render themselves the proper objects of it, and upon none but thefe; for as it was in the beginning, in these respects, even fo it is now, and ever will be, world without end. SEC SECTION III. Concerning RELIGION. H AVING, in the preceding Section, fhewed my readers what my sentiments are, touching the exiftence of a Deity, &c. the next point of importance, which offers itself to be confidered, is religion. I fay, after the confideration of a Deity, religion, in order of nature, comes next to be confidered, even antecedent to the confideration of futurity. Men's relation to, and dependence upon God, and all obligations that flow from fuch relation and dependency, and all other relations, dependencies and obligations, that men may come under, these all arife from that they are, and what they are, and from what they have; and not from that they will be, and what they will be, and from what they will have in futurity; and, confequently, as religion is grounded on men's prefent exiftence, and from from what they are and have; fo, of neces fity, it must be the fame, whether futurity be taken into the cafe, or not. God is equally the author of my being, the upholder of my foul in life, and the fountain of all the good I have, or do enjoy, whether I am to exist in futurity, or not; and, therefore, all the obligations I am under to the Deity, as they arise from thefe, fo, of neceffity, they must and will be the fame, whether futurity be taken into the account, or not. The term religion is fometimes taken in a general, and fometimes in a more reftrained fenfe. RELIGION, at large, is that which is the ground of God's favour, or which renders men pleafing and acceptable to the Deity; and, in this view of the cafe, religion includes all the just and reasonable obligations a man can be under; fo that a man's whole conduct may be confidered as religious, or irreligious, whether his actions relate to God, his neighbour, or himself, as they are conformable, or contrary to the rule he ought to walk by, excepting in those inftances and cafes in which they are perfectly indifferent. And,as there is a natural and an ef sential difference in things, and one thing or ac. |