of the Exiftence of a God, than the curious Structure and Frame of Human Body, which is Erect, and points up to Heaven, unto the Author of Nature; and the various parts of it, infinite Wifdom has fo formed and fituated, that the Functions and Operations of Nature are performed with delight and won+ der, and all the Members of the Body, appear in that fine Symetry and proportion, and are fo united together, that they conftitute a moft regular and beautiful Harmony. Infomuch that the Eye, cannot fay unto the Hand, I have no need of thee: Not again, can the Head, to the Feet, I have no need of You but they all confpire together, to answer the great End, which God has defigned them, whofe divine and refplendent Image, we are formed after. And therefore, whoever prefumes to prophane the Unchangeable Effence of God, its enough to make the Ears of a Christian to tingle, or to chill his Blood with Horror. Some thoufands of Years indeed, have been spent in difcoveries of this Nature, and there cannot be, nor never was I believe any Rational Man, in any Age, under the Sun, but what had a Supream being engraven as it were on his Mind; and as it is needlefs for me, to dwell too long on fuch a manifeft Truth, I fhall only make the Exiftence and Nature of God appear, from the Internal Confciou nes which we have of our own Exiftence, and the concurrent Teftimony of our external Senfes: And alfo from the Nature of Motion, as we have now, an infalible Evidence that we Ourtelves are, fo from thence its obvious, that fomething has ever been, for every thing that exifts, muft have a reason, if not a Caufe of its Exittence. Now the reason of the Exiftence of an Eternal abfolutely Neceffary Being, is contained in its very Nature; and is the utmolt, poffible Pertation. And God, is that One,

One, Spiritual and infinitely perfect Effence, whose Being is of himself Eternally, and for ever dwelling in Inacceffible Light. And whofe Eternal Being, is vitally and independently active; which is derived from his divine Perfection, from whence flows the nature of Motion, which of itself is a Simple Idea, but is a moft Undeniable Proof, and Evidence of God's Existence, and give us noble and bright Ideas of his Super-eminent Nature. For I fay that Motion confequently must have exifted by a proper Caufe, and have a reafon of its Exiftence; and it is abominably abfurd, for the Heathen Philofophers to contradict it, and to believe that Motion was abfolutely uncauted; or an Eternal Natural Property either of all Matter, or of any of its Parts. Which is impoffible, because if both the motion of matter, and its directions were natural to it, and abfolutely uncaufed; it follows that they ought to have a neceffary or Effential Connection with each other, for if motion was neceffary to all the property of matter, or to every particle of it in the fame degree, without the leatt Variety; then 'tis clear hat every, particle must have moved alike, upon which there could be no difference of Motion, nor any increase nor decrease of Velocity, but a conftant Uniformity must have difplayed itself, throughout Universal Nature. Therefore I lay its manifeft that matter, is no Original Self Active Being, but that its motion must have begun by fome Principle effentially diftinct, or by fome Immaterial Agent, who is neceffarily exiftent and as fuch perfectly Self Active. Let us, but only examine into the motion of the Heavenly Bodies, which all loudly proclaim the Being and Attributes of God, and as Cicero obferves, Whoever denies that they are not governed by reafon, is void of it himself. And now the first that

