The Manner of Understanding REVELATION: Tending to fhew that Chriftianity is, Indeed very near, As old as the Creation. LONDON: And fold by A. DODD, at the Peacock, without Temple- Bar. M.DCC.XXXV. (Price 1 s. 6 d.) 1-11-36 дви me Leish 12-19-3 314243 T is impoffible to view the immenfity, the variety, the harmony, and the beauty of the Univerfe, without concluding it to be the workmanship of a Being infinitely powerful, wife, and good. It is impoffible to examine the ftructure of the most inconfiderable plant or animal, without being furpriz'd with such admirable contrivance, as pronounces the author infinitely intelligent, and excludes all fufpicion, that it ow'd its origin to blind chance. The vegetable world is adjufted with fuch amazing skill, that each plant, perfect in its own kind, is fupported, and propagated, mechanically, by the unerring action of the fun, the air, and the earth where it grows; its feeds, by that mechanism, produce new plants of the fame kind; and the herb, that perifhes with the feafon, clothes the, fields with the fame livery against the next: that brute matter, inert, and infenfible, fhould be framed fo as to perform fuch wonders, fhews wifdom, and power, far beyond the comprehenfion of the most per fect man. The action of the material powers in this fyftem upon the orga nized body of a plant preferves, and propagates it; its roots fhoot out into the foil where it grows, there it finds abundant aliment for perfecting its trunk, and preparing its feeds, and thofe feeds are drop. ped where they meet the like encouragement: but it is not fo with animals; the moft perfect of the kind, left to the direction of material, and mechanical powers only, muft perth without rearing any fuc ceffion. Vegetables and animals are fo far fimilar, that both require conftant fupplies of fresh juices; but in this they differ, that nature mechanically reaches to the one the fupply it wants, whereas the other muft, by fome act of its own, find and fetch it; and therefore in animals, A 2 besides matter and mechanisms, there is an active principle; fomewhat, of which we have no conception or knowledge but by its effects, that finds, prepares, and takes in proper nourishment, and determines to the propagation, and prefervation of its own fpecies. By what fort of mechani(m this principle acts on, or is affected by, the meer matter to which it is join'd, we cannot at all conceive; but this we fee, that it calls all the brute animal creation to those acts that are nccellary for felf prefervation, and propagating the fpecies; each class of animals is highly induftrious to compafs thefe ends; and, if we may judge by what we feel tranfacting in the brute part of our felves, there is in them a ftrong defire to do thofe acts that are neceffary for the fupport of themselves, and a very fenfible pleasure attending the gratification of that defire. It does not appear to us that plants are fenfible of pleasure or pain, whereas animals we know are affected by both. To a plant it is indifferent whether it is fupported or not, but to an animal it is not fo; it taftes felicity in receiving the neceffary fupplies, and languishes under want; the pleasure it receives in feeding is the motive to look for food, and it is bribed to fupport itself by the happiness it meets with in taking in its nourishment; what the plant does neceffarily, the ani mal does from choice, and is highly rewarded, by the pleasure it receives, for every act of its duty in preferving itself, and propagating. Who can give attention to thisœconomy, and at the fame time reflect on the profufe fupply that nature every where affords,for the support of the infinite numbers of animals of different kinds, that fwarm upon this Globe, without concluding, that overflowing goodness and benevolence is an attribute of the infinitely wife, and powerful Author of Nature? In looking over the whole animal creation one fees infinite varie ty of inftincts, and talents, fome approaching nearer, fome more remote from, thofe difpofitions that are to be met with in man, but all tending to the prefervation of the creature poffeft of them; but it does not appear to us that the fagacity, or difcerning, of the Brute goes any further than to its own immediate prefervation, and promoting what its inftinct leads it to; in this confifts the brute's felicity, it feems to be the measure of its understanding, from which it never fwerves. When Man turns his eyes inwards, upon himself, he fees in himfelf the brute in great perfection, fimilar calls to preserve life, and to propagate the fpecies, and fimilar gratifications for obeying those calls; but then he feels fomewhat in himself more noble; fomewhat that diftinguishes him from all the reft of the animal creation, that falls within his knowledge; he is confcious of reflection, he can compli cate Ideas, and compare them together; he can discover the relations of things; he can perceive the beauty, the order, the harmony of the creation; he can, in the creatures, fee the power, the wifdom, and the goodness of the Creator; he finds in himself an unfatiable thirst after fomewhat that has no connection with the body, after know. ledge ledge; a ftrong defire to contemplate, a difpofition to admire, and to imitate perfection; a natural propensity to gratitude, and thankfulnefs for favours; and, when he carries his thoughts to the fountain of all wifdom, power, and goodness, the Author of the creation, a fulness of heart that breaks out in gladnefs, and adoration. When Man confiders that he alone, of all the animal creation, has got eyes to fee the beauty, and excellency of the Universe; that he alone has got an understanding to difcover the perfection of the Creator in his works; that he alone has got a foul fitted to admire, to adore, and to rejoice in the goodness, and perfection of his Maker, talents unneceffary for preferving his life, or propagating the species, but talents that qualify him for enjoying a much more permanent, and exalted kind of felicity than the other animals feem capable of relishing: Can he doubt that thofe eyes, this understanding, and that dif pofition of mind, was given him to fit him for feeing, admiring, and adoring the fountain of all goodness and being? Can he question that the doing fo is indifpenfably his duty, as it would be his felicity? and can he imagine he answers the End of his creation, if, neglecting this care of those talents, he give himself wholly up to pursue thofe pleafures that are common to him with the brutes. The brutal appetites, and enjoyments, are nicely proportioned to their ends, the prefervation, and propagation of the animal; the appetites call regularly for what is necellary, and are fierce, in pro-. portion as the want is great; when the want is fupplied, the defire ceafes; excess fatiates, palls the appetite, and diforders the Machine. It is not fo with the mental pursuits, and pleasures; the mind is abfolutely infatiable; the more it knows, the keener it thirfts after knowledge; its defires are endlefs, and the object infinite. Befides the power of thinking, Man has the faculty of communicating by fpeech, and recording his thoughts. The observation of each individual, and within the compass of a fhort life, could not go very far in fcience; but we are fo made, that each may be helped by the difcoveries of each other; the defire of communicating know ledge is almost as ftrong as the defire to know; and, as the end of the capacity to know is manifeftly to discover the excellency of the Creator in his works, that the Man may be filled with admiration, and acknowledgment, it is impoffible to doubt that the end of the faculty of fpeech is to exprefs, and communicate to each other what we severally difcover, to enlarge our ideas of the divine perfections, and to join in expreffions of acknowledgement, and praise. It is not fo with the Brute; that is made to fhew, and not to know, the excellency of the Creator. One difference there is, highly remarkable, between the meer animal, and the rational creature; Nature produces, fpontaneous, all that is neceffary for the brute; whereas fome art, befides industry, is necelfary to make what nature furnishes useful, and comfortable to man. The |