this confifts of particles infinitely divisible, thofe which compofe a piece of metal are in themfelves as diftincl and feparable, as thofe which make up a heap of fand j and their clofer union the effect only of a divine and perpetually exerted power, in fhort, without this power you can no more ac- count for the cohefion of the parts of mat- ter, than you can for the motion of it. and every grain of fand is in fact a proof of a deitie. in every fuch grain there is an infinitie of particles of matter naturally divifible from one another, what then can be the caufe of their coherence and junc- ture, but a power conftantly itnpreiTed upon them by fome voluntarie, defigning agent ? and having thus vindicated that reprefentation of things which was laid before you in our laft difcourfe, let us now precede to what we propofed for being more directly the fubject of this, and that Was as you remember, the attributes of C 6 God, 36 CATECHETICAL LICT. III. God, and the qualities and properties of *" ""'""'-'his providence, the divine attributes have generally been divided in fpeaking of them into thofe which are natural, and thofe which are moral, but I have fometimes . wifhed, that the diftin&ion intended, and for which there is a real foundation, could- have been however in fome other manner exprefled. for by thefe terms of diftinc- tion fome may be led to imagine, that the Divine at- moral attributes of deitie are not fo ef- fential to his being, as thofe which we denominate by calling them natural. whereas in truth God is altogether as ef- fentially holy and juft and merciful and fcrw good as he is powerful, wife or incorporeal, his moral attributes are as truly natural (f $i> toyed, Vol. III. p. 30412, 4 8 CATECHETICAL LECT.HI." ings that are called Gods are bound w v '" to worfhip and adore as being infi- " nitely above them, your notion then " of the unitieof God is, that there is one " fingle being, who is the origin and fource *' of exiftence to all other beings, and who " did himfelf derive his being from none ? " that is my opinion of it." LECTURE IV. IKCT. 1V.T TERY clofely conneaed with that L "~*~ ' V do&rine of divine omniprefence, which we treated of in our laft evening exercife, is that of the divine omnifcience, or God's knowlege of all things. " for " this I fuppofe my children, you know to *' be the meaning of omnifcience. it is *' the knowlege of all things." this muft certainly be the refult of the divine omni- prefence. for a being that is actually every where by an immediate, fpiritual pre- fence, rnuft certainly have the moft exact and intimate knowlege of whatever is paffing or tranfacled, either in the external world EXERCISES. 49 world of nature or in the heart of man. LECT. iv, and by thus grounding the omnifcience of "" v "" God upon his omniprefence, we are led into the moft accurate idea or notion con- cerning it j at the fame time that we have from hence arifing the moft undeniable proof and demonftration of it. of all that is pafling without us, there is nothing which we ourfel ves know fo perfectly as that, which is the objetSt of our fight, and if we could with our bodily eye command the whole world itfelf, juft in the fame manner as we do the extent of fuch a place as this, moft truly might we then fay that the whole world was the object of our knowlege. now God in confequence of his omnipre- Omnipre- fence knows every thing as perfectly as we fence * know any thing that is before our eyes ; his knowlege of all things is not the effect of any investigation or application of mind, but of immediate intuition ; in the fame manner as external objects .are fully fubjecl to our vifual organs without any interven- ing ftudy or labor of our thoughts, thus it is that God is " not far from every one " of us." all creatures lie "naked, open " and manifeft to his eye." becaufe it is " in him that we and all creatures live and D " move 5 o iege what. CATECHETICAL TV. C move and have our being." but it is - 'here by all means to be remembered, that the divine ubiquitie or omniprefence is alike predicable with refpect to duration as to fpace. fo that the divine nature cr efience is, truely {peaking, co-exiftent with eter- nity. and hence arifes the true account of that which is perhaps fomewhat impro- perly called the divine prefcience or fore- fore- know- knowlege. that thole events and tranfac- tions which are future to us, are all of them moft exactly and intimately known to deity, is a thing not to be queftioned. but then in order to a clear conception upon this point, it is to be carefully recollected, that tho' future to us, they are not fo to deitie, but that they are to him actually prefent (). under (a] " Striftly fpeaking, fays Mr. Sturmy, fort-kxtrtattgi is a term which does not fuit with the perfection of the divine under- Handing ; but it is a condefcenfive expref- fion to cur capacity; denoting God's cer- tain, inftantand pur.ftual knowlege of many aftions and things, which are future to his creatures. For the knowlege of creatures is gradual? and to them the drama of orovi- dence is difplayed by a broken fucceffion of parts; the infinite underftaoding is not like a finite undeiftandir.g, \vhofe imperfcft capa- city obligcth it to divide duration in to /iyinefeli- nature a perfectly happy being, indeed, " fir, this is what I have always thought " concerning the deitie, fince 1 have been " able to think at all upon his great and " awful nature, and pray what have been " your reafons for entertaining a fentiment *' of this kind ? I imagine, fir, that as all , " other beings are under the controle and " government of the deitie, it muft needs " be impoffible that any ftiould have it in " hi power to difturb his felicitie. I think ." that as he has in himfelf a fullnefs of " being, as he is himfelf the fource and " origin of all other beings or exifting " natures whatfoever, he either cannot *' want any thing to make him happy, or, " if he could, has power in himfelf to " produce it immediately, he that .can " make all other beings happy, muft needs " be himfelf infinitely happy, you fup- " pofe then that God could have no other " defign in creating you than to make you " happy ? and for the fame reafon, I pre- " fume, EXERCISES. 65 u fume, no other defign in making anyttcr. iv. " other beings like yourfelf, than that*"" v~' " they too might be happy? that is my " opinion, but you have learned, that as " God did at firft make you, fo he conti- " nually preferves you. and why do you " think he exercifes all this care for your " prefervation ? I think it muft be for the *' fame reafon for which he made me; that " is, out of love, well then, if God cre- " ated you in order to make you happy, '* and preferves you in being for the fame '* end; and is, as you havejuft been told, " eternal and unchangeable in all the per- " feclions of his nature, you cannot but " fuppofe that he will continue to all ** eternitie to have the fame intention in *' reference to your happinefs. I cannot *' but apprehend fo ; becaufe if he fhould " not, there muft then, I think, be fome " change or alteration in his nature.'* LECT- CATECHETICAL LECTURE V. LECT. V. T N the fervicc of the laft Monday even- '" v" 'X ing we treated more diftinclly of the divine eternitie, incoinprehenfibilitie and happinefs. whether there be a God or not, we cannot but have the idea of an eternal duration both pail and to come, but what a joyful and triumphant reflexion is it to think that this eternal duration lias been, and will be occupied and pofleffed by an eternal deitie of infinite goodnefs, wif- dom and power ! and on the other hand, what a chilling imagination would it be, and how confounding to all the powers of the foul, to think that in this eternal dura- tion there never had been, and confe- quently never can be, any fuch fupremely defigning, intelligent and gracious mind. fyr if this world and all the beings that inhabit it, might at firft have come into exiftence by chance, as is by the atheift fuppofed, it may likewife continue by chance, and it may chance too that thro' all eternitie there may be fuch rational con- fcious beings as mankind, and yet no gra- cious. EXERCISES. 