good for them. As if He fhould fay Are they weak? I am frength. • Are they poor? I am riches. Are they in trouble? I am comfort. Are • they fick? I am bealth. Are they dy• ing? I am life. Have they nothing? • I am all things. I am wisdom and power, I am juftice and mercy, I am grace and goodness, I am glory, beauty, boliness, eminency, fupereminency, perfection, all-fufficiency, eternity. Jebovah, 1 Am. Whatfoever is fuitable ⚫ to their nature, or convenient for them • in their feveral conditions, that I am: ▪ whatsoever is amiable in itself, or defirable unto them, that I am: whatfoever is pure and boly, whatjoerver is great or pleasant, whatsoever is good or needful to make men happy, • that I am. So that, in fhort, GOD • here represents himself unto us as an Univerfal Good, and leaves us to make the application of it to ourfelves, according to our feveral wants, capacities, and defires, by faying only in general-I am.'

Again, page 27, he thus difcourfes: There is more folid joy and comfort, more real delight and fatisfaction of mind, in one fingle thought of GOD, rightly formed, than all the riches, and honours, and pleafures of this world, put them all together, are able to afford-Let us then call in all our scattered thoughts from all things here below, and raise them up and ⚫ unite them all to the most High ĠOD; apprehending him under the idea, image, or likeness of any thing else, but as infinitely greater, and higher, and better than all things; as one exifting in and of himself, and giving effence and exiftence to all things in the world befides Himfelf; as one fo pure and fimple, that there is nothing in Him but Himself, but Effence and Being itself; as one fo infinite and < omnipotent, that wherefoever any thing

TH

elfe is in the whole world, there Hè is, and beyond the world, where nothing elfe is, there all things are, becaufe He is there, as one fo wife, fo 'knowing, fo omniscient, that He at this very moment, and always, fees 'what all the angels are doing in heaven; what all the fowls are doing in the air; what all the fishes are doing in the waters; what all the devils are doing in hell; what all the men and beafts, and the very infects, are doing upon earth; as one fo powerful and omnipotent, that He can do whatfoever he will, only by willing it fhould be done; as one fo great, fo good, fo glorious, fo immutable, so tranfcendent, fo infinite, so incomprehenfible, so eternal, what fhall I fay? fo Jehovah, that the more we think of Him, the more we admire Him, the more we adore Him, the more we love Him, the more we may and ought: our highest conceptions of Him being as much beneath him, as our greatest ⚫ fervices come fhort of what we owe Him.

'Seeing therefore we cannot think of God fo highly as He is, let us think of Him as highly as we can: and for that end let us get above ourselves, and above the world, and raise our thoughts higher and higher, and higher ftill; and when we have got them up as high as poffibly we can, let us apprehend a Being infinitely higher than the higheft of them; and then finding ourselves at a lofs, amazed, confounded, at fuch an infinite height of infinite perfections, let us fall down in humble and hearty defires to be freed from thofe dark prifons wherein we are now immured, that we may take our flight into eternity, and there (through the merits of our bleffed Saviour) fee this infinite Being face to face, and enjoy Him for ever.`

HOR. EP. 17. L. I. V. 39.

CREECH.

admired for convincing the underftanding, the other for inflaming the heart. The former urges us in this plain and

forcible

forcible manner to an enquiry into religion, and practifing it's precepts.

Suppofe the world began fome time to be; it must either be made by counfel and defign, that is, produced by ⚫ fome Being that knew what it did, that 'did contrive it and frame it as it is; which it is eafy to conceive, a Being that is infinitely good and wife, and powerful, might do: but this is to " own a God. Or elfe the matter of it ⚫ being supposed to have been always, ' and in continual motion and tumult, "it at last happened to fall into this or der, and the parts of matter, after various agitations, were at length en⚫ tangled and knit together in this order, in which we fee the world to be. But can any man think this reafonable to imagine, that in the infinite variety which is in the world, all things • should happen by chance, as well and as orderly as the greatest wisdom could have contrived them? Whoever can ⚫ believe this, must do it with his will, ⚫ and not with his understanding.

