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of the glorious army of martyrs who introduced the reformation in England, behaved himfelf in that great conference which was managed between the moft learned among the Proteftants and Papifts in the reign of Queen Mary. This venerable old man knowing how his abilities were impaired by age, and that it was impoffible for him to recollect all thofe reafons which had directed him in the choice of his religion, left his companions, who were in the full poffeffion of their parts and learning, to baffle and confound their antagonists by the force of reafon. As for himself he only repeated to his adverfaries the articles in which he firmly believed, and in the profeffion of which he was determined to die. It is in this manner that the Mathematician proceeds upon propofitions which he has once demonstrated and though the demonstration may have flipt out of his memory, he builds upon the truth, because he knows it was demonftrated. This rule is abfolutely neceffary for weaker minds, and in fome measure for men of the greatest abilities.

But to thefe laft I would propose, in the fecond place, that they fhould lay

up

up in their Memories, and always keep by them in a readiness, thofe arguments which appear to them of the greateft ftrength, and which cannot be got over by all the doubts and cavils of infidelity.

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But, in the third place, there is nothing which strengthens faith more than morality. Faith and morality naturally produce each other. A man is quickly convinced of the truth of religion, who finds it is not against his intereft that it fhould be true. The pleasure he receives at prefent, and the happiness which he promifes himself from it hereafter, will both difpofe him very powerfully to give credit to it, according to the ordinary obfervation that we are easy to believe what we wish. It is very certain, that a man of found reafon cannot forbear clofing with religion upon an impartial examination of it; but at the fame time it is as certain, that faith is kept alive in us, and gathers ftrength from practice more than from fpeculation.

There is ftill another method which is more perfuafive than any of the former, and that is an habitual adoration of the Supreme Being, as well in conftant acts

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of mental worship, as in outward forms. The devout man does not only believe but feels there is a Deity. He has actual fenfations of him; his experience concurs with his reafon; he fees him more and more in all his intercourfes with him, and even in this life almoft lofes his faith in conviction.

The last method which I fhall mention for the giving life to a man's faith, is frequent retirement from the world, accompanied with religious meditation. When a man thinks of any thing in the darkness of the night, whatever deep impreffions it may make in his mind, they are apt to vanish as foon as the day breaks about him. The light and noise of the day, which are perpetually foliciting his fenfes, and calling off his attention, wear out of his mind the thoughts that imprinted themselves in it, with so much ftrength, during the filence and darknefs of the night. A man finds the fame difference as to himfelf in a crowd and in a folitude: The mind is ftunned and dazzled amidst that variety of objects which prefs upon her in a great city : She cannot apply herself to the confideration of thofe things which are of the

utmost

utmost concern to her. The cares or pleasures of the world ftrike in with every' thought, and a multitude of vicious examples give a kind of juftification to our folly. In our retirements every thing difpofes us to be ferious. In courts and cities we are entertained with the works of men; in the country with those of God. One is the Province of art, the other of nature. Faith and devotion naturally grow in the mind of every reafonable man, who fees the impreffions of Divine Power and Wisdom in every object, on which he cafts his eye. The Supreme Being has made the best arguments for his own Exiftence, in the formation of the heavens and the earth, and these are arguments which a man of fense cannot forbear attending to, who is out of the noise and hurry of human affairs. Ariftotle fays, that should a man live under ground, and there converfe with works of art and mechanifm, and should afterwards be brought up into the open day, and fee the feveral glories of the heaven and earth, he would immediately pronounce them the works of fuch a Being as we define God to be. The Pfalmift has very beautiful ftrokes of Poetry to

this purpose, in that exalted ftrain, The heavens declare the glory of God: And the firmament fheweth his handy-work. One day telleth another: And one night certifieth another. There is neither speech nor language: But their voices are beard among them. Their found is gone out into all lands: And their words into the ends of the world. As fuch a bold and fublime manner of thinking furnishes very noble matter for an Ode, the reader may fee it wrought into the following one.

I.

The fpacious Firmament on high,
With all the blue Ethereal sky,
And Spangled heav'ns, a fbining frame,
Their great original proclaim:
Th' unwearied fun, from day to day,
Does bis Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land

The work of an Almighty hand.

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Soon as the evening fhades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the liftning earth
Repeats the story of her birth:

Whilft

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