SERM. and the powers which belong to fuperior inVII. telligent beings; no more than an animal

wanting any of the external fenfes, can have of the ideas which are convey'd by that fenfe. Surely then it should not feem ftrange to us that these various degrees of limited intelligent perfection, deriv'd from the All-perfect Mind, fall infinitely fhort of its own capacity, which at once comprehends all its own works, and governs them without perplexity or confufion.

It would be extremely weak to imagine that the difference we make by our fenfes, either external or internal, between places as pure and impure, fhould at all affect the Supreme Being. For what we call uncleanness, not moral but natural, is only relative, depending wholly on the frame of our bodily organs which determine fenfible qualities, that is, the images or reprefentations made on our minds from the exterior furface of corporeal objects. An intelligent being therefore, with organs otherwife made, or without any material organs at all, would not receive the fame impreffions from the bodies called impure, which we do, nor be affected with their nearnefs as we are. Efpecially that pure Spirit, who perceives not, as man does, the external appearances of things only, but their inmoft effences, cannot receive offence or fuffer uneafinefs,

eafinefs like what we feel, from that which SER M. is called defilement, which is a merely fenfi- VII. ble idea. And as to moral turpitude, tho' we are made with an abhorrence of it, producing ftrong emotions and painful fenfations in our minds, fhame, forrow and refentment, which is a wife part of the human conftitution, being a defign'd prefervative against the greatest evil and unhappinefs; yet we ought not to imagine that the Deity is affected with it in the fame manner as we are. He fees moral evil, and is prefent where it is committed, without any participation in it; and difapproves without being made uneafy by it. He preferves his creatures, moral agents as well as others, and exercises that care over them which their dependent natures feverally require; fupporting their active powers, which is neceffary to their exertion, even when they are acting irregularly, yet without any concurrence in the irregularity, or any preturbation arifing from it: Which tho' it be a manner of prefence and of acting, that we are not capable of, by the limited condition of our nature, and the special laws of our conftitution, yet is it not difficult to conceive concerning the Supreme Being, if we confider his abfolute perfection and bleffednefs, far above the poffibility of being milled into any error,or touch'd

SERM. with any painful paffion. Having thus endeaVII. vour'd to prove and to explain the doctrine of God's Omniprefence, I come now in the

3d place, To draw fome useful inferences from it. It is not to be confider'd as a point of mere fpeculation, but may be applied to very important practical purposes; and ought to have a great influence on the temper of our minds,and our whole behaviour. The Pfalmift describes it very affectionately in the text, and pursues his devout meditation on the fame fubject, through the whole Pfalm; confidering it especially as a motive to fincerity, and a strict attention to every part of his conduct, not merely that which is open to the view of the world, but chiefly his most secret actions, and the difpofitions and purposes of his heart. How strongly must this confideration affect an attentive mind; " Had I the command of "univerfal nature, fo that I could transport

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myself whither I pleas'd for a safe retreat, "there is no poffibility of avoiding the "fence of God. If I mount up to the utmost "extremities of this material world, even to "the furface that parts it from the immense

void, I should find myself there within the verge of his fovereign dominion. If I de"scend to the darkness which is hid from all "living, there I should be naked before him, "there

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there is no obscurity impenetrable to his SER M. "All-fearching eye, the wings of the morn- VII,

ing are not swift enough to carry me from "his purfuing hand, and the fhadows of

night are as open to his view as the bright"eft funfhine. But where the Deity is, there "is the Power and the Understanding which "made the heavens and the earth, and form'd "the spirit of man within him." This certainly ought, and when it is seriously believed and deliberately attended to, it will strike our minds with the most profound reverence, which is not a weak and foolish dread of we don't know what, but a dutiful affection, very natural to the human mind, arifing from a full and rational perfuafion of a real awful presence.

Before men of fuperior power, and reputation for wisdom, we are ftruck with awe, and folicitous to behave in fuch a manner as to obtain their approbation. But these are only faint images of greatness: That glorious Being who is the original Fountain of all power and wisdom, is infinitely more to be feared; and it must be of infinitely greater importance to approve ourselves to him, requiring at the fame time much greater vigilance and application of mind, because his prefence reaches to our inmost effence, and he knows our secret thoughts. The Scripture therefore very inVOL. I. Q ftructively

SERM. ftructively describes the whole of religion by VII. that comprehenfive expreffion, walking before

God; which fignifies a constant serious sense of the Divine Prefence upon our minds, producing a circumfpect care to please him in all things. It is not merely an outward decorum in our conduct that the presence of the invifible God teaches us; nor only a watchful care of our behaviour in the folemnities of devotion. The influence of this great article of religion extends to our most hidden retirements, and it requires very strict attention to the fprings and motions of deliberate action in all the affairs of human life, as being all equally naked and opened unto the eyes of him, with whom we have to do, as our Ruler and our Judge.

And if there is no darkness or shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves, if their fecret fins are fet in the light of God's countenance; how confounding muft this confideration be to the finners, whose consciences witness against them that they have wilfully and habitually indulg'd themselves in wickedness? And if they are thoroughly convinc'd that their tranfgreffions have been committed in the fight of that God, who is of purer eyes than that he can behold iniquity with approbation, what ftronger motive can there be to their betaking themselves

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