666 SERMON I. Center; my, the meanell being carries fomc impreilion of the fir!l caufe · as the im of a Prince is !lampt upon a penny,as well as upon greater money; rhe'beafis will~~~ !lruCl:, and the mute filhes reach the Athe),il there ts a god; and though he is not dif. :J~!,e~nbfn~lr~bf:~;~[~i~~hfivi~~t ~~d;~d=~at'/,~~g w!ll a~ certainly difco~er him, as it x. Fram the being of the world, and its parts ; it is apparent to fenfe, and acknow. ~~~~~~dblro~1 'tl:~~f~~~: ~~~n~l~e~r~h 0:y·~~~1db~~~k1b~b:.u~,;;o~eer~~i~~~ ~h~l~a:! rlungs flwuld ext!l, and not ext!l at the fame In!lant,. and in the fame refpeCl:, but this 1mphes a contradtCl:wn ; tt follows then, they had their original from without . we find the experience of this in our fclves; the number of our days declares there w~s a time in which we had no being, and therefore we could not produce our felves. Now, if man which is the moll perfeCt of vifibl e creatures, prefuppofe a maker, then may we fuffic17ntly m~er a cre~uon, where we find far le0 perfc~wn; and thrs is true, not only of t hmgs wluch are.vtftble, but of all other bemgs; tt!l at la!l we arrive at the Supreme caufe, whofe bemg ts neceifary and mdependent. Befides, if we conftdcr that trom nothing he hath produced their beings, and fo uni- ~ed t~orc two drfiant c~treams of ber~g, and not being, we may ~n ier hrs power to be wfimte ; the grcatefi drtference rmagrnabl e bet\\~een two finite bcmgs, adm1ts of fame proportion, and meafure; bur between that wluch is, and that \\·h1ch is not, the di. !lance exc;eds all apprehenfion ;. fo that from the meer exiilencc of tlungs, it is evident that there IS a fir!l caure, which IS mdependent and Infinite, and this is God. 2 . We may certainly argue the being of God from the con{enr of parts in the world and their perpetual confederations to fupport the whole. Con fufi on is the effect of chance, but order is the produCt of Art and indu!lry. When we confider in a Watch how the different wheels by their unequal m.otions agree in di!linguiOJing the hours: and wtth that exaCl:ne!S, as If they were mfptred by the fame tntelhgence, we prefently conclude it to be the work of an Artificer; for certainly pieces of Jlrafs could never have formed and united themfel.ves into that method; proportionabJy \v·hen we view the Harmony of all things in the world, and how difagreeing natures confpire together for the advantage of the whole, we may colleCt there is a Divine fpirit, which hath thus difpofed all things. We will not make a curious enquiry into this ; an eminent degree of knowledge in feveral faculties, would but imperfeCtly difcover the proportion and meafures which the eternal mmd hath obferved in the frame of nature; it will fuffice to glance at thofe which are expofed to the view of all. The Sun which is the eye and fou l of the world, in its fituation and motion is a fign to us that there is wifdom and counfel in its Au thor; it's fixt in the midH of the Planets, ~idp."ft•f· that it maydifpenfe its light and heat for the advantage of the lower World; ifit were fnam ·•ptr- plac'd in a higher or lower Orb, the jarring Elements, ( whic.h by its inAuence, are :"ri''mi"' kept in an equal poife and proportion) would break forth mto dtforders; and thofe in. ,:~ ';;~:::r fu- vifible chains and connexions which fafien the parts of nature, would prefently be rt::~:~::;,_ r:~~e~;at;~ ~~ft~ar:t{a~fe~ ~h~~~~~!abl~. ~fcilli~~~~ ~¥fci~;e~~d ~~~r. ; an"! ~~i~~~[~~ '"'m '"'""I the amiable' war of light and darkne!S; tillS dt!lmcbon of ttme IS necdfary for the plea- t :1 :}t' pr4 - fure and profit of the world ; the Sun by its rifing, chafes away the lha'des of the nigllt, mr:r~/;,:h.tc to delight us with the beauties of.the Creation; 'tis God's Herald which *.calls us fo rt_ll ::gE:~f~:~· ~~i~:t~~f~l~:~~:, 0~ndu~~~~~;s ~h~~e~f::;n:v~~~ !~b~h~'rea~~i~~~d~~fchu~;~di~~~~br~~~ c::;:': lib:1. dr ' without th,e day, the world wm.dd be a fatal and di!Confolate grave to all creatures; a ::r~~;,~jt::r;m Chaos without order, action, or be~uty;. thus by the Sun-beams we.may dearly fee _a 4/iqu:~.m, «ltr- Divine providence. Befides, when It renres from us, and a Curtam of darknefs .1s """!" """· drawn over the World, that proves the wifdom and goodnels of God. The t Pfa lmlll: {:f;i,~n;:: attributes the difpofition of day and. night t? G9d, tbt day is tbint, an.d ~vith an Em- •iDr~ndam1ur phafis, tbe night alfo is thine; not\~tthitand ~ng tts fad appearagce, yet It ts very bene- :t;:~;b,f:;;~ ficial ; its Jarknefs enlighte.ns ~s, Jts. obfcunt~ make~ Vtftble ~he Ornam~nt.s of heaven, ~~:~,~t~i~r f;~~a:~dst~h~ \~~r~~5'a~~e~:e~~o~~~~s~ndh~~~ca-~r~0~rsuc~1~~cf~s ~:~~~~~ ft tr~~r~:re; ~;;/ogu confi- the waficd fpirits; ,t i~ the Nurre of na.ture, whi~h pours into. i~s bofom~ thole. f\veet "P!iti.I o oJ .u. and cooling clews which beg;ct !lew IIf~, aild. v1gour: the p~vme. providence IS alfo t 3 t;fi 1 . eminent in the manner of this dtfpenfatwn; tor the Sun fimfhmg Its cour.fe a?out the 1 fpe~k~?th:t world in the fpace of 24 hours, caufes that fucceilion of day and _night, whtch doth ~~~ldo~v~~~h moi1 fitly temper our .labour and rep?fe f .whereas if the day .and nrgh~ fl10u ld each ~f ;, inhobited. them continue fix entire months, thts dtvtfion would be very Jnconvement for us.~:)~
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