nature, to be a proper ground for prayer, fo as to render it a part of natural religion. Vol. I. P. 278. What was faid above, would in a great meafure obviate this difficulty: for prayer, being, in the use of it, fubfervient to the petitioner's good, by introducing in him proper reflections, and thereby proper affections and actions, which otherwife his affairs and advocations would divert him from this fufficiently fhews the ground there is for prayer, fo as to render it a part of natural religion. It needs not be fuppofed, that every request, that is put up by a good man, fhould be granted for if he is led by the prayer to proper reflection, &c. the prayer has it's effect upon him, and anfwers it's great intention. The afking for particular favours, fuch as bealth, the removal of difeafe, or pain; the continuance of the life of a dear and valuable friend, &c. Tho' thefe fhould be denied, there was a ground in nature for the petitions; even from a juft and rational felf-love! but what if we fucceed not in the requests? the petitions were not lefs reasonable and they muft have been regarded, as what became us, by the object of our addrefs, tho' God should fee fit to disappoint us. For in our putting up petitions for fpecial favours, we fuppofe it in the breaft, and wholly at the pleasure of our maker to indulge us, or not. And that his wifdom is alone fufficient to determine what will be moft for the univerfal good. Nor is the prayer ufelefs, becaufe literally, or in the very article unanswered, if it has but that good effect upon ourselves; which, prayer has fo apt a tendency to produce. There are befides, addreffes we make in the form of petitions, which are rather intended to enlarge our benevolence, and improve our hu 3 manity, 1 manity, than to excite an expectation of any answer to our requeft. e. g. thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven. This is rather a pious wish, that such an happy state of things had place with us, than an expectation of our feeing it. In like manner, when we pray for princes and magiftrates, that they may all rule in the fear of God; we intend not by it, that God fhould, by any compulsive influence, make princes, any more than other men, pious. But nevertheless, fuch fort of petitions have an apt tendency to preferve in us juft notions of human government and governors: it keeps up the fupremacy of our esteem, veneration, and awe of God! and fpreads in the minds of men an abhorrence of all ufurpation of dominion over confcience. Yet, The declaration, John xvi. 23. is faid to be a moft unbounded promife made by Christ, viz. that whatsoever the difciples fhould ask the father in his name, he would give it them. Vol. I. P. 281. Had it been attended to, it might have been known that the name of Christ, most properly, and moft ufually fignifies his Authority, or the rule which his doctrine or Gofpel prefcribes ; and then there would have been no room for the calling it, a most unbounded promife, that stood in need of Mr. Chubb's limitations: for it was always a truth, fince our Lord delivered himself thus, not only refpecting the apoftles, but all Christians in every age, have, and fhall have, whatever they afk of the Father, in the Name of Christ. To do Mr. Chubb juftice, he has acknowledged, that tho' a man in praying for the forgiveness of his fins, or for daily bread, does not defire or hope for fuccefs, but upon the known Art. III. provi principles of truth: i. e. in the one cafe rendering himself a fit object of mercy, and in the other he expects bread in the general course of God's providence: nevertheless,fuppofing, says he, there be an impropriety in praying to God, for what prayer will not be a means to obtain; yet, that impropriety, or prayer, thus circumftanced, furely, is not mocking of God. V. I. p. 283. In the cafe of afking forgiveness, there is an aptitude in the petition to difpofe the man to true penitency, and fo to make him a fit object of mercy. In the other cafe of afking for daily bread, it has a tendency to inspire with courage, and excite to the diligent application of our own capacities in order to obtain it. With a superior chearfulness does a man purfue his labours, who has owned his dependance on God's bleffing for the fuccefs of them; far fuperiour to what that man can experience, who denies God's providence, and attributes every event to a furly, unyielding, inexorable fatality. Another inftance of Mr. Chubb's yielding to evidence, and which has given me confiderable pleasure, is, in the article of a special providence, and a revelation. This appears from feveral places in his posthumous tracts. I will cite a few of them. Under the Jewish State, Mr. Chubb fays, that A fpecial God, fometimes, by his special providence, internapofed, and advised them, and brought his blessings an exprefs and his curfes upon them. V. I. p. 87. dence and revelation Another place is exprefs both for a special proacknow- vidence, and in fupport of a revelation; his ledged, in words are, When men are funk into grofs ignogiven circumftan- rance and error, and are greatly vitiated in their affections and actions, then, God may, for any reafon I can fee to the contrary, kindly interpofe, by a special application of his power and providence, and reveal to men fuch useful truths, as ces. other otherwife they might be ignorant of, or might not These are conceffions made in favour both of the most He has allowed, that the Chriftian revelation is the most perfect for he fays, It may perhaps be Article a piece of justice due to Christianity (could it be IV. The clearly defined, and certainly determined what Chriftian Christianity is, and could it be separated from perfect of every thing that hath been annexed and blended all tradiwith it) to acknowledge that it yields a much tionary reclearer light, and is a more fafe guide to mankind, ligions. than any other traditionary religion, as being better adapted to improve, and perfect human nature:V. II. p. 370. confiftent were attestations of Chrift's Nay, he has not denied, but that miracles: might be wrought in fupport of Chrift's miffion, Article V. which, he thinks, was divine. If fuch a fupe- Miracles riority of power attended Jefus Chrift, as the with God's hiftories fet forth; then, as that ministry, and perfectithe power which attended it, feem, at least, in ons, and general, to have terminated in the public good; probably fo it is more likely that God was the primary agent in the exercise of that power, than any other being; because it is more likely, that God should divine mifbe concerned for the common good of his crea- fion. tures, than that one creature should be thus concerned for the good of the reft; and then it is prabable Jefus Chrift, on whofe will the immediate exercife of that power depended, did not ufe that power improperly, by impofing upon mankind to their burt, feeing that power appears to havę been generally well directed in other refpects, and E 2 feeing feeing he was answerable to his principal for the abufe of it. From thefe premises, or from this Art. VI. general view of the cafe, I think this conclufion Chrift's follows, viz. Chrift's miffion was divine. V. II. P. 396. miffion was di vine. not out of And to put it out of all debate, that he has written with no defign to fhew difrefpect to the New-Teftament Writings, or to Jefus Chrift, or Art. VII. to his Apoftles; take the following paffages. If He wrote any fhall fay, that what I have written, is out of disrespect difrefpect to the perfon and ministry of Jefus to the per- Chrift; to fuch I answer, beforehand, the accufon and fation is falfe. And as, upon the Christian Scheme, miniftry Jefus Chrift will be the judge of quick and dead of Jelus fo I affure my readers, that, in this view, and Chrift; ; under this confideration, I have no disagreeable apprehenfions on account of any thing, that I have publifhed to the world. Ib. p. 353, 354 Whatever ambiguity there might poffibly be in this declaration; Mr. C. will be chargeable with great prevarication, and an intention to deceive, if he had no confidence in that fact on which he affures his readers, that, in this view, and under thefe confiderations, I have no difagreeable apprehenfions. i. e. he either had this view, and conducted under this confideration, or not; and this either was, or was not the ground of his quiet and ferenity. If he was not in earnest in his belief that Jefus Chrift will be judge of quick and dead, he is chargeable with very criminal trifling; and a fort of legerdemain, or magical deception! but if he really had fuch views, and fuch dependance, then he affures his readers with a good grace; and is not chargeable with any fuch folemn grimace, as would appear, under the fufpicion of his fincerity. I think, the laws of charity will not admit cenfure, He |