The works of George Berkeley, D.D. late Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland. To which is added, an account of his life [by J. Stock] and several of his letters to Thomas Prior, Esq., Dean Gervais, and Mr. Pope, etc

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This is life eternat, that tho mo knου thee the mill true God, and risus Chris Ghom thou has sent.

HAT human hind were not designed merely to s ourn a feW daysupon this earth: that a being of such excellence as the foui os man, socapable of a nobier lise, and having such a high sense of things morai and intellectual, was not created in the sole view of being imprisoned in anearthly tabernacle, and partaking a se pains and plea res whicli che quer this mortal lise, Without aspiring to any thing et ther a bove or be-yond it, is a fundamental doctrine as weli os natural religioni as of the christian. It comes at once recommended by the authori ty of philosophers and evangelists. And that there actualty is in the mind of man astrong instinct and desire, an appetite and tendency towards another an da better state, incomparably superior to the present, both in potnt of happinest and duration, is no more than every one's experience and in-ward Deling may inform hi m. The satiety and distetisti attending sensual enjoymenis, the relim for things of a more pure and spirituat hirid,

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And as this is the greatest good that can besal us, the very end of ourbeing, and that alone whicli can crown and satis0 our Wimes, and without which we mali be ever restiess and uneasy; so e very man, Who knows and acts up to his true interest, must malae it his principat care and studyto obtain it: and in order to this, he must endeavour to live sultably to

For horu can a christian shew himself Worthy of his calling, otherisisethan by persorining the duties of iit And what christian duty is more essentialty so, than that os charity t And what object can be found uponearili more deseruing our chari ty, than the fouis of men i Or, how is it possibie for the most beneficent spirit to do them better service, than bypromoting their best and most lasting interest, that is, by putting them in

the way that leads to eternat lila. What this eternal life was, or how to come at ii, were potnis unkno nto the heathen worid. It must be o ned, the wise men os old, who sol-lowed the light of nature, saw even by that light, that the foui os manwas debased, and borne downwards, contrary to iis natural bent, hycarnal and terrene objecis; and that, on the other hand, it was exalted, purged, and in seme fori assimulated to the Dei ty, by the contemplationos truth and practice of virtve. Thus much in generat they saw or summi sed. But then about the way and means to know the one, or per- sorm the other, they were much at a lost. They were not agreed con cerning the true end of manliind; which, as they aw, was mistahen in the vulgar pursuits of men , so they seund it much more ea sy to consule the errors of others, than to ascertain the truth themselves. Hence se many divisions and disputes about a poliat whicli it most imported them

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to know, in much as it was to give the bias to human lise, and go vernthe whole tenor of their actions and conduci.

But when life and immortali ty were brought to light by the gospei

there could remain no dispute about the clites end and felicity of man, no more than there could abolit the means of obtaining it, after the ex

serve, that by the knowledge of God, is not meant a barren speculation, et ther of philosophers or scholastic divines, nor any notionat tenets fittento produce disputes and disientions among men; but, On the contrary, an holy practical knowledge, Whicli is the seu rce, the root, or principieos peace and union, of faith, liope, charity, and universat obedience. A man may frame the most accurate notions, and in one sense attain theexactest knowledge of God and Christ that human faculties can reach,

To know God as we oughi, we must love him; and love him so as withalto love our brethren, his creatures and his child ren. I say, that knowledge of God and Christ, whicli is lise eternat, implies universat chari ty with ait the duties ingrafted thereon, or ensu ing froin therace, that is tosay, the love of God and man. And our Lord expressy saith, t he Hathath m comman menis, and ke eth them, he it is that Aoeth me. Froni allwhicli it is evident, that this saving knowledge of God is inseparabie Domthe knowledge and practice of his Wili; the explicit declaration whereos, and of the means to persorm it, a re contained in the gospei, that divino instrument of grace and mercy to the sons of men. The metaphysical

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A Sermon, Sc.

knowledge of God, considered in his absolute nature or essence, is onething, and to know him a s he stands related to us as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctister, is another. The former hind of knowledge whateuer ita mounts to) hath heen, and may be, in Gentiles as weli as Christians, butnot the lalter, whicli is life eternat. From what has been seid, it is a plain consequence, that whoeuer is a sincere christian, cannot he indisserent about bringing over other men to the knowledge of God and Christ; but that every one of us, who hath any claim to that titie, is indispensably obliged in duty to God, and in chari ty to his neigh bour, to destre and promote, so far as there is oppo tuni ty, the conversion of heathens and infideis, that so they may hecome partakers of lise and immortality. For, ibis is life eternat, to inois theetia onidi true God, and yesus Chris πbom thou hast sent. In my present discourse upon which words; I shall, First, consider in generat, the obligation that christians lie under, of bringing other men to the knowledge of the only true God, and of Jesus Chrissi Arad,