67 clous father or friend to be their guide and LECT.V. guardian, who could fuppofe only fuch an' 1 "~^ m " -' eternal ftate of things, or rather fuch eter- nal confufion and anarchic, without the utmoft horror and diftrefs of foul ! but our profpecl inro futuritie, thanks to, heaven, is quite the reverfe. this we have ende- vored diftinctly to fhew in our laft dif- courfe, and the fum of our argument was as follows, as every thing that has a begining muft have a caufe, it feems to be equally evident that what has no caufe can have no begining. and to fuppofe that a being whofe eflential nature it is to exift, fhould ever have began to exift, is in realitie to fuppofe him at once exifting andnon-exift- ing j fince that begining could be owing to no oiher caufe than to the exertion of a power inherent in this very being itfelf to bring itfeJf into exiftence. but this is to fuppofe it to have exifted before it began to exift. the more we reflect upon it, the more clearly fhall we perceive that an un- caufed being muft have been an eternal one, and confequently muft continue ex- ifting throughout an eternitie of duration, fince there is no fuperior being, who can have any power over an uncaufed and eflentially exift- 68 CATECHETICAL LECT. V. exifting nature, fo as to make the leaft al- ' 'teration even in the manner of it's exift- ence, much lefs to deftroy it. we fliewe'd in particular of what great ufe, and of how pleafmg a nature were thefe confiderations *>f God's eternitie, when applied to the moral perfections and attributes of his na- ture, and we might have added that it is a confideration that ihould prodigioufly heighten our gratitude for the privileges of our own being; for, tho' beftowed in time, yet have they been the matter of eternal counfels. and upon the foregoing princi- ples in relation to the eternitie and immuta- bilitie of the divine nature, it muft needs be evident that God has from all eternitie had thoughts of love and kindnefs and mercy towards us. a reflexion that gives a kind of infinite value to every blefling we enjoy, but it is likewife equally true of the divine power and wifdom, which are the fubjefts now to be confidered, as of the moral attributes of the deitie, that they are eternal, and it is only by conlidering the eternitie of all thefe attributes in con- junclion, that our joy and triumph in God can be completed, were he eternally be- nevolent, but not eternally powerful and wife. EXERCISES, 69 wife, in that cafe his benevolence would be LECT. v. equally lovely and adorable, yet we could ( "*v"" ' not, it is evident, have the fame depend- ence upon it as now we may, for want of an equally extended and durable power and correfponding wifdom, by which it might execute it's gracious purpofes. but, when we reflect that it is one and the fame being that is eternally benevolent, eternally wife and powerful, there is then nothing want- ing to render our joy and confidence in God fecure and complete, and with thefe con- victions deeply pofleffing our minds, we may precede with full fatisfa&ion and in- expreflible delight to the more diftindl con- fideration and furvey of thefe feveral attri- butes themfelves. firft then, in relation to the wifdom of God. " I need not, I fup- *' pofe, my dear children, inform you what " wifdom is. I doubt not but you have wifdom. " often reflected with no fmall pleafure " upon your own. now, if you will only " begin with that idea, which is fo fami- " liar to your minds, and carry on your " thoughts upon the fubjecl, you will " foon come to form a prodigioufly high *' and exalted notion of the wifdom of " God j and at the fame time will perceive " that 7 o CATECHETICAL LECT. V. that there is the greateft rcafon in truth anc j nature for ycur doing fo. thus for " example, \\hen you have carried the " idea of your own vrifdom as far as you " can for fliame, you will, I doubt not, " be ready to acknowlege that God is a " great deal wifer than you. 1 fhould not " only think myfelf very prophane and arro- " gant, but alfo very foolifh, if I did not. " becaufe, v/hatever wifdom I have, or were " it ten thoufand times more than it is, I ** muft have received it from God, and am " intirely indebted to him for it. and he " that gave me all the wifdom I have, muft " needs be himfelf wifer than I. then, " for the famereafon, my dear child, God '* muft be wifer than the vvifeft man upon " earth ; becaufe, whoever that man may " be, he has, as truly as yourfelf, received all the wifdom he pofiefles, from the " fame God, to whom you are indebted ** for yours, and were you to add to the " wifdom of the wifeft amongft men that *' of another who may be fuppofed to come " the neareft to him in the fhare he en- '* joys of this qualitie, (till the wifdom " of God muft for the fame reafon be " greater than the wifdom of thefe two " men EXERCISES. 71 <( men put together, (could we indeed LECT.V. 44 coniider thefe refpeclive qualities as 44 ing diftincl: aggregates, and were not 44 rather led to look upon the wifdom of 44 the one as being virtually comprehended 44 in that of the other.) all of it, that is ** by either of them poflefTed being no *' other than a derivation or communica- *' tion from him. upon the fame princi- " pie the wifdom of God muft needs fur- 44 pafs all the wifdom of all the men that 44 have ever lived in the world, or that *' ever will live in it, of all that ever have * 4 or ever will inhabit any other planet, 44 nay, and of all the angels of heaven, 44 were the wifdom of all this immenfe 44 number of beings put together, fo as to 44 form the accumulated endowment of 44 one mind or confcious being, becaufe 44 all this wifdom has been in realitie de- ** rived from God. and it car.not be, but 44 that he muft himfelf have more wifdom, 44 than what in this kind he hascommuni- " cated to any of his creatures, or to all ct cf them in conjunction, by attend- ** ing a little to fuch reflexions as thefe, " you will be led to form a very high and 44 elevated idea of the divine wifdom, and 41 yec 72 CATECHETICAL LECT. V. yet an idea that is capable of being pro- ' ~Y -* digioufly increafed by other reflexions " upon the fame fubjecl. thus, for in- " ftance, you told me in the laft confe- " rence we held, that God, you thought, " made you with a defign that you fhould <{ be happy, but wifdom confifts in pro- " fecuting this or that defign, which any " confcious and thinking being has in " view after fuch a manner as is beft adapt- " ed for accompli filing fuch an end. now, *' the more diligently you attend to the " frame of your own mind, the more evi- " dently you will perceive how exadlly *' the various powers and affections be- *' longing to it, are in the nature and tf tendencie of them fited for the promoting ** and advancing of your happinefs. wif- '* dom, or the capacitie for it, reafon, is - ment. for temptations arife intirely from our own particular fituation as creatures ; and therefore cannot be fuppofed to have any exiftence at all with refpect to the fu- preme and infinite creator, if God there- fore be a wife being, all his productions, works, operations and meafures muft needs have the character of wifdom imprefled upon them, befides, in the very proof which has been given of his wifdom^ as an attribute eflentially belonging to his nature, we have in the fame manner as was ob- ferved in relation to his power, a proof likewife of the wifdom of his providence, this proof being indeed no other than the fignature, the expreflion, the moft lively ftriking EXERCISES. 