sense of the dignity of his rational nature, and of the superiority of his immortal part. From this source proceed religious service, properly so called, and all the duties of external worship.

From these observations, we are led to establish the following grand principles of all true religion.

1st, That the author of all things is a pure and perfect spirit; that, by consequence, this spirit is omniscient; that he always wills what is best, and desires no absolute evil; that he admits distress and suffering only as a necessary consequence of the imperfection of created beings, or as a means subservient to the greatest possible good; and that his power extends to all possibilities; that is, he can do whatever involves no contradiction or impossibility in the very nature of things. All the other attributes of an all-perfect spirit, such as sanctity, goodness, wisdom, justice, omnipresence, foreknowledge, or prescience, are resolvable into these notions.

2dly, That the same all-perfect Being, who is the author of the universe, and the parent of the human race, is likewise their governor, and provides for the happiness of his creation in the manner most adapted to the powers and faculties with which he has endued the different orders of his creatures, and of every individual belonging to these different orders; that is, that he exercises a constant and watchful providence over

all the parts of his immense creation, and a moral government over those who are endued with reason and moral feeling. This principle is in-. volved in the preceding one; but, on account of its importance, merits a separate and distinct

enunciation.

3dly, As a consequence of the two foregoing propositions, That the soul of man is immortal, and that death, that is, the dissolution of the material frame, will introduce him into a state of happiness or misery, to be determined by his conduct in the present life.

I have just now said, that this last proposition flows from the two by which it is preceded. For, the same considerations which lead us to infer that the Deity is a pure and unlimited spirit, lead us also to conclude, that man is possessed of a spiritual substance, joined to a material and perishable frame, and that this substance, though limited in its faculties, is indissoluble in its nature. The moral government of the Deity leads directly to infer a future state of retribution, because, in the present scene, retribution is but imperfectly displayed.

From the principles already established, it is evident, that, on contemplating the true character of Deity, and viewing man merely as possessed of intellectual and active powers, and with freedom of will, which these imply, true religion must consist in entertaining towards the Supreme

Being those sentiments and affections which his character must excite, in expressing these in a becoming manner, and in pursuing that conduct which is suited to human nature. Of this character must be the religion of a creature such as man was in a state of innocence. But this state has never existed since the fall of the first human pair. The corruption both of the understanding and of the will, which ensued on that original catastrophe of our species, and which has ever since prevailed over the wide extent of the world, without a single exception but that of the man Jesus, necessarily superinduced other features on the aspect and complexion of religion. Man became incapable of rendering to the Deity that service which both the divine and human natures required. Man became a sinner, and was obnoxious to that punishment which sin entails on all who commit it. He forfeited and was necessarily deprived of those moral and intellectual joys which are linked to purity and innocence. He viewed his Creator as a judge arrayed in the terrors of justice, and lost all the delights which belonged to unintimidated communion with him. From that period, repentance took her station among religious duties, and even claimed there the most important place. But when she had attained it, she found, that of herself she was unable to afford security and consolation to offending man. Her character prompted

her to discover and point out to him the excellence and blissful tendency of the law which he had violated, and the disorder and misery thence introduced into the whole moral system. She taught him, indeed, to place his hope on the clemency of God; but she saw and suggested to him, that this clemency could never be exercised in opposition to his justice, or that regard which he must always entertain for the supreme welfare of his whole moral creation, which required the maintenance of the law of virtue and purity, and with which the unconditional pardon of the sinner might be, and certainly is, inconsistent. She could discover no means of reconciling this with the general welfare, and, consequently, with the justice and even goodness of the supreme legislator. Though she afforded, therefore, some hope to guilty man, she could hold out no assurance of security.

That this is no imaginary representation, the various modes of expiation, the bloody rites, and even the sacrifice of human victims, adopted among heathen nations, sufficiently attest. Whatever forced and false interpretations may be given to these facts by dogmatical attachment to preconceived theological opinions, in support of which even scripture itself is twisted, distorted, and audaciously mutilated, every unprejudiced mind will acknowledge, that consciousness of guilt, and an anxious desire of appeasing divine

justice, and of averting merited punishment, suggested the direful modes of expiation adopted by pagan superstition. The corruption of human nature is matter of experience or of testimony, and the design of the rites above stated is the subject of historical record, which vague speculation cannot alter.

To the same depravity of man we must refer great part of the Jewish sacrificial institutions, and the various modes of purification and remission appointed by God himself, as types and shadows of that one great and only effectual atonement which was to take place under the new and perfect dispensation, and to terminate for ever all other sacrifices and expiations of sin. In fine, without some positive assurance of pardon, resting on a foundation suited to the circumstances and conceptions of man, he must always remain in a state of foreboding apprehension and perplexing anxiety. Hence,

4thly, An economy of pardon and grace becomes a necessary part of true religion to a fallen and guilty creature, such as man really is. This becomes a fundamental article of religious faith, in that degraded state to which man has been reduced by the perversion of his powers, and the abuse of his free agency. If he had preserved the integrity of his understanding, and the purity of his will, the first three articles would have been sufficient. But although they be still essential,