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see many stars by the help of glasses, which we do not discover with our naked eyes; and the finer our telescopes are, the more still are our discoveries. Huygenius carries this thought so far, that he does not think it impossible there may be stars whose light is not yet travelled down to us, since their first creation. There is no question but the universe has certain bounds set to it but when we consider that it is the work of infinite power, prompted by infinite goodness, with an infinite space to exert it self in, how can our imagination set any bounds to it?

To return, therefore, to my first thought, I could not but look upon myself with secret horror, as a being that was not worth the smallest regard of one who had so great a work under his care and superintendency. I was afraid of being overlooked amidst the immensity of nature, and lost among that infinite variety of creatures, which in all probability swarm through all these immeasurable regions of matter.

In order to recover myself from this mortifying thought, I considered that it took its rise from those narrow conceptions, which we are apt to entertain of the Divine Nature. We ourselves cannot attend to many different objects at the same time. If we are careful to inspect some things, we must of course neglect others. This imperfection which we observe in ourselves, is an imperfection that cleaves in some degree to creatures of the highest capacities, as they are creatures, that is, Beings of finite and limited natures. The presence of every created being is confined to a certain measure of space, and consequently his observation is stinted to a certain number of objects. The sphere in which we move, and act, and understand, is of a wider circumference to one creature than another, according as we rise one above another in the scale of existence. But the widest of these our spheres

This thought I would say-this speculation-See the next note.-I. That he does not think it impossible [that] there may be. Better thus-as to think it not improbable that there may be.-H.

has its circumference. Nature, we are so used and accustomed to this imperfection in ourselves, that we cannot forbear, in some measure, ascribing it to him, in whom there is no shadow of imperfection. Our reason, indeed, assures us, that his attributes are infinite, but the poorness of our conceptions is such, that it cannot forbear setting bounds to every thing it contemplates, till our reason comes again to our succour, and throws down all those little prejudices which rise in us unawares, and are natural to the mind of man.

When, therefore, we reflect on the Divine

We shall, therefore, utterly extinguish this melancholy thought, of our being overlooked by our Maker in the multiplicity of his works, and the infinity of those objects among which he seems to be incessantly employed, if we consider, in the first place, that he is Omnipresent; and, in the second, that he is Omniscient.

If we consider him in his Omnipresence: his Being passes through, actuates, and supports, the whole frame of nature. His creation, and every part of it, is full of him. There is nothing he has made that is either so distant, so little, or so inconsiderable, which he does not essentially inhabit. His substance is within the substance of every being, whether material or immaterial, and as intimately present to it, as that Being is to itself. It would be an imperfection in him, were he able to remove out of one place into another, or to withdraw himself from any thing he has created, or from any part of that space which is diffused and spread abroad to infinity. In short, to speak of him in the language of the old philosopher, he is a Being whose centre is every where, and his circumference no where.

In the second place, he is Omniscient as well as Omnipresent. His Omniscience indeed necessarily and naturally flows

That is either so-he had better said-be it ever so-for, which refers to nothing, not to so.-H.

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from his Omnipresence; he cannot but be conscious of every motion that arises in the whole material world, which he thus essentially pervades, and of every thought that is stirring in the intellectual world, to every part of which he is thus intimately united. Several moralists have considered the creation as the Temple of God, which he has built with his own hands, and which is filled with his presence. Others have considered infinite space as the receptacle, or rather the habitation of the Almighty but the noblest and most exalted way of considering this infinite space, is that of Sir Isaac Newton, who calls it the sensorium of the godhead. Brutes and men have their sensoriola, or little sensoriums, by which they apprehend the presence, and perceive the actions of a few objects that lie contiguous to them. Their knowledge and observation turns within a very narrow circle. But as God Almighty cannot but perceive and know every thing in which he resides, infinite space gives room to infinite knowledge, and is, as it were, an organ to Omniscience.

Were the soul separate from the body, and with one glance of thought, should start beyond the bounds of the creation, should it for millions of years continue its progress through infinite space with the same activity, it would still find itself within the embrace of its creator, and encompassed round with the immensity of the godhead. Whilst we are in the body he is not less present with us, because he is concealed from us. 'O that I knew where I might find him! (says Job.) Behold I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him. On the left-hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right-hand, that I cannot see him.' In short, reason as well as revelation assures us, that he cannot be absent from us, notwithstanding he is undiscovered by us.

Should start-should, has no substantive. We may correct thus"Were the soul separate from the body, and should it, with one glance of thought, start beyond the bounds of the creation, nay, should it," &c.-H.

In this consideration of God Almighty's Omnipresence and Omniscience, every uncomfortable thought vanishes. He cannot but regard every thing that has being, especially such of his creatures who fear they are not regarded by him. He is privy to all their thoughts, and to that anxiety of heart in particular, which is apt to trouble them on this occasion: for as it is impossible he should overlook any of his creatures, so we may be confident that he regards, with an eye of mercy, those who endeavour to recommend themselves to his notice, and in an unfeigned humility of heart, think themselves unworthy that he should be mindful of them,

No. 567. WEDNESDAY, JULY 14.

-Inceptus clamor frustratur hiantes.

VIRG. En, vi. 498.

DRYDEN.

-The weak voice deceives their gasping throats.

I HAVE received private advice from some of my correspond ents, that if I would give my paper a general run, I should take care to season it with scandal. I have, indeed, observed of late, that few writings sell which are not filled with great names and illustrious titles. The reader generally casts his eye upon a new book, and if he finds several letters separated from one another by a dash, he buys it up, and peruses it with great satisfaction An M and an h, a T and an r,' with a short line between them, has sold many an insipid pamphlet. Nay, I have known a whole edition go off by virtue of two or three well written, &c.—'s.

A sprinkling of the words Faction, Frenchman, Papist, Plunderer, and the like significant terms, in an Italic character, hath also

1 M and an h, Marlborough-T and r, Treasurer.-C.

a very good effect upon the eye of the purchaser; not to mention scribbler, liar, rogue, rascal, knave, and villain, without which it is impossible to carry on a modern controversy.

Our party-writers are so sensible of the secret virtue of an inuendo to recommend their productions, that of late they never mention the Q-n or Pt at length, though they speak of them with honour, and with that deference which is due to them from every private person. It gives a secret satisfaction to the peruser of these mysterious works, that he is able to decipher them without help, and, by the strength of his own natural parts, to fill up a blank space, or make out a word that has only the first or last letter to it.

Some of our authors, indeed, when they would be more saty rical than ordinary, omit only the vowels of a great man's name, and fall most unmercifully upon all the consonants. This way of writing was first of all introduced by T-m Br-wn of facetious memory, who, after, having gutted a proper name of all its intermediate vowels, used to plant it in his works, and make as free with it as he pleased without any danger of the statute.

That I may imitate these celebrated authors, and publish a paper which shall be more taking than ordinary, I have here drawn up a very curious libel, in which a reader of penetration will find a great deal of concealed satire, and if he be acquainted with the present posture of affairs, will easily discover the meaning of it.

"If there are four persons in the nation who endeavour to bring all things into confusion, and ruin their native country, I think every honest Engl-shm-n ought to beup on his guard. That there are such, every one will agree with me, who hears me name *** with his first friend and favourite *** not to mention ***. These people may cry ch-rch, ch-rch, as long as they please, but, to make use of a homely proverb, 'The proof of the p-dd-ng is in

nor

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