of redna sword, he would tell us, We had nothing to part with bur what was not for our interefts to keep, --and that was our Vices; which brought death and mifery to our doors.

w to bensboro sidne - He would go on, and prove it by a thousand arguments, that to be tem. perate and chaste, and juft and peaceable, and charitable and kind to one Manother, was only doing that for

e

our own; and that were we in a ca

pacity of capitulating with GOD upon. ea what terms, we would fubmit to his ergovernment, he would convince ---us, 'twould be impoffible for the wit mof man to frame any proposals more

for our present interefts, than to lead

an uncorrupted life-to do the thing. which is lawful and right, and lay such restraints upon our appetites as are for the honour of human nature, and the refinement of human happiness.

When this point was made out, and the alarms from Intereft got over, -the fpectre might addrefs himfelf to the other paffionsin doing this, he could but give us the most engaging ideas of the perfections of GOD,--or could he do more, than imprefs the most aweful ones, of his majefty and power:--he might remind us, that we are creatures but of a day, haftening to the place from whence we fhall not return; during our ftay, we ftood accountable

that

to this Being, who, tho' rich in mer

cies, ments

yet was terrible in his judg

that he took notice of all

our actions;--that he was about

་

our paths, and about our beds, and fpied out all our ways; and was fo pure in his nature, that he would pu nish even the wicked imaginations of the heart, and had appointed a day, wherein he would enter into this ing quiry.

He might add

But what?with all the eloquence of an infpired tongue, What could he add or say to us, which has not been

faid before? The experiment has been tried a thousand times upon the hopes and fears, the reafons and paffions of

men, by all the

powers

of nature

the application of which have been fo> great, and the variety of addreffes fob unanswerable, that there is not a greater paradox in the world, than that!! fo good a religion should be no better": recommended by its profeffors.

act

The fact is, mankind are not al

ways in a humour to be convinced,

7139

and fo long as the pre-engagement with our paffions subsists, it is not argumentation which can do the bufinefs; ;-we may amuse ourselves with the ceremony of the operation, but we reason not with the proper faculty, when we fee every thing in the fhape and colouring, in which the treachery

of the fenfes paint it: and indeed,

were we only to look into the world,

380

and observe how inclinable men are tol defend evil, as well as to commit igy -one would think, at first fight they believed, that all discourses of } religion and virtue were mère matters) of fpeculation, for men to entertain fome idle hours with; and conclude very naturally, that we feemed to be agreed in no one thing, but speaking well,—and acting ill. But the trueft comment is in the text,- If they hear not Mofes and the prophets, &c.

くすぐ

If they are not brought over to the interefts of religion upon fuch difcoveries as GOD has made--or has

enabled them to make, they will stand out against all evidence

-in vain

fhall one rife for their conviction;

was the earth to give up her deads the ads or

13