(Book III. even after he has fhewn the way? What then ought we to think of that Wisdom, which in its meanest productions baffles the deepest penetration of a capacity, whose acuteness baffles the general understanding of mankind?

From the confideration of the wifdom we trace in the natural world, it is manifeft, paft all doubt, that the moral fyftem (for the fake of which that of nature was brought into existence) is under the fame conduct, and will hereafter appear to be a scheme altogether worthy of God. For either both, or neither, must be the contrivance of Divine Wisdom. We cannot conceive of God as partly, or by halves, but wholly, the Creator and Governor of all beings, natural and moral. And if fo, we may be affured, that, as in the fyftem of nature, final causes are fitted to produce their effects, and every part of the machine of the world is properly adjusted to its place and purpose; fo in the moral, every rational being will be determined to the ftate and place he is found fit for: the good to happiness, and the wicked to punishment; the highly elevated and purified mind to a high and eminent station, and the corrupt and fordid to shame and mifery; the foul, which has perfected its faculties, and refined its virtues, by imitation of the Divine Perfections, to the conversation of angels and the beatific vifion of God, and that which has by vice debauched and funk itself below the brutes, to the place of dæmons and fallen fpirits. And all this may probably proceed as much according to the original conftitution of things, as a caufe produces its effect in the natural world; as fire produces the diffipation of the parts of combuftible fubftances; as nourishment tends to the fupport of animal life; and as matter tends to decay. So that the only thing which hinders a wicked embodied mind from being now in torments, may be, its being ftill embodied, and not yet let out into the world of fpirits, where a new and dreadful fcene will of courfe immediately open upon it, as foon as it comes to be divefted of the earthly vehicle, which now conceals thofe invifible horrors, and protects it from its future tormentors. And in the fame manner, the virtuous and exalted mind would be now

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in a ftate of happiness, if it were not prevented from the commerce of bleffed fpirits, and the view of the invifible world, by the impenetrable veil of flesh which furrounds it. But this fuppofition does not at all affect the doctrine of pofitive rewards and punishments, nor of feparate places appointed for receiving the good, and the wicked, after the final judgment.

If we find the mere material fyftem of nature to be wrought by a degree of witdom, altogether beyond our comprehenfion, it would be madness to fuppofe that we shall ever have fagacity enough to bafile the Divine Scheme in the moral government of the world; that we shall be able to contrive any way of efcaping from the punishment we may deferve. No. His counfel will stand; and he will do all his pleasure. It will not be in our power to deceive his penetration, to get out of his reach, or to defend ourselves against his juftice.

To frame fome idea of the Divine Goodnefs in the creation of the world, it will be neceffary to go back in imagination to the ages which preceded all creation, if fuch there were, or, however, to thofe, which were prior to the production of our world. Let us then view the awful Majefty of heaven furrounded with ineffable glory, and enthroned in abfolute perfection, beyond conception bleffed in the confcioufnefs of unbounded plentitude. What motive could influence him, who already enjoyed complete perfection and happiness, to call unfubftantial nothing into exiftence? What could be the views of Infinite Wifdom in fpeaking a world into being? No profpect of any addition to his own perfection or happiness: for that which was already infinite, what addition could it receive? Could the adorable Creator propofe to be more than infinitely perfectand happy? It is evident, his fole view muft have been to the happiness of the creatures he was to produce. His own was ever, and ever muft be, unbounded, undiminished, and unchanged. The addition of happinets therefore, which was to be produced, was to be bestowed upon those who were not yet created. Does then Divine Goodness extend to that which has no exiftence? Does the univerfal Parent think of what is not? We,

poor, narrow fouls! think it a mighty ftretch of benevolence, if we can bring ourselves to regard with fome measure of affection thofe of our fellow-creatures, who ftand most nearly connected with us; in loving whom, we do little more than love ourselves, or love our friends and relations for our own fakes. If there be a mind yet more generous, it may take in its country, or the human fpecies. A benevolence ftill more extenfive may perhaps enlarge itfelf fo wide, as to comprehend within its generous embrace the various orders of being which form the univerfal fcale; defcending from the flaming feraph to the humble reptile. Nor indeed can any mind fincerely love the Almighty Maker; and hate, or defpife any of the works of the fame hand, which formed itfelf. But the Divine Benevolence is as far beyond all this, as infinitude is larger than any limited space. How peevish, and apt to take offence at every trifling injury, are narrow-hearted mortals! Yet what are the infults, our fellow-worms can offer us, when compared with the atrocioufnefs of an offence committed by the duft of the earth against the infinite Majefty of the univerfe? Though the Omnifcient Creator from eternity forefaw, that the creatures, he was to form, would prove rebellious and difobedient; that they would violate all his wife and facred laws, and infult his fovereign honour, as Governor of the world; has he grudged to give them exiftence; to bestow upon them a temporary happinefs; to make his funfhine, and his rain defcend on all promifcuously; and put it in the power of all to attain perfection, happinefs, and glory? What neglect of every duty and obligation; how many acts of fraud, oppreffion, and cruelty; how many horrid execrations, and infernal blafphemies, does every day record against the daring race of men around the world? Yet feldom does the Divine Vengeance break loofe upon the impious offenders. Our wicked fpecies, if there were no other lawless order of creatures in the univerfe, are ever offending. And yet the thunder feldom ftrikes the guilty dead. Earthquakes and inundations are rarely let loofe. A few cities purged by fire, and a world cleansed by a deluge once in fix

