made them, who carries them in his hand, who surrounds them by his presence, and who constantly looks on their hearts. The knowledge and belief of this great, holy and glorious object, directly tends to awaken, strengthen and enlarge their mental powers, and to habituate their minds to the contemplation of other important and interesting objects, which are connected with the existence and perfections of the supreme Being. The Bible also enlightens a people in the knowledge of themselves, and gives them some just views of the nature, dignity, duration and importance of their own existence. It represents men as rational and immortal creatures, who are formed to exist through all the ages of time and the boundless ages of eternity. This great and noble idea impressed upon the minds of a people, must make themselves and all other nations appear worthy of the deepest attention and respect; and they must be convinced, that with the existence and interests of such beings, they cannot safely trifle. The immortality of the human soul seems to level all distinctions among mankind, and to set the child, the servant, the subject and the beggar upon an equality with the richest and greatest of their fellow-creatures. How differently from this view must the atheist and the Pagan consider himself, and the rest of mankind! He knows not but death will be an eternal sleep and put a final peri od to his own existence, and to the existence of every other human being. And while he views himself and his fellow-creatures as such transient and worthless beings, his mind must sink into darkness and despondence. But christianity opens to every human being, the boundless prospects of eternity, which must enlighten and enlarge the minds of those, who embrace it. Besides the gospel not only reveals a future and eternal state, but represents it as infinitely more. important than the present. The savages of America and other Pagan nations, entertain some glimmering prospect of a future state, and have some faint hope, that they shall exist after death. But their ideas of a future state are extremely gross and absurd. The Indian expects to find the same objects in another world, with which he has been conversant in this life. He expects to eat and drink and hunt and sleep after death, as he did before it. And Virgil, one of the most refined and elegant of the heathen poets, represents the spirits of departed heroes and law-givers, as pursuing the same employments and amusements, which they pursued before they left the body. But christianity gives us a view of the future state of existence, which is vastly more interesting and important.It represents death as putting a final period to all the pursuits and enjoyments of this present life and transmitting the soul into a state of eternal and unutterable happi- conscience to do it. The Pagan, ness or misery. Every person the Papist and the Mahometan who believes the Bible, believes feel themselves bound in conscithat he and all his fellow-creatures ence to believe and observe the are probationers for a happy or absurdities and superstitions of miserable eternity; and he ex- their religions. Though every pects soon to see himself and eve- false scheme of religion has some ry other human being in a state influence over the conscience ;— infinitely different from the pres- yet christianity has the most hapent, in which they will be render- py and controling influence over ed completely happy, or complete the moral faculty. A false religly wretched forever, by the smiles ion tends to stupify and stifle the or the frowns of their great and voice of conscience; but the reholy Creator. Such great and ligion of the Bible always serves awful, such glorious and amiable to enlighten and strengthen it to objects the Bible exhibits before do its office. The Bible exhibits the minds of every people, who all created and uncreated objects embrace it. And the belief and in their proper and various reimpression of such interesting and lations. And these relations lay affecting objects cannot fail to en- the foundation of moral obligation. lighten and enlarge their under- We are bound to love and obey standings, and to have a powerful God, because of the relation, and happy influence upon their which he bears to us and which sentiments, character, conduct and we bear to him. The general obstate. ligation of mankind to love one another arises from the general relation, which they bear to each other. And the particular obligations, which subsist between the various classes of men, arise from their particular relations. The more clearly, therefore, these relations and connections are exhibited before the mind, the more easily, sensibly and forcibly does the conscience feel the obligations, which are founded upon them.— And since the christian religion more fully unfolds those relations and connections, upon which its doctrines and duties are founded than any other religion; so it has a more commanding influence over 2. The Bible has a powerful tendency to impress the consciences, as well as to enlighten the understandings of those, who believe its divine inspiration and authority. No man can embrace any religion contrary to the dictates of his conscience, because religion always implies duty; and nothing can appear to be duty, which the conscience perceives to be wrong. Though mankind do embrace false and absurd religions, yet they never do it, until they have blinded and stupified their consciences. Those, who embrace the most false notions of religion, feel themselves bound in the consciences of those, who em- Mount Sinai, they unanimously acknowledged his authority and said, "All that the Lord our God hath said, we will do and be obedient." So all, who believe the christian religion, feel bound in conscience by the authority of its divine author to obey it.Though their hearts relent, yet their consciences yield to the authority of God. Hence, christianity has a more sovereign control over the consciences of men than any other religion. It constrains every people, who acknowledge its divine origin, to view all moral objects as they are viewed by God, and to approve in their consciences what he approves and to condemn what he condemns. It transforms their moral sentiments into a resemblance of the moral sentiments of God, whom they profess to worship. 