.equired for the convenient use of particular members, and for the variety of evolutions which a sentient being may have occasion to make, the ball and socket articulation is combined with the former. For example, let any person, for a moment, consider the joints of his fingers, and compare them with the joint at his wrist, where the hand is connected with the fore arm. If he hold the back of his hand upwards, he will find that he can move his fingers upwards, or downwards; out he cannot turn them to the right hand, or to the left, so as to make them describe a circular motion. He will also find that his wrist is capable of a similar movement, so that the hand may be bent in a vertical direction. But, in addition to this motion, it is also capable of being turned in a horizontal direction, or from one side to another. In the former case, we have an example of the hinge articulation; in the latter, it is combined with an articulation which produces nearly the same effect as a pivot moving in a socket. Now, had the joints of the fingers been capable of the same motions as the wrist, the hand would have lost its firmness, and been incapable of performing a variety of mechanical operations which require objects to be held with a steady grasp. On the other hand, if the joint of the wrist had been formed in the same manner as the joints of the fingers, and confined to a vertical motion, the hand would have been incapable of one out of a hundred varied movements, which it can now perform with the greatest ease. In this case, we could not have bored a hole with a gimblet, cut down corn with a sickle, digged the earth with a spade, sewed clothes with a needle, tossed up a ball, or turned up the palm of the hand, for any of the useful purposes for which that motion was ordained. In short, without the rotatory motion of the wrist, the greater part of the operations connected with gardening, agriculture, cookery, washing, spinning, weaving, painting, carving, engraving, building, and other mechanical arts, could not be performed; and such of them as could be effected, would be accomplished only with the greatest inconvenience and labour. Any person may convince himself of this, by holding his hand in a horizontal position, and preventing his wrist joint from turning round, and then by trying what operations he can easily perform without the rotatory motion; and he will soon perceive with what exquisite skill the numerous movements of our animal frames have been contrived by the great Author of our existence. In each hand there are 27 bones, all of which are essential to the different motions we wish to perform. Every 'inger is composed of three bones, connected together by articulations, muscles, and ligaments. If, instead of three, each finger were composed of only one bone, it would be quite impossible for us to grasp a single object.

The same admirable contrivance may be per ceived in the movements of which the head is susceptible. It was requisite, in order to our convenience and comfort, that we should be enabled to move our head backwards or forwardsto look up towards the heavens, or downwards to the ground. It was also expedient, that it should have a power of turning to the right, or to the left, so as to take in a considerable portion of a circle, without being under the necessity of turning round the whole body. Accordingly we find, that both these motions are provided for, in the manner in which the head is connected with the vertebrae. The head rests upon the uppermost of these bones, to which it is connected by a hinge joint, similar to those in the fingers, which allows it to move backwards and forwards; and, by means of a round, longish process, or projection, which moves in a socket, it is enabled to move horizontally, as upon an axis. Had the first motion been wanting, we could not have looked up to the zenith, without laying flat on our back; nor could we have looked to the ground, without placing our bodies in a prone position, and, in such a case, we could never have seen our own feet, unless when they were bent considerably forward. Had the second motion been wanting, we could have looked to nothing except the objects directly before us, without the trouble of turning round the whole body, either to the right, or to the left. But in the construction of our corporeal system, every thing is so arranged and adapted to another, as at once to contribute to ease, and facility of motion, in all the varied operations and movements we have occasion to perform; which circumstance forcibly demonstrates both the benevolent intentions, and the admirable wisdom of Him" whose hands have made and fashioned us," and who "breathed into our nostrils the breath of life."

The above are only two or three out of a hundred of similar instances, which might be produced to show the benevolent care which has been exercised in arranging and articulating the system of bones, of which the prop-work of the human frame is composed. Were we to enter into an investigation of the actions and uses of the various muscles, the wonderful system of veins and arteries, the action of the heart, stomach, and bowels; the process of respiration, and insensible perspiration, and the sensible perspiration, and the system of nerves, glands, lymphatics, and lacteals—a thousand instances of Divine wisdom and beneficence would crowd upon our view, which could not fail to excite the pious and contemplative mind to join in the devotions of the "sweet singer of Israel," "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."-But as I intended to present only a few specimens of the Wisdotu of God, as displayed in the construction of

