X. things which shall be produced, whether by SER M. neceffary or free caufes; it follows, that he can never poffibly be mistaken in his meafures, or come short of a right judgment upon the expediency of things, or the fitness of means for attaining the ends he proposes. Since his power is infinite and cannot be controul'd, nor his defigns defeated by any oppofition, and there is no imaginable cause which fhould induce him to alter his defigns, * but bis counsel ftandeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations; fince it is so, nothing can be wanting to the highest perfection of wisdom; no weakness, no error, no. irrefolution or unfteddinefs can ever be charg'd on any of his meafures. Such is the rafhnefs and folly of poor fhort-fighted mortals, that they take upon them to cenfure the works of God as defective in wifdom, altho' we have not only the fame evidence of this which is common to other of his attributes, that is, we know it by its fruits and effects; but fuppofing his other perfections to be prov'd, his knowledge, and his power, and his omnipresence, we are satisfied before-hand by reasoning which is fully convincing, without confidering his works of creation and providence which abundantly display his wifdom; we * Pfal. xxxiii. II. are SER M. are fatisfied, I fay, that he is, and neceffarily X. must be infinitely wife. Another general argument to prove the wifdom of God, is taken from the faint and imperfect images of it which are in some of the creatures, and which must be deriv'd from the father of lights, himself therefore poffefs'd of that perfection in the highest degree. As intelligence in the effect is a clear evidence of it in the Author, tho' of a superior kind, (for it could not poffibly proceed from an unintelligent Caufe;) fo particularly, the highest improvement, and the best use of understanding can never exceed, nor indeed equal the original Fountain from which all knowledge flows; and therefore the wifdom of God is abfolutely fupreme. Since God only hath put wifdom into the inward parts, and given understanding to the heart, all the measures of wisdom which any created and finite beings can attain to, must needs be inferior to his. For, the effect can neither originally have, nor ever poffibly arrive to the perfection of the voluntary complete caufe. If it could, then of that equal, and therefore independent perfection, or degree of perfection, it would be a cause to itself, rather there would be no cause at all. Tho' 'tis true this is an improveable ability in imperfect minds, which grow in wisdom wisdom by attention, industrious inquiry, and SER M. careful observation, yet never independently X. on God, nor can their acquirements rise to an equality with the Divine understanding. For the very capacity of improvement is derived from him, the means are under the direction of his providence, and the success depends on his good pleasure. And the increase, as it is limited in its degrees, by the will of him who hath determin'd the measures of perfection to which every one of his creatures fhall, or can attain, fo it implies an imperfection from which the first Cause is abfolutely free, whofe wisdom, as all the other excellencies of his nature, is uncapable of any addition or dimi nution. But the most obvious proof of the wisdom of God, and to attentive minds it is fully convincing, is, by his works of creation and providence; his originally making all things in heaven and earth, and difpofing them in the order in which they appear; his preserving them all and governing them, in the way which is moft fuitable to their feveral natures, and fo as they may best answer the ends of their being. They are made fo as to have a visible mutual relation to each other, with the most exquifite skill and contrivance, and plainly to discover that the whole X. Counfel. SERM. whole is under the direction of one ruling Inanimate things are upheld by the power of God, and directed in their motions, conftantly and uniformly, to serve particular purposes. Senfitive beings have a fuitable provifion made for the fupport of their lives, and are govern'd by inftincts which determine them to pursue the proper ends of their nature. And rational agents have laws given them for regulating their conduct, and they are furnished with proper motives of action, by the influence of which they are directed, freely, and with understanding to purfue the proper ends of their being. Upon a general furvey of thefe works of God, there appears an obvious congruity in the whole, and a defigned fubferviency of fome to others. It is evident, that the motions of the heavenly bodies, and the conftant uniform influence of them in the various productions upon our globe, are under such a direction as to answer the end of sustaining a multitude of living things in their regular fucceffions; animals are under an apparent economy, whereby they are render'd ufeful to one another, and all of them fubordinated to man. Now, I fay, even upon fuch a flight and general view, we have a clear difcovery of infinite Divine wisdom. The greater variety there is in any fyftem, X. fyftem, which must all be within the com-SER M. prehenfion of the mind that form'd it, provided there appears unity of defign and regular contrivance, the larger ftill we must conclude the understanding to be. A narrow capacity reaches only to a few things, placing them in due order; if a great great multitude be put under its care, it is embarrass'd and thrown into confufion. But how vaft is the comprehenfion of that providence which takes under its guidance the whole heavens and the earth, with all things that are in them, which conducts the motions of the celestial orbs, yet without neglecting the meanest animal or vegetable on this earth; and fo adjusts all the parts of the ftupendous fabric, that whatever changes any of them may undergo, their correspondence to each other is uniformly maintained, and the harmony of the whole. Especially the variety of kinds, yet more than the multitude of individuals, properly difpofed, demonftrates the wisdom of the Creator and supreme Governor of the world. There is no diversity at all in the productions of neceffary unintelligent causes; and, in proportion to their measure of understanding, the operations of free agents are confin'd to a few fimilar effects, or extend to a greater variety. It is thus that we estimate a human genius; Y VOL. I. the |