288 NATURAL THEOLOaY. 



one another, and of their changes ; at least, so far as the 

 same result from trains of physical and necessary causes. 

 His omniscience also, as far as respects things present, is de- 

 ducible from his nature, as an intelligent being, joined with 

 the extent, or rather the universality of his operations. 

 Where he acts, he is ; and where he is, he perceives. The 

 icisclor)i of the Deity, as testified in the works cf creation 

 surpasses all idea we have of M'isdom drawn from the high 

 est intellectual operations of the highest class of intelligent 

 beings with whom we are acquainted; and, which is of the 

 chief importance to us, Avhatever be its compass or extent, 

 which it is evidently impossible that we should be able to 

 determine, it must be adequate to the conduct of that order 

 of things under which we live. And this is enough. It is 

 of very inferior consequence by what terms we express our 

 notion, or rather our admiration of this attribute. The 

 terms which the piety and the usage of language have ren- 

 dered habitual to us, may be as proper as any other. We 

 can trace this attribute much beyond what is necessary for 

 any conclusion to which we have occasion to apply it. The 

 degree of knowledge and power requisite for the formation 

 of created nature cannot, with respect to us, be distinguished 

 from infinite. 



The divine "omnipresence" stands, in natural theology, 

 upon this foundation : in every part and place of the uni- 

 verse with which we are acquainted, we perceive the exer- 

 tion of a power which we beheve, mediately or immediately, 

 to proceed from the Deity. For instance, in what part or 

 point of space that has ever been explored, do we not dis- 

 cover attraction ? In what regions do we not find light ? 

 In what accessible portion of our globe do we not meet with 

 gravity, magnetism, electricity, together with the properties 

 also and powers of organized substances, of vegetable or oi 

 animated nature ? Nay, further, we may ask, What king- 

 dom is there of nature, what corner of space, in which there 

 is any thing that can be examined by us, where we do not 