89 ftriking appearance of wifdotn in the con- L *cT. vi. duct of that very providence itfelf. men'"""*"" " r are fometimes poflefled of a wifdom which thro' inactivitie and indolence they fuffer to be in a great meafure conceled from the view of others, but the wifdom of God is an actually exerted wifdom. a wifdom that is perpetually manifefting and difplaying itfelf in the wonders of. his pro- vidence, and in the admirable beautie, fymmetrie and order of all his works, to hi* intelligent and rational creatures, from the immutabilitie likewife of the divine be- ing, another of thofe we call the natural attributes of the deitie, it neceflarily fol- lows that all the properties as well as the defigns of his providence muft be ever uni- form and the fame, as no change can pof- fibly be made in the power or in the wif- dom of God, which are eflentially belong-' ing to his nature, his providence it directly follows muft always be a wife and a power- ful providence, and as the fame marks of power and wifdom are apparent in every part of nature, from hence we collect an- other propertie or character of the divine providence; namely, that it is univerfal. fmce thefe appearances of power and wifdom can 90 CATECHETICAL LECT. vr.can only be owing to the adlual, prefent S(L - T ~*~~^- J exertion by deitie of his inherent, e/Tential power and wifdom,- which is the very thing we mean by a providence ; that which the term is intended to fignifie and denote, but now if God be thus irrefiftibly power- ful and infinitely wife ; if there be no being in the univerfe that can either controle his actions or defeat his purpofes ; if this power and wifdom are equally capable of being exerted in every part of the immenfe fyftem of nature and over all rational agents what- foever ; and if fuch power and wifdom will remain eflentially belonging to the deitie throughout all the endlefs ages of eternitie, what can be of more importance or confe- quence to man than the confederation of Tranfition his moral attributes,s which alone muft de- termine and direct the operations of this power and wifdom ? " could you, my '* child, think of any thing that would ** appear more dreadful, than that there *' fhould be an almightie^and all-wife be- " ing that prefided over the world, who c ' yet was wholly deftitute of goodnefs ; " that had no love, no compaflion, no <{ forgivenefs ? would it not be inexpref- " fibly terrible to you, to think that you. " yourfelf, EXERCISES. " yourfelf, that all your friends, " neighbors, your acquaintance, your " l^indred, the whole world itfelf and " other worlds, worlds beyond worlds into'hemora ,,/ t_ i /r j attributes, " infinite varietie, as it has been exprefled, 44 were all in the hands and abfolutely at " the difpofal of a being thus deftitute of " mercie and of love ? would not your blood " bealmoft chilled in your veins, fhould you " hear of a father, who is continually ex- " ercifmg the utmoft crueltie and inhuma- conftant, regular and plentiful produc- Ct tions of the earth God hath given to * 4 mankind a moft vifible difplay and clear " demonftration of his goodnefs ? or do tc you imagine his meaning in this expref- te being formed with any kind or benevo- " lent defign, had been rather made and " contrived purely fur the fake of render- " ing you liable to all this torture, indeed, *' fir, I fee not how I could have made any " other conclufion, you told me likewife " that my ear was very admirably formed " for hearing, but what, if all the founds " that were prefented to it, inftead of be- " ing what they now are, had been conti- " nually terrifying and alarming, like fo " many burfting claps of thunder, and *' that by this means I had been almoft nor things prefent nor things to come, fl nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature^ tc Jhall be Me to feparate us from this hve of " God-> -which is in Cbrift Jefus our Lord;" havingby this great and moit illuftrious mef- fenger of peace and mercie been fo amply difplayed and fo fignally ratified and con- firmed. I will therefore precede in my en- devor to corroborate the belief of this divine goodnefs by fuch other arguments as I juft now refered to, and which have not as yet been infiftcd upon in this our ftated inquirie, relative to that and other fubjecls naturally connected with it, now there is 5 feme- EXERCISES. 147 fomething like what is called an argument LEC. vnr. a priori that may be produced to this pur- V""" v ~"""* 1 r . J r Argument pofe j that is, there is an argument to be priori. drawn in proof of the divine goodnefs in- dependent of any actual effects of it, as difcerned by us, and which is wholly founded upon thofe other attributes, which we cannot but afcribe to the divine and fovereign nature, fuch for inftance as the divine power and wifdom, and the inde- pendent happinefs of the divine being, the latter of thefe we fhall immediately fee to follow upon the former two. our prefent argument therefore, we will, if you pleafe, ftate as follows : in confequence of this originate, felf-drived and independent happinefs of the divine being, and the having it in his power with the utmoft eafe and in the higheft perfection to accom- plifh ail his views and purpofes, it ismani- feft that all thofe occafions and fources of evil difpofitions that we know of towards other beings are excluded. (t doubt not, the fame opinion of your fel- " low-children, of your parents, and of vaft *' numbers of your acquaintance." now, it" all this goodnefs were, as it were, laid together, and fuppofed to conftitute the temper and difpofition of fome one among mankind, and to it were added in order to conftitute ftill the temper of fome one be- ing, the goodnefs of all the moft fublimely generous fouls that ever lived upon earth, the goodnefs of all the angels and hofts of heaven ; in fhort, every degree of goodnefs from the higheft to the loweft, that was ever poflefled by any rational or moral agent whatfoever, would it not form a moft amazingly perfect character of good- nefs ; a goodnefs which could never be ex^ haufted, never fail or difappoint our ex- pectations f now nothing can be more evi- dent than that the divine and fovereign being muft be pofleffed of a degree of good- nefs beyond what this whole aggregate of love and benevolence would amount toj this whole fum of goodnefs belonging to all other natures whatfoever, being in fafc derived from and communicated by him. for he is the author and giver " of every EXERCISES. 153 <{ good and perfect gift." the very quan- Lzc - Vi i f - tity therefore or fum of goodnefs a&ually' ^'^ ~ fubfifting among other beings is a direcl: and of itfelf fufficient proof of his perfect goodnefs. and indeed what more naturally to be imagined, than that the fupreme creator fliould make thq rational and moral agents, which he produces, in the image of himfelf? if the devil, for inftance, had it in his power to make other beings, where would be the wonder, if he (hould fill their hearts with fpite and malice in his original formation of them ? as God therefore in his creation " has written the contrary law - " of Jove upon our hearts," we may from hence certainly conclude that his own moral nature is the direct contrary to that of malevolence, namely kind and gracious, even the inanimate creation bears the image of God's goodnefs by its univerfal tendencie to good, which would be altogether unac- countable, if the author of it were not good, but man is the ftill nearer and more exa& imageof deitie, by having thevery difpofition itfelf of goodnefs infufed into his nature, and the "law of kindnefs'* infcribed upon bis heart. H 5 But 154 CATECHETICAL LEC.VIII. But there is, thirdly, another thing re- '^ ~ r ~ 'markable in the conftitution and frame of man, which feems ftrongly to evince the goodnefs of his creator, and that is, that we are not only fo formed as to be difpofed to do good ourfelves, and to be in our in- Moral ad- clinations kind and benevolent, but like- wife to love and admire goodnefs in others, and to hate its contrarie. now this is a ftrong proof of the goodnefs of our creator in two different views, firft, as it has fo apparent and powerful a tendencie to the production of general happinefs, by encou- raging goodnefs in others, and animating the temper in ourfelves. and then, fecond- ly, if God were not good but the reverfe, and one or other he muft be, he would, by this conftitution of us, have made us with a difpofition to hate himfelf j which it is not ftirely to be imagined he would do. Moral again, fourthly, in the moral order of things dcr * relative to mankind, it is obfervable that they are not only fo conftituted as to pro- duce goodnefs and the love of goodnefs, but alfo to reward and honorably to diftin- guifh it. ~" tho* the juft and the unjuft, " the unthankful, as well as the good," {hare in the common mercies of providence, yet EXERCISES. 