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point to the governing principle of all our moral and religious duties. They refer at once to that tribunal which the Divinity has implanted in the breast of every man for his moral government-to that court of conscience which is of immediate access, free from cost; and so long as it is uncorrupted by vicious associations, and unbewildered by superstitious excitements, is infinitely more unerring, safe, and satisfactory, than the decisions of any legal tribunal. It refers to that bond of heartfelt sympathy which unites mankind in reciprocating influences; to that capacity which every man derives from experience of distinguishing right from wrong, and which teaches him that whatever he would feel to be a wrong done to himself, he cannot be justified in doing to another. Jesus Christ declared this natural rule of Conscience to the law and the prophets." Confucius had enunciated the same rule five hundred years before, and indeed most of the heathen philosophers had dwelt on it in their discourses. Being derived from nature, it is without doubt more ancient than any human record, and must be, in fact, universal and eternal. Indeed we find it naturally springing up in our own day, unassisted by education. In quarrels between ignorant country lads, we frequently hear one say to another, You would not like to be served so yourself."—"You would not like it, if I had served you so." Here the appeal is to his companion's own conscience, for untaught, he naturally concludes that in him, as in himself, there is a monitor which tells him, that whatever he would feel to be a wrong done to himself, he must not do to another: or the appeal may be said to be made to his moral sense, or to his religious sense, for Conscience, Morality, and Natural Religion, all mean nearly the same thing.

The regard for truth, rectitude, and humanity, which is often found to abide among ignorant rustics, and

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even among wild-wood savages, attests the force of natural morality, and inspires an admiration of rural simplicity and innocence, which is denied to the hollow and hypocritical pretensions of mystical refinements.

The rewards and punishments which the righteous and the sinful may expect in a future state, exceed human comprehension, and are therefore not within the province of natural Religion to predict. Even in this life, however, it is seen that rewards and punishments invariably follow good and evil deeds; for he who has acted rightly, is usually in the end successful; but if unfortunate, he does not cease to enjoy the respect of the good, and the sweet balm of an approving retrospection, which are rewards of the highest value; while the evil doer is as generally defeated in his designs, or if he succeed in them, he is punished by the world's scorn, and the severer stings of a wounded conscience.

But the instances that occur of persons who have laboriously discharged their duties, and whose lives have yet been a succession of sufferings, and have closed in apparent misery, raise the hope and expectation, that in some way inscrutable to man, our all-wise Judge and Benefactor will, in a future state, reward meritorious but unrequited sufferers, and in the same dispensation punish evil doers who have passed through life in the pride of success. This hope and expectation is reasonable, because the preservation, happiness, and improvement of the human race, intended by the Creator, require diligent exertions on their part, reward or punishment being the expected consequences of performance or neglect. We are therefore entitled to believe, that He would not call forth the exertions of His creatures under this expectation, and then leave those who have done well unrewarded and in misery.

Hence there is natural evidence of the probability of

future rewards and punishments to afford the consolation of hope to the afflicted, and to dismay evil doers; but there is no natural evidence of an eternity of joy and glory after death, such as to render the life we possess comparatively insignificant, to withdraw our minds from an active discharge of its duties, and interest us to flee from its toils, and hasten its close.

The Natural Religionist is disinclined to declare, that any one among the numerous conflicting doctrines which influence mankind, is the only true faith, and that all the rest are false; or, on the other hand, to insist that any one is false, if it be not at variance with truth and justice, our communion, therefore, extends to all that is good in all Religions.

But we confidently build our faith on the Religion of Nature, because its Divine influence reaches the human heart, independently of the ministry of men. It is the same in all places, and all ages, immutable and eternal : no changes in the sense of language, no errors of translators, no interpolations of interested persons, can distort its meaning, or weaken its authority; for its lessons come to us immediately and visibly from the works of God himself!

Be the Religion of Nature, therefore, our guide, and our comfort. It opens delightful stores of instruction to the comparatively ignorant; and extending through the whole creation, offers exhaustless illustrations of the Divine attributes to the learned and profound. It inspires an intense adoration and awe of the Deity—a firm reliance on His protecting providence and justice, a clear insight into our moral duties, and, especially, a warm feeling of good-will to all, without distinction of creed. It softens down the animosities with which sectarians have enthralled the world, harmonises all religious per

suasions into a rational system of worship, and directly tends to promote the great objects of peace, happiness, and the progressive improvement of mankind.

EXTRACTS.

THE BIBLE. (The doctrines herein, apart from the moral principles which are common to all religions, are too varied to admit of an adequate illustration by a few extracts. Until the time of Moses it appears that the Israelites believed in a plurality of gods: Jehovah then declared himself to be their tutelary God.) -Exodus, XXXIII., 11. Jehovah spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And Moses relates, Exodus, XVIII., 11. Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; for in the things wherein they dealt proudly, He was above them all.-XXXI., 18. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony-tables of stone written with the finger of God. (Numerous commandments for the performance of religious rites and ceremonies are contained in the Book of Leviticus. In chapter XXVI. are set forth, at great length, the rewards which are promised to the faithful; fruitful seasons, security, and abundance.)-7 and 8. And ye shall chase your enemies, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.-14 to 29. But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments.-I also will do this unto you, I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague; that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.—And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.— And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me;

I will bring seven times more plagues upon you, according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number, and your highways shall be desolate.-And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me:-Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.-And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat and not be satisfied. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me:-Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.-And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. Exodus, XX., 5. I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. Ezekiel, XVIII., 20. The soul that sinneth shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father. (The threatenings against the unfaithful are frequent and terrific, but the punishments are all of this world, there is no declaration of punishment in a future state throughout the Old Testament. (Ecclesiastes, III., 20. All go unto one place, all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.-IX., 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest.-XII., 5 and 7. Man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.-Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Isaiah, XXIV., 5, 6. The earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.-Amos, IV., 6, 7. And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were