promises; Infidels have never been able to produce any thing more. Lord Herbert, after having made the strongest declarations, that the religion of Nature is innate in the mind of every man, and is there written by the finger of God, is compelled to confess that it has been obliterated from the minds of almost all men. But the philosophers in question were a little company of men; and all, who ever read their books, were but a mere handful. There are more persons in the United States at the present moment, who read the Scriptures, and are in a good degree acquainted with the religion, which they contain, than the whole number, which have read any philosophical writings since Philosophy was first written. There were far more persons in the Jewish nation, and in most ages of that nation, who were acquainted with the writings of Moses, and afterwards with those of the prophets, than were ever acquainted with the Grecian and Roman philosophy.

It ought here to be observed, that these writings, also, came into existence at so late a period, that they are liable to the full force of the preceding objection. These Philosophers lived very long after the time of Moses; and most of them very little before, and some of them after, the time of Christ. Had they, therefore, discovered a religion, which would render men accepted by their Maker, that religion would have been liable to both these objections, in a far higher degree than the religion of the Scrip

tures.

But the truth is; the religion, which they taught, was as little fitted to accomplish this great end, as that, which was embraced by the people at large. They cleared the common Gentilism of some absurdities, and ornamented it with some doctrines and precepts which were just and defensible. But they added many absurdities of their own; taught false doctrines of their own; and increased the number of immoral precepts. All these, also, they impressed on the mind with the whole force of their genius, learning, eloquence, and authority. In the mean time, their example destroyed the influence of their instructions, when they were true; and increased it, when they were false. What, therefore, they found bad in itself they made worse upon the whole, and not better.

SERMON IV.

ON REVELATION.

MAN CANNOT FIND OUT A RELIGION WHICH WILL RENDER HIM ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.

SERMON II.

Joe xxviii. 12, 13.

Where shall Wisdom be found, and where is the place of understanding?

Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

AN intelligent and sober man, surveying himself, and the objects around him. would very naturally form a series of reflections, like the following.

"Whence, and what, am I? How came I to be, to be what, and where, I am? My frame is a complication of wonders, utterly surpassing my comprehension. It is alive. What is that life; and whence derived? It can move. What is the cause of its motions? It is the medium, through which I receive an endless multitude of sensations both pleasurable and painful. By what mysterious power does it become this medium? I can think, and choose: I can imagine, and feel: I can hope, and fear: I can love, and hate: I can enjoy, and suffer. In what manner are these wonderful affections produced?"

"I am placed in a world, full of wonders. The vegetable, the animal, and the mineral, kingdoms are replenished with objects of a marvellous nature; effects, which I can understand very imperfectly; and causes, which I can scarcely understand at all. Yet I can distinctly perceive, that they are extensively fitted for

the use of man; and appear, as if they were intended, to a great extent at least, to contribute to the comfort of myself and my fellow-men. But what are we? For what end were we made? for there are so visible, and numerous, proofs of contrivance, and of such wonderful contrivance, in both the body and the mind of man, that it is irrational, and seems to be impossible, not to conclude, that we were made. Who, and what, is He, by whom we were made? How plainly must his nature transcend all such comprehension, as mine. In the contemplation of such power, wisdom and agency, as I see displayed in myself, and in all things which are presented to my view, I am lost in astonishment. what purpose was I made? I and all other men must soon go to the grave. Shall I then perish; or shall I survive the tomb, and re-exist in future periods of endless duration? Of what incomprehensible importance are these questions? Who can answer them ?"

For

"If man is destined to be immortal, and may be happy throughout eternity; what measures shall he undertake, to insure this happiness? Where, how, with whom, shall he exist? What will be his circumstances? How shali he act, so as to make all these things desirable, when he shall arrive in the future world?"

