in the human mind, and the improvement and reinforcement which it receives from the Revelation of the Gofpel. Reliligion, in general, (fays he) confifts in our acquiring just and worthy fentiments concerning the Deity, and in our rendering to him an homage, or worship, that is fuited to his perfections. As the first branch of religion confifts in the acquifition of becoming fentiments of the Deity, Mr. Orr gives us a fhort view of the evidence for the being, perfections, providence, and moral administration of God, fuited to the common perceptions and feelings of mankind, without having recourfe to the more abftrufe arguments, which have been commonly urged to eftablish these points. The fum of thefe juft and true apprehenfions, which the common light of nature and reafon fuggefts concerning the Deity, is, in our Author's own words, as follows:——“God is that Being, who is original, independent, and fupreme in the univerfe; who, having all perfection in himself, and deriving his existence from none, hath communicated existence to all other perfons and things, with all the powers and virtues with which they are endowed; who hath always been, and will always continue to be, ftrictly eternal, immense, and alone poffeffed of underived divine majefty and glory; a fpirit ever living and active, moft intelligent, wife, and powerful, moft benevolent, holy, and juft; who conftantly infpecteth and directeth all things to the nobleft and best purpofes, and interefteth himself particularly in the affairs of men, in the character both of a gracious Father, and a righteous Lord and Governor." The other effential branch of Religion confifts, partly, we are told, in the exercife of thofe affections which terminate in God himself, and naturally arife in us, upon a fimple view of his moft amiable perfections; and, partly, in a performance of all the other duties which he hath required from us, either by that law, which in the conftitution of our nature he hath laid us under, or by any notices which he hath otherwife coveyed to us of his will. We fhall lay before our Readers part of what Mr. Orr advances in regard to the exercife of pious affections; it will ferve as a fpecimen of that fpirit which breathes through the whole of his performance. The first thing (fays he) comprehended in the worship of God, is the exercife of thofe affections, of which, he is the fole object, and which move and exert themfelves upon a fimple view of his moft lovely per perfections; fuch as reverence, love, gratitude, joy, trust, dependence, and refignation. And let no one think that thefe affections, and the natural expreffions of them in acts of adoration, praife, thanksgiving, and prayer, can ever be excufably wanting in any who acknowlege a Deity. Some perfons, indeed, in the fchemes or systems which they form of the duties of men, either altogether omit, or make but little account, of the affections which are to be exercifed towards God himself, laying the chief, or the whole ftrefs of morality on the focial virtues, and those which tend to a man's private good or happiness. But it is hard to account for such a defective scheme of morals, upon any but atheistical principles; for if God indeed exifteth, if there is really a being immensely great and excellent, poffefled of all wisdom, power, goodness, purity, and righteoufnefs; who made, preferveth, and governeth all things; who is, particularly, the kind and indulgent parent of the human race, the holy and juft governor of moral agents; if there be really fuch a Being, can it be doubted whether the highest reverence, love, duty, and fubmiffion, be not due to him, from all whom he hath made 'capable of knowing his incomparable worth, and of reflecting on the endearing relations in which he ftandeth to them? Can thofe, who are often ftruck with high admiration of the virtues of frail mortals, help being most agreeably affected with the contemplation of original fupreme beauty and excellence, from whence our highest graces and perfections are but fo many faint rays and emanations? Can the man, 'who feeleth the moft fincere and affectionate refpect and gratitude to his parents upon earth, be void of the ftrongeft fentiments of veneration, love, and fubmiffion to his Father in heaven, who, as the heavens are high above the earth, hath mercy, in proportion, towards his children, who love and fear him? Can the perfons who revere an excellent prince, an equitable and gracious mafter in this world, who are inviolably attached to their rights and interefts, and ambitious of ferving them faithfully; can fuch ever fall fhort in the expreffions of respect and homage, or fail in the allegiance and duty, which they owe to the univerfal King, the fceptre of whofe kingdom is a fceptre of righteoufnefs, who ruleth his fubjects with the moft perfect equity, clemency, and goodness; and is more truly and eminently, than the greatest and best upon earth can poffibly be, the father, protector, and guardian of his fervants? In fhort, if there be a foundation in our nature at all, for the affections of reverence, honour, gratitude, and love, towards the most refpectable and eminent characters among men, towards great benefactors, friends,. parents, parents, patriots, heroes, legiflators; the fame affections, in the natural courfe of their operation, tend to God himself, and muft ultimately reft and terminate in him, if we have but a full perfuafion of his existence, and a juft and lively sense of his excellencies and perfections. It is therefore unaccountable how any, who profess to believe in God, and have any true notions of his character, can ever be indifferent. about the exercise of thofe affections, which become them, towards him." It has been urged, indeed, that as the merit of virtue, or of our moral qualities, is founded in utility, one need be but little folicitous about the affections which terminate in God, as they are of no ufe to mankind, whofe welfare de-' pends upon the exercife of the focial virtues, and the practice of thofe duties which contribute to every one's own ease and profperity. This objection our Author anfwers in the following manner: "Not to enter here (fays he) into an enquiry, whether utility is the only ground of the merit of virtue, or the only foundation of our approbation of moral qualities, it is allowed that the focial virtues of juftice and humanity, and likewife temperance, induftry, and the like, are of very great worth and importance; without which, as