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Let us, in the first place, take a tranfient view of the world in general. Now there are four fpecies, which gradually afcend in the scale of existence. Some have. only being; others being and life; fome being, life and sense; and others being, life, fenfe and reason. The air, fea, and earth, though they fupport all living, fenfitive, and rational creatures, have only being; that is, border the nearest on non-existence. Plants, though they owe their nutriment to the earth, and refreshment to the air, have being and life. The brutes, though obliged to the elements and plants for their fubfiftence, have being, life and fenfe. Man is endued with being, life, fense and reason: to him the elements and plants are created fubfervient: he has an uncontrculable power given him over the brutal world he can exercise his rational faculties in the delightful contemplation of the wonderful works of his great Creator: he can dif cover his wisdom in contriving, his power in effecting, and his benevolence in every thing. From whence proceeds this orderly gradation and diftinction between one rank of beings and another?Why have fome of them existence only, when others have existence, life, fenfe, and reafon; fome in a higher, others in a lower degree? -Was this owing to themselves, or whence came it to pass?-How came fuch small and inconfiderable beings as animals, if compared with the heavenly bodies, to excel them in fo many refpects? -Why has fuch an impotent creature as man a fovereignty over the elements, plants, and most savage beafts? Can these effects be produced without fome caufe ?—It is the height of abfurdity to admit the fuppofition. There is,-there neceffarily must be some fuperior being, who divided the creatures into these several claffes, and originally had, and still preferves an indifputable fovereignty over them ;-and he must be almighty; because though they differ fo widely in point of proportion, there is a perfect and uninterrupted harmony between them. He must be all good; because they are mutually subservient to the general benefit. That, which has only

existence,.

existence, could not produce itfelf; fince it is deftitute of those perfections, which other beings enjoy; much lefs could it create another. And fince man is happily endued with all those excellent faculties abovementioned, there must be a power without him, the fountain of all perfection, that gave being, and a moral apprehenfion to him, who once did not even exift, and made each order of creatures perfect in its kind; otherwife nothing must for ever have continued to be nothing but there is an infinite distance between the moft fimple being and non-existence. There was therefore a first cause, whom we adore under the most venerable title of the infinitely glorious JEHOVAH ;-the Lord God, bleffed for ever.

But now let us take a furvey, firft of the heavenly bodies, which, though they have a perpetual and rapid motion, obferve the greatest regularity imaginable. Can this be owing to chance?-If fo, why have they not, through chance, ftood ftill in the revolution of fo many ages ? Befides, chance creates nothing but confufion ;Whereas they observe an exact order in all their motions.—What ! do they move themselves?-Doubtless, no; it would be the groffeft absurdity to suppose they could. They are in the lowest scale of existence, and have neither life, fenfe, or reason, and muft therefore be actuated by fome powerful and intelligent being, in whose hands they are mere machines, and whofe attributes they atteft.Thus to compare great things with fmall, whenever we examine the workmanship of any curious piece of mechanism, our admiration rifes from one spring to another, til at laft we are gradually brought to reflect on the art and contrivance of the man by whom it was made.

So these confiderations naturally and neceffarily lead us to a first mover, and this harmony to a Being infinitely regular, and thefe finite bodies to an infinite fpirit, the Father of lights, and foul of the universe, in comparifon of whom all the nations of the

earth

earth are as the drop of the bucket, and the fmall duft of the balance. Yes!

"These are thy glorious works, parent of good,

Almighty, thine this univerfal frame,

"Thus wondrous fair; Thyfelf how wondrous then!

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Such must be the voice of univerfal reafon, whenever we confider the heavens, the work of his fingers, the moon and ftars which he hath ordained.

SECTION II.

