UNITY OF THE DIVINE BEING. 



87 



without the marks of wisdom and intelligence. 

 So that, when the arrangements of nature are 

 contemplated through the mists of ignorance, 

 they tend to obscure the glory of the Divinity, 

 and to convey a distorted idea of his character. 

 Whereas, when the system of the universe is 

 contemplated in its true light, all appears ar 

 ranged with the most admirable harmony, sim 

 plicity, and order, and every mean proportionate 

 to the. end it is intended to accomplish. Again, 

 in so far as we consider the earth as the prin 

 cipal body, or among the largest bodies of the 

 universe, in so far do we narrow our conceptions 

 of the extent and magnificence of creation, and, 

 consequently, limit our views of the plans and 

 perfections of the Creator. For our conceptions 

 of his attributes must, in some measure, corre 

 spond to the views we have acquired of the am 

 plitude and grandeur of his empire. 



Now, what is it that enables us to investigate 

 the works of God, and to contemplate the system 

 of nature in its true light ? It is Science com 

 bined with observation and experiment. And 

 what is science considered in a theological point 

 of view ? It is nothing else than a rational in 

 quiry into the arrangements and operations of 

 the Almighty, in order to trace the perfections 

 therein displayed. And what are the truths 

 which science has discovered ? They may be 

 regarded as so many rays of celestial light de 

 scending from the Great Source of Intelligence 

 to illuminate the. human mind in the knowledge 

 of the divine character and government, and to 

 stimulate it to still more vigorous exertions in 

 similar investigations, just as the truths of reve 

 lation are so many emanations from the &quot; Father 

 of lights,&quot; to enlighten the darkness and to 

 counteract the disorders of the moral world ; and 

 both these lights must be resorted to to direct 

 our inquiries, if we wish to attain the clearest 

 and most comprehensive views of the attributes 

 of the Divine Mind. Revelation declares, in so 

 many distinct propositions, the character of God, 

 and the plans of his moral government. Science 

 explains and illustrates many of those subjects to 

 which revelation refers. It removes the veil 

 from the works of the Creator ; it dispels the 

 mists which ignorance and superstition have 

 thrown around them ; it conducts us into the 

 secret ch ntibers of nature, and discloses to us 

 many of those hidden springs which produce the 

 diversified phenomena of the material world ; 

 it throws a light on those delicate and minute 

 objects which lie concealed from the vulgar eye, 

 and brings within the range of our contempla 

 tion the distant glories of the sky ; it unveils the 

 laws by which the Almighty directs the move 

 ments of his vast empire, and exhibits his ope 

 rations in a thousand aspects of which the un 

 enlightened mind can form no conception. If, 

 then, science throws a light on the works and the 

 ways of God, the acquisition of scientific know 



ledge, when properly directed, must hav* a ten 

 dency to direct our conceptions and to amplify 

 our views of his adorable attributes, and of his 

 providential arrangements. 



Here it will naturally be inquired, What are 

 some of those views of the divine character 

 which scientific investigation has a tendency to 

 unfold ? Our limits will not permit a full and ex 

 plicit answer to this inquiry, the illustration of 

 which would require a volume of no inconsider 

 able size, and therefore, we shall attempt no 

 thing more than the statement of a few general 

 hints. 



1. The phenomena of the material world, as 

 investigated by science, evince the unity of the 

 Divine Being. There is such a harmony that 

 prevails through the whole visible universe, as 

 plainly shows it to be under the government of 

 one Intelligence. Amidst the immense compli 

 cation that surrounds us, we perceive one set of 

 laws uniformly operating in accordance with 

 which all things proceed in their regular courses. 

 The same causes uniformly produce the same 

 effects in every region of the world, and in every 

 period of time. &quot; Vegetables spring from the 

 same seed, germinate by the same means, as 

 sume the same form, sustain the same qualities, 

 exist through the same duration, and come to the 

 same end.&quot; Animals, too, of the same species, 

 are brought into existence in the same manner, 

 exhibit the same life and vital functions, display 

 the same active powers and instinct, and hasten 

 to the same dissolution. Man has one origin, 

 one general form, the same corporeal structure, 

 the same vital functions, the same system of in 

 tellectual faculties, and comes to the same termi 

 nation. All the elements around him, and every 

 arrangement in this sublunary sphere, are made, 

 in one regular manner, subservient to his sensi 

 tive enjoyment, and are evidently fitted, by one 

 design, and directed by one agency, to promote 

 his happiness. The connexion and harmony 

 which subsist between the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms, plainly evince that one and the same 

 Being is the former of both, and that in his con 

 trivances with respect to the one, he had in view 

 the necessities of the other. We know, that dif 

 ferent sorts of plants, herbs, and flowers, are ap 

 pointed for food to the several tribes of animals. 

 That which is hurtful to one species is salutary 

 to another. One creature climbs the highest 

 rocks for herbs, another digs in the earth for 

 roots, and we scarcely know a plant or leaf but 

 what affords nourishment, and a place of nativity 

 to some species or other of the insect tribes. 

 This is the foundation of innumerable relations 

 and connexions between these two departments 

 of creation, which show the work to be one, and 

 the result of the same Power and Intelligence. 

 In like manner, day and night uniformly return 

 with the utmost regularity, and by the operation 

 of the same cause, and with the same regularity 