there would be no order and happiness among men, fo neither could there be any true religion in them. But if any one will fay, that thefe are the only moral qualities of real value and confequence to mankind, while a refpect to God, and the love and fear of him, can have no influence on their happiness, he must certainly appear to be in a great mistake. For, firft, it cannot but be clear to every one, who hath experienced the force of thefe affections, that they are most plentiful and conftant fprings of joy and confolation to him, in all circumstances and conditions of life; and befide this, it is plain, that they have a great efficacy for engaging men to the practice even of thofe duties which they owe to the public and to themselves, and are indeed the beft fecurity for the fteady, uniform, and vigorous performance of them. For though the focial and private virtues of men are very lovely in their own nature, and of the greatest confequence to the good order of the world, and to the true enjoyment of life; and though we are naturally determined to approve and practise them, antecedently to the confideration of their being required by the fupreme Lawgiver, who both can, and will reward or punish us, according to our obedience or disobedience; yet, if we judge from from common obfervation and experience, the greatest part of men are not very deeply impreffed with the native beauty of thefe virtues, nor is their natural attachment to them ftrong enough to keep them firm and fteady in the practice of them, unless it be supported and ftrengthened by the principles of religion, a belief of the existence of God, and a lively fenfe of his perfections and rightful authority over them, and of their accountableness to him, as their Governor and Judge, for every part of their converfation in the world. Thefe principles, well laid in the mind, and being warm and vigorous in it, will indeed add fuch force to the focial propenfions of men, and to their natural approbation and love of virtue, as will render them zealous, uniform, and fteady, in the performance of the duties, which they owe both to fociety and to themselves: whereas, without the affiftance of thefe principles, the generality of the world will ever fall far fhort of what is juftly expected and required from them, in almost every branch of their duty.". After explaining the nature, our Author proceeds to fhew what is the end and defign, of Religion. And this, he justly obferves, can be nothing but the improvement of our nature in moral perfection; and, in confequence of that, the bringing us to the enjoyment of the pureft and moft fublime happiness. And this, indeed, muft neceflarily be the end of Religion, or of any worship or fervice, which God can be fuppofed to require at the hands of men: for as, in our first formation, he has endowed us with a lively fenfe and approbation of moral excellence; pointed it out to us as the great object of our purfuit; made us capable of perceiving and relifhing that moft exquifite pleafure, which arifes from the consciousness of our poffeffing it, in a high degree, and determined us to feek this pleafure as our chief good; if any thing, bearing the name of Religion, fhould aim at fomething different from, or at fomething more than the moral improvement of our nature, it would not correfpond with our original conftitution. Religion and nature, according to this scheme, would not be of a piece; and therefore could hardly be thought to proceed from the fame author. But the cafe is manifeftly otherwife: Religion coincides perfectly with the plan of nature, and urges us principally to the study and practice of thofe very things, which the original fentiments of our minds approve and recommend to us, as the foundation of our higheft dignity and happiness. And if it fhould be faid, that befide the reformation of mankind, or the improving them in all morally good qualities, there are fome other things intended by Religion, even as it appears in its most perfect form in the Gofpel; fuch as the inftructing us in certain doctrines not discoverable by reason, and the engaging us to fome peculiar forms of external religion, Mr. Orr anfwers, That whatever of this fort is propofed by any true religion, muft always be in fubordination to the efablishing the practice of all goodness and virtue among men, which is particularly the great and ultimate end of the Chriftian institution, to which every other thing in it is made fubfervient. Accordingly we find, that both the doctrines of the Gospel, and the pofitive external rites of it, have all a practical view and tendency; and that if the belief of its doctrines, and the use of its rites, be not the means of influencing us to an univerfally pure and good life, they cannot be of the leaft fignificancy. A wife man, indeed, could hardly by any means perfuade himself of the truth and divine original of any inftitution of Religion, the whole or the principal intention of which was only to gain our affent to fome speculative notions, or to engage us to the obfervance of fome outward rites; but whatever pretences were made ufe of to fupport its authority, he would be very apt to confider it only as the effect of enthufiafm or impofture. Our Author now proceeds to confider the rife and progress of Religion in the human mind, and how far the powers of our nature, when diligently and impartially exercifed, can carry us, exclufively of an extraordinary revelation, in tracing out the principles, the duties, and the obligations of it. Though no explicit or actual knowlege of Religion, is born with us, yet (he fays) we certainly have powers originally implanted in our natures, which, exerting themfelves according to the intention and order of nature, muft neceflarily lead us to an acknowlegement of the Deity, and of his feverat attributes; and likewife to a difcovery of the true and acceptable methods of honouring and serving him: and which, even when moft neglected and uncultivated, fpontaneously furnish, at some time or other, the greatest part of men, with fome true sentiments in thefe points.-Even when Religion was, in almost all parts of the world, moft miferably obfcured and defaced, by a mixture of polytheifm, idolatry, and fuperftition, or a multiplicity of the groffeft errors and abfurdities, feveral perfons (he tells us) were ftill able to reafon themfelves into a belief and acknowlegement of all the principal truths of genuine theifm, and of fome others, clofely con nected |