Thoughts, like these, have probably passed through the mind of every man, possessed of the character, which I have mentioned. Not improbably, they may often have engrossed his deepest attention; awakened anxiety and alarm; produced perplexity; forced the thoughts to wander into the eternal world; to explore with distressing solicitude the character, and designs, of God; and to ask, "What will become of me, when my soul shall be separated from my body?" "Where," he will irresistibly exclaim, "shall the Wisdom be found, which shall make me acceptable to God? Where is the place of that Understanding, which will enable me effectually to provide for the wants of my future being? Man certainly knoweth not the price thereof; for its value is beyond all price neither is it found in the land of the living; for such a discovery would have filled the world with astonishment and rapture; and the tidings must have vibrated through every nation, and every succeeding age of man."

I have already stated several difficulties, which have prevented mankind from discovering a religion, capable of rendering them acceptable to God. It is now my design to consider this subject with respect to several other things, which may be considered as fundamental; and which, if I mistake not, will, when fairly examined, prove the doctrine beyond all reasonable doubt. In this examination I shall pursue the scheme, adopted in a former discourse; and shall consider that, which man can do concerning this all-important subject, as being what man has already done. It would be idle, here, to enter into abstract speculations concerning the possible extent of the powers of man.

After all

the laborious efforts, which have been made, and made with every advantage, it is perfect trifling to inquire whether there may not be hereafter some superior mind, or a mind possessed of some superior advantages, by which this mighty discovery may be more successfully made. Cicero's remark is, here, plainly conclusive: "That it makes no difference whether no man is wise, or whether no man can be wise."

Still, I propose, for the purpose of producing a greater satisfaction in the minds of my audience, to inquire into the nature of the case; and in the course of this inquiry shall attempt to show, that Reason cannot possibly make this discovery, and to exhibit the real grounds of this impossibility.

Towards the accomplishment of this purpose I observe generally,

That our duty cannot be performed, unless it is known;

That it cannot be known, unless our relations to the beings, to whom our duties are owed, be known; and

That these relations cannot be known, unless the nature, character, and circumstances, of these beings, out of which all these relations rise, and on which they all depend, be also known.

These propositions, it is presumed, will be admitted; since they cannot be denied without violence to Reason.

It will be the particular design of this discourse to show, that the several things, which I have specified, are unknown. Should this be evinced; it will follow, that our duty, so far, must be also unknown; and that whatever reward might be acquired from the performance of our duty must be unattainable, unless we can de

rive the knowledge of it from some other source than the exercise of our reason.

In support of this scheme, I observe,

I. That Reason, left to itself, cannot understand the Nature of God.

Simonides, having been asked by Dionysius, the tyrant of Sicily, what God was, requested a day's time to consider the subject. At the end of this period, instead of returning an answer, he requested two more; at the end of these, four; and at the end of all, answered, that he was unable to tell. Every man, who looks into his own bosom, will distinctly perceive, that, as face answereth to face in the water, so does his mind to that of the philosopher. No words will be necessary to convince him of his own ignorance of this great and mysterious Being. If he makes serious efforts to analyze his character; he will find difficulties, substantially the same with those which met the eye of Simonides ; and will feel that he needs, not a few days, not a few years, not a single life, but many lives, and many centuries, to acquire satisfactory views concerning this unfathomable subject. After all his labours, after all his anxieties, he will find himself compelled to address to his own soul the language of Zophar to Job," Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? the measure thereof is longer than the earth; and broader than the sea."

What is thus irresistibly proved by every man in his own serious attempts to investigate the subject is in the most decisive manner, also, evident from facts. Reason has never been able to determine whether there has been one God, or two, or many. The conduct of men in this respect has been very remarkable. Imagination has formed the gods of Reason, or Philosophy. The process appears to have been this. The common people, amid the various displays of the divine Presence and Agency in the natural world, which made strong impressions on their imagination, fastened upon one, and another, as peculiar objects of veneration; connecting with them various traditional doctrines, and stories, in an association, which became ultimately permanent. From reverencing God in these objects they came ultimately,