• Supposing the reafons for and against the principles of religion were equal, yet the danger and hazard is so unequal, as would fway a prudent man to the affirmative. Suppofe a man believe there is no God, nor life after this, and fuppofe he be in the right, ⚫ but not certain that he is, (for that I am fure in this cafe is impoffible) all the advantage he hath by this opinion relates only to this world, and this prefent time; for he cannot be the bet⚫ter for it when he is not. Now what advantage will it be to him in this life? He fhall have the more liberty to do what he pleaseth; that is, it furnisheth him with a stronger temptation to be intemperate, and luftful, and unjust; that is, to do thofe things which prejudice his body and his health, which cloud his reason, and darken his understanding, which will make him < enemies in the world, will bring him ⚫ into danger. So that it is no advan

To perfuade men to believe the fcriptures, I only offer this to men's confideration. If there be a God, whofe providence governs the world, and all the creatures in it, is it not reasonable to think that he hath a particular care of men, the nobleft part of this vifible world? And feeing he hath made them capable of eternal duration; that he. hath provided for their eternal happinefs, and fufficiently revealed to them the way to it, and the terms and conditions of it! Now let any man pro'duce any book in the world, that pretends to be from God, and to do this; that for the matter of it is fo worthy of God, the doctrines whereof are fo • useful, and the precepts fo reasonable, and the arguments fo powerful, the truth of all which was confirmed by fo many great and unquestionable miracles, the relation of which has been tranfmitted to pofterity in public and authentic records, written by those 'who were eye and ear witneffes of 'what they wrote, and free from fufpi'cion of any worldly intereft and defign; let any produce a book like to this, in all thefe refpects; and which, over and befides, hath by the power and reafonablenefs of the doctrines contained in it, prevailed fo miraculoufly in the world, by weak and inconfiderable means, in oppofition to all the wit and power of the world, ⚫ and under fuch difcouragements as no other religion was ever affaulted with; let any man bring forth fuch a book, and he hath my leave to believe it as foon as the Bible. But if there be none fuch, as I am well affured there is not, then every one that thinks God hath revealed himself to men, ought to embrace and eatertain the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, as revealed by God.

matters; and if there be weight in these ⚫ confiderations to fway reasonable men, that they would not fuffer themselves to be biaffed by prejudice or paffion, or intereft, to a contrary perfuafion. Thus much I may with reafon defire of men: for though men cannot believe what they will, yet men may, if they will, confider things ferioutly and impartially, and yield or withhold their affent, as they fhall fee 'cause, after a thorough fearch and examination.

If any man will offer a ferious argument against any of the principles of religion, and will debate the matter faberly, as one that confiders the 'infinite consequences of these things one way or other, and would gladly be fatisfied, he deferves to be heard what he can fay; but if a man will turn religion into raillery, and confute it by two or three bold jefts, he doth not make religion, but himself, ridiculous, in the opinion of all confiderate men, becaufe he fports with his ⚫ life.

So that it concerns every man that would not trifle away his foul, and fool himself into irrecoverable mifery, with the greatest seriousness to enquire into these things, whether they be fo or no, and patiently to confider the • arguments that are brought for them.

And when you are examining these ⚫ matters, do not take into confideration ◄ any fenfual or worldly intereft; but deal fairly and impartially with yourfelves. Think with yourfelves that you have not the making of things true and falfe, that the principles of religion are either true or falfe, before

I

you think of them. The truth of things is already fixed; either there is a God, or no God; either your fouls are immortal, or they are not; either the Scriptures are a divine revelation, or an impofture; one of these is certain and neceffary, and they are not now to be altered: things will not comply with your conceits, and bend themselves to your interefts; therefore do not think what you would have to be; but confider impartially what is." The other great writer is particularly ufeful in his rapturous foliloquies, wherein he thinks of the Deity with the higheft admiration, and beholds himself with the most contrite lowlinefs. My pre• fent business,' fays he, is to treat of 'God, his being, and attributes; but "who is fufficient for these things?" At least, who am I, a filly worm, that I fhould take upon me to fpeak of Him, by whom alone I speak; and being myfelf but a finite finful creature, fhould Arive to unveil the nature of the infinite and moft holy God! Alas! I cannot fo much as begin to think of him but immediately my "thoughts are confounded, my heart is perplexed, my mind amazed, my head turns round, my whole foul feems to be unhinged and overwhelmed within me. His mercy exalts me, His justice depreffeth me. His wifdom aftonifheth me. His power affrights me. His . glory dazzles mine eyes; and " by reafon of his highnefs, "as Job fpeaks, I cannot endure: but the leaft glimpse of Him makes me "abhor myself, "and repent in duft and afhes" before him."

