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mift has in this Pfalm, where he has de- SERM. fcrib'd, or rather drawn out, a fmall Sketch of the Power and Wisdom of God, given us many sublime Ideas of the almighty Creator,` yet when he found the Theme was infinite, and the Labour endless, he fums up all in this pathetical Exclamation, O Lord! how manifold are thy Works! in Wisdom haft thou made them all. Which Words naturally lead us to confider the Wisdom of God in the Creation of the World. And accordingly I propofe to fhew,

I. That the Works of the Creation are not the Effects of Chance, but of an allwife God.

II. I will make fome Reflections upon the Whole.

First, then, I am to fhew that the Works of the Creation are not the Effects of Chance, but of an all-wife God. And now, amidst the infinite Variety of Things, where fhall we begin, or where fhall we end? Shall we view this Earth, which we inhabit? Here every thing, whether animate or inanimate, declares itself to be the Effect of infinite Wisdom and Contrivance ; and A 2 God

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SERM. God is feen in all his Works. Aniongft the animate let us confider Man, who is denominated the Image of the Almighty; and he, we find, is fearfully and wonderfully made. If we view the curious Frame of his Body, the admirable Compofure of his Limbs, the wonderful Difpofition of all the Parts for Ufe as well as Ornament; and indeed in this respect Nature has been very liberal and bountiful to us, in giving us two of a Sort of thofe Parts which are moft ufeful and neceffary; thus we are furnished with two Eyes, two Hands, two Feet, &c. not only to complete the Harmony of the whole Compofition, but that one might in fome measure supply the Defect or Failure of another. But now if we look within, and view the Springs and Movements that fet this wonderful Machine a going, the amazing Contexture of the Fibres, with a thoufand minute Parts inferted thro'out the Whole, all confpiring to carry on the great Ends of Life, a particular Defcription of which may be feen in Books on that Subject: If we confider for every Action and Motion without, as for Example, whether we cat, drink, walk, fpeak, or whatever we do, the Miracles that are at the fame time performing within to produce these

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Effects; I fay, if we view this curious Frame, SER M. compos'd, as is thought, according to the ftrictest Rules of Geometrical Proportion, we shall see the whole World in Epitome. Thus much for the Body; but if we view the immortal Soul, that acts upon this Body, how, or by what Means, we know not, and gives it Power to perform the Operations of a rational Creature, yet enables a Man to contemplate the Works of God, and to reflect upon the Wisdom and Contrivance of them, and in this refpect lifts him up above the reft of the Creation, what fhall we fay of it, but reckon it the Effect of infinite Wisdom?

As to the animal World, tho' it does not come up to the Perfection of the rational, yet 'tis altogether as perfect in its Kind, every Creature having fuch Faculties, as are excellently adapted to it, according to the Rank in which it ftands in the Universe. Who can fufficiently admire the Sagacity of fome, the Subtilty of others, and the extraordinary Care aad Tenderness of all over their Young, to the everlafting Shame of many rational Creatures? The Cunning of the Fox, the Docility and Tractablenefs of the Dog, and the Industry of the Ant, are things very wonderful and furprizing!

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SERM. The inimitable Net-work of the Spider, the elaborate Architecture of the Bee, as well as of the Bird, who buildeth her Nest on high, will always baffle the Wit and Induftry of Man, not to fay any thing of the other different Species of Creatures that inhabit the Earth and Sea, which are fo many, that tho' a learned Author has endeavour'd to guess at them, yet 'twas nothing but a Guefs, and can never be improv'd beyond. a bare Probability; for I believe it will be thought no improbable Conjecture to fuppofe, that there are as many, that cannot be seen by any Eye, as there are that can fince it is acknowledg'd on all Hands that every Drop of Water, all forts of Fluids, and confequently every Animal itself, as abounding more or lefs in Fluids, are full of them; and how fmall then must the Parts of thofe little Animalcula be! and how fine the Ligaments that tye them together! But what is Matter of very great Surprize, is, that, amongst all the animate as well as the inanimate Part of the Creation, there are not two of any Species that are exactly alike; the smallest Mite has fomething to diftinguifh him from another of the fame Species, tho' his whole Body, without an Inftrument, is not difcernable. The

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firft Creation of Matter is indeed very won- SER M. derful; but how it could be diverfified into fuch an endless Multitude of Forms is altogether as much to be admir'd.

Shall we now lift up our Eyes above this Globe, and take a Profpect of the upper Regions, where the Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament fheweth his Handy-works? there the Power and Wifdom of the Creator are equally confpicuous. And here no Pencil ever drew a Copy equal to this bright Original! Who hath stretch'd out the Heavens like a Curtain, or form'd fo fplendid a Canopy? The immense Profpect lies before us, thousands of dazzling Orbs promifcuoufly ranged entertain our wondering Speculations; and who knows where the uniform Disorder ends? We gaze away our Sight amidst the Swarm of Worlds, and are tir'd with Wonder and Delight. What a vaft Number of fix'd Stars can we difcern with our Eyes! how many more by the Help of Inftruments, and perhaps an infinite Number more, which neither Eye nor Inftrument can discover! all which, as we learn by the modern Improvements in Aftronomy, are fo many Suns, each of which, according to the antient Calculations, is above 160 Times big

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