Sccondly, Ι mali consider it in reserence to this laudabie society, institu ted for the propagation of the gospei. An d under each head ι Ιpropose to obvia te such difficulties as may seem to retard, and intermix such remarks as shali appear proper to forward so good a

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whom he hath sent. Vet this duty, plain and undo ubted as it seems,happens to he too osten overtooked, even by those whose attention toother potnts would malae one thinli their neglect of this, not an essedi ofluhewarm indiffercnce, so much as of certain mistahen notions and suppositions. Two principat considerations occur, Whicli, in this particular, stem to have stachened the industry of so me, otherwi se gealous and serious christians.

One I apprehend to he this, that it is surmi sed, the christi an religion is in a declining state, Which by many symptoms seems likely to end ei therin popery, or a generat infideli ty. And that of course a prudent person has nothing to do, but to make lare of his own salvation, and to acquiesce in the generat tenden cy of things, without being at any fruitlest patias tooppose What cannot be pre vented, to steer against the stream, or resist a torrent, whicli as it 1lows, gathers strength and rapidity, and in the end, will be lare to oversio , and carry ali besore it. When a man of a desponding and foreboding spirit hath been led, is his observation of the ways of the worid, and the prevalling humour os our times, to thinhaster this manner , he will be inclined to strengthen this his preconceived opinion, as is usual in other the like cases, by misapplication of holy scripture: for instance, by those words of our hiessed Saviour, ' et en the Son man cometh, Rasi he d fatu on the earth Τ which have been appliedio this Very purpose, as importing that besere the sinat judgment, christiansaith mould he extingui med upon carth ; although these Words do, Domthe contexi, stem plainly to reser to the destruction os Perusalem, and the obstinate bl indness of the γπs, who even then when they seli the handos God, mouid not aclino ledge it, or belleve the Roman army to be the instrument of divine vengeance, in the day of their visitation, by him hom they had injuriousty trealed, rejected, and put to death.

. Luke xviii. 8.

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sor propagating the gospei os Christ be sorestalled by any suppositions orconjectures what evert Admitting, I say, those words regard the future advent of Jesus Christ, yet can any one teli how near or how far oss that advent may bet Are not the times and se asens serelinown only to God tAnd mali me neglect a certain diaty to day, upon an uncerta in fur mise of what is to come hereasteri This way of thin hing might furia isti as strongrea fons against preaching at home, as abroad, Within, as Without the pale of the church. It would be as specio us an argument against the ono asthe other, but in reali ty can conclude against ne i ther. For, as we knownot when that supposed time os generat infideli ty is to be, or whether itwill be at ali; so, is it were e ver se lare, and e ver se near, it would ne-verthelest heco me us to talie care, that it may not be an effect of our own particular indifference and neglecti

B ut is we take our notions, not Dom the uncerta in interpretation of a particular texi, but frum the whole tenor of the divine oracles, Dom

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by preconceived sancies and suppositions, considering that as the successos ali enterprises in great measure depentis on the spirit of the under-takers, se nothing is more apt to rat se a spirit than hope; nor to depressit, than despondency. Ne ought theresere to fhahe off e very va in sear in Our spirituat warfare. The number, the presumption, and the ab ilities of those, who talie counset together against the Lord and against his an Ointed, should not dimearteia, but rather excite and encourage us tostand in the Sap. Another consideration, that may possibiy withhold divers sincere be

light of the gospei in iis first promulgation, no preten ce offers it self

more naturalty to excuse a man seo in executing any purpose, than the

want of authority, whicli, in the opinion os men, cannot be without a just commission, nor this Dialesi distinguis hed by those proper means and po ers that have been linown to attend it. Now, with regard to this desect os miracles, i shali heg leave to mahe two observati S. Hrs, It is to be observed, that is we have not miracles, we have other ad vantages whicli malle them test necessary now, than in the firsi spread ing of the gospel: . Whole nations have so und the benesit os Chris 's reli gion, it is protected by princes, estabit med and enco uraged by laws, supported by learning and aris, recommended by. tho CX perience of many ages, as weli as by the authori ty and examplo of the wisest and most lino ing men. Certain ly, is the greatest part of manliind are Gentiles orMahomelans, it cannot be dented that the most knowing, most learned, and most improved nations, prosest christiani ty, and that even the Ma-