3. Christianity tends to produce the most happy effects in the hearts of a people, who embrace it. False religions have always deeply affected the hearts, as well as the understandings and conThe worship of sciences of men. false Gods has always inspired their votaries with the spirit of their imaginary deities. The worshippers of Moloch were cruel.— The worshippers of Mars were given to war and carnage. The worshippers of Bacchus were givAnd the en to intemperance. worshippers of every false god among the heathen, have always meant to imbibe the spirit of the being or beings, to whom they paid divine homage. Though presented to the heart and con false religions do not require the heart, but consist in external observances and ceremonies; yet they have a powerful influence upon the affections. But there is no religion, which forms and moulds and governs the heart so powerfully as the religion of the Bible. The great object of worship, which the Bible exhibits, is a being of perfect rectitude and infinite benevolence. It says, "God is love;" and that "he is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." The first and great command of its divine author is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart;" and the second is, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The Bible requires all men "to be perfect, even as their Father, who is in heaven, is perfect." It requires all men to worship the true God, who is a spirit, in spirit, and in truth; and to be holy, because he is holy. Every precept of christianity is addressed to the heart, and requires pure, holy love, as the only obedience to the will of God. The gospel requires a spirit of universal benevolence, tenderness and kindness; and forbids all selfishness, cruelty, malice and revenge. And it requires all men to feel and express such benevolence, not only by precepts and prohibitions, but also by pro mises and threatenings. These promises and threatenings exhibit the most alluring and alarming motives to obedience, that can be science of rational and immortal creatures. The promises to the holy and virtuous carry all the light and glory and blessedness of heaven; and the threatenings denounce against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, the darkness and misery of hell. The motives of the gospel are clothed with the authority of God, and enforced by the whole weight of eternity.They who believe and love the gospel, feel the mighty influence of its motives, to mould and form their views and feelings into a conformity to the views and feelings of the Father of mercies. Such was the effect upon the character and conduct of the ancient saints.— And such was the effect upon the primitive believers of christianity. Wherever they went, they were admired for their mutual affection and their universal benevolence. The heathen exclaimed, "How these christians love one another!" And notwithstanding primitive christianity has been greatly corrupted; yet it has had a transforming influence upon every nation and people, who have called themselves christians. It has loosened the cords of slavery; it has lightened the hands of tyrants; it has softened the hearts of persecutors; it has subdued the cruelty of savages; it has mitigated the horrors of war; and it has diffused a spirit of humanity and philanthropy through all the nations of christendom. So far as any nation has embraced christianity, they have imbibed the benevolent, is predicted, shall exist on the merciful and tender spirit of its earth, during the future and gendivine author. It is a well known eral prevalence of the gospel.fact, that the religion of the Bible It must form good rulers and good has a powerful tendency to pro- subjects, good parents and good mote the highest happiness of any children, good masters and good people, that embrace it. This servants, and fit all persons for subject suggests the following re- usefulness and happiness, in every marks. station and relation of life. Our religious privileges in this country are the source of our temporal prosperity and happiness. So far as we are a wise, pious, humane, free and happy people, it must be ascribed to the rich blessing of the oracles of God, which have been committed to our hands. Whatever is pious, virtuous, amiable and desirable among us, is owing to the influence of the Bible, which is conducive and necessary to the temporal as well as the spiritual and eternal happiness of human beings. 1. Since the religion of the Bible has such a happy influence upon the understandings, consciences and hearts of men, it must tend to promote their temporal as well as their eternal happiness. Accordingly it it written, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life, that now is, and of that which is to come." It is divinely promised, that when the Bible shall be received by all nations, they shall be united in peace, drop their swords, and turn their weapons of war into instruments of industry and utility. It is predicted, that the spread of the gospel shall pour a flood of light upon this dark world, so that the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun, as the light of seven days. It is foretold, that the universal influence of the gospel shall transform mankind into cordial friends, so that there shall be none to hurt or destroy in all the earth. And if the true religion does enlighten the understandings, awaken the consciences, and transform the hearts of men into the image of the kind parent of the universe, it must produce all the temporal and spiritual happiness, which, it 2. We ought to be more thankful for the oracles of God than for any other favor he has bestowed upon us. God has, indeed, ever since we have existed as a people, highly favored us with more mercies, than can be numbered, both public and private, both civil and religious. But we ought to consider the Bible the primary source of all our privileges and enjoyments. It has laid the foundation of our civil institutions and prosperity. It has consecrated our literary establishments. It has erected and preserved our houses of divine worship. It has given us the solemnities and consolations of the sabbath. It has spread light, |