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of him. This is certain, that if there be any kind of fpiritual perfection which is not marked out in an human foul, it belongs in its fulness to the Divine Na

ture.

Several eminent Philofophers have imagined that the foul, in her separate state, may have new faculties fpringing up in her, which fhe is not capable of exerting during her prefent union with the body; and whether these faculties may not correfpond with other attributes in the Divine Nature, and open to us hereafter new matter of wonder and adoration, we are altogether ignorant. This, as I have faid before, we ought to acquiefce in, that the Sovereign Being, the great Author of Nature, has in him all poffible perfection, as well in kind as in degree; to speak according to our methods of conceiving. I fhall only add under this head, that when we have raised our notion of this infinite Being as high as it is poffible for the mind of man to go, it will fall infinitely fhort of what he really is. There is no end of bis greatness: The most exalted creature he has made, is only capable of adoring it, none but himself can comprehend it.

The

The advice of the son of Sirach is very just and fublime in this light. By his word all things confift. We may speak much, and yet come short: wherefore in fum, he is all. How shall we be able to magnify bim? For he is great above all his works. The Lord is terrible and very great; and marvellous in his power. When you glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as you can; for even yet will be far exceed. And when you exalt him, put forth all your strength, and be not weary; for you can never go far enough. Who bath seen him, that he might tell us? And who can magnify him as he is? There are yet bid greater things than these be, for we have feen but a few of his works.

I have here only confidered the Supreme Being by the light of reafon and philofophy. If we would fee him in all the wonders of his mercy we must have recourse to revelation, which represents him to us, not only as infinitely great and glorious, but as infinitely good and juft in his difpenfations towards man. But as this is a theory which falls under every one's confideration, tho' indeed it can never be fufficiently confidered, I fhall here only take notice of that habitual worship and veneration which we

ought

ought to pay to this Almighty Being. We fhould often refresh our minds with the thought of him, and annihilate our felves before him, in the contemplation of our own worthleffness, and of his tranfcendent excellency and perfection. This would imprint in our minds fuch a conftant and uninterrupted awe and veneration as that which I am here recommending, and which is in reality a kind of inceffant prayer, and reafonable humiliation of the foul before him who made it..

This would effectually kill in us all the little feeds of pride, vanity and selfconceit, which are apt to fhoot up in the minds of fuch whofe thoughts turn more on thofe comparative advantages. which they enjoy over fome of their fellow-creatures, than on that infinite diftance which is placed between them and the fupreme model of all perfection. It would likewife quicken our defires and endeavours of uniting our felves to him by all the acts of religion and virtue.

Such an habitual homage to the Su preme Being would, in a particular man-ner, banish from among us that prevailing impiety of ufing his name on the moft trivial occafions.

I find the following paffage in an excellent fermon, preached at the funeral of a gentleman who was an honour to his country, and a more diligent as well as fuccessful enquirer into the works of nature, than any other our nation has ever produced. He had the profound" eft veneration for the great God of hea'ven and earth that I have ever observed in any perfon. The very name of God: ' was never mentioned by him without a pause and a vifible ftop in his difcourfe; in which, one that knew him most particularly above twenty years, has told me, that he was fo exact, that he 'does not remember to have obferved him once to fail in it.

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Every one knows the veneration which was paid by the Jews to a name fo great, wonderful and holy. They would not let it enter even into their religious difcourfes. What can we then think of those who make ufe of fo tremendous a name in the ordinary expreffions of their anger, mirth, and most impertinent paffions? Of those who admit it into the moft familiar queftions and affertions, ludicrous phrafes and works of humour? not to mention thofe who violate it by folemn perjuries? It

would

would be an affront to reafon to endeavour to fet forth the horror and profaneness of fuch a practice. The very mention of it expofes it fufficiently to thofe in whom. the light of nature, not to fay religion, is not utterly extinguished.

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Deum namque ire per omnes

Terrafque, tractufque maris, cœlumque profundum.

Virg.

Was yesterday about fun-fet walking in the open fields, 'till the night infenfibly fell upon me. I at first amused my felf with all the richness and variety of colours, which appeared in the weftern parts of heaven: In proportion as they faded away and went out, several ftars and planets appeared one after another, 'till the whole firmament was in a glow. The bluencfs of the Ether was exceedingly heightened and enlivened by the feafon of the year, and by the rays of all those luminaries that paffed thro it. The Galaxy appeared in its most beautiful white. To compleat the fcene, the full moon rofe at length in that clouded majefty, which Milton takes notice of, and opened to the eye a new picture of

nature,

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