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our fenfes, when in order, never deceive

us.

The foregoing fenfe of Deity is not the only evidence we have of his existence: there is additional evidence from other branches of our nature. Inherent in the nature of man are two paffions, devotion to an invifible Being, and dread of punishment from him, when one is guilty of any crime. These paffions would be idle and abfurd, were there no Deity to be worshipped or to be dreaded. Man makes a capital figure; and is the most perfect being that inhabits this earth: and yet were he endued with paffions or principles that have no end nor purpose, he would be the most irregular and absurd of all Beings. These paffions both of them, direct us to a Deity, and afford us irrefiftible evidence of his existence.

Thus our Maker has revealed himself to us, in a way perfectly analagous to our nature: in the mind of every human creature, he has lighted up a lamp, which renders him vifible even to the weakest fight. Nor ought it to escape obfervation, that here, as in every other cafe, the conduct of Providence to man, is uniform. It

leaves him to be directed by reason, where liberty of choice is permitted; but in matters of duty, he is provided with guides lefs fallible than reafon: in performing his duty to man, he is guided by the moral fenfe; in performing his duty to God, he is guided by the sense of Deity. In these mirrors, he perceives his duty intuitively.

It is no flight fupport to this doctrine, that if there really be a Deity, it is highly prefumable, that he will reveal himself to man, fitted by nature to adore and worship him. To other animals, the knowledge of a Deity is of no importance : to man, it is of high importance. Were we totally ignorant of a Deity, this world would appear to us a mere chaos under the government of a wife and benevolent Deity, chance is excluded; and every event appears to be the refult of established laws: good men fubmit to whatever happens, without repining; knowing that every event is ordered by divine Providence: they fubmit with entire refignation; and fuch refignation is a fovereign balfam for every misfortune.

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The sense of Deity resembles our other fenfes, which are quiefcent till a proper object be presented. When all is filent about us, the sense of hearing lies dormant ; and if from infancy a man were confined to a dark room, he would be as ignorant of his sense of feeing, as one born blind. Among favages, the objects that rouse the fenfe of Deity, are uncommon events above the power of man. A favage, if acquainted with no events but what are familiar, has no perception of fuperior powers; but a fudden eclipfe of the fun, thunder rattling in his ears, or the convulfion of an earthquake, roufes his fenfe of Deity, and directs him to fome fuperior being as the cause of these dreadful effects. The favage, it is true, errs in afcribing to the immediate operation of a Deity, things that have a natural caufe: his error however is evidence that he has a fenfe of Deity, no lefs pregnant, than when he more juftly attributes to the immediate operation of Deity, the formation of man, of this earth, of all the world.

The fenfe of Deity, like the moral sense, makes no capital figure among favages; the perceptions of both fenfes being in

them

them faint and obfcure. But in the progrefs of nations to maturity, these fenfes become more and more vigorous, fo as among enlightened nations to acquire a commanding influence; leaving no doubt about right and wrong, and as little about the existence of a Deity.

The obfcurity of the fenfe of Deity among favages, has encouraged fome sceptical philofophers to deny its existence. It has been urged, That God does nothing by halves; and that if he had intended to make himself known to men, he would have afforded them conviction equal to that from feeing or hearing. When we argue thus about the purposes of the Almighty, we tread on flippery ground, where we feldom fail to ftumble. What if it be the purpose of the Deity, to afford us but an obfcure glimpse of his being and attributes? We have reason from analogy to conjecture, that this may be the cafe. From fome particulars mentioned above (a), it appears at leaft probable, that entire fubmiffion to the moral fenfe, would be ill-fuited to man in his prefent ftate; and would prove more hurtful than (a) Book 2. sketch 1.

beneficial,

beneficial. And to me it

that to be conscious of the

appears evident, presence of the

Great God, as I am of a friend whom I hold by the hand, would be inconsistent with the part that Providence has deftined me to act in this life. Reflect only on the restraint one is under, in prefence of a fuperior, suppose the King himself: how much greater our restraint, with the fame lively impreffion of God's awful presence! Humility and veneration would leave no room for other paffions: man would be no longer man; and the fyftem of our present state would be totally fubverted. Add another reafon: Such a conviction of future rewards and punishments as to overcome every inordinate defire, would reduce us to the condition of a traveller in a paltry inn, having no wish but for daylight to profecute his journey. For that very reason, it appears evidently the plan of Providence, that we fhould have but an obfcure glimpse of futurity. As the fame plan of Providence is visible in all, I conclude with affurance, that a certain degree of obfcurity, weighs nothing against the fenfe of Deity, more than against the moral sense, or against a fu

ture

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