HOR. EP. 15. L. I. V. 45.

Ever thought it my duty to preferve peace and love among my Wards. And fince I have fet up for an univerfal Guardian, I have laid nothing more to :heart than the differences and quarrels between the landed and the trading inBerets of my country, which indeed com

all the neceffaries and conveniences of life; the land fupplies the traders with corn, cattle, wool, and generally all the materials, either for their fubfiftence or their riches; the traders in return provide the gentlemen with houses, cloaths, and many other things, without which their life at beft would be uncomfortable. Yet thefe very interefts are almost always clashing; the traders confider every high duty upon any part of their trade, as proceeding from jealoufy in the gentlemen of their rivalling them too faft; and they are often enemies on this account. The gentlemen, on the other hand, think they can never lay too great a burden upon trade, though in every thing they eat, and drink, and wear, they are fure to bear the greatest part themselves.

I fhall endeavour, as much as poffible, to remove this emulation between the parties; and, in the first place, to convince the traders that in many inftances high duties may be laid upon their imports to enlarge the general trade of the kingdom. For example, if there fhould be laid a prohibition, or high duties which fhall amount to a prohibition, upon the imports from any other country which takes from us a million fterling every year, and returns us nothing else but manufactures for the confumption of our own people, it is certain this ought to be confidered as the increase of our trade in general; for if we want thefe manufactures, we fhall either make them ourfelves, or, which is the fame thing, import them from other countries in exchange for our own; in either of which cafes our foreign or inland trade is enlarged, and fo many more of our own people are employed and fubfifted for that money which was annually exported; that is, in all probability, a hundred and fifty thoufand of our people, for the yearly fum of one million. If our traders would confider many of our prohibitions or high duties in this light, they would think their country and themfelves obliged to the landed intereft for thefe restraints.

Again, gentlemen are too apt to envy the traders every fum of money they import and gain from abroad, as if it was fo much lofs to themfelves; but if they could be convinced, that for every million that fhall be imported and gained by the traders, more than twice that fum is gained by the landed intereft, they would never be averfe to the trading part of the

nation. To convince them, therefore, that this is the fact, fhall be the remain ing part of this difcourfe.

Letus fuppofe then, that a million, or, if you pleafe, that twenty millions were to be imported, and gained by trade, to what ufes could it be applied? and which would be the greatest gainers, the landed or the trading intereft? Suppofe it to be twenty millions.

It cannot at all be doubted, that a part of the aforementioned fum would be laid out in luxury, fuch as the magnificence of buildings, the plate and furniture of houfes, jewels, and rich apparel, the elegance of diet, the fplendor of coaches and equipage, and fuch other things as are an expence to the owners, and bring in no manner of profit. But because it is feldom feen that perfous who by great industry have gained eftates are extravagant in their luxury, and because the revenue must be ftill fufficient to fupport the annual expence, it is hard to conceive that more than two of the twenty millions can be converted into this dead ftock, at leaft eighteen must still be left to raise an annual interest to the owners; and the revenue from the eighteeen millions, at fix per centum, will be little more than one million per annum.

Again, a part of the twenty millions is very likely to be converted to increafe the stock of our inland trade, in which is comprehended that upon all our farms. This is the trade which provides for the annual confumption of our people, and a ftock of the value of two years confump. tion is generally believed to be fufficient for this purpofe. If the eighteen millions above-mentioned will not raife a revenue of more than one million per annum, it is certain that no more than this laft value can be added to our annual confumption, and that two of the twenty millions will be fufficient to add to the stock of our inland trade.

