poffibly be, because the Condition of the Mind, during its Union with the Body, is such, that it neceffarily receives ftrong Impreffions from external Objects. To deny This, is to deny that we have any Senfes at all, or that we have ever had any Experience of their Effects upon the Mind. And if This be, (what every one of us daily experiences it to be) the present State of human Nature, the confequent Expediency of publick and joint Prayer, confidered as the most effectual Means of promoting Virtue, and our Obligations from the Principles of natural Religion, to perform thofe Duties, are demonftratively True: And, therefore, let these proud, Boasters of their Reason, and pretended Friends to Virtue, difprove This Account of the prefent State of human Nature, and the Influence of our Senfes upon our Minds, or let them throw off the Mafk, and openly acknowledge that, in their Opinion, there is no fuch thing as Virtue, or any moral Obligation really fubfifting. But, I must repeat what I have already obferved, that tho' these Arguments are quite Satisfactory to us, whofe Minds have been ftrengthened and illuminated by frequent Revelations, I am far from thinking that unaffifted Reafon could have difcovered them fo clearly and ftrongly to Mankind, as they now appear to us. This, however, only fhews us our own Happiness, in having the great Advantages of Revelation, but does not, in the least, weaken the Force of the Argument in refpect to the Deifts. Before I take leave of thefe violent Patrons of natural Religion,

Religion, I must fuggeft another Observation to them, which deferves their Confideration; I mean, the general Agreement of Mankind in the publick Worship of their Deity, or Deities. There never was a People, even in the darkest Corner of the Heathen World, who did not acknowledge their Belief of a God and this Providence, by publickly worshipping him. Now, This univerfal Practice, while it teftifies the concurrent Sentiments of Mankind, is as good a Proof of the Reasonableness of the Duty of Prayer, and of their Obligations, confidered as Men, to perform it, as the general Belief of a God has always been allowed to be a Proof of the Reality of his Existence. For, into what can we resolve such an univerfal Concurrence of Opinion and Practice but into the Voice of God, or the Voice of Nature, to both which all reasonable Creatures. must acknowledge themselves obliged to hearken. We muft either fuppofe that the Duty of Prayer was originally made known to Mankind by an immediate external Revelation, and propagated to fucceeding Times by Tradition; or, that it appears fo plain from the very Frame and Confiitution of our Beings, as dependent Creatures, that Reason has always affented to our Obligations to the Practice of it; or, that Mankind have beenR led to the Practice of it by a kind of Instinct implanted in us by the Author of our Nature, in order to preserve in our Minds a conftant and lively Sense of our Dependence upon him: This Argument deferves to be confidered, and will not easily be answered, by those who would be

2

thought

thought to believe the Truths of natural Religion, tho' we CHRISTIANS are lefs concerned to maintain the Force of it. The Deifts (as Infidels are pleased to style themselves) are apt to extol the moral Philofophy of the Heathens, and the great Abilities of the Authors. The late Lord Bolinbrooke has exceeded any of his Predeceffors in his Encomiums upon them, and has made a moft pompous Parade, with Extracts of their Maxims. But, what was the Defign of all this Lavishness? Not to give a `Sanction to Virtue, by their Authorities; but to difcredit Revelation: If the Intention had been to recommend and promote the Intereft of Virtue, they would pay the fame Regard to the Sentiments of thofe great Men in refpect to Religion and Piety; whereas they pay none at all, but are quite filent upon That Head. All the antient Heathens had the highest Esteem and Zeal for the religious Worship of their Gods. The Romans, in particular, laid fo great a Stress upon it, that they afcrib'd the Succefs of their Arms to their Piety, which, in their Opinion, procured them the Affiftance of the divine Providence. Not fo, the prefent Deifts; who have improved so much upon their Predecessors that they seem to exclude a Providence out of the World; and, in confequence of their Infidelity, never pay their Devotions to God, while they deny his Existence, or his Interpofal in the Government of the World. I have lately heard a very remarkable Thing, from very good Hands, of the Right Honourable Writer, above-men

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tion'd.

tion'd. The late Dr. Conyers Middleton left a MS. upon Prayer; not in Favour of it, the Reader may be morally affured. Whether the Dr. left it with an Intention of having it publifh'd after his Death my Informer did not fay; but the Widow, it feems, was prevailed upon to fupprefs it. His Lordship, by fome Means, or another, contriv'd to get a Sight of it, and found it fo agreeable to his Opinions and Schemes, that he has taken proper Measures for its Publication. I hope I am mifinform'd; but the Gentleman who gave me this Account is a Person of fuch good Intelligence, and fo much Credit, that I believe it to be true; and I am the more inclin'd to believe it, because fuch a Design seems quite agreeable to the Writings of his Lordship, and the Dr. How it can be confiftent with their large Pretenfions of Zeal for Virtue, and the Good of Mankind, must be a Secret till fome of thefe inlighten'd Philofophers fhall think fit to fhew us. At prefent, I am willing to think, I have proved, and fhall ftill more fully prove, that by difcrediting Prayer they are doing irreparable Injury to Virtue, and the Publick. Be that as it will, their Inconsistency and Partiality are undeniable, while they fo highly extol the moral Sentiments of the antient Heathens, but disdainfully reject their religious Opinions. Whatever Weight thofe celebrated Names carry with them, Piety and Prayer claim it all. As to those who believe the Truth of Revelation, they have a continued Series of Examples; not of Philofophers, not of mere Men, but of Pro

phets,

phets, and Apoftles, who lived and acted, continually, under the immediate Infpiration and Direction of God; whofe deliberate and habitual Conduct, therefore, is not only an infallible Rule of what is lawful, but of what is binding upon us, as a neceffary Duty in Matters of This Nature. We have, moreover, the Practice of Chrift himself, who has expreffly told us, that it is our Duty to follow his Steps; that he took upon him our Nature, and dwelt among us, in order to inftruct us by his Example, as well as by pofitive Precepts. I need not produce Inftances to prove a Fact that must be fufficiently obvious to every one who has looked into the Bible, or heard it read. But, befides all these Examples, we have exprefs Precepts for the Duty of Prayer, both in the old and new Teftament. I know, it is a current Opinion among many learned Men, that there is no express Precept for Prayer under the old Teftament: Of this Opinion was that excellent Man, Bishop Blackball: At the 86th Page of the Octavo Edition of his Sermons, upon thefe Words, when thou prayeft, &c. he obferves, that "It is not "here directed, or commanded, that we should

ever put up any Prayers to God; but 'tis fup

pofed by our Saviour that This is a Duty, and "that Men are generally fo perfuaded of the "Neceffity of it, that they cannot be fatisfied " in their own Minds, while they live in the "Neglect thereof; and 'tis indeed a Duty taught "fo clearly by the Light of Nature, that there

was no Need that it fhould be enjoin'd by

any