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Eternal; fo, in refpect of Greatness, itSER M. muft likewise be immenfe. Otherwife, VIII.

its Perfections will be limited; which is the Notion of Imperfection: and, by being supposed to be Finite in Extent, the Perfection of its Power will as totally be destroyed, as it would be, fuppofing it to be Temporary in Duration. For as Any Being, which is not Always; at the time when it is not, is as if it never was; fo whatever Being is not every-where; in thofe places where it is not, is (to all the purposes of Power and Activity) as if it had no Being in any place at all. For no Being can act Where it is not, any more then When it is not. Power, without Existence, is but an empty word without any reality; and the fcholaftick Fiction of a Being acting in all places, without being present in all places, is either making the Notion of God an express contradiction, or else a fuppofing him fo to act by the miniftry of Others, as not to be Himself Prefent to underftand and know what they Do. He therefore that will frame to Himself a true Idea of this Divine Attribute, (fo far as finite Understanding

SER M. ftanding can comprehend what is Infi-
VIII. nite;) muft in This, as in others of the

divine Perfections, form in his Mind, the
Notion at the fame time, and by the fame
steps, by which he afcends to the Proof
of it. And That, in the prefent cafe,
is more diftinctly as follows. All created
Beings are, by the neceffary condition of
their Nature, finite and circumfcribed.
They can be prefent but in one certain
determinate place at once, and they can
move but within certain bounds, in cer-
tain periods of time. The larger those
Limits are, in which
in which any Creature can be
and act; which it can either at once fill
with its prefence, or fupply with its acti-
vity, swiftnefs and vigour; fo much the
greater fhare has it of this Kind of Per-
fection: And, by inlarging this perfection
to its utmost Poffibility, we must confe-
quently afcribe to God, the moft Perfect
Eeing, Infinity or Immenfity: That is,
we must conceive of him, as of a Being
that fills all things, and that contains all
things within his own boundless Nature;
that is not defined or circumfcribed by
any Space, but co-exifts with, and is pre-

fent

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fent with all things, and infinitely beyond S ER M.
whatever we can imagine, without limits VIII.
and without bounds: in whom (as the A-
poftle expreffes it,) we live, and move, and
bave our Being, and in whom all things
fubfift.

;

For

Again: IT cannot but be evident, e-
ven to the meanest Capacity, upon careful
confideration that He who made all
things, as he could not but be before the
! things that he made, fo it is not poffible
but he must be present also, with the
things that he made and governs.
things could not be made without the
actual prefence of the Power, that made
them; nor can things ever be governed
with any Certainty, unless the Wisdom,
that governs them, be prefent with them.
Whatever Arguments therefore prove the
Being of God, and his unerring Provi-
dence; must all be understood to prove

equally likewife his actual Omnipre-
fence.

Laftly: HE who exifts by Neceffity of
Nature, (which is the Character of
God;) 'tis manifeft must exist in all
places alike. For abfolute Neceffity, is

at

SER M. at all times and in all places the fame. VIII. Whatever can be abfent at any time, may

be abfent at all times; and whatever can be abfent from one place, may be abfent from another; and confequently can have no Neceffity of exifting at all. He therefore, who exifts neceffarily, muft neceffarily exift Always and Every-where that is, as he muft in duration be Eternal, fo he muft alfo in Immenfity be Omniprefent.

THE Truth of the Doctrine itself, that God muft of Neceffity be Immense or Omniprefent, being thus briefly proved by fuch Arguments as are moft obvious and univerfally intelligible; I proceed now

in the

IId place, To offer fome particular Obfervations, concerning the Nature and Circumstances of this divine Attribute.

And

ift. 'Tis to be observed, that this Attribute of Omniprefence, as 'tis conftantly afcribed to God in Scripture, fo is it in Reafon likewife fo plain and obvious, that the generality of Moral Writers even among the Heathens themselves, have not

been

1

been wanting to affert it clearly and with-SER M.

out hesitation.

The only difficulty has VIII.

been, in explaining the particular Manner of our apprehending or conceiving it. - Concerning which, the Schoolmen have prefumed to affert with great Confidence, that the Infinity of God is a Point only, and not a proper Immenfity; juft as they fancy his Eternity to be an Inftant only, and not a proper everlafting Duration. But thefe Notions of theirs, as they are abfurd and unintelligible, fo they are frivolous and vain. For the Excellency of the Perfections of God, does not confift in impoffible and contradictory Notions ; but in true Greatnefs, Dignity, Majefty, and Glory. And vain men, while they have affected to clog Religion with Abfurdities which could not be understood, have made its Doctrines, (as far as in Them lay,) not venerable, but ridiculous. The Eternity of God, does not confift in making time paft to be ftill prefent, and future Time to be already come, (which is a manifeft Inconfiftency, and Impoffibility;) but it confifts in a true proper everlafting duration, without Begin

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