our Souls, by which we are so far raised above the brute Animals, and are made after the Divine Image, capable of a fublime and everlafting Felicity: Surely in all thefe Things a a religious Mind may trace the illuftrious Footsteps of the Deity, and find Matter of delightful Admiration! A good Man can never want Entertainment, when he hath the Works of God continually before his Eyes. He hath a far nobler Pleafure in them than other Men, for they not only gratify his Curiofity, but raife his Devotion. He afcendeth above these outward fenfible Things to the great invifible Author, and whilft he contemplateth the Works of Nature in the World above him, he confidereth himself as furrounded by the bright Beams of the Divinity, the glori ous Evidences of infinite Wisdom, Power, and Goodness. He fees the great Name of God infcribed in legible Characters upon every Part of this vaft univerfal Frame, and can fay concerning all Things around him, Thefe are the Works of God... The whole World is to him an august Temple of the Divinity, replenifhed with his Prefence and Glory; a magnificent Palace, gloriously decorated and adorned by a Divine Hand. Others may amuse

them

themselves with the Beauties of the Creation, without looking farther; but he beholdeth, loveth, adoreth God in them. Thus did the pious Pfalmift: An excellent Specimen of which, we have in the civth. Pfalm, that admirable Hymn of Praise in which he ftirreth up his Soul, and all his inward Powers, to bless and praife the Lord for his Works of Creation and Providence; and concludes with this Divine Refolution, I will fing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will fing Praifes unto my God whilft I have any Being: My Meditation of him shall be fweet; I will be glad in the Lord. Pf. civ. 33, 34. In like Manner, in the cxlviiith Pfalm, he calleth upon all the Orders of Creatures, from the highest to the meanest, to form one univerfal Concert for celebrating the Praises of the great Creator and Parent of the Universe. To the fame Purpose in the ciii Pfalm, after having addreffed himfelf to the holy Angels, the nobleft Order of created Beings, to bless the Lord, he adds, Blefs the Lord, all his Works, in all Places of his Dominion: Bless the Lord, O my Soul. Pf. ciiid. 20, 21, 22.

What happy Lives do those lead who thus take Occafion from the Objects which daily prefent themselves to their View,

to adore the great Former of all Things! who regard all the Creatures as the Monuments of his Praise, and, when they taste their Sweetnefs or admire their Beauty, are thereby led to the fupreme. original Goodness and Excellence! How mean and how low, compared with this, are the Pleasures of thofe who are abfolutely immerfed in fenfual Enjoyments, or who fpend their whole Time in trifling Diverfions and Amusements, whilst they in a great Measure neglect the chief End of their Being! But let us act a nobler Part, as becometh reafonable Creatures and Chriftians. It is true Religion alone that teacheth us to make a right Ufe of the Creatures, to fpiritualife material Objects, and to dif cern the Impreffions of the Divine Glory upon them. What a juft Foundation doth this lay for the noblest Joys, which tend not only to delight but to exalt and purify our Souls, and to prepare us for that State where we hope to fee God, not merely in the Glass of the Creation, but to behold him Face to Face, and to join with an innumerable Company of Angels and glorified Saints in admiring, adoring, obeying, and enjoying him to all Eternity.

O'n

The Works of the Lord are great, fought out of all them that barve Pleafure therein.

N the foregoing Difcourfe it was

duly confidered and improved, have a Tendency both to fill the Heart with the most adoring Thoughts of his Divine Majesty, ́ and with holy Affections and Difpofitions towards him, and alfo to produce a pure and noble Pleasure, which will greatly contribute to the Satisfaction of a good Man's Life.

Let us now turn our Views to God's

Works of Providence. And here also a glorious Subject prefents itself to our Minds, which openeth a large and ample Field in which we may delightfully expatiate. The Works of Providence are what the Pfalmist feems here to have especially in View, and which it is the principal Design of this Pfalm to celebrate. And these Works of the Lord may be juftly faid to be great, Sought out of all them that have Pleafure therein. A good Man fearcheth into them, not from a vain and prefumptuous Curiofity, but with a pious and upright Intention to reverence and adore the most wife and righteous Lord and Governor of the World, and to ftrengthen his Faith and Confidence in him, which will naturally produce a divine Satisfaction and Delight.

The Works of Providence may be comprehended under two main Heads: God's Prefervation of the World and his Government of it. And both furnifh a most ufeful and delightful Subject for our Meditations.

First, The Providence of God is exercifed in preferving and fuftaining this World which he hath created, and all the Orders of Beings in it. Hence in that noble Addrefs to God made in the Name of

the Jewish Church, Nehem. ix. 6, after