SER M.ning and without End: And in like manner VIII. the Immenfity of God, does not consist in

;

making things to be where they are not, or not to be where they are, (which is the Effect of confounding the Notion of Place:) But it confifts in This that whereas all finite Beings can be present but in One determinate Place at once; and corporeal Beings even in that One Place very imperfectly and unequally, to any Purpose of Power or Activity, only by the fucceffive Motion of different Mem

bers and Organs ; the Supreme Cause on the contrary, being an uniform Infinite Effence, and comprehending all things perfectly in himself, is at all times equally prefent, both in his real Effence, and by the immediate and perfect Exercise of all his Attributes, to every Point of the boundless Immenfity, as if it were (not that it really is) all but One fingle Point. And Thus the Scripture itself always reprefents this matter. Jer. xxiii. 24, Can any hide himself in fecret places, that I fhail not fee him, faith the Lord? Do not I fill Heaven and Earth, [faith the Lord?] Acts xvii. 27. He is not far from every

one

one of Us For in Him we live, and move, SER M.
and have our Being. Job xxiii. 8, Behold VIII.
I go forward, but he is not there; and
backward, but I cannot perceive him; On
the left hand, where he doth work, but I
cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the
right hand, that I cannot fee him. And,
in the words of the Text; Will God in-
deed dwell on the Earth? Behold, the Hea-
ven, and Heaven of

contain thee.

Heavens

cannot

2dly, TIs worthy of Obfervation, that this right Notion of the Omniprefence of God, will very much affift us to form a juft apprehenfion of the Nature of that Providence, which attends to and infpects, not only the great Events, but even the minutest Circumftances of every the fmalleft Action and Event in the World; Even That Providence, without which not a.Sparrow falls to the ground, and by which the very hairs of our Head are all numbred. There have been Many, who though they fully acknowledged God's Government of the World, that is, his Power and Dominion over all things, and his actual Care and Concern for all the

VOL. I.

N

great

SERM. great and (as they think) moft material VIII. Tranfactions in the Universe; yet have

been apt to imagine, that small and (as they fancy) inconfiderable things, are beneath his Care, and unworthy of his Attention. But This is a Miftake arifing from the Want of having a true Notion of the Divine Omniprefence. For, That Perfection being once rightly underftood, it cannot but be evident, that all things are alike eafy to be infpected by him as any, and the minutest things as much fo as the greateft; Nay, it will appear, that not only the smallest things are not unworthy his infpection, but that even in the Nature of things 'tis abfolutely impoffible, that He who is every where alike prefent, fhould not obferve and attend to every thing alike.

THERE is a certain determinate number or quantity of things, which every intelligent Creature, according to the proportion of its fphere of Power and Activity, is able to attend to. And by This we may judge, that as Creatures of larger Capacities can observe a much greater number of things at one and the fame

time, than Beings of a lower rank can SER M. imagine it poffible they fhould; fo God, VIII. who is present every where, can with infinitely greater Eafe direct and govern all things in the World at once, than we can attend to those few things which fall within the compafs of our fhort obfervation. By This alfo is removed the Objection of Thofe, who think Man fo small and inconfiderable a part of the immenfe Universe, as that 'tis beneath the infinite Majefty of God to take fuch particular care of fo mean a part of the Creation; to fhow fo great condefcenfion toward fuch inconfiderable Beings, as to fend his own Son into the World on purpofe, for their Redemption and Salvation. For they who thus object, do not confider, that though Man is indeed a very inconfiderable part of the works of God, when compared with the whole Creation; yet in This Place, and upon this Earth, he is the greatest and most valuable of all. Wherefore while the Omniprefence of God takes fuitable care of all his other Creatures through the whole Universe, each in their proper ftate; in This place, N 2 there

SER M. there is nothing more worthy of his care, VIII. than Man; nothing, befides Man, capa

ble of being taught to ferve him, of being brought to Happiness and Glory by him.

3dly, 'Tis here proper to obferve, how weak have been the Scruples of such perfons, who have been afraid to acknowledge the true Notion of the Divine Omniprefence, leaft they fhould feem to diminish from the Glory and Majefty of God, by fuppofing him to be always actually present in all, even in impure, places. For They, who have raised to themfelves This difficulty, have not been aware, that as the Beams of the Sun are not at all foiled by the Matter they fhine upon, and as the Purity and Holiness of the Divine Nature is not in the leaft diminished by beholding all the Wickedness and moral Impurity which is acted in the World; fo the Omnipresent Effence of God is not at all affected, by any Natural Impurity of Things or Places whatfoever; it being the fuperlative Excellency and Prerogative of his Nature, to act always upon all things every where, and

itself