other caufe is there to be laid hold of? One still remains, and imagination cannot figure another: to make this conviction univerfal, the image of the Deity must be ftamped upon the mind of every human being, the ignorant equally with the knowing: nothing lefs is fufficient. And the original perception we have of Deity, muft proceed from an internal sense, which may be termed the fenfe of Deity.

Included in the fenfe of Deity, is the duty we are under to worship him. And to enforce that duty, the principle of devotion is made part of our nature. All men accordingly agree in worfhipping fuperior beings, however they may differ in the mode of worship. And the univerfality of fuch worship, proves devotion to be an innate principle t.

The perception we have of being accountable agents, arifes from another branch of the fenfe of Deity. We expect approbation from the Deity when we do right; and dread punishment from him when guilty of any wrong; not excepting the moft occult crimes hid from every mortal eye. From what cause can dread proceed in that cafe, but from conviction of a fuperior being, avenger of wrongs? The dread, when immoderate, diforders the mind, and makes every unusual misfortune pafs for a punishment inflicted by an invifible hand. "And they faid one to another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, "in that we faw the anguish of his foul, when "he befought us, and we would not hear: there"fore is this diftrefs come upon us. And Reu"ben answered them, faying, Spake I not unto you, faying, Do not fin against the child; and

ye

See this principle beautifully explained and illuftrated in a fermon upon the love of God, by Doctor Butler Bishop of Durham, a writer of the first rank.

B. III. ye would not hear? therefore behold alfo his "blood is required (a)." Alphonfus King of Naples, was a cruel and tyrannical prince. He drove his people to despair with oppreffive taxes, treacheroufly affaffinated feveral of his barons, and loaded others with chains. During profperity, his confcience gave him little difquiet; but in adverfity, his crimes ftared him in the face, and made him believe that his diftreffes proceeded from the hand of God, as a juft punishment. He was terrified to distraction, when Charles VIII. of France approached with a numerous army: he deferted his kingdom; and fled to hide himself from the face of God and of man.

But admitting a fenfe of Deity, is it evidence to us that a Deity actually exists? It is complete evidence. So framed is man as to rely on the evidence of his fenfes (b); which evidence he may reject in words; but he cannot reject in thought, whatever bias he may have to fcepticism. And experience confirms our belief; for our fenfes when in order, never deceive us.

The foregoing fenfe of Deity is not the only evidence we have of his exiftence: there is additional evidence from other branches of our nature. Inherent in the nature of man are two pasfions, devotion to an invifible Being, and dread of punishment from him, when one is guilty of any crime. Thefe 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 or purpose, he would be the most irregular and abfurd of all Beings. These paffions both of them, direct us to a Deity, and afford us irresistible evidence of his existence.

Genefis xlii, 21, 22.

Thus

See Effays on Morality and Natural Religion, part 2. fect, 3.

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 weakeft 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 reafon, 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 fenfe 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 governinent 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.

The fenfe of Deity refembles our other fenfes, which are quiefcent till a proper object be prefented. When all is filent about us, the fenfe of hearing lies dormant; and if from infancy a man were confined to a dark room, he would be as ignorant of his fenfe of feeing, as one born blind. Among favages, the objects that roufe the sense 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 VOL. II. fuperior

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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 thefe 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 fense of Deity, like the moral sense, makes no capital figure among favages; the perceptions of both fenfes being in them faint and obfcure. But in the progress 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 fceptical philofophers to deny its existence. It has been urged, That God does nothing by halves; and that if he had intended to make himfelf 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 purpofe of the Deity, to afford us but an obfcure glimpse of his being and attributes? We have reafon from analogy to conjecture, that this may be the cafe. From fome particulars mentioned above (a), it appears at least probable, that entire fubmiffion to the moral fense, would be ill fuited to man in his prefent ftate; and would prove more hurtful than beneficial. And to me it appears evident, that to be confcious

(a) Book 2. fketch 1.

fcious of the prefence of the Great God, as I am of a friend whom I hold by the hand, would be inconfiftent with the part that Providence has destined me to act in this life. Reflect only on the restraint one is under, in prefence of a fuperior, fuppofe the King himself: how much greater our restraint, with the fame lively impreffion of God's awful prefence! Humility and veneration would leave no room for other paffions: man would be no longer man; and the fyftem of our prefent ftate 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 day

light to profecute his journey. For that very reafon, it appears evidently the plan of Providence, that we should have but an obfcure glimpfe of futurity. As the fame plan of Providence is vifible in all, I conclude with affurance, that a certain degree of obfcurity, weighs nothing against the fenfe of Deity, more than against the moral fenfe, or against a future ftate of rewards and punishments. Whether all men might not have been made angels, and whether more happiness might not have refulted from a different fyftem, lie far beyond the reach of human knowledge. From what is known of the conduct of Providence, we have reafon to prefume, that our prefent state is the refult of wifdom and benevolence. So much we know with certainty, that the fenfe we have of Deity and of moral duty, correfpond accurately to the nature of man as an imperfect being; and that these fenfes, were they abfolutely perfect, would convert him into a very different being.

A doctrine efpoufed by feveral writers ancient and modern, pretends to compofe the world without a Deity; that the world,, compofed of animals,

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