155 yet are the good in proportion to thelffPc. vin. goodnefs diftinguifhed by peace of confci-' 1 v--^ ence, by reputation, by well ordered and profperous affairs, (a} by lively expecta- tions and animating profpe&s. now what can be more unlikely than that a being, who was not himfelf good, who did not love and delight in goodnefs, fhould fo plan and regulate his own conftitution of things, as that in the feries and order of them this quaiitie fhould be fo perpetually rewarded in others ? I here take it for granted that fuch is the conftitution of man as we have now been reprefenting it to be. the proof of thefe things will naturally come to "be treated of in that other part of our intended feries of difcourfe, of which "man himfelf is to be the fubjecl. and I think from all that has been faid concerning his inward conftitution and moral frame, from his bodily ftru&ure and organization, from the harmonic and friendly tendencie fo vifible H 6 and (a) Take this for a truth, to which oracles are fables ; that never any man commits a fin to fhun an inconvenience, but one way or other, foon or late, he plunges himfelf by that aft into a far worfe inconvcniency than that he would decline, Beyle on l'uj?omarj Swearing, p. 4 j. 156 CATECHETICAL LEC. viii. and confpicuous in every part of the anr- v ' ""v "'mal creation, " the heavens above, the " earth beneath," and the waters of the mightie ocean, it muft needs be evident, that there cannot be any truth more clearly and firmly eftabliftied than this of the divine benevolence, and I have been the larger in treating upon this particular attribute of the deitie, not only on account of its tran- fcendent moment and importance accord- ing to its own immediate nature, being the great center of all our hopes, that without which all the feeming lovelincfs of nature would be but rudenefs and deformitie ; but likewife becaufe this being once clearly Moral at- eftablifhed, the other moral attributes of the -tributes dj v i ne nature are proved of courfe, being indeed neceffarily involved in the true idea or notion of this ; fo that it will be even altogether needlefs to produce any diftindl arguments in confirmation of them, nor indeed fhould we be able to produce any to this purpofe, butwhatwould have their foun- in dation in that goodneis already proved, and be derived from the fuppofition of it. all therefore that we have here to do, is to Ihew briefly, how it is that thefe other at- tributes jdo all of them fiov/ out of this; con- EXERCISES. 157 conftituting as it were fo many parts orLsc.vm. branches of it. thus for example, if God**" v ' be infinitely and immutably good, he mufts enera ^ of neceflitie be infinitely and immutably holy. " for I fuppofe, my good children, " your idea of holinefs is this ; that it " confifts in the approbation and love of *' goodnefs both in our own character and c< in that of other beings, and in an an- " fwerable diflike of its contrarie; an aver- ** fion to every thing that would taint or " corrupt the moral character, and make it " to degenerate towards the temper of " malignitie or ill-will." the more firmly likewife the temper of goodnefs is efta- blifhed in any moral agent, and the lefs likelyhood there is of his ever deviating from it, fo much the more holy do we efteem him. now on all thefe accounts, if God be an infinitely good and gracious be- ing, it cannot but follow, that he is an infi- nitely pure and holy being, becaufe we fee that goodnefs among men in proportion to its prevalency in the mind and temper natu- turally and unavoidably excites a love of and complacencie in the like character, wherever we behold it ; an hatred of its contrarie, and a generous indignation at the ' i 5 8 CATECHETICAL VIII. the obferved indulgence of malignitie and I -will. " God therefore muft, as you " know, my dear children, the fcripture " exprefles it, be a being, who is of purer < eyes than to behold iniquilie^ that is, with ** approbation, or otherwife than with the " higheft abhorrence and difpleafure. and " on the contrary he muft be a being who " loves right eoufnefs and righteous perfons. " fo that to all good people there is the '" alone be fufficient to fhew, that it is not " indeed fo clear and evident as we have " been faying, but you are to confider that " there is nothing fo plain or evident but " what may by fome means or another " come to be denied, and on the other " hand it is obferved by one that was him- " felf famous for philofophifing, that there " was never any thing fo foolilh or abfurd, " which had not by fome philofopher or " other been aflerted. and in the prefcnt " fubje&, what men of candid and modeft " difpofitions have at moft confiderejd only '* as difficulties, thofe of mere forward " and prefumptuous fpirits have formed '.' into direcl: objections againft this divine ou a notion, that perhaps you will not liiflike. EXERCISES. i 2 r to make a diftinct obfervation upon the Luc T. ix. prefent topic, namely in the third place,' v - that in the eternitie of God's duration we may find the higheft fatisfaction in relation to thofe various ills of life, which have been fo much the theme and fubjecl: of I 2 com- diflike. I think then that, when we confider the world and the phyfical changes that happen in it with reference to the divine wifdom and providence ; the arguments for the affirmativt ught, in their kind, to have more force than thofe for the negative, for it feems more allow- able, to argue a providence from the exquifite ftrufture and fymmetry of the mundane bodies and the apt fubordination and train of caufes, than to infer from fome phyfical anomalies, that things are not framed and adminiflered by a wife author and re&or. For the characters and impreffions of wifdom that are confpicuous in the curious fabric and orderly train of things, can with no probability be referred to blind chance, but muft be to a moft intelligent and defigning agent, whereas on the other hand, befides that the anomalies we fpeak of are in- comparably fewer than thofe things which are regular and are produced in an orderly way ; befides this, I fay the divine maker of the uni- verfe being a moft free agent, and having an intellect infinitely fuperior to ours, may in the production of feemingly irregular pbanomina, have ends unknown to us, which even the ano- malies may be very fit to compafs. cyle's In- quiry into the Notion of Nature, p. 244, 345. j 7 2 CATECHETICAL LECT. IX. complaint, the power, th wifdom, the ' "V 1 'goodnefs of God are all eternal, and furely in the eternal exercife of thefe attributes there muft needs be room and opportunitie abundantly fufficient for educing the moft happie confequences out of thofe various evils which are at prefent appearing, but which neverthelefs in comparifon of eter- nitie are but of a moment's duration, our light affliction^ as the apoftle moft excel- lently and charmingly obferves, our light ajflittion whether arifing out of what we call natural evils, or out of the evil actions of men and their mifchievous intentions towards ourfelves, ^vhich is but for a moment ', vcorkethfor us afar more exceding and eternal weight of glorie. " my good children, re- *' member this maxim, imbibe this truth, *' eftablifli it in the thought of your hearts ; " and you will never think of repining " againft providence, or of looking upon c< any of -its dealings towards you, as ** being any ways harfli t>r fevere. for, *' can it think you be natural, can it be " juft or decent to infift upon a moment's '* pain as an objection againft the good- " nefs of that God, who is defigning you " for an eternitie of happinefs, and who ' will EXERCISES. 