We have reason to believe, that it is owing, in part, to want of attention to the Divine wisdom and beneficence, as exhibited in the construction of the visible world, that many professed Christians entertain so vague and confused ideas respecting the wisdom and goodness of Deity, as displayed in the economy of Redemption. The terms, Wisdom, Goodness, and Beneficence, in their mouths, become words almost without meaning, to which no precise or definite ideas are attached ; because they have never considered the instances and the evidence of these attributes, displayed in the material creation. And, if our minds have not been impressed with a sense of the wisdom and beneficence of God, in those ob jects which are presented to the external sense, we cannot be supposed to have luminous and distinct ideas of those spiritual objects and ar rangements which are removed beyond the sphere of our corporeal organs. For all our ideas, in relation to Religion and its objects, are primarily derived from the intimations we receive of exter nal objects, through the medium of our senses;: and, consequently, the more clearly we perceive the agency of God, in his visible operations, the more shall we be qualified to perceive the wisdom and harmony of his dispensations, as recorded in the volume of inspiration

We live in a world, all the arrangements of which are the effects of infinite Wisdom.. We

are surrounded with wonders on every hand; and therefore we cease to admire, or to fix our attention on any one of the wonders daily performed by God. We have never been accustomed to contemplate or to inhabit a world where benevolence and wisdom are not displayed; and, therefore, we are apt to imagine, that the circumstances of our torrestrial existence could not have been much otherwise than they actually are. We behold the sun in the morning, ascending from the east —a thousand shining globes are seen in the canopy of the sky, when he has disappeared in the west. We open our eyelids, and the myriad of objects which compose an extensive landscape are, in a moment, painted on our retina,-we wish to move our bodies, and, in an instant, the joints and muscles of our hands and feet perform their several functions. We spread out our wet clothes to dry, and in a few hours the moisture is evaporated. We behold the fields drenched with rain, and in a few days it disappears, and is dispersed through the surrounding atmosphere, to be again imbodied into clouds. These are all common operations, and, therefore, thoughtless and ungrateful man seldom considers the obligations he is under to the Author of his existence, for the numerous enjoyments which flow from these wise arrangements. But were the globe we inhabit, and all its appendages, to remain in their present state-and were only the principle of evaporation and the refractive and reflective properties of the air to be destroyed-we should soon feel, by the universal gloom which would ensue, and by a thousand other inconveniences we should suffer, what a miserable world was allotted for our abode. We should most sensibly perceive the wisdom and goodness we had formerly overlooked, and would most ardently implore the restoration of those arrangements for which we were never sufficiently grateful. And why should we not now-while we enjoy so many comforts dowing from the plans of infinite Wisdomhave our attention directed to the benevolent contrivances within us, and around us, in order that grateful emotions may be hourly arising in our hearts, to the Father of our spirits? For the essence of true religion consists chiefly in gratitude to the God of our life, and the Author of salvation; and every pleasing sensation we feel from the harmonies and the beauties of nature, ought to inspire us with this sacred emotion. "Hearken into this, O man! stand still, and consider the wonderful works of God. Contemplate the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge."-" He hath made the earth by his power, he hath estahe hath established the world by his wisdom. When he uttereth his voice, there is a noise of waters in the heavens; he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, and bringeth the winds out of his treasures." "While it is shameful for

man to be inattentive to the wonders which sur
round him, what can be more pleasing and con
genial to a rational and devout mind, than con.
templations on the works of the Most High?
"What can be more gratifying," says Sturm
"than to contemplate, in the heavens, in the
earth, in the water, in the night and day, and
indeed, throughout all nature, the proofs which
they afford of the wisdom, the purity, and the
goodness of our great Creator and Preserver!
What can be more delightful than to recognize,
in the whole creation, in all the natural world,
in every thing we see,
every thing we see, traces of the ever-work-
ing providence and tender mercy of the great
Father of all !"

SECTION IV.

On the Goodness or Benevolence of the DEITY.

THE Benevolence of God is that perfection of his nature, by which he communicates happiness to the various ranks of sensitive and intelligent existence.

The system of Nature, in all its parts, exhibits an unbounded display of this attribute of the Divine Mind, both in relation to man, and in relation to the subordinate tribes of animated existence. In relation to Man-the magnificence and glory of the heavens-the variegated colouring which is spread over the scene of nature-the beautiful flowers, shrubs, and trees, with which the earth is adorned, which not only delight the eye, but perfume the air with their delicious odours-the various kinds of agreeable sounds that charm the ear-the music of the feathered songsters, which fill the groves with their melody-the thousands of pleasant images which delight the eye, in the natural embellishments of creation-the agreeable feelings produced by the contact of almost every thing we have occasion to touch-the pleasure attached to eating, drinking, muscular motion, and activity—the luxuriant profusion, and rich variety of aliments which the earth affords-and the interchanges of thought and affection-all proclaim the Benevolence of our Almighty Maker, and show that the communication of happiness is one grand object of all his arrangements. For these circumstances are not essentially requisite to our existence We might have lived, and breathed, and walked though every thing we touched had produced pain; though every thing we ate and drank had been bitter; though every movement of our hands and feet had been accompanied with uneasiness and fatigue; though every sound had been as harsh as the saw of the carpenter; though no birds had warbled in the groves; though no flowers had decked the fields, or filled the air with their per

