as abfolutely without Excufe. Rom. i. 20. Nor do the feeming Irregularities in fome Parts of the Univerfe in the leaft weaken the Argument or Evidence. For fince we find innumerable Things that plainly argue a Wisdom and Skill infinitely fuperior to ours, we ought to make the fame Suppofition concerning those Things, the Defign or Use of which we do not at present fee. It is certainly highly rational and becoming the Modesty of fuch short-fighted Creatures as we are, to attribute any Defects or Irregularities we may imagine we obferve in any Part of the Work of God in this vaft Universe, to the narrow Comprehenfion of our own Understandings, which we cannot but be confcious of in a thousand Inftances. How many Things were found fault with by the Epicureans and other ancient atheistical Philofophers in the Frame of the World, that upon the further Improvements which have been made in the Knowledge of Nature in these latter Ages, have appeared to be contrived with admirable Wifdom! And we may justly conclude, that other Things, which now we cannot precifely affign a Reafon of, would appear to be very wifely ordered, if we had a juft Comprehenfion of the whole, and faw all Things in their mutual Connection and Harmony. As to the

Disorders

Disorders of the moral World, no Argument can be properly drawn from thence against the Existence and Perfections of the fupreme Being, fince they only arise from the Abuse that reasonable Creatures make of the excellent Faculties with which they are endued, and of the Liberty that belongeth to them as moral Agents. And if we regard this present Life as a State of Trial, and take a future World into the Account, there is great Reafon to apprehend that when the whole moral System is compleated, all the Difficulties which now puzzle us fhall be adjusted and cleared, and the Wisdom and Righteousness of God be made illuftrioufly manifeft, even in those Things that now have the most difcouraging Appearance.

I fhall conclude this Difcourse with that noble Addrefs to God, Neh. ix. 5. 6. Bleed be thy glorious Name, which is exalted above all Bleffing and Praife! Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, thou haft made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens with all their Hoft, the Earth and all Things that are therein, the Sea and all that is therein, and thou preferveft them all, and the Hoft of Heaven worshippeth thee!

The

The Being and Perfections of God proved from his Works.

DISCOURSE II.

ROMANS i. 20.

For the invifible Things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly feen, being understood by the Things that are made, even his eternal Power and Godhead.

N my former Difcourfe on these Words

IN

I laid before you the Proofs of the Exiftence of God from the Confideration of

his wonderful Works. Taking a Rife from our own Bodies and Souls, we took a general Survey of this vaft, beautiful, and well-ordered Univerfe, the Earth, the Sea, the Air, the heavenly Orbs, the Sun, the Moon, and Stars, and it appeared that they all uniformly concur to lead our Minds to the Acknowledgment of one fupreme intelligent Cause and Author.

But it is not fufficient to believe that there is a God, if we do not endeavour to get our Hearts filled with just

and worthy Sentiments of his infinite Excellencies. And the fame Arguments that lead us to acknowledge his Existence, do equally lead us to acknowledge that this great Author of the Universe must be posfeffed of all poffible Perfections. There is no Conclufion more obvious than this, that he that hath fpread fuch an Abundance of Glory through his Works in this World, which he hath created, must have an unbounded Fulness of Excellency and Perfection in himself. And this is what the Apostle here fignifieth, by declaring, that the invifible Things of God from the Creation of the World are clearly feen, being understood by the Things that are made. The invifible Things of God, is his infinite Effence and Perfections which are not the Objects of our Sight, or of any of our Senfes. And accordingly he adds, even his eternal Power and Godhead. He expressly mentioneth his eternal Power, and under the Word Godhead may be comprehended his other divine Perfections, and as the Result of all, his fupreme incomparable Majesty, Glory, and Dominion.

It is no Objection against this, that the divine Effence and Perfections are not vifible to the bodily Eye. This only fheweth that he is a Spirit, not Matter or Body, which he muft be, if we could fee him with our Eyes. But his Being and Perfec