prefents

prefents it felf to my View is the Sun, that Marvellous and Immenfe Body of Light, who has conftantly moved circularly upon his own Axis fome thousands of Years, and performed his Annual Courie about the Earth, in fuch Order of time, that he has not loft for feveral Ages together, the hundredth part of a Minute: and without whofe falutary and Vivifick Beams, all motion would speedily ceafe, and nothing but Darknefs enue; and every thing that is in Being, which God has created upon the Face of the whole Earth, could not be fuftained and preferved. Secondly, the Moon's Revolutions about the Earth and her own Axis, are so nicely adjusted, that they are both performed in the fame Compafs of time; by which Admirable Harmony of the two Motions, the always prefents the fame fide to our Eyes, while one motion continually turns her from the Earth, and the other towards it, in the fame proportion. Thirdly, fuppofe we fhould extend our Ideas, and view the wide Spaces of the Heavens fhining with the united Glories of innumerable Stars, which feem to be carelessly fcattered like teeds upon the Earth, to reprefent fomething more noble and Majestick, and which more fenfibly ftrikes the Fancy, than the moft regular Models of Human Art. Which made the Pfalmift break out in a Seraphical Manner, or in that Wonderful and Amazing Extafy; when he exhorts the Cæleftial Creatures to praise God. Praife ye him, Sun and Moon: praise him, all ye Stars of light. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath alfo ftablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which they fhall not pass. Again, if we confine our observation to to the Earth, befides the feveral Motions of the Globe, (which are no less exact and regular.) We

may

may obferve its feveral parts, as if animated by one common Soul, conftantly and uniformly tending towards one Centre. Thefe are all vifible marks of the Great Creator's Wifdom, and are the Effects of a Supernatural Caufe. Which brings me fecondly, to display to You, the divine Perfections, which are effential to his Immutable Nature. Now the divine Effence of God is unbounded, and as the Wife King Solomon expreffes it, that the Heaven, nor the Heaven of Heavens is able to contain it. And one of the divine Perfections I obferve to be Omnipotence or Effective Power, which is an Ability to do, or produce whatever is confiftent with itfelf, and agreeable to the divine Nature. And which has a twofold Idea, either of Creation, or of Suftentation, by Creation I understand, is the Production of a thing that before was not: by Suftentation, I understand, is the preferving or continuing a thing in its Fxiftence or Being. But with what Beauty and Sublimity of thought does the Prophet Ifaiah, in the 40th Pfalm, and 12th Verfe, exalt the Omnipotence and Majefty of God. Who hath measured the Waters in the Hollow of his Hand? and meeted out the Heaven with a Span, and comprehended the Duft of the Earth in a measure, and weighed the Mountains in Scales; and the Hills in a Balance? And therefore it appears, that Creative Power, cannot but only belong to the Eternal and moft perfect Being. I obferve next, Omnifcience to be effential to the divine Nature, becaufe the Eternal Being is abfolutely the particular determinate Caufe of his Effential Perception or Knowledge; and to clear which, I fhall fingle out the famous Example of Judas in betraying his Lord and Mafter; which according to the Scripture was not barely by the divine Permiffion, but by B

the

the determinate Counfel and Fore-knowledge of God. And not only fo, but our Bleffed Saviour himself knew beforehand, who fhould betray him, and at what time. Again, when David asked Counsel of God, whether he fhould go down to Keilah, and whether the Men there would deliver him up to Saul, God anfwers, they will deliver thee up. Knowing not only he had before determined it, but knew their purpose at that time was to deliver him up. So when Ezekiel received his Commiffion to terrify the Jews from their evil Practices; God immediately adds, the house of Ifrael will not hearken to thee, (viz.) I know their present Refolution is obftinately bent not to obey. God again, by the Prophet Jonah, denounces Deftruction to the Ninevites, within forty Days, (in this manner) Nineveh fhall be deftroyed. So that the Exiftence of God and his Immutable Decrees, are the Eternal Spring and the Refult of his Liberty and Sovereign Pleafure. I come now to his Omniprefence. If the Universe was at firft created, and is still sustained and preserved by the Almighty Power of God, then it is evident, that fuch a proper Univerfal Suftentation, can be the Original Effect of none, but only the Eternal Being, and then confequently whofe all-feeing Eye muft have an univerfal Penetration refiding over the Nature of all things. Pythagoras remarks, that God, is a Mind inwardly co-expanded with, and pervading the Nature of all things. St. Paul acknowledges, in him we live, and move, and have our Being. And in another place, expreffly afcribes boundless Expanfion to the Deity. And my Text in particular, in the most beautiful and eminent Light, points out to us God's Omniprefence.

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