That Matter should have possessed these powers from Eternity, without exerting them, and that it should have exerted them from Eternity, are thus proved to be, as I asserted in the former discourse, plain impossibilities. It follows, then, undeniably, that, if Matter existed eternally in one uniform state, that state was entirely quiescent; and that no change, however small, could ever have taken place in it, but from an extrinsic cause. Thus, the supposition of the eternal existence of Matter, is so far from accounting for the existence of the beings, and the changes, in the Universe, that it will not account for any thing; not even for the least change in the position, or circumstances, of an atom.

4thly. There is no fact, which gives even the appearance of plau sibility to this scheme.

The only facts, which, so far as I know, have ever been seriously alleged to this purpose, are the production of insects, and plants, by what is called equivocal generation: according to which, by the mere fermentation of various kinds of matter, the insect is supposed to be produced without a parent, and the plant without a seed.

To this I answer,

(1st.) That this is, at best, a mere supposition: no evidence having been ever furnished of the fact which it alleges.

(2dly.) Francisco de Redi, and Malpighi, two eminent Italian philosophers, have, by a long train of ingenious and accurate experiments, unanswerably proved, that equivocal generation is a groundless hypothesis; and that no Matter, in any process of fermentation, will produce an insect without a parent, or a plant without a seed. As, therefore, all the powers and operations of matter must, if eternal, be eternally the same; and as matter now produces no such beings, as alleged; it follows unanswerably, that matter was never the cause of any such productions.

5thly. Innumerable facts direcily refute this scheme.

1st. That this world, in its present form, was not eternal, is certain; because its surface is continually changing, and approxima ting, towards a level. If we suppose one particle only to have descended from the higher towards the lower parts of the surface in an age, or in a million of ages; the whole, unless counteracted by opposing causes (and in most places there is no trace of such causes) must have become an entire level, at a period, too distant to be conceived by any mind, or expressed by any numbers. Yet millions of tons annually descend towards the centre. The date of the Earth, in its present state, must, therefore, have begun at a time not far distant.

2dly. If, contrary to truth, we admit gravitation to be an inherent property of Matter, it could not possibly have caused the revolutions of the planets.

Let the planets be placed at any supposable place, and distance, within the reach of the Sun's attraction; the only direction, in which VOL. 1.

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they could possibly move, would be a straight or right line towards the Sun; because this is the only direction, in which his gravitation, and theirs, can possibly act. It is easily, and mathematically, proved, that to the circular motion of the planets round the Sun a projectile force, or impulse, acting in the direction of a tangent to the planetary orbit, was originally indispensable. So far, therefore, would the planets have been from moving in their proper orbits round the Sun, by the mere power of gravitation, that they could only have fallen directly to the Sun. Should it be said, that the planets have moved eternally in their present orbits; and that the Earth, for example, has performed an infinite series of revolutions; it must also be said, that the Moon, in her circuit round the Earth, has performed a series thirteen times, and the Earth, in its rotation round its axis, a series 365 times, as great, as that infinite series.

3dly. The diurnal motions of the planets, the positions of their axes, and the attendance of their satellites, which accord with no regularity, or proportion, to their magnitudes, or their distances from the Sun, and cannot be explained in any consistency with mere material principles, prove themselves, unquestionably, to have been derived from an extrinsic and intelligent cause.

6thly. From a sufficiently regular course of observations, employed on the eclipses of the Sun and Moon, and a series of correct calculations concerning them, it is proved by Ferguson, that the ancient eclipses, noted in history, took place at times, differing sensibly from those, which the calculations require; that these differences of time regularly diminish, as the times approach nearer to us; and that the orbit of the Moon was, therefore, more distant from the Earth, formerly, than it is now. Hence it is certain, that the Moon's motion round the Earth, instead of having been eternal, has existed only during a little period.

In the last place, for I will not dwell on this atheistical dream any longer, if all these impossibilities were removed, and all these proofs given up, another would still remain, which completely refutes this scheme; viz. that Matter cannot be the cause of Intelligence.

Quod non habet, dare non potest: what a cause does not contain or possess, it cannot communicate; is a maxim, or self-evident proposition. That Matter, therefore, which cannot think, will, or originate motion, should communicate thought, volition, and motivity, is plainly impossible.

Thus have I considered the only atheistical schemes of existence, which merit any serious attention. Were I disposed to exhibit the abettors of these schemes in a ridiculous and contemptible light; the efforts of Anaximander, Epicurus, the Egyptian Philosophers, the Count de Buffon, and many others both ancient and modern, to explain the origin and progress of things, would furnish me with ample materials. But such an exhibition would ill become this sacred place. I shall only add, that the existence of the very Matter,

to which so much is attributed, and on which such reliance is placed, by atheistical philosophers, can never be evinced. Imyself believe, indeed, that it exists; but I also know, that its existence cannot be proved.

REMARKS.

From these observations it is evident, in the

1st. place, that Atheism in all its forms is a specimen of the most absolute credulity.

The three great atheistical schemes of existence, here recited, and undoubtedly the best which have been formed, are founded on mere assumptions, or gratuitous hypotheses, unsupported by a particle of argument, or evidence. But to adopt a mere assumption, especially in a case of infinite importance, is credulity in the extreme, and folly which cannot plead even a pretence. More than this, each of these schemes is refuted by direct demonstration. Beyond even this, they are unanswerably proved not only to be false, but to be impossible. Still the Atheist goes on quietly with his faith in these hypotheses; and resolves to believe, in defiance of demonstration, and impossibility.

