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dations of our reverence for him; and SER M. reverence is the foundation of religion. → All the divine perfections are interesting to man. Almighty power, in conjunction with Eternity and Omniprefence, naturally infpires folemn awe. Infinite Goodness relieves the mind from that oppreffion which Power alone would produce; and, from our experience of present benefits, and our remembrance of the paft, creates love, gratitude, and truft. In the middle between these, stands the contemplation of divine Wisdom, which conjoins impreffions of awe with thofe of comfort; and while it humbles us into profound fubmiffion, encourages, at the same time our reliance on that King eternal, immortal, and invifible, who is juftly stiled in the text, the only wife God.

Among men, wifdom is a quality entirely different from cunning or craft. It always supposes good and fair intention in the person who poffeffes it; and imports, that laudable ends are pursued

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SERM. by proper and justifiable means. In like manner wisdom in the Supreme Being cannot be separated from the rectitude of his nature. It is, in him, an exertion of benevolence; and imports, that the purposes of justice and goodness are carried on and accomplished, by means the most effectual. To meditate on fome of thofe inftances in which this divine wisdom is displayed, cannot but be highly favourable to the impreffions both of piety, and of virtue.

nor many

IT is difficult to fay, whether the natural, or the moral, world, afford the most confpicuous and ftriking displays of the wifdom of God. Not one, discourses nor indeed the ftudy and labour of a whole life, were, in any degree, fufficient to explore them. Of the proofs of wisdom which the natural world affords, I cannot attempt now to difcourfe. Any illuftration of thefe would lead to difcuffions of a scientific kind, which more

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properly belong to the philofopher; and SERM. on which philosophy has often employed itself, with much utility and honour. I shall only take notice that, in proportion as human knowledge hath enlarged its sphere of research and difcovery, in the same proportion, hath the wisdom of the Creator ftruck the minds of all inquirers and obfervers, with the highest admiration. All nature is in truth a scene of wonders. In the difpofition of the heavenly bodies, and the general arrangement of the system of the univerfe; in the structure of the earth; in the endless variety of living creatures that fill it; and in the provifion made for them all, to enable them to fulfil the ends of their being, it is not easy to determine, whether power, wisdom, or goodness be most conspicuous. It belongs not only to the heavens to declare the glory of God, and to the firmament to fhew forth his handywork; in the fmalleft and most inconfiderable, as well as in the most illuftrious works of God, equal marks pear of profound defign and confum

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SERM. mate art. It has been justly faid, that there is not a vegetable that grows, nor an infect that moves, but what is fufficent to confound the atheist, and to afford the candid obferver endless materials of devout adoration and praise.

WHEN We return to the moral world, the field of admiration which opens to us is no lefs extenfive and ftriking. I can only mention a few instances of that exquifite wisdom which everywhere meet us.

In the first place, let us attend to the conftitution of human nature. Though we are taught by revelation, to confider it as now impaired by the fall, yet, as it ftands, we behold the traces of a noble ftructure, planned and executed with the highest skill. All the powers and faculties beftowed on man are fuch as perfectly fuit his condition, and adapt him to the purposes for which he was defigned.-Senfes were given him, that he might diftinguish what is neceffary for the prefervation and welfare of his body. Now, sup

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pose that any one of those fenfes, the SER M. fight, for inftance, or the hearing, or the touch, had been in a confiderable degree either more blunt, or more acute, than it is at prefent, what an unhappy change would this have made upon our state? on the one hand, greater imperfection of the organs, would have deprived us of all the comfort and advantage which we now enjoy from fuch powers. On the other

hand, a greater degree of exquifite senfibility in them, would have rendered life a burden to us. Our fenfes, inftead of being inlets to knowledge and pleasure, would then have become.constant avenues to uneafinefs and pain Their powers, therefore, are skilfully adjusted to that measure of ftrength, which allows them to answer the purposes of health, fafety, and comfort; without either falling fhort of this line of usefulness, or improperly, and hurtfully ftretching beyond it.

In the mind appetites and paffions were placed, as the moving powers. of

the