IF we defcend to this earth, that comparatively little spot, we cannot but obferve, that the grafs, trees, fruits, fishes, reptiles, birds, and each creature is fo complete in its kind, that nothing is either deficient or redundant.-Is this owing to the elements? Can they give life and fenfe, which they want themselves ?—Or, did the fun communicate to them thefe excellencies?-Evidently, no.Here the voice of gratitude muft inceffantly proclaim to man, furrounded with all things conducive to his comfort, convenience and pleasure ;-BEHOLD THE GOODNESS OF THY GOD!-Surely vain,and utterly inexcufable are all men, who do not, out of these good. things, that are every moment felt and feen, know him that is, and alone neceffarily exifts; neither, by enjoying the works, acknowledge the work-mafter; but abfurdly reft in fecond causes; either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the ftars, or the violent water, or the lights of heaven; with whose beauty and usefulness, if they be delighted, let them know how much better the. Lord of them is.-For by these is the maker of them seen.

To all this, new and irrefiftible force will be added, if we confider how almost infinitely the creatures around us are varied and diverfified.

diverfified. Where is that skilful botanist, who can enumerate all the hidden qualities of the vegetable world?

Some plants are naturally hot; others cold ;-fome fweet; others bitter;-some serve for our food; others for our phyfic:- fome are poison to us; others, though they grow, perhaps, in the fame bed, are approved antidotes against it.

Contemplate his condefcenfion to man, in the economy of animals. -The favage beaft, frequent the most folitary deferts; confcious, as it were, that their fociety would be dangerous; whereas those that are tame, and serviceable to us naturally affect to herd together. -Thou fceptic!-Can this proceed from chance? You infift, that the fun obferves but his ftated courfe when he warms the rarth; that the air moistens it in like manner, which is accidentally serviceable to plants, as they are to animals, and animals to men, particular beings to one another and the univerfe to all;-But whence proceeds this chain of causes? If things were from eternity felf-existent, how came this fubordination ?—When did they enter into covenant one with another? How could fome agree to be subfervient to others?-How did they exift originally? In a feed, flower, or grain, &c? Were they great or small? Which preceded, and which fucceeded? For animals cannot fubfift without plants; nor they without the earth; nor can fhe bring forth her fruit without the benign influence of the heavenly bodies. If they were all produced at once, how came fo many, and fuch different Beings to agree?—At the bare mention of infinite wisdom and goodness, all thefe difficulties,-upon the infidel plan utterly inexplicable,-are refolved at once.-Yes; none but an unwife man doth not confider this ;—and none but a fool cannot understand it.

If we caft our eyes on the portrait of a friend, we naturally and immediately reflect on the artist who drew it. Now if a picture, which can but look, a voice yet directs our minds to the living agent, by whose skill it was painted; much more should the exqui

fite

fite workmanship and curious compofition of the man himself induce us to contemplate, and pay divine adoration to his Maker?

And thus evident to common fenfe are not only his eternal power, his omniscience and omnipotence; but all the invifible things of his godhead, even every moral attribute-by the things that are made, we see the former; by the manner in which they are made and exist, we see the latter. Man alone may here ftand forth as a demonftration of both.

The frame and ftructure of man's body is fo admirably contrived, that the most celebrated artifts borrow from it all their ideas of fymmetry and proportion, and the dependance of every part on one another; and of each particular on the whole, is an incontestible proof of an intelligent Being; for how can a work, which displays all the beauties of contrivance refult from chance? The vulgar, indeed, attribute the lofs of an arm, eye, leg, or any other member to accident or chance; but when they see the lame walk, or the blind receive their fight, they readily exclude chance, and acknowledge the patient's cure to be owing to the skilful operations of the furgeon, or oculift.

Again, with our fenfes, we fee, hear, feel, taste and fmell. Now the fame Being that made fenfible objects, furnished us with our fenfes; for the former would be of no ufe without the latter; nor the latter without the former. And fince they have so close a connexion with one another, which were firft produced ?-If man made fenfible objects, why does he not continue to exercise his creating power? Or, if he gave himself his fenfes, why does he ever lose them? They were, doubtless, the effects of a fuperior cause. And why has he a faculty of fpeech but to communicate his thoughts?Now; did he make himself a fociable creature? And fince he is happily distinguished from the rest of the creation by his rational endowments, muft he not be chiefly defigned for rational exercises and entertainments?-All these are but fo

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