177 " will make even this momentarie painLEcr. ix. " contribute to the completion of that* "v-* ' -" happinefs?'* and then farther, fourthly, not only is God eternal, but his providence likewife as to the objects about which it is converfant, is immenfe and boundlefs in the extent of it. fo that in the objective fcene of divine government, as well as in the duration of it, there is room for a pro- digious degree of preponderating good to take place and to arife even out of thofe very evils, that you or I may be complain- ing of. it is eafie for us to conceive, in general, tho' it be not eafie for us exactly and minutely to difcern at prefent, how that which we call our affliction may be operating to the good and happinefs of fome other beings, frequent inftances of this kind we actually fee ; and from hence we may naturally conclude that there are ethers of the like fort in the great plan of providence, not as yet perceived by us. fo that the afflictions of life may have this double good in them, however grievous they may feem to us at prefent, thaf, whilft they are contributing to the final and ever- lafting happinefs of thofe who labor under them, they may be the means of no flight 13 or 174 CATECHETICAL LICT. IX. or inconfiderable blefling to thofe who do \ ,,-*-, -' no t, an( j thus y OU f ee that in all the other attributes of deitie there is abundant ground of confolation with refpedl to the evils of life, and that they all confpire in enabling us to reconcile with eafe thefe evils to the perfection of his goodnefs. But perhaps it may not be amifs to il- Juftrate thefe reflexions by an inftance or two in fah Ct I doubt not, my good " children, but you have read, and found " it to be an high entertainment to you, Jofeph, " the hiftorie of Jofeph. you remember, " to be fure, how his brethren envied him " on account of his appearing to be hap- " pier and more deferving than themfelves, * c and they were refolved, if their own ** fpite and ill-nature could effect it, to * c make him otherwife. they'ftudied by j^[ of God, is that of ourfelves. it is a duty that has been founded high in all anti- quitie. and the precept enjoining it was fuppofed in an efpecial manner to have come down from heaven, it is a dutie which we owe more immediately to God. for man being the firft and principal of his woik- Self-ac- manfhip here upon earth, to contemplate ^ ualntance> ourfelves, to know our own frame, to fur- vey its wonders, to acquaint ourfelves with its goodly order and exquifite contrivance, muft certainly be fuch an inftance of de- ference and refpedt paid to the works of the almightie, which we cannot be negli- gent of, or omit, without manifeft con- tempt and impietie. to be curious in fearching out the nature and ceconomie of inferior being-, and to overlook ourfelves, the nobleft fabric of God here upon earth; what is it but in effecl: to deprive the fu- preme being of the honor that is due to his name on account of it ? for how can we juftly celebrate his praifes as the creator of man, EXERCISES. 207 man, if we know not the nature of man ? LECT - and on the other hand, were we but acquainted with ourfelves, there is no fub- jet whatfoever within the compafs of hu- man knowlege, that could give ftronger accent to our praifes, or more elevate and enliven our fongs of devotion, the ftudie of ourfelves likewife is of the higheft im- portance in order to the right difcharge of the duties of focial life, or thofe obliga- tions which we lie under to one another, how fliould we know what thefe are but by acquainting ourfelves with our own frame and make both outward and internal ? the better we are acquainted with ourfelves, the better of courfe fhall we know our fel- Jow-creatures. and the better we know them, the better fhall we know how to be- have towards them, this likewife is a dutie of the higheft importance with refpect to ourfelves. we eannot difcern wherein our own true happinefs lies \vithout under- ftanding our own nature, that which is the happinefs of a man muft be mine and yours, to know therefore what kind of happinefs man in general is made for, muft be to underftand our own higheft good, and it is for want of being familiarly and duly ao8 CATECHETICAL LICT. Xf.duly acquainted with our own neceflities, v -""~*""""'and of diftinguifhing between thofe which are imaginarie and thofe which are real, thofe that relate only to the better accom- modation of our prefent being, and thofe which are eflential to the happinefs of our natures, that we betray ourfelves into end- lefs vanitie, and become fubjeft to perpe- tual difquietudes and difappointments. did we but know ourfelves aright, the world and the things that happen in it could never make fo many fatal impreffions upon the mind as we are daily perceiving them to do, both with refpeft to ourfelves and others, we mould then know what things we might purfue with the greateft profpect of fuccefs ; what things were leaft in our power, and what the moft fo ; and how to regulate our aims and meafures accord- ingly, now that which naturally prefents itfelf firft to our reflection concerning man, according to what has hitherto been fo largely infilled upon, is that he is the crea- ture of God. if there be any thing in this world that has derived its being from God, this muft needs be equally true of man. for is he confcious to himfelf of any felf- fupporting power belonging to him more than EXERCISES. 209 than to the meaneft reptile? he " feels noLtcr. xi. " virtue of*this kind going out of him."' "***" ' he ftands in the clofcft connexion with other dependent beings, and muft therefore needs look upon himfelf as ranking under that denomination too. he finds, he knows, that he cannot continue himfelf here in being one fmgle moment, nor can he with all his own care, had he nothing elfe to depend upon, provide himfelf with anyone neccflarie article of life, he may procure feed to fow, and he may prepare the earth for its reception, and throw it in and che- rifli it ; but what will all this effect with- out refreshing dews and rains, the ripen- ing fun and vegetative power of the earth ? over all which man has no more command than a worm, and even after he has eaten the bread that God has provided for him, does he not know that the digeftion of it and distribution of its nourifhing juices through the feveral parts of the body, and the circulation of its feveral different qua- lities into" the correfpondin^ receptacles, is a thing totally independent upon himfelf, and over which he has no power or com- mand ? u this, my good children, is what * l the fcriptures mean in faying that man livttb aip CATECHETICAL LECT. XI.