could properly be determined, whereby the SERM. whole species are wifely directed to pursue the X. true ends of their being; fo these two principles are intended to controul and regulate the exercise of all other affections and paffions. It was neceffary that the human nature should be furnish'd with inferior private appetites and paffions for the purposes of the animal life, and likewise with particular instincts of the public kind, fuch as compaffion, gratitude and natural affection, where nearer attachments and preffing circumftances require a more vigorous and speedy interpofal by kind offices, in behalf of fome of mankind, than of others; which is evidently serviceable to, and ordained for the public good. But the univerfal principles of difpaffionate self-love and benevolence have properly the fupremacy in our minds, to moderate the lower fprings of action belonging to their feveral kinds, and to prevent their exceffes. If lower selfish de fires hurry us with too great violence, they are reasonably reftrained by calm felf-love to the whole of our true intereft. If particular instincts determining us to relieve and communicate pleasure to others carry us at any time beyond their just measure, which is the cafe with minds in which compaffion and natural affection are very ftrong, they are check'd VOL. I. Z

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SERM. by a calm confideration of the most public X. good, which is the governing virtuous principle. And now upon a deliberate view of this whole constitution, as defign'd by the Author of nature, must it not be acknowledged that wisdom appears in it? Suppofing the intention to be the happiness of mankind, the greatest happiness they are capable of, what could be more wifely contrived for answering the end? These general plain laws univerfally complied with, and having their full effect, would raise the human nature to its highest perfection, and spread united joy and felicity over the whole kind; and they are made easy to every man by being the dictates of his own mind, and we are prompted to obey them by inclination. And whereas our present condition of being is fuch as required a variety of particular instincts and determinations to render it the more comfortable, and defend us from fome inconveniencies we are liable to, from which variety there might arise an occafion of perplexity in our conduct, by the interfering fprings of action; the great ruling principles are always ready at hand, to be applied in every cafe for our direction.

Perhaps it may be alledg'd, that the proof of the wisdom of God in his works, which has been laft infifted on, namely, that taken

X.

from this confideration, that a vaft multitude SERM. of effects depends on one, or a few causes; that this, I fay, is not conclufive, because we cannot be abfolutely certain that it is a method of operation, in itself the best and most effectual for obtaining the ends proposed; tho' there is an apparent conveniency in it to imperfect agents, whofe minds might. be embarraffed with a multiplicity of means, and their power infufficient for a great diver→ fity of operations at the fame time; but this reafon cannot affect the infinite understanding of the supreme Being. Without entering into this inquiry, (which is perhaps too diffi cult for us,) or pretending to prove that the method of operation which the Author of nature has plainly chofen, is more excellent and reasonable in itself abstractly confidered, and with refpect to him; I fhall only anfwer to the objection, that fince God graciously intended to make his ways known to his intelligent creatures, and to manifeft his wisdom fo as they might be able to difcern it, the method he has taken is on that account, and to anfwer that end, abfolutely the best. If the manner of working had been intirely different; if the means had been as various as the particular ends accomplished by them; if there had been as great

SERM.a diverfity of caufes in nature, as of effects, X. and every defign carried on by a distinct method of proceeding;-This might have been as effectual, for any thing we know, and we are fure no more difficult to Omnipotence and infinite Understanding. But then it must have been to us utterly incomprehenfible; and minds fo limited as ours are, indeed any finite minds, could have had very little knowledge of the wifdom of God. Whereas in the present conftitution, he has fo accommodated the methods of his operation to the capacities of his intelligent creatures, that the invifible things of him may be clearly seen by them, and they may trace the footsteps of his perfection in the things which he has made, which is the foundation both of their duty and their happiness, affording a moft delightful entertainment to their minds, and directing them to form the measures of their conduct.

But one obfervation is neceffary to be added, that tho' God has given us clear manifeftations of his wifdom, and fufficient for our conviction, if we do not wilfully shut our eyes against the light which breaks in upon us from every part of the known univerfe, from the conftitution and the government of the inanimate, the fenfitive, and the rational creatures; yet a great deal does and muft

muft ftill remain fecret to us. There are trea- SERM. fures of wisdom and knowledge hid in him, X. which we cannot poffibly comprehend; indeed the intire fcheme of his counfels and works can be kuown to no understanding but his own. Every attentive perfon must be fenfible, that our knowledge of nature is very imperfect. Our fenfes, which convey to us the ideas of material existence, are confined within a narrow fphere. We have reafon to believe there are vaft regions in the univerfe beyond the reach of their difcernment; and by what peculiar methods they may be govern'd, different from those which take place in our fyftem, we cannot pretend to judge. There may be alfo, no doubt there are, other orders of intelligent beings besides mankind; and the laws by which they are ruled may differ in fome particulars, from those which are given to us. Befides, of the things which fall under our obfervation, nay, which we are most familiarly converfant with, there are a great many properties and relations; indeed their very effences, the foundation of all their properties, are unknown to us. They are only the external appearances of things which we obferve, and their connexions and dependencies are the subject of human science; but their intimate natures from

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