in its place, and for its time. Each, therefore, needs to be conducted, throughout its existence, to the purpose for which it was made. His care extends therefore, and must extend, to minims, ephemera, and atoms, as truly, and as exactly, as to the concerns of Cherubs and Seraphs in the heavens.

Accordingly, we actually behold him alike animating the blade, the stem, and the leaf, in the vegetable kingdom; living in the mite and the insect, the bird and the beast; thundering marvellously with his voice; sending lightnings with rain; rolling the billows of the ocean; making the earth to quake at his presence; shining in the stars, glowing in the sun, and moving with his hand, the various worlds, which compose the universe. At the same time, his presence and agency are more sublimely visible in the universe of minds, in all the amazing powers of thought, affection, and moral action, in the knowledge, virtue, and enjoyment, of the myriads, which form the peculiar kingdom of JEHOVAH. 5thly. It is equally evident, that this end must be Himself.

Before God made the universe there was nothing beside him. Whatever motive prompted him to this great work must of course have been found in himself; because beside him there was nothing. It must, also, have been found in himself, because when other beings existed, all were nothing in comparison with him; and, therefore, in the same comparison undeserving of his regard. But this end could not respect any change in himself; any increase, diminution, or alteration, of his greatness, power, and glory. It was, therefore, the manifestation of himself alone which could be the end of this mighty work. Himself is the sum of Excellence; of all that is great, or wise, or good. The manifestation of himself is, therefore, only the manifestation of boundless excellence to the Creatures, which he has made. The manifestation of all attributes, though capable of being made in declarations, is principally discerned in actions. Excellence, therefore, is discovered, chiefly, by doing what is great, and wise, and good. All this is so evident, as to need no illustration.

God, when he intended to disclose his perfections to the universe, intended, therefore, to exhibit them, chiefly, by an endless course of action, in which wisdom, greatness, and goodness, should be supremely, and most clearly, discovered. The highest

blessedness, he has told us, and therefore the greatest glory, is found in communicating good, and not in gaining it; in giving, and not in receiving. To this decision Reason necessarily subjoins her own Amen. The great design of God in all things is, therefore, to do good boundlessly, and for ever; and in this conduct to disclose himself, as the boundless and eternal good.

It must, of necessary consequence, be supremely pleasing to him, that his intelligent creatures voluntarily unite with him, in loving, and promoting, this divine purpose; while all opposition to it must be supremely displeasing. How important then must it be to us, that we cheerfully coincide with his perfect pleasure in this great end, and devote to the advancement of it all our faculties? Should we resist his designs, so excellent, so dear to him; how unworthy in itself, and how provoking to him, must be the conduct. What terrible consequences must spring from the exertion of such power and knowledge, exerted to manifest his anger against those, who thus disobey his will, and oppose his designs! What must they not feel! What ought they not to fear!

On the contrary, what an universe of good, immense and endless, may he be expected to provide for those, who voluntarily unite with him in this glorious design, and cheerfully perform his pleasure. Such good he can make, and give, and repeat for ever, with a wish, and with a word. To make, and give it, is his delight, and glory. It will therefore be done. In this wonderful work how divinely great and good does God appear? How deserving of all admiration, love, homage, obedience, and praise. How amazing the wonders, which he has done! How much more amazing the transcendent purpose, for which they were done! Who would not fear, who would not bless, who would not adore, that glorious and fearful name, JEHOVAH OUR GOD; the Being self-existent, eternal, and immense; and without beginning, limits, or end; united with eternal, and immeasurable, wisdom and power; from whom are derived all worlds, and all their inhabitants; on whom all depend; and by whom all are preserved, governed, and blessed, and conducted with supreme wisdom and goodness to an end, immortal and divine. Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

SERMON II.

ATHEISTICAL OBJECTIONS

AND

SCHEMES OF DOCTRINE CONSIDERED.

PSALM xiv. 1.

The fool hath said in his heart, there is no GOD.

In the preceding discourse, I endeavoured to prove the existence of God, by arguments which have appeared to men of great distinction for learning and wisdom, to be not only satisfactory but unanswerable. Plain men, also, though comprehending them imperfectly, have admitted both the force of the arguments, themselves; and the point which they are intended to establish; without a question, and almost without an exception. Yet it cannot be denied that there have been Atheists, speculative as well as practical. A few of them may have existed in the uneducated classes of mankind, but almost all have been found among those, who, professedly at least, have been more or less learned.

But to whatever class these persons may belong, and whatever pretensions they may make to knowledge and wisdom, they are in the text universally characterized by folly. The fool, says David, hath said, there is no God. In other words, every man who says this, is a fool: and the assertion is the result of his folly, only.

It is remarkable that this assertion is declared to be made in the heart of the fool; that is, to flow from his wishes, and not from his understanding. For the words, there is, in the translation, there is nothing in the original. Hence, it has been supposed, by some commentators, that the passage ought to be rendered, let there be no God. Whether this rendering be admitted, or not, there can be no doubt that the chief reason why the assertion is adopted, at all, is the indisposition of the heart to acknowledge the existence of the Creator.

That we easily believe, what we wish to believe, is a truth so obvious, as to have passed into a proverb. He, who hates the control, disrelishes the character, and dreads the inspection, judgment, and retribution of his Maker, and intends to persevere in a course of sin; will find no refuge from anxiety and alarm, and no source of quiet in sinning so comfortable, or in his view so safe, as the belief, that there is no God. It is not strange, therefore, that this belief has been cherished by such beings as mankind are; and particularly, by such beings as Atheists have universally been.

Still, this conduct cannot be denied to be folly of a very gross kind. As our belief can make no difference in the fact; as if GOD exists, he will continue to exist; as our danger from his anger against our sins, is exactly the same whether we believe it or not; as our quiet in sin will in this case only cheat us into ruin; and as the little consolation which we find in the indulgence of this belief, will only enhance our wretchedness by adding to it the anguish of disappointment; no sober man will hesitate to pronounce, this conduct foolish in the extreme. To him, who walks over the edge of a precipice, what benefit can it be to shut his eyes. What greater stupidity can there be, than to shut our eyes, when this conduct will prove the certain means of conveying us to this scene of absolute destruction.

Atheists have, however, determined to encounter this hazard, and boldly resolved that there is no God. Against the doctrine of the divine existence they have raised up several objections, which they declare to be satisfactory, at least, to themselves. These they have also formed into a scheme, and presented it to the public with a face of bold assurance. Even this has not sa