* 4 theth not by bread alone ^ but by every word procedetk out of the mwtb of , God. that is ; ,it is not man's care alone in " providing any of the conveniencies or ? c accommodations of life for himfelf, but " the divine bleffirg upon his induftrie ; " not the bread which he eats by any in- '* dependent power or virtue of its own, *' but the continued agencie of a divine c< providence in the fupport and preferva- " tion of its qualities, that is the true ** fource and origin of life t& man." can we command the circulation of our own blood ? and yet how regularly does it flow ? this muft needs be owing to fome prefiding and directing mind, and as -we are con- fcious that it is not our own, it muft needs be the divine, eternal mind ; that fovereign deitie, by whom we were not only at firft created, but are continually upheld and fupported in our exiftence. n ot only as being a rational crea- '" ture, but likewife as a being endued " with moral powers, and as being confti- " tuted a moral agent; pray what is it " that aftuate and rule them all ; when we come down- ward and think of the air and its inhabitants, and of this earth, a vaft body to us, but as one inch or point in the whole creation ; of the many nations, animals, plants of wonderful varietie, the terrible depths of the ocean and its numerous inhabitants, &c. all thefe muft be to us but as the glafs, which iheweth fomewhat of the face of God, or as the letters of this great book, of which God is the fenfe ; or as ihe aftions of a living body, by which the invi- iible foul is known, and as we ftudy arts for our corporal ufe, we muft ftudy the whole world, even the works of God, to this purpofed ufe, that we may fee, love, reverence and admire God in all : and this is the only true philofo- phy, aftronomy, cofmography, &c. Q^g. What is the Jin lubicb Is contrary to this? Prophane- nefs ; that is, ufing God's name as a common thing : and in this inftance, to ftudy philofo- phy, aftronomy, or any fcience, or any creature whatfoever, only to know the thing itfelf, to delight our mind with the creature-knowlege, and to be able to talk as knowing men, or the better to ferve our worldly ends, and not to know and glorifie God, is to prophane the works of God. and alas then how common is prophanenefs in the world ! Baxter's Catechizing of Familieit c. xxv. p. 184, 185. EXERCISES. 219 ** that you fuppofe to be more diflin&lyLEc-r. xr, " meaned by this kind of language? I^ 1 v- ' c; think, fir, I can feparate in my imagi-. " nation the idea of knowing God from tl that of loving him, and worfliiping, " obeying and refembling him. and here, " fir, I apprehend, lies the difFerence be- " tween a rational and a moral creature. " man as a rational creature is capable of " knowing God ; but it is only as a mo- ** rally conftituted being that he is capable " of loving and adoring him, and of fub- " miting himfelf in the fpirit of voluntarie " obedience to his laws, you have made u averyjuftand natural diftinction. for " the brute creatures can difcern by their *' fenfes the outward objects of nature. " but they can make no inferences, they " can draw no conclufions from thefe ob- " jecls with reference to the exiftence of a cc creating mind as you can do ; and are " therefore not rational creatures as man, ** is. in like manner we may fuppofe it to *' have been poflible, that man might, as a " reafonable creature, have had the power <{ of difcovering and knowing his maker, " or of believing in God ; but yet for ** want of moral powers, not have been Moral pew-' L 2 capable" 5 ' 226 CATECHETICAL LECT. Xl."^ capable of loving him, or paying any aft ^ ~ i~ -' 4e of adoration or obedience to him. our " moral capacitie or conflitution then is " an advance in the excellencie and prero- " gatives of our nature, and what renders " man a vaftly nobler and more important " being, than if he had been merely ra- ~v '" this world. the higher opinion you te have of any earthly friend, of your own " father, for inflance, or mother, the *' firmer perfuafion you have that they will " continue to be as kind to you hereafter " as they are at prefent ; and that far from '* being difpofed to deprive you of any tc good which you enjoy, they will be ra- " ther inclined to multiplie the comforts " of your being, and to enlarge and height- c< en the happinefs of it. why then fhould " you ever fufpecl: that a being, who is " infinite in goodnefs, fhould be fo far " from continuing to be good to you after " death, as at this deftined hour to deprive " you even of that grand blefling, which is " the foundation of all befides, your very '* exiftence itfelf ? that after fo very (hort !/- 27 2 CATECHETICAL LEG. XIII. ou r being, fo much the more difficult muft s """""""'it be to reconcile the deftru&ion of it either to the goodnefs or to the v/ifdom of the deitie. arid this is what I meant by the comparative view of thefe two topics or fources of argument, the nature and attri- butes of deitie, and the conftitution and frame of man. and in particular, the more intenfe and eager our hopes of happinefs hereafter, fo much the more improbable is it that the fupreme being fhould not indulge us in the gratification of them j fo much the more difficult to account for our being naturally led to entertain any fuch hope, if this be not defigned. Prefcntdif- But then farther {till we mentioned, as .penfjuons. y OU ma y remember, a third argument in proof of a future ftate appointed and or- dained for man j and which was to be de- duced from the condition of man here upon " earth, Dijceurfe concerning the Immortalitie of the Soul, c. ix. p. 114. This feems to have been the argument of the ancient Druids. Inter hos Dsuidas ingeniis celfiores, ut autoritas Pytha- goras decrevit, fodalitiis adftricti confortiis, quxilionibus occultarum rerum altarumque erefti funt, & defpe&antes humana pronun- tiarunt anirnas immortales. Ammian, Marcell. 1. xv. EXERCISES, 273 earth, or the conduft of divine providence Lee. xm. towards him in the prefent world. " t h is 1 ~""" """""' " world, my good children, has all the " -appearance imaginable of a ftate in " which we are to be trained up and difci- " plined for another, it is a ftate of edu- *' cation, you perceive your own immedi- " ate and earthly parents to be beftowing a *' great deal of thought and care upon you " in your prefent young and tender age, " and that not merely in providing futte- " nance for your animal life, but in forni- " ing likewife your minds and manners, '* and leading you into the knowlege of " this or the other fcience or art, which *' you can make but very little ufe of at < prefent, and can fcarce imagine it may " be of what benefit or advantage it can " be to you to be inftrucled in them, but " do you think that they would be at all -j}, and bcdy alfo after , oft in the New Teilament : it is a living again, or after this life, called, a funding up again : ::nd there is great probability of it in Chrift's argument with the Sadducets, and fome pafiages of Paul's, i Cor. xv. Baxter's Gate- chizing cf Families, C. xxi. p. 154, 15,. To the fame purpofc Dr. Clarke. The notion, fays he, of the ('suTs immaterialitis evidently facili- tates' the belief cf a rtfurreSion and of a future retribution, by fecuring a principle of perfonal individuality, upon which the juftice of all re- ward or pnnifhment is intirely founded ; but if thinking be in rtaline nothing but a power or mode, which inhering in a loofe and fleeting fyflem EXERCISES. 287 will be ftill advancing towards their final t*c. xiv. accomplifhment, and the perfections of the ( """~" v ~" > ""'' great God and father of the univerfe be even by thefe in the grand refult illuftrated and displayed to the view of his intelligent creation. " for far be it from you, my *' good children, to imagine that the wicked " are punifhed in a future flate out of any " fuch principle in the deitie as revenge, " or what we call paffion. no; but you " are to confider fuch punifhments as the " meafures of a wife and benevolent ruler " or governor in the moral univerfe." the beft earthly i fovereign that ever lived never thought it inconfiftent with his goodnefs to punifti malefactors ; and his fubjects would foon have found the dreadful effects of his Jiot doing fo (#). if you afk whence thefe punifh- lyftem of matter, perifhes utterly at the diffo- lution of the body ; then the reftoring the power of thinking to the fame body at the refurreciion, will not be a raifing again of \hefame individual perfon ; but it will be as truly a creation of a new f>er/on t as the addition of the like power of think- ing to a new body no-iv, would be the creation of a ne-iu man. See his Third Defence, p. 88. (a) It is upon thefe principles that an inge- nious author thus exprefies himfelfin comment- ing upon a pafTage in one of Cicero's Orations. " Tally's 288 CATECHETICAL LEC. XIV. punifhments of the wicked will arife, or in *- "v 'what it is they confift : I anfwer ; firft, in the Tally's bufinefs in this Oration was to paint out Clodius in his true colors, to let people fee into the hands of what an ill man they had given the power of a tribune, to let his judges fee what a guilty wretch they had ab- folved ; to convince his whole audience that a villain abfolved by corrupt judges could not yet but be miferable, through the irre- gularity of his paffions and affe&ions- and the confcioufnefs of his mifdeeds : purfuant to this purpofe it was proper for him to diftin- guifn between the puniftiments exadled by men, which were fometimes bought off, and thofe inflicted by the Gods, which were never to be avoided ; the one reaching body and goods, the other the mind. The Gods interpofe not in what concerns the former ; their inflidlions are laid on the mind, felf- confcioufnefs and reflection are the minifters of their vengeance ; they make ufe of no other to punilh wickednefs. This is all that Tuily fays; and many good men, as well chriftians as deiils, who believe the future ftate, will fay upon the matter the fame thing, but, though according to Tully, the Gods have ordained only felf-confcioufnefs and re- fieftion to punifh wickednefs in this life, may they not have ordained this alfo, though this only, to punifh it hereafter ? I fay not ever- laftingly, for Tully had other notions of the Gods than that comes to; but fo long at " lealr, EXERCISES. 