Serm. Faculties of our Minds, and upon what the XV. Power of exercising them depends. I am

fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy Works, and that my Soul knoweth right well. Our own Nature, and the Objects we are furrounded with, ferve to raise our Curiosity; but we are quite out of a Condition of fatisfying it. Every Secret which is disclosed, every Discovery which is made, every new Effect which is brought to View, ferves to convince us of numberless more which remain concealed, and which we had before no Sufpicion of. And what if we were acquainted with the whole Creation, in the fame Way and as thoroughly as we are with any fingle Object in it? What would all this natural Knowledge amount to? It must be a low Curiofity indeed which fuch fuperficial Knowledge could fatisfy. On the contrary, would it not ferve to convince us of our Ignorance ftill; and to raise our Defire of knowing the Nature of Things themselves, the Author, the Cause, and the End of them?

As to the Government of the World: Though from Confideration of the final Caufes which come within our Knowledge; of Characters, perfonal Merit and Demerit ;

of

of the Favour and Disapprobation, which re- Serm. spectively are due and belong to the Righ- XV. teous and the Wicked, and which therefore muft neceffarily be in a Mind which fees things as they really are; though, I say, from hence we may know fomewhat concerning the Defigns of Providence in the Government of the World, enough to enforce upon us Religion and the Practice of Virtue: Yet, fince the Monarchy of the Universe is a Dominion unlimited in Extent, and everlasting in Duration; the general System of it must neceffarily be quite beyond our Comprehenfion. And fince there appears fuch a Subordination and Reference of the feveral Parts to each other, as to conftitute it properly one Administration or Government; we cannot have a thorough Knowledge of any Part, without knowing the Whole. This furely fhould convince us, that we are much lefs competent Judges of the very small Part which comes under our Notice in this World, than we are apt to imagine. No Heart can think upon these things worthily: And who is able to conceive his Way? It is a Tempeft which no Man can fee: For the most Part of his Works are hid. Who can declare the Works

of

Serm. of his Justice? for his Covenant is afar XV. off, and the trial of all things is in the End; i. e. the Dealings of God with the Children of Men are not yet compleated, and cannot be judged of by that Part which is before us. So that a Man cannot fay, This is worse than that: For in time they fball all be well approved.Thy Faithfulnefs, O Lord, reacheth unto the Clouds: Thy Righteoufnefs ftandeth like the strong Mountains: Thy Judgments are like the great Deep. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: Alfo he hath fet the World in their Heart; fo that no Man can find out the Work that God maketh from the Beginning to the End. And thus St.

Paul concludes a long Argument upon the various Difpenfations of Providence: O the Depth of the Riches, both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unfearchable are his Judgments, and his Ways past finding out! For who hath known the Mind of the Lord?

Thus the Scheme of Providence, the Ways and Works of God, are too vast, of too large Extent for our Capacities. There is, as I may speak, fuch an Expence of Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness, in

the

the Formation and Government of the Serm. World, as is too much for us to take in or XV. Power, and Wisdom, and

comprehend.

Goodness are manifeft to us in all those Works of God, which come within our View: But there are likewife infinite Stores of each poured forth throughout the Immenfity of the Creation; no Part of which can be thoroughly understood, without taking in its Reference and Respect to the whole: And this is what we have not Faculties for.

And as the Works of God, and his Scheme of Government, are above our Capacities. thoroughly to comprehend; fo our Ignorance should teach us, that there may be Reasons which originally made it fit, that many things should be concealed from us, which we have perhaps natural Capacities of understanding; many things concerning the Defigns, Methods, and Ends of Divine Providence in the Government of the World. There is no Manner of Abfurdity in fuppofing a Veil on Purpose drawn over fome Scenes of infinite Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, the Sight of which might fome Way or other strike us too strongly; or that better Ends are defigned and served by their

Serm. being concealed, than could be by their XV. being exposed to our Knowledge. The Almighty may caft Clouds and Darkness round about him,for Reasons and Purposes of which we have not the leaft Glimpfe or Concepti

on.

However, it is furely reasonable, and what might have been expected, that Creatures in fome Stage of their Being, fuppose in the Infancy of it,fhould be placed in a State of Difcipline and Improvement, where their Patience and Submiffion is to be tried by Afflictions, where Temptations are to be refifted, and Difficulties gone through in the Discharge of their Duty. Now if the greatest Pleafures and Pains of the prefent Life may be overcome and fufpended, as they manifeftly may, by Hope and Fear, and other Paffions and Affections; then the Evidence of Religion, and the Senfe of the Confequences of Virtue and Vice, might have been fuch, as intirely in all Cafes to prevail over those Afflictions, Difficulties, and Temptations; prevail over them fo, as to render them abfolutely none at all. But the very Notion itself, now mentioned, of a State of Difcipline and Improvement, neceffarily excludes fuch fenfible Evidence and Convicti

no