supposition the element or substance of