289 the remorfe of their own confcience ; this fome have been even plagued to death' while in this world, and it will be a much greater fource of torment in the other, be- caufe there will be nothing there to divert their attention from thefe difmal reflections, or to alleviate the pains of a felf-accufing mind, fecondly, the worft of company, whofe bufmefs and delight it will be to in- fult and deride, to tantalize and torment them, out of pride and envie. thirdly, a moft lively fenfe of having forfeited the divine favor, and being in a ftate of alie- nation from the beft of beings, it is often- times a matter of no fmall vexation and uneafinefs even here, to think of having by our own imprudence and folly, forfeited the friendfhip of ibme wife and worthy man. imagine then, if you can, what a vexation and torment it muft needs be to any one in leaft, till the punifliment fhall work a change of mind in the fufferer, and then the punifh- ment cannot but ceafe. I intereft not myfelf in the cafe 3 but take it for granted that Tally could make the Gods authors of no punilhments, but what were defigned for the amendment of the fufferer, and the inftruc- tion of the beholder." See Free Thoughts on a Future State, p. 45, 46. O his CATECHETICAL moft deeply reflecting moments, to be ' continually accufing and upbraiding him- felf for having forfeited the friendfhip of his God ! and being now excluded from a fublime and glorious felicitie, which he himfelf might have been enjoying as well as others, had it not been for his own wil- fulnefs and folly ! and by confidering only and reflecting upon the direct contrary of all thefe particulars, you may eafily furnilh yourfelves with fome notion or idea, enough to animate all the efforts of your minds, be it only duly attended to, of the happi- nefs of futurity, as dreadful and torment- ing as are the agonizing tortures of an ac- cufing confcience, fo great, Satisfying and delightful will be the pleafures of an ap- proving one ; of reviewing and looking back upon our own integritie, and that unfhaken fortitude, with which by divine grace we have been enabled to maintain our contefl with fin and folly, whether that of our own or others, the greater difficulty, oppofition, hazard, fear and defpondencie in the progrefs of our virtue here, fo much the more exquifitely joyful will be the reflec- tion of our minds upon having at length and for ever furmounted all. and if we cannot EXERCISES. 291 cannot but look upon it as being the veryLsc. xiv. worft of evils to be baniflied from the fa- *"""" v*"" 1 vorable and propitious prefence of God our maker, and to live under the perpetual, keen and moft pungent fenfe of a lofs fo inexpreffibly great, we may by this means come to form fome idea or notion of that intenfe and elevated happinefs, which can- not but be the refult of a dire&Iy contrary ftate and fituation, of being the objects of divine complacencie and love, and moft in- timately confcious of it. and then, thirdly, when we reflect upon the amazing number of other holy, heavenly, virtuous men, who are gone before us into that happy ftate of being towards which we ourfelves are daily tending, and how many more will follow us thither ; what a prodigious company of pure and virtuous fpirits from every quarter of the univerfe have been, and will be con- tinually retorting to it, and what a vaft in- conceivable number more there is, who have from the beginning had their refidence and habitation in it, what an idea muft this give us of thofe pleafures of focietie and friendfliip, of harmony, love and union that are there to be enjoyed ! nothing how- ever can furnifh us with a more pleafing O 2 fenti* CATECHETICAL xiv.fentiment of this nature, than our reflecting * 'upon that clofe, infcparable union, which we fhall then have with our lord Jefus Chrift himfelf, the great " author" of eter- nal happinefs to all thofe, who believe in and " obey him," and the " captain" of our " falvation." *' this is he, as an inge- ** nious writer exprefles it, will the fepa- " rate foul then fay, who put on our nature " with its infirmities, but by his refurrec- *' tion and afcenfion on high, has changed " his infirmities into glory, this is he, " who converfed here below in mean con- " dition among men, and behold him ** raifed above the magnificence of all " the angels, this is he that once fuffered " the contradiftion of Dinners, but receives '* now the applaufe and veneration of all '* the inhabitants of heaven, this is he ** that ignominioufly hung upon a crois, *' but now all creatures behold him with " reverence and trembling, this is he, " that here below fuffered death, but who N* C now holds in his hands the life of all " things and the fubflance of the univerfe. * c this is he that was once feen lying in a '* dark tomb, in comparifon of whom now " the fplendor ^v/'fMfc'w t !- ; '** .flu4tS\ LECTURE XV. WE have already made it to appean.icT.XV. that fuch a divine revelation as' v -* that we fuppofe to be contained in the gofpel, is a thing poflible, or what very well may be. we have likewife {hewn it to be a thing credible; or that it is at leaft no way improbable that it mould be. the next ftep in this argument is thofe ancientAndent prophefies, which for many ages preceding P r P hefics the actual publication of the gofpel toman- kind, declared that it would be. thefe prophefies are contained in the writings of the old teftament. thus it is that we are to diftinguifh on account of feveral, and thofe very 302 CATECHETICAL Lic-r.XV.very remarkable, predi&ions, which we meet <~ r with in the new. with refpeft then to thofe of the old teftament, by which the appearance pf our blefled favior amongft mankind was prefigured and pointed out, they were in- tended in the firft place for the comfort and entertainment, the fatisfaclion and joy of thofe to whom they were originally deli- vered, this is plain from what you, :>$OTTOU /S.i*l- rica, in fumniis aut labris cut cerebro fluida (quas hypocritarum &r maxime impiorurn effe potefl) fed pradica & affeirucfa, qose vim quan- dam lalutarem animasy^//' alee imprimit ac in- figit. A. id explica uberius. B. talis effe debet Chrifti in ccena fua recordatio, quas i. crucifxi domini amoris erga fe melitiffimo fenfu partici- pantis animum pafcat, & coelcfti vcluptate per- fundat. 2. quae amoris viciulm erga Chriftum igniculos in corde communicatitis exfufcitet, & in iliius laudes rnfiritiflimas & obfequium rapiar. 3 s . qux charitate fiagret in proximnm y maxime in domeflicos fidei. Tullii Enchirid. p. 130, EXERCISES. 