world; and he will think that his life has been spent to a valuable purpose, fhould he ever fucceed in this in the smallest degree. The Fourth Differtation is defigned chiefly in answer to an objection against Christianity, on which confiderable ftrefs has been laid. It is, perhaps, too foreign to the main end of this work. There cannot, however, be any great impropriety in giving it a place here. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION. THE HE principal corrections and additions in this Edition are the following. In Page 136 a Note is added to explain an affertion which has been mifunderstood -The latter part of the Second Section of the Fourth Differtation, the long Note from Page 442 to 453, and the three laft Pages are also additions.-Every expreffion likewife in that Differtation which had any appearance of an undue severity with respect to Unbelievers has been altered. -The Author is fenfible that there are few or no controverfies in which it is right to charge an adversary with want of candour and difingenuity. Such charges give no strength to an argument. They always irritate instead of doing good, and it seldom happens that they are not capable of being retorted. DISSERTATION II. On PRA Y E R. SECT. I. The Nature, Reafonableness, Page and Efficacy of Prayer explained, and the Objections to it anfwered - 197 SECT. II. Of the Importance of Prayer as an inftrumental Duty, the Happiness of a devout Temper, and the particular Obligation to Public Worship 230 SECT. III. Of the Manner in which Prayer ought to be performed 276 DISSERTATION III. On the Reafons for expecting that virtuous Men fhall meet after Death in a State of Happiness 321 DISSERTATION IV. On the Nature of Historical Evidence and Miracles. SECT. I. Introductory Obfervations Page relating to the Importance SECT. II, The Nature and Grounds of the Regard due to Expe rience and to the Evidence of Teftimony, ftated and compared SECT. III. Of the Credibility of Mi racles, and the Force of Teftimony when employed to prove them Conclufion 384 428 449 |