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A Sermon, tacilio metans them selves bear testimony to the divine mission os Jesus Christ. Whereas therefore, in the beginning, a se illiterate manderers, of the meanest of the people, had the prejudices, the learning, and the power of

pose and overco me: those Who at this day en gage in the propagation of the gospei, do it upon terms in many respects sar more easy and ad vantageous. It is power against wealiness, civili ty against barbarism, knowledge against ignorance, some or other, is not ali these advantages, in the present times, attending the progress of the christian religion, in What-Ger part of the worid men mali attempt to plant it. In the second place we may reflech, that is we have not the gist of miracles, this is a good rea n why we mould exert more strongly those human means whicli God hath put in Our power; and mahe our ordinary faculties, whether of the head, or the hand , or the longue, our interest, our credit, or our sortune, subservient to the great gi ver of them; and che arsully contribule our humble mite to ards hastening that time,

illat, whicli in no respeet, ei ther of difficulty or danger, equais, Or ap-Proaches the apostolicat office. What pretence can this supply for mens being qui te unconcerned about the spreading of the gospei, or the salvation os fouis i sor mens sergetting that they are christians, and related tolium an kindi How can this justi sy their overtooking opportunities Whichlie in their way, their not contributing a smali part of their fortune to-wards for arding a design, wherein they mare net ther palns nor perit; the not besto ing on it, even the cheap assistance of their speech, atten

moridly, selfim indifferen ce, to that account whicli St. Rutil gives of him

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Having considered the duty in generat, I come now to treat os it withreserence to America, the peculiar province of this venerable society;whicli I suppose weli insormed of the state and progress of religion in that part of the worid, by their correspondencies With the clergy upon theirmission. It may neverthelest be expected that one who h ad been engagedin a design upon this very vlew, who hath been upon the place, and resided a considerable time in one of our colonies, mould have observed me hat worth reporting. It is to be hoped, there re, that one partos my audience wili pardon, What the other may, perhaps, expect, While I deta in them with the narrative os a se things I have observes, and such reflections as thereupon suggested them selves; seme part of which may possibly be soland to extend to other colonieS. Rhode Isa id, with a portion of the adjacent continent, under the samegovern ment, is inhabited by an Englistb colony, consisting chies v offectaries of many disserent denominations, who seem to have worn offpart of that projudice, Whicli they inheri ted from their ancestors, against the national church of this land ; though it must be achnowledged at thesame time, that too many of them have worn oss a serious sense of ali religion. Severat indeed of the helter fori are accusto med to assem hiethem selves regularly on the Lord 's day for tbe performance of divine wor- stip. But most of those, who are dispersed throughout this colony, stemto rival some well-bred peopte os other countries, in a thorough indiffer-

ence for ali that is sacred, being equalty caretesis of out ward wormip, andos in ard principies, whether of faith or practice. of the bulla of them

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it may certainly be si id, that they live without the sacramenis, not heingso much as baptized: and as for their morais, I apprehend there is nothing to be found in them that mould tempt others to mahe an eXperiment of their principies, either in religion or govern ment. But it mustbe o ned, the generat bellaviour of the inhabitanis in those towns Wherechurches and meetings have been long stilled, and regularly attended, seems so much be iter, as sufficiently to meis the disserenoe, which a'solemn regular wormip of God mahes bet ween persons of the fame blood. tempor, and natural faculties. The native Indians, who are seid to have been sormerly many thousands, with in the compa se of this colony, do not at present amount to onethousand, including e very age and sex. And these are either ali servantsor labourers for the Engli , who have contributed more to destroy their

consumed the radians, not only in Our colonies, hut also far and wide up-on Our confines. And having made havock of them, is now doing the fame thing by those who taught them that odio us vice. The negroes in the go verninent of Rhode-Isaia a re abo ut half as many more than the Indians; and both together scarce amount to a se venili part of the whole colony. The religion of these people, as is natural to suppose, talaes after that of their masters. Some sexv are baptized ι severat frequent the different assem biles: and far the greater pari non e at all. An ancient antipathy to the Indians, whom, it stems, our first planters there in as in certain other particulars assecting to imitate Jews ratherthan christians imagine they had a right to treat on the ot of Canaanifesor Amale ites, together With an irrational contempt of the Blaclis, as creatures of another species, who h ad no right to be instructed or admitte l