2dly. There are still men, in considerable numbers, and of no small ingenuity, who profess themselves Atheists; and who thus prove that Atheism has its seat in the heart, and not in the understanding. Nothing can be more evident, than that these doctrines can never have been embraced from argument, or conviction, or by an unbi assed understanding. They were, therefore, certainly adopted under the influence of the heart; and believed, only because they were loved, or because God was dreaded and hated. Thus the heart is the true source of the belief that there is no God; and he is a fool, who, governed by its wishes, thus believes against all reason and evidence.

3dly. As such men have thus believed under such an influence; so, if we indulge such wishes, we may be given up by God to these, or any other, fatal doctrines, and of course to destruction.

The great danger lies in the heart; and in its hostility to God and his character. What we wish we easily believe; and what we dread, or hate, we easily disbelieve. As we dread the anger of God against sin, and against ourselves particularly as sinners, and all his designs to punish it; as we hate to renounce it, and its pleasures; we contrive easily, and naturally, to disbelieve his designs, character, and existence. Especially is this the case, when God, provoked by our rebellion and opposition, gives us up to a reprobate mind.

How greatly ought we then to fear this mass of guilt, danger, and ruin! How earnestly ought we to watch, and strive, and pray that we fall not into this train of temptations and miseries! Let us resolve to receive the truth, at all events, however humbling or painful, in the love of it. And may God grant that it may make us free from the bondage of corruption, and translate us into the glorious liberty of his Children. Amen.

SERMON III.

COMPARATIVE INFLUENCE OF ATHEISM AND CHRISTIANITY.

PSALM XIV. 1.-The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good.

IN my last discourse, I considered the objections of Atheists against the being and government of God; and those doctrines concerning the origin and existence of things, which they have substituted for the doctrines of Theism and the Scriptures, on this most important subject. The objections I endeavoured to prove unsound and nugatory, and the doctrines to be mere hypotheses, demonstrably false, and plainly impossible. Hence I concluded them to be the doctrines of the heart, and not of the intellect. Hence also I concluded, that he who embraces them is, according to the language of the text, a fool. There is no more absolute folly than to believe doctrines because we love them, and to reject doctrines because we hate them: or, in other words, to suffer our inclinations to govern our understanding.

In

The consequences of these doctrines, or of Atheism generally, are in the text declared in these words, They are corrupt; they have done abominable works: there is none that doeth good. other words, Atheists are corrupt; they do abominable works: there is none of them that doeth good. This character of Atheists, seen by the Psalmist, and declared by the Spirit of God, three thousand years ago, has not changed for the better, at any period, down to the present day. They have ever been corrupt; they have ever done abominable works; there has never been among them a single good or virtuous man.

It cannot but be an useful employment to examine this interesting subject, and to learn, from such an examination, the manner in which these false principles, dictated and embraced by a bad heart, contribute, in their turn, as powerful causes, to render that heart still more corrupt; to fill the life with abominable actions; and to prevent every one, who embraces these doctrines, from assuming

the character of virtue.

Before I enter upon the direct discussion of this subject it will be proper to observe, that Virtue is nothing but voluntary obedience to truth; and Sin nothing but voluntary obedience to falsehood. Or, more generally, virtue and sin consist in a disposition or preparation of the heart, flowing out into acts of obedience, in the respective manners which I have mentioned. From these definitions which, it is presumed, cannot be successfully denied, it is evident, that every false doctrine, which is relished by the heart, will, of

course, govern its affections and volitions; and will, therefore, control the conduct. Nor is it less evident, that, in the present case, the doctrine in question, being embraced only because they are loved, will eminently influence the heart which has dictated them, and eminently affect all the moral conduct.

It will also be clear to all persons, accustomed to the investigation of moral subjects, that the character of a man must, at least in a great measure, be formed by his views of the several subjects, with which he is acquainted. As these are expanded, magnificent, and sublime; or narrow, ordinary, and grovelling; the taste, the character, and the conduct, will be refined and noble, or gross and contemptible. A man, accustomed to an exalted sphere of life, and to a regular intercourse with great objects, will assume of course a dignity and greatness of mind, and a splendour of personal character, which cannot be assumed by him, whose views have ever been limited to a few and small objects, and whose life has been passed in actions of no significance. There is something princely, of course, in men even of moderate endowments, when properly educated for the inheritance of a throne. There is every thing diminutive, of necessity, in him, who is trained only to be a campboy or a shoe-black.

When men are educated to contemplation, and science, it may not unnaturally be imagined, that their minds, allowing for the difference of their endowments, will, from the similarity of their pursuits, be formed into a similarity of character. This, however, is, to a great extent, a mistaken opinion. The very objects, with which such men are equally conversant, may, from their respective modes of viewing them, become totally unlike, and even contradictory, in their apprehension. It will not be questioned, that the mind of a Heathen, studying, with the views of a Heathen, the polytheism of Greece and Rome, would be affected very differently from the mind of a Christian, investigating the same subject. The manner, in which we regard any object of inquiry, may differ from some other manner almost as much, as any two objects of inquisition may differ from each other. The views of him, who regards the firmament as a great blue canopy, and the stars as little sparks of light, differ from the views of the Astronomer, who considers the firmament as a boundless expansion, and the stars as an innumerable multitude of Suns, almost as widely, as the two objects of contemplation. differ. The manner, therefore, in which human contemplations are directed, may be very various, although the objects are the same. In truth it is not the grandeur or diminutiveness of the objects, but the greatness or littleness of the views entertained of them, which affect, and form, the character.

The taste, or relish, of the mind, particularly, will, in a great measure, if not wholly, be formed by this cause. The mind, by an early habit accustomed to little views, will soon learn to relish no other. Accustomed from the beginning to a connexion with gro