into another of Atheism and Irreligion, which is a much deeper. In these two Extremes, of Infidelity on one Side, and Superftition on the other, true Religion is loft, and, together with it, that Peace and Comfort, and Eafe of Mind, which belong. to it: For, view God from which of the two Extremes you please, his Appearance must be dreadful: You may see him in the Terrors of Majefty and Power; but the kinder Rays which flow from his Mercy and Goodnefs and Benevolence towards Mankind, will be intercepted from your Eyes.

The atheistical Unbeliever, if ever he fo far forgets himself as to suppose the Being of a God for a Time, fees nothing of him but the Judge and the Avenger, and haftens back to his Infidelity to skreen him from the Wrath and Justice, which even in Imagination were infupportable. Superstition is fo perpetually encompaffed with a thick Cloud of its own Fears and Sufpicions, that it cannot difcern the Beauties and Holinefs of the Creator: Every frightful Spectre,› that walks in its own Imagination, is miftaken for the Deity; and Superftition adores it, as the wild Indians are faid to worship

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the Devil, not for Love, but for Fear. The Cafe then being thus, that Mankind is in a great Measure robbed of the prefent Comfort and Pleasure of Religion, either by Infidelity or Superftition; it is very well worth our while to fearch into the Caufes that lead to this Unhappiness, to see what it is that has corrupted this living Spring, this Fountain of Delight, and turned its Waters into Gall and Bitterness.

The Words of the Text, rightly underftood, will not only afford us an Occafion for this Inquiry, but will alfo direct us in it; and, by fhewing us the Principles of true Religion, will help us to discover the Errors and Mifconceits which are introductive of Irreligion and Superstition.

The Fear of the Lord, fays the wife King, is the Beginning of Wisdom; and the Knowledge of the Holy is Understanding. This is not the only Place where he expreffes himself in this Manner: The fame Thing, with fome fmall Variety in the Expreffion, is more than once repeated again in the Book of Proverbs: It is to be met with alfo in the Pfalmift, in the very fame Words almoft; and the Thought occurs frequently in the inspired Writers: So that this feems to be a common Maxim,

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Maxim, or Principle of Religion, that runs through all the facred Records, and by which all good and wife Men have guided themselves in the great and momentous Concern of Religion.

In fpeaking to thefe Words, I propose to myself these two Things:

Firft, To fhew, That the Text, and other the like Paffages of Holy Scripture, will be found, upon examining the Senfe and Reason of them, to contain this general Propofition, That a juft Conception of God, of his Excellencies and Perfections, is the true Foundation of Religion.

Secondly, That this juft Conception of God is the right Rule to form our Judgements by, in all particular Matters of Religion, and the only Thing that can secure us from either Atheism or Superftition.

First, I will endeavour to fhew you, That the Text, and other the like Paffages of Scripture, will be found, upon examining the Senfe and Reafon of them, to contain this general Propofition, That a juft Conception of God, of his Excellencies and Perfections, is the true Foundation of Religion: The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom.

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To this Purpose it might be thought sufficient perhaps by fome to observe, that Fear, whatever limited or enlarged Notion you understand it in, is not a voluntary Paffion: We cannot be afraid or not afraid of Things juft as we please; but Fear neceffarily relates to, and arifes from, the Notion or Conception we have of the Thing feared: We fear any Being in Proportion to the Power and Will which we conceive that Being to have either to hurt or to protect us. The different Kinds of Fear likewife are no otherwise distinguishable from one another, than by confidering the different Conceptions or Ideas of the Things feared: For Fear, being the neceffary Effect of such Conceptions, muft differ according to the Difference of the Conceptions. If we join to great Power, great Malice and a settled Refolution to do Mischief, fuch an Object ftrikes with Terror and Confufion, and breeds in our Minds a bafe and flavish Fear: If we add to great Power, great Goodness and Benevolence, fuch an Object creates an Awe and Reverence, and fills our Hearts with filial Fear and Veneration. When therefore we fay, the Fear of this, or Fear

of that, does fo or fo, we can have no Senfe of the Propofition, without having a Notion of the Thing feared. The Fear of a Tyrant, and the Fear of a Father, are very different Paffions; but he that knows not the Difference between a Tyrant and a Father, will never be able to distinguish these Paffions. When therefore we read that the Fear of God is the Beginning of Wisdom, we can have no Understanding of the Words without having a juft Conception of God, by which alone we can judge of the Nature of godly Fear, and of its Operations. Allowing therefore that the wife King, by the Fear of the Lord, means a right and due Fear, it neceffarily fuppofes a right and due Conception of the Lord, from which only that right and due Fear can flow, which is the Mother of Wisdom and Understanding: For if Men mifconceive concerning God, either as to his Holiness and Purity, to his Mercy or Juftice, their Fear of him will not produce Wisdom; which is evident from the infinite Follies of the heathen World, which grew out of their falfe Fear and Reverence of their Gods. This Propofition therefore, The Fear of God is the Beginning

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