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the Creation ; before I conclude, it may nat be im- 

 proper to add something, in answer to those on the 

 one hand, who imagine all enquiries of this kind to 

 be vain, fruitless labour ; and those on the other, 

 who spend more time therein, than is consistent either 

 with religion or reason. 



I do this chiefly 111 the words of that great orna- 

 ment or his profession, the Lord Chief Justice Hale. 

 He supposes the good steward giving in his account, 

 at the last day, thus to speak. (Happy is he, who 

 can adopt his words, in speaking to the Judge of all !) 



1. I have not looked upon thy works inconsider- 

 ately, and passed them over as ordinary things. But 

 I fcave studiously and diligently searched into them* 

 as things of great eminence and wonder ; and have 

 esteemed it part of the duty, which the wise God of 

 nature requires of the children of men, who, for that 

 very end, exposed these his works to the view of his 

 intelligent creatures, and gave us not only eyes to 

 behold, but reason, in some measure, to understand 

 them. Therefore I have strictly observed the frame 

 of the world, and its several parts, the motion, order, 

 and divine economy of them. 1 have searched into 

 their quality, causes, and operations ; and have dis- 

 covered as great, if not greater matter of admiration 

 therein, than in the beauty, which at first view, they 

 presented to my sense. 



2. And this observation did not rest in the bare 



K 3 



