I. SERM. it is? Can a man believe this, who fees fuch marks of indifferency in a multitude of things, fo many changes in the face of nature, and knows that so many depend on his own choice? The notion of chance, so far as it relates to the present subject, arises wholly from mens ignorance of caufes. As we fee very often in the world many changeable appearances, which by the novelty, variety, and other circumstances of them, we can't help believing to be effects, but not being particularly determined by any neceffity, nor yet by the intention of any agent which we can obferve, the word chance is fubstituted in the place of the unknown caufe. And this may be fufficient for fome purposes, for which the knowledge of causes is of no importance. But in an inquiry concerning the origin of things, to apply chance as a kind of hypothesis to folve the appearances of nature, and account for the order of the world, is evidently abfurd. For the word fo apply'd, can have no other fignification than ignorance, or nothing at all; tho' in some mens minds, at least in their manner of expreffing themselves, there seem to be utterly inconfiftent ideas confufedly jumbled together, as the fignification of it. For they feem to imagine a kind of efficiency at the fame time that there is no cer I. tain determinate cause, (which it is impoffible SER M. for them to know ;) that is, they most abfurdly attribute a real uncertain efficiency, to nothing, to an empty found, or a vague undetermined notion; when, if they would examine their thoughts, they would find that the true meaning of chance is only, we don't know what. Thus we see the Atheistic schemes concerning the formation of the world, its order and appearances, instead of giving a rational, intelligible account, are founded only in igno. rance, and indeed are everfive of true human knowledge. The one of them (Necessity) deftroys the very idea of intelligent and defigning activity, which is as clear to our minds as any idea can be, being perceiv'd by an inward consciousness; the other (Chance) is an utter abfurdity, made up of inconfiftent notions, and really meaning nothing but igno rance. But I will not content myself with arguing thus against the hypothefis of the Atheists in general. Let us allow more than they have any pretence in reafon to demand: Let us fuppofe neceffity to ftand for fomething, whose operation is like that of material causes, (improperly fo called,) which effect appearances by an undirected impulfe, or withB 2 out SERM. out the interpofition of any defign. A conftant I. uniformity however, must be included in the idea of fuch operation: for neceffity, whether it be applied to exiftence, power, or whatever elfe, admits of no change, no interruption, no variety either in kind or degree. And let chance, however inconfiftently, be fuppos'd to be fomething, we don't know what, which operates, but its operation is not determin'd, either by a natural neceffity, or by counsel. Now, if neither of these hypotheses, (between which Atheists have been divided, fome choofing the one, fome the other, and a different Atheistical hypothefis never has been, nor can be devised; but) if, I fay, neither of them can reasonably be admitted in accounting for the being and difpofition of things, as in fact they appear, there is then nothing left to reft in, but the contrivance and agency of an intelligent cause. But that neither of these hypothefes does answer the profefs'd defign, viz. to explain the formation and order of the world, I shall endeavour to fhew clearly, from the .common appearances, which cannot poffibly have escap'd the most careless obferver. Whatever way we turn our eyes, to whatever part of the universe, or the whole of it which is visible to us, the face of nature has these two characters, which no one can help obferving; I. it is various, and it is uniform; the former is SER M. a convincing argument against neceffity, and the latter against chance. First, there appears in the vifible frame of nature, a great variety. When we look up to the heavens in the day, our fight, piercing through a thin pellucid medium, terminates in a vast azure concave, without any diversity; only that we see in it a great luminous fiery globe, which we conclude to be the fountain of light; and fometimes, interpofed clouds, which by obfervation and reason, we know to be only watery exhalations from the earth gathered together in a region not far diftant from us, and when they are condensed, falling down again in rain; but when we turn our eyes the fame way at night, the profpect is quite changed, and a new scene presented to us. The great ruling luminary of the day is withdrawn, and in his ftead there are feen numberlefs leffer lights; among them one larger than the reft, with various appearance, confpicuous but pale, and fhining with a faint and borrowed luftre. This is the conftantly changing appearance of the heavens in every diurnal revolution; befides other periodical alterations in the course of the fun and the moon, which every one must obferve. In our own globe, which our eyes can more accurately furvey, B 3 SERM.furvey, there appears a much a much greater diverfity;-a vast collection of waters, fupplied by perpetual currents, difperfed in feveral channels, continually flowing into it;-on the folid part where we live, here mountains and rocks, there plains and valleys; in one place stately groves, in another flowry meadows, or fields covered with corn, all stock'd with numerous inhabitants; the fea ftor'd with fishes of furprizingly various fhapes and fizes, the dry land with as great a diversity of beasts, and the air with fowls. I do not speak now of the mutual relations of these things, the suitablenefs of one to another, and the convenient regular difpofition of all, which must strike an attentive mind with a sense of natural beauty in the whole, and lead it to the acknowledgment of wisdom and goodness in the author; but upon the most indifferent fuperficial view, which presents to us fuch an amazing variety, and without looking narrowly into the compofition of particular beings, which greatly increases it, let any man think, if he can, that blind, undefigning neceffity has produc'd fuch a multiform appearance. The operation of neceffary causes, if they must be call'd causes, is always alike, and admits of no changes. The mechanical powers of fprings, weights and wheels, and other instruments of motion, are |