319 and works miracles in proof of it, againftLicT.xv. which there is no exception lying, as to'""""*"' the truth and realitie of them, how can we hefitate about the admiting of fuch a claim or embracing the do&rine ? what obftruc- tion or impediment can there be to our afTent ? but this leads us to the third parti- cular mentioned in this argument j namely, the miracles of the gofpel, as wrought both Mlraclei. by our favior and his apoftles. thefe were very great and numerous, they were wrought in the moft public manner ima- ginable, they were very different in the kind and fpecies of them, and for the moft part fueh as upon the very firft view and appear- ance of them we cannot but conclude to be abfolutely above the powers of nature, and beyond the utmoft reach of human fubtle- tie, art or contrivance, fuch as the heal- ing at a diftance and in a moment ; and railing the dead to life, the miracles in thefe feveral kinds were repeted again and again, and there was always a great num- ber of our favior's enemies at hand, who would have been glad, if they could, to have detected him in any fraud j and who had all the opportunitie they themfelves could defire of doing this, had there been P 4 occa- 320 CATECHETICAL LicT.xv.occafion given in the nature or the manner \.. .. ' o f the performance; and yet it was not done. " now, my good children, I think " you will eafily apprehend, that if a per- " fon takes upon him to work miracles, " and declapes that he does fo, and affords " others the faireft opportunitie for exa- ' mining into the truth and realitie of 41 them, and if vaft numbers at the very " time and place, when and in which thefe " miracles are faid to have been wrought, " are quite eager to lay hold of this op- ** portunitie, and to examine into the truth " of them with the greateft ftrictnefs and " accuracie, and if thefe very perfons " would have been beyond meafureglad to *' have found that they were not true and " genuine miracles, and yet after all this " examination declare them to be true and " genuine, as our favior's enemies did with *' refpecl: to thofe that were performed by 4< him, you muft needs think and believe " them to be fo j you muft fee furely the *' neceffity of admiting them as fuch, if ** you would act like rational beings, and, ** if upon fuch evidence we are not to be- " lieve, I know not how we can rationally " believe any matter of fact at all." we have already obferved too that prophefies are EXERCISES. 311 are a fpecies or a diftin& fort of miracles. LZCT.XV.- and of this kind there are feveral, as has v *-' before been intimated, which we meet with in the New Teftament as delivered New Tef- by our blefled favior and his apoftles. the deftruftion of Jerufalem, for example, was foretold by our favior himfelf, according to what we find recorded in the twenty- fourth chapter of St. Matthew, the thir- teenth of St. Mark, and the twenty-full chapter of St. Luke, in fo great a varietfe of plain, expreffive, diftinguifhing parti- culars, as are not capable of being applied to any other event, but exactly anfwering to that, fo that, as it is plain that our favior in what is recorded by the feveral evangelifts in thofe chapters, did indeed defign to deliver a prophefie, it muft needs too be evident that it could be no other than a prophefie of the destruction of that city ; which did accordingly, and in the manner there defcribed come to pafs. fo likewife the apoftles foretold the appear- ance and eftabliftiment of poperie in the chriftian world fo many hundred years be- fore it took place ; an event fo extremely improbable in itfelf, that it could never enter into any man's imagination to forge a pro- CATECHETICAL prophefie of that kind, and, if it had, it is fcarcely poflible he fhould have hit upon fo many circumftances of fimilitude as are apparent between poperie as now actually exifting in the world, and poperie as we have it defcribed by St. Paul and in the book of revelation, now all thefe prophe- fies (a] and miracles have in fact given the higheft credit and authoritie to chriftiani- tie, infomuch that by means of them, as was naturally to be imagined, the whole world in a manner has been led to the knowlege of it. " and can you, my chil- " dren, believe that God mould by fuch " extraordinarie methods of his providence " teach men a falfhood ?" but this leads us (a) It is to be obferved too, that as prophefie does thus flrongly enforce the authoritie of the chriflian religion in general, fo is it naturally corroborative of the do&rine of a future ftate in particular, this is ingenioufly urged by Eraf- mus. quid multis ? quum omnia fie evenerint quemadmodum erant prasdifta, defupremoju- dicio, deque piorum & impiorum praemiis quic- quam addubitare videtur effe extremas caecitatis* homini divino credimus, fi ter quaterque verum prsedixit : & ei quam in tarn multis, tamque juxta fenfum humanum incredibilibus, fuit ve- ridicus, non credemus in uno quod reftat ? In Symbolum, cap. v. p. 198, 199. EXERCISES. 323 us to reflecl, in the fourth place, upon theLzcT.xv. manner in which the knovvlege of thefe' -/-' things has been conveyed to ourfelves. Hiftorical now it is an undeniable fact, that fuch a vait number of converts as we have juft now been fpeaking of, were actually made by the preaching of the gofpel. and yet it was a religion, which for a great num- ber of years after its firft publication, np man could profefs without expofing himfelf to great fufferings and dangers, and even to death itfelf. for the fake of it how- Attention. ever, notwithftanding all thefe dangers, fuch the vaft, amazing number who re- nounced the principles in which they had been educated, which had all the force and authoritie of all the kings and princes and priefts of the Cctfth in fuVCr of them : and chriftianitie all this force and weight of authoritie againft it. fo that it appears ut- terly impofiible to account for the conduct of thefe primitive converts to the chriftian faith, without fuppofing that there were really fuch miraculous atteftations given to it as out weighed all thefe temporal and political conuderations. for there were no temporal or political confiderations on the other fide, that could effect it. either there- 324 CATECHETICAL LECT.XV. therefore chriftianitie muft be true, or here 1 ""K" ta 'is a great palpable event, a permanent ap- pearance in the world which we are not able any way to account for, but for which-, fuppofing chriftianitie to be true, the moft natural and obvious reafons may be affigned. befides, through a vaft number of writings that have been publifhed to the world fince the time when it is faid to have been firft made known down to the prefent age, the knowlege of it is in fact to be traced and obferved, according to the account given of it in the New Teftament. in every age we find chriftianitie, and meet with it in hiftorie, owned and acknowleged among mankind, juft in fueh a manner as we muft fuppofe, admiting the writings of the New Teftamerit to be authentic, out of which writings there are in the ancient books ot* this kind, a vaft number of quotations ex- actly anfwering to fuch and fuch paflages now to be met with in that book j anJ thefe paflages are quoted as from authors of undoubted credit and authentic, this therefore proves two things, both that the evangelifts and apoftles were looked upon as credible writers, and that their writings have been faithfully and truly tranfmited down EXERCISES. down to our times, and they all of afiert the miracles of Chrift, and the autho-' ritie of what he declared, delivered and made known to mankind, the latter fol- lows of courfe from the former, and of the former they were very capable judges, many of them were actually eye-witnefles of thefe miraculous performances, and the reft lived at the very time, and on the very fpot where thefe miracles were wrought, and hacf the beft means of knowing whe- ther they were true and genuine miracles or not. and thefe very preachers of chri- ftianitie expofed themfelves to every ima- ginable difficultie and fuffering for the fake of it. what fhould induce them to do this, if they did not believe it to be true ? " youDiforiflion. " do not, my good children, fee men now " a-days expofing themfelves to pain and