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thousand years, ferve jaft to put unthinking mortals in remembrance that there is a power above them. that every moment of the duration of the world is an univerfal witnefs declaring to all the nations of the earth, in a language diftinctly intelligible to all, the goodness of the Maker and Governor of the univerfe, At the fame time that the prince of angels receives from the immediate communications of the Divine Goodness, beatitude paft utterance, the humble peasant rejoices in his bounty, with which the fields are enriched, and the fair face of nature adorned. Even the lonely favage in the wildernefs, the fordid reptile in the 1. duft, and the fcaly nations, which people the unfathomable deep, all taste of the bounty, and are fupported by the unlimited goodness, of the Univerfal Parent, who opens his unwearied hand liberally, and fatisfies every living foul.

If human understanding apprehends any thing ac-1 cording to truth and right, the benevolent character is the proper object of the love of every rational mind, as the contrary is the natural object of averfion. If every human, or other finite mind, is more or lefs amiable, according as it has more or lefs of this excellent difpofition; it is evident, that Infinite Goodness is infinitely amiable. Who is he, that pretends to think and reason, and has no pleafure in contemplating the Divine Goodnefs? Who can reflect upon fuch goodness, and not admire it? Who can admire, and not endeavour to imitate it? Who can imitate it, and not be an univerfal bleffing? Who can be an univerfal bleffing, and not be happy?

If the Divine Goodnefs be evidently difinterefled, it being impoffible that the fmalleft happiness fhou'd, from any enjoyed by the creatures, be added to that of the Creator, which is neceffarily infinite; it is plain, what makes real and perfect goodness of difpofition in any mind, viz. A propenfity to contribute to the happiness of others, without any view to felf-intereft. In fo far as a view to one's own happiness is the motive to his exerting himself for the good of his fellow-creatures, in fo far it has lefs of the truly worthy and commendable in it. For felf-love, being merely inftinctive, has no

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thing praife-worthy. And to promote the happiness of others for the fake of adding to one's own, is what the moft felfish and fordid character is capable of. To be truly benevolent, is to imitate the Deity; to do good for the fake of doing good; to he bountiful from the difpofition of the mind, from univerfal love and kindnefs, from rational confiderations of the intrinfic excellence of that godlike difpofition; not from mere weak and effeminate foftnefs of nature.

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It is ftrange, that ever it fhould have been queftioned, whether it is reafonable for dependent creatures to addrefs themselves to their infinite Creator for the supply of their wants. Yet books have been written to fhew the unreasonablenefs of prayer. "The fupreme Being," fays an objector, "knows whether I am worthy to receive favours at his hand, and what I most need, "before I apply to him. If I am worthy, he will beftow, whether I afk or not: If not, he will not be "prevailed on by any folicitation to bestow upon an "unworthy object. If I afk what is unfit for me, "he is too wife and good to grant it; and if I ask what is fit, I gain nothing; for he would have bestowed it upon me of his own goodness, without my asking.", There cannot be a more egregious fallacy than that, on which this objection is founded. For it is evident, that, if it be rational to think of ourselves as beings dependent upon the Supreme, it is rational for us to exprefs our dependence; if it be reasonable for us to exprefs our dependence on our Creator, it is unjuftifiable in us to neglect it; fo that I can in no propriety of fpeech be faid to be a worthy object of the Divine Favour, till I actually addrefs myfelf to him. Again, it is evident, that no degree of homage, or fubmiffion, ought to be wanting from dependent creatures to their Creator. But the fervice of both body and mind is a greater degree of homage, than that of the mind alone. So that till I yield the bodily homage, as well as that of the mind, my fervice is deficient, which renders me an unworthy object of the Divine Favour.

It is likewife remarkable, that many of the more rational and pious writers on this fubject, have laboured to reprefent the whole rationale of the duty of prayer