32-Z 3ï)epannottp of tieZíbíne2íttíbnte1 Chap, 17. ferve Innocence and Vertue. Only the refpe&of God izv-u to whom every heart is manifeft,every ation a Teftimo- ny, and every great Perfon a Subje&, is ofequal force to give check to fin inall; in the darknefs of the night, and the light of the day ; in the works ofthe hand, and the thoughts of the heart. 2. Philofophy is very defe&ive as toPiety,innot in- joyfling the Love ofGod. The firft andgreat Command in the LawofNature, (theorder of the Precepts being according to their dignity) is this, Thou fhalt love the Lord with all thyHeart,Soul, andStrength. 'Tis molt reafonable that our Love íhould firft afcend to Him,and in its full vigour : For our Obligations to him are infi- nite, and all inferiour objects are incomparably beneath him. Yet Philofophers fpeak little or nothingof this, which is the principal part ofnatural Religion. _rillo- tle who was fo clear- fighted in other things, whenhe difcourfes ofGod, is not only affetedly obfcure to conceal his ignorance, as the Fifh which troubles the Water for fear of beingcatcht; but 'tis on the occafion of fpeculative Sciences, as in his .Phyficks, when he confiders him as the firft Caufe of all the motions in the World ; or in his Metaphyficks, as the fupreme Be- ing, the knowledgof whom he faith is molt noble in it felf, but ofno ufeto Men. But in his Morals, where he had reafon to confider the Deity as an objet molt worthy of our Love, Refpec , andObedience in an 'in- finite Degree, he totally omits fuch a reprefentation of him,although theLove ofGod is that alonewhich gives price to all moral Vertues. And from hence it is that Philofophy is fodefetive as to Rules for the preparing Men for an intimate and delightful Communion with God, which is the effee3 of Holy and Perfe&Love, and the fupremeHappinefs ofthe reafonableNature. If in the Platcnical Philofophy there are fome things dire&-
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