Men left destitute of thefe neceffary Affiftances, there could be no Equity in requiring Obedience, no Juftice in punishing Disobedience. There are many Demonstrations to be had of the Existence of a Deity from the Works of Nature, and from the Operations of our own Minds: But the plaineft of thefe Proofs do fometimes escape the lower Part of Mankind, who, being conftantly taken up in the fervile Employments of Life, do not exercife their Reafon fo far as to come to the Conclufion, which is but one Remove distant from the Objects they every Day converse with. And though, as the Pfalmift fpeaks, The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament shereth his handy Work; though Day unto Day uttereth Speech, and Night unto Night fheweth Knowledge; yet fome there are, who, for want of Attention, hear not this ftill Voice of Nature, and are flow to apprehend the Glory which the Heavens declare, or to difcover the Hand of the Creator in the Works of the Firmament which they every Day behold. But then there is an internal Proof of a Deity arifing from Confcience, and the Reflection of the Mind upon the Good or Evil we do, which amounts to the fulleft Declaration of the Power of God, and

is the completest Promulgation of his Law to Mankind that can be defired or expected. In all civil Cases a King is fufficiently proclaimed, and a Law is fufficiently promulged, when either is done according to Custom in fome public and folemn Manner; for, it being impoffible to give every Man concerned particular Notice, the Neceffity of the Cafe requires that every Man fhould at his Peril take Notice of the public Declaration. But, with refpect to the Authority of God, and the common Laws of Morality, fuch Care is taken, that the Promulgation is made at every Man's own Door, nay, in his very Heart. The Senfe which Men have of Good and Evil, the Hopes and Fears which naturally arise in confequence of the Good or Ill they do, are fuch Demonstrations, and fo homely applied to every Man's Understanding, of the Obedience owing to a fuperior Being, that nothing can invalidate.

As Speculation helps us to other Proofs of the Power and Authority of our Maker, fo does it help fome alfo to get rid of them. It is an eafy Matter for a Man of a subtle Wit to refine fo far on any Subject, til! there fhall be hardly any thing left for the Mind to reft on with Satisfaction and Af

furance.

furance. But this Proof of a superior Being, to whom we are accountable, which dwells in every Man's Breaft, no Art or Subtilty can ever expel. As long as Men continue to judge of the Good and Evil of their Actions, as long as fuch Reflections are attended in the Innocent with Peace and Satisfaction of Mind, and in the Guilty with Fear and Anxiety; fo long it will be plain that God hath, not left himself without Witness, but that there are as many Evidences of his Power and Authority as there are rational Beings in the World: And there is this peculiar to this Evidence, that it is ftrongest and most irresistible in those who in Intereft are most concerned to fupprefs it. The Innocent have little Temptation to plead to the Jurifdiction of the Court; they are the Guilty who want that and other Artifices to decline the Power of the Judge: But, in the present Cafe, the Fears which furround the Guilty are so many undoubted Proofs and Records of the Judge's. Authority; and his Mind, confcious of all thofe Fears, fpeaks to him in the Language which Feftus used to St. Paul; Haft thou appealed unto Cæfar? Unto Cæfar fhalt thou go.

Secondly, In the fame Manner the Moral Law is promulged to every rational Crea

ture:

ture: The Work of the Law is written in the Heart, as the Confcience beareth Witnefs, and the Thoughts, which either accufe or excufe. The Promulgation, in this Café, is ftronger than that of any human Laws, which, how publicly and folemnly foever they are declared at fifft, are often worn out by Length of Time, or grow dark and obfcure, and ftand in Need of an authoritative Expofition to filence the Contentions arifing from the different Acceptations of the Rule. But here the Law is renewed to every Man, and the Senfe and Meaning of it fo preferved, that nothing but great Ability and Skill, joined with little Honesty, can pervert or obfcure it; and then only for a Time; fince the Rebukes of Confcience will fooner or later teftore the true Senfe to the Law, which was darkened by the Shades of falfe Reafon ferving the Inclinations of a corrupted Heart. It would grieve an honeft Man to fee how the plainest Laws have been treated by corrupt Cafuifts, who, to ferve the vile Purposes of themfelves or others, have made the Commandment of God of none Effect by their Traditions; who have played Rule against Rule, and Duty against Duty, till both have been loft. This might be fhewn in

every Cafe, but in none more apparently than in the Inftance which the Text furnishes of the Obligation of an Oath, which is made to bind, or not to bind, just as the corrupt Purposes require. But tho' these Daubings with untempered Mortar ferve often to deceive the Simple, and to hide their plain Duty from their Eyes; yet when they come to reflect coolly upon their past Actions, Confcience proves a far honefter Cafuift, and pulls off the thin Disguise; and the Man trembles at the Remembrance of those very Things which he committed under the Pretence of a religious Care and Difpofition. Herod, it feems, had promifed with an Oath to give the Daughter of Herodias whatsoever fhe would ask; and tho' he was troubled when the demanded the Head of John the Baptift, yet, as it is particularly remarked by the Evangelist, for bis Oath's fake, and them which fat with him at Meat, he commanded it to be given ber. Happy Hypocrite! how ferenely does he dip his Hands in guiltless Blood, and how calmly does he fit under the Comfort of a confcientious Regard to his Oath! But fee, the Scene is quickly changed, Herod is alarmed with the Fame of one who wrought Miracles in the Country: He ftarts

at