fumes; though one unvaried scene of dull uniformity had prevailed, and beauty and sublimity had been swept from the face of nature; though the earth had been covered with a mantle of black, and no radiant orbs had appeared in our nocturnal sky. But what a miserable world should we then have inhabited, compared with that which we now possess! Life would have passed away without enjoyment; and pain would have overbalanced the pleasure of existence. Whereas, in the existing constitution of things, all the objects around us, and every sense of which we are possessed, when preserved in its natural vigour, have a direct tendency to produce pleasing sensations, and to contribute to our enjoyment: and it is chiefly when we indulge in foolish and depraved passions, and commit immoral actions, that the benevolent intentions of the Deity are frustrated, and pain and misery produced.

If we consider, further, that the inexhaustible bounty of the Creator, and the numerous pleasures we enjoy, are bestowed upon a guilty race of men, the benevolence of the Deity will appear in a still more striking point of view. Man has dared to rebel against his Maker; he is a depraved and ungrateful creature. The great majority of our race have banished God from their thoughts, trampled upon his laws, neglected to contemplate his works, refused to pay him that tribute of reverence and adoration which his perfections demand, have been ungrateful for his favours, have blasphemed his name, and have transferred and have transferred to "four-footed beasts, and creeping things," that nomage which is due to him alone. It has been the chief part of their employment, in all ages, to counteract the effects of his Beneficence, by inflicting injustice, oppression, and torture, upon each other; by maiming the human frame, burning cities and villages, turning fruitful fields into a wilderness, and by every other act of violence, carrying death and destruction through the world. And if water, air, and the light of heaven, had been placed within the limits of their control, it is more than probable, that whole nations would have been occasionally deprived of these elements, so essential to human existence. Yet, notwithstanding the prevalence of such depraved dispositions, the streams of Divine benevolence towards our apostate race have never yet been interrupted. The earth has never stopped in its career, and thrown nature into a scene of confusion; the light of heaven has never ceased to illume the world; the springs of water have never been dried up, nor has the fertile soil ceased to enrich the plains with golden harvests. God "hath not left himself without a witness," to his to his beneficence, in any age, in that he hath unceasingly bestowed on the inhabitants of the world "rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness." This is one of the characters of Deity which forms the

most perfect contrast to the selfish and revengefu.
dispositions of man, which as far transcenas.
human benevolence, as the heavens in extent
surpass the earth-a character calculated to ex-
cite our highest love and admiration, and which
we are called upon, in the Sacred Oracles, to
imitate and revere.
"Be ye merciful, as your
Father who is in heaven is merciful: for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust."-"O that men would praise the Lord for
his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the
children of men."

From such considerations, we learn, even from the system of nature, that mercy is an attribute of the Deity; for, if mercy consists in bestowing favours on those who are unworthy, or who merit punishment, the greatest sinners in all ages have shared in it, and every individual of the human race now existing enjoys a certain portion of those comforts which flow from the benevolent arrangements which the Creator has established. "He maketh the sun to ise on the evil and on the good." Though the nations in ancient times, as well as at present, "walked in their own way, indulging in impiety, falsehood, lewdness, war, devastations, revenge, abominable idolatries, and every other violation of his law, he still supported the functions of their animal frames, and caused the influence of the sun, the rains, and the dews, to descend upon their fields, that they might be refreshed with his bounty, and filled" with food and gladness." If mercy were not an essential attribute of the Deity, he would have cut them down in the midst of their first transgressions, shattered to pieces the globe on which they dwelt, and buried them in eternal oblivion. But whether Divine mercy will extend to the final forgiveness of sin, and the communication of eternal happiness to such beings, can be learned only from the discoveries of revelation.

In relation to the inferior animals—the immense multitude of living creatures with which the earth is replenished, is a striking evidence of the vast profusion of Divine Beneficence. More than a hundred thousand species of animated beings are dispersed through the different regions of the air, the water, and the earth, besides myriads which are invisible to the unassisted eye. To estimate the number of individuals belonging to any one species is beyond the power of man. What countless myriads of herrings, for example, are contained in a single shoal, which is frequently more than six miles long and three miles broad. To estimate the number of individuals in all the different species would, therefore, be as impossible as to count the grains of sand in the Arabian deserts. There is not a single spot, in any region of the globe, but what teems with animated beings. Yet, all this vast assemblage of sensitive existence is

