is fuperior to the quick refentments of children. It requires a more just knowledge of things, more experience, and more forefight. per Thus does the chriftian scheme appear to be fectly confonant to nature. It fuppofes a series of difpenfations, in which the human mind is, operated upon, and its improvement promoted in a manner analogous to that in which it is actually operated upon, and its improvement promoted every day. As the one, therefore, is conducted according to the ordinary providence of the divine being, the other is what might be expected from his extraordinary difpenfations. Both these schemes have the fame great object in view, and in both of them the fame end is gained by the fame methods. For, in fact, the only inftrument employed is that great and extenfive principle of affociation of ideas which is fo confpicuous in the human mind, and which, according to the admirable theory of Dr. Hartley, furnishes the ftamina for all its other properties, and is the fource of all our faculties. It is by this principle of affociation, that our views are enlarged to take in diftant objects, but objects that have a real connection with those that are prefent. And it is an habitual attention to thefe affociated circumstances of our actions, that gives them an influence as if they were prefent. As virtue, with all its confequences in this life, is eligible upon the whole, we are led, by this principle of affociation F4 ciation, to chufe and practice it, without any other guide than nature and common providence; but as virtue, with all those more extenfive confequences, which revelation informs us of, is infinitely more eligible; we are led, by the fame principle of affociation, to love it with more ardour, and to prac-. tice it with more conftancy; because, by the help of those lights, which are furnished by the extraordinary providence of Almighty God, in the revelation of his will to mankind, we fee it to be a thing in which we are more deeply interefted than we could otherwife have known ourselves to be. INSTITUTES THE INTRODUCTION. HE execution of this part of my undertaking TH has been attended (as all who are acquainted with the fubject will be fully fenfible) with peculiar difficulties, owing chiefly to the very different views, which even rational and learned men have entertained concerning the Doctrines of Revelation and, therefore, it is with peculiar diffidence that I offer this part to the public. A ftrict attention, however, to my original defign, which was the inftruction of young persons, has enabled me to keep clear of a great deal of that embarraffment, in which I fhould otherwife have been involved; for, though it was not poffible to avoid all fubjects that have been controverted, I have, by this means, avoided many of them; and there are few of thofe which I could not avoid that I have difcuffed at large, having contented myself,. for the most part, with relating what appeared to me to be the genuine Doctrines of Revelation, without F 6 |