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DISCOURSES

ON THE

EVIDENCE OF DIVINE REVELATION,

DISCOURSE I:

The Importance of Religion to enlarge the Mind of Man.

Every man who hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is puré.

i JOHN, iii. 3.

Ir is acknowledged that man is fuperior to brute creatures, and that this fuperiority confifts in his capacity of being much happier in himself, and in his power of contributing in a more eminent degree to the happiness of others; by which means he makes nearer approaches to his Maker, who is fupremely benevolent, and superlatively happy.

It is also well known, that this fuperiority in man, with refpect to his power of enjoying

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enjoying and communicating happiness, depends upon the fuperiority of his mental faculties, by which he is capable of greater comprehenfion of mind, of taking into his view more of the past and of the future along with the prefent; fo that his ideas are more complex, and farther removed from mere fenfible objects. In confequence of this, the happiness of man does not depend upon his prefent fenfations, but is of more ftable nature; and his refolutions and actions do not depend upon variable circumftances, but he can purfue an uniform plan of conduct, without being diverted from it by the events of the hour, or of the day.

This fuperior comprehenfion of mind cannot, however, in the nature of things, be attained by man without a state of pro greffive improvement, beginning with the condition of a brute animal, merely impreffed by fenfible objects, and impelled to action by thofe impreffions, as children are; because these impreffions are the elements of all our knowledge, and of all our powers in future life; and there is no true wisdom

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