Our foreign trade is confidered upon another foot; for though it provides in part for the annual confumption of our own people, it provides alfo for the confumption of foreign nations. It exports our fuperfluous manufactures, and should make returns of bullion, or other durable treafure. Our foreign trade, for forty years laft paft, in the judgment of the most intelligent perfons, has been managed by a frock not lefs than four, and not exceeding eight millions, with which last fum they think it is driven at X 2

this

this time, and that it cannot be carried much farther, unless our merchants fhall endeavour to open a trade to Terra Auftralis Incognita,' or fome place that would be equivalent. It will therefore be a very large allowance, that one of the twenty millions can be added to the capital flock of our foreign trade.

There may be another way of raifing intereft; that is, by laying up, at a cheap time, corn or other goods or manufactures that will keep, for the confumption of future years, and when the markets may happen to call for them at an advanced price. But as molt goods are perishable, and wafte fomething every year, by which means a part of the principal is ftill loft, and as it is feldom feen that thefe engroffers get more than their principal, and the common intereft of their money, this way is fo precarious and full of hazard, that it is very unlikely any more than three of the twenty millions will be applied to engroffing. It were to be wished the engroffers were more profitable traders for themselves; they are certainly very beneficial for the commonwealth; they are a market for the rich in a time of plenty, and ready at hand with relief for the poor in a time of dearth. They prevent the exportation of many neceflaries of life, when they are very cheap, fo that we are not at the charge of bringing them back again, when they are very dear. They fave the money that is paid to foreign countries for intereft and warchouferoom; but there is fo much hazard, and fo little profit, in this business, that if twenty millions were to be imported, fcarce three of them would be applied to the making magazines for the kingdom. If any of the money fhould be lent at intereft to perfons that fhall apply the fame to any of the purposes above-mentioned, it is ftill the fame thing. If I have given good reafons for what I have faid, no more than eight of the twenty millions can be applied either to our stock of luxury, our stock in inland or foreign trade, or our stores or magazines. So that till there will remain twelve millions, which are now no otherwife to be difpofed of than in buying of lands or houfes, or our new parliamentary funds, or in being lent out at interest upon mortgages of thofe fecurities, or to perfons who have no other ways to repay the value than by part of the things themfelves,

The question then is what effect thefe twelve millions will have towards reducing the intereft of money, or raifing the value of eftates; for as the former grows lefs, the latter will ever rife in proportion. For example, while the intereft of money is five per cent. per annum, a man lends two thousand pounds to raife a revenue of one hundred pounds per annum, by the intereft of his money; and, for the fame reafon, he gives two thoufand pounds, or more, to purchase an eftate of one hundred pounds per annum. Again, if the intereft of money fhall fall one per cent. he must be forced to lend two thousand four hundred pounds to gain the revenue of one hundred pounds per annum, and for the fame reafon he must give at least two thousand four hundred pounds to purchase an estate of the fame yearly rent. Therefore, if these twelve millions newly gained shall reduce one per cent. of the present intereft of money, they must of neceffity increafe every eftate at least four years value in the purchase.

It is ever easier to meet with men that will borrow money than fell their estates. An evidence of this is, that we never have fo good a revenue by buying as by lending. The first thing, therefore, that will be attempted with thefe twelve millions, is to lend money to thofe that want it. This can hardly fail of reducing one per cent. of the prefent interest of money, and confequently of raifing every eitate four years value in the purchase.

For, in all probability, all the money or value now in England, not applied to any of the ufes' above-mentioned, and which therefore lies dead, or affords no revenne to the owners, until it can be difpefed of to fuch uses, doth not exceed twelve millions; yet this fum, whatever it is, is fufficient to keep down money to the prefent intereft, and to hold up lands to their prefent value. One would imagine, then, if this fum fhould be doubled, if twelve millions extraordinary fhould be added to it, they fhould reduce half the prefent intereft of money, and double the prefent value of eftates. But it will eafily be allowed they must reduce one per cent. of the prefent interest of money, and add the value of four years rent to the purchase of every eftate.

To confirm the belief of this, an argument might be taken from what really happened in the province of Holland before the year one thousand fix hundred

and