Of acknowledging God in all our Ways. 3 11 juftly concerned about, than the direction of SERM. our paths. Other beings, I mean, thofe XII. which are wholly pafiïve and unintelligent, '""4 are carried to their proper ends, or they fulfil the law of their creation, without thought; they yield intirelyto force, and are determined by the meer impreflions of power; the brute animals always follow their inftincts, and it is the law of their nature ; for inftinL`ts were planted in them to be the foie guide of their active powers. But man is of a quite dif- ferent conftitution ; he is endued with fore - fight and with liberty, he can examine the fprings of his own actions, compare them with a rule, deliberate upon the motives of them, andweigh their confequences howthey are like to affect him, not only at prefent, but even in diftant futurity. Hence arifes a fol- licitude concerning the meafures of our con- dud, efpecially becaufe we are confcious of imperfection, and experience fhows that there is a danger of mifcarrying. Men are often difappointed in their expectations, and the if ue of their ways turns out quite contrary to what they defigned and hoped for. To proceed the more diftindly upon this fubject, we may confider ourfelvcs as under two different charaders or capacities, which though
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