amply provided for by the bountiful Creator.
"These all wait upon him, and he giveth
them their meat in due season." They enjoy
not only life, but also a happy existence. The
sportive motions and gesticulations of all the
animal tribes-the birds skimming through the
air, warbling in the groves, and perching on the
trees-the beasts of the field, bounding in the
forests, and through the lawns-the fishes sport-
ing in the waters-the reptiles wriggling in the
dust, and the winged insects, by a thousand
wanton mazes all declare that they are re-
joicing in their existence, and in the exercise of
those powers with which the Creator has fur-
nished them. So that, wherever we turn our eyes,
we evidently perceive, that "the earth is full of
the goodness of the Lord;" and that "his tender
mercies are over all his works." This subject
is boundless--but it would be inconsistent with
the limited plan of this work, to enter into any
particular details. And it is the less necessary,
when we consider, that every instance of Divine
Wisdom is, at the same time, an instance of
benevolence; for it is the ultimate object of all
the wise contrivances in the system of Nature,
that happiness may be communicated to the va-
rious ranks of sensitive and intelligent existence.
Goodness chooses the end, and wisdom selects
the most proper means, for its accomplishment;
so that these two attributes must always be con-
sidered in simultaneous operation. And, there-
fore, the instances I have already specified, of
the Wisdom and Intelligence of the Creator, may
also be considered, as exemplifications of Divine
Benevolence. I shall, therefore, conclude this
topic with the following extract from Dr. Paley.
"Contrivance proves design; and the promi-
nent tendency of the contrivance, indicates the
disposition of the designer. The world abounds
The world abounds
with contrivances; and all the contrivances we
are acquainted with, are directed to beneficial
purposes. Evil, no doubt, exists; but it is never
that we can perceive, the object of contrivance.
Teeth are contrived to eat, not to ache; their
aching now and then, is incidental to the con-
trivance, perhaps inseparable from it; or even,
if you will, let it be called a defect in the con-
trivance, but it is not the object of it. This is a
distinction which well deserves to be attended to.
In describing implements of husbandry, you will
hardly say of a sickle, that it is made to cut the
reaper's fingers, though from the construction
of the instrument, and the manner of using it,
this mischief often happens. But if you had
occasion to describe instruments of torture or ex-
ecution, This, you would say, is to extend the si-
news; this to dislocate the joints; this to break
the bones; this to scorch the soles of the feet.
Here pain and misery are the very objects of the
contrivance. Now nothing of this sort is to be
found in the works of nature. We never dis-

.

cover a train of contrivance to bring about an
evil purpose. No anatomist ever discovered a
system of organization calculated to produce
pain and disease; or in explaining the parts of the
human body, ever said, This is to irritate ; this to
inflame; this duct is to convey the gravel to the
kidneys; this gland to secrete the humour which
forms the gout.
forms the gout. If, by chance, he come at a
part of which he knows not the use, the most he
can say is, that it is uselses; no one ever suspects
that it is put there to incommode, to annoy, or
torment. Since, then, God hath called forth his
consummate wisdom to contrive and provide for
our happiness, and the world appears to have
been constituted with this design at first, so
long as this constitution is upheld by him, we
must, in reason, suppose the same design to con-
tinue."-Paley's Moral Philosophy, Book II.
Chap. 5.

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Thus, I have endeavoured, in this and the preceding section, to exhibit a few specimens of the Wisdom and Goodness of God, in the system of nature. These might have been multiplied to an indefinite extent, but the instances adduced, I presume, are sufficient to show, that the economy of the material world is not altogether a barren subject, to a pious and contemplative mind. Every intelligent believer in Revelation will readily admit, that it would be a highly desirable object, to induce upon the mass of Christians such a habit of devout attention to the visible works of creation, as would lead them, in their social and solitary walks, to recognize the agency of God, in every object they behold; to raise their thoughts to Him as the Great First Cause, and to expand their hearts with emptions of gratitude. How very different must be the sentiments and the piety of the man who looks on the scene of wisdom and magnificence around him, with "brute unconscious gaze," as thousands of professed Christians do-and the grateful and pious emotions of him who recognizes the benevolent agency of God, in the motions of his fingers, and his eyeballs; in the pulsation of his heart; in the picture of external objects every moment forined on his retina; in the reflection of the rays of light, and the diversified colours they produce; in the drying of his clothes; in the constitution of the atmosphere; in the beauty and magnificence of the earth and the heavens; arid in every other object that meets his eye, in the expanse of nature! The numberless astonishing instances of Divine agency, which every where present themselves to our view in the scene around us, seem evidently intended to arrest the mind to a consideration of an ever-present Deity;" and I envy not the sentiments or the feelings of that man who imagines, that he stands in no need of such sensible mediums, to impress his mind with a sense of the benevolent care and omnipresence of God.

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