v'orins,. flie ch u ffs them o f a p rop e r fize, that th ey may h e "fuf-
ficient in quantity, and o f an a ge that w ill not b e .in danger o f
p e r ilhin g w ith hunger, in wh ich cafe they w ould hav e been corrupted
• fhe therefore felefts them when th ey have their lu ll
g row th ’. I t is a lfo obferved, th at if 'Ih e chufes a la rge r for t Ih e :
g iv e s a lefs number o f them, an d fo re cipro cally .
B y thefe and fu th lik e inftances, e v e ry rational mind may
confirm k fe l f in fa vo u r o f a D iv in e agency I fo r human reafon,
i f it be fo difpofed, m a y c o l l e t and b e con vinced from the various
operations in th e v ilib le world, that there is a G o d , and. that he
is on e m a truth t*hat is p r o v e d h y innumerable te lhm om e s ; fo r
th e univerfe is as a theatre, on which the evidence o f the ex-ift-
eirce o f a G o d a n d his'un ity are continua lly exhib ited and from
thefe it may b e Teen, that G o d is the fo ie operator b y and through
n a tu r e ' fo r it is clea r that nature cannot regard ufes as the ends
Of her operations, o r d ifpo fe fuch ufes into their orders and forms.
T h is is in -the power o f none b u t a w ife b e in g, an d o f confect
uence o f n o n e b u t G o d , w hofe wifdom b e in g infinite, can fo
. o rder and form th e univerfe, as to make it a coherent and uniform
w o rk all promotin g and forming a com p le x o f ufes in ord e rly
arrangement, fo r th e fe rv ic e o f man, w h o is to b e a conftituent
o f heaven f fo r the D iv in e L o v e cannot defign any other end be-
fides the eternal happinefs o f the human race, b y the communic
a t io n o f itfelf, and the D iv in e W ifd om can.p roduce nothing but
: * The fyftem one, one Maker hands confefs d, 9
The prime, the one, the wond’rous and the blefs’d,V
The one in various forms of u The one nity expreBfsr do.o ke’s UJm verfalBeattty, , b. m.
ufes fo r th e promo tion o f that en d.- B y contemplating the w o r ld
under this en larged idea, e v e ry wife man m ay d ifcem that the
Creato r o f the univerfe is on e ,* and that his effence is lo v e and
wifdom ;” and that he effefts w h a tfo e v er is done in nature, b y his
ow n operation, through the medium o f the various celeftial and
fpiritual hierarchies, g ra d u a lly defcending from the higheft orders
o f this immenfe chain to the low e ft.
Be tw een the lo w e l f and higheft degree o f co rp o rea l o r fp iritual
p e rfeftion , there is an almoft infinite number o f intermediate deg
re e s : the refult o f thefe degrees compofes the universal
chain. T h is unites all beings, connefts all worlds, and com prehends
a ll fpheres. O n e sole being is o u t o f this chain, and
th at is H e that" formed it. + A g a in , life itfelf, and confequently
the L o rd , is the fupreme, o n ly , and infinite u f e a l l other exift-
en cie s in heaven o r earth, w h e th e r fpiritual o r natural, are on ly
ultimate effefts, or manifeftations from th at one infinite caufe,
•exhibiting emblems o f the one, eternal, infinite ufe.
From a re tro fp e ftiv e v iew o f this ch ap te r , we may ob ferv e a
l in k in g difference b etween man and the low e r orders o f animal
crea tion. M an is b o rn to ta lly ignorant ; fo much fo, that he
h as no knowledge even o f the m o th e r’s breaff, t i l l he has been
N •n b rought
* Hence endless g o o d ; hence-endless order .fprings;
Hence that importance in minuteft things;
And endlefs hence dependence mufl endure,
B lest in .his w il l , and in his power fecure:
Brooke’s Univerfal Beauty, b, vi.
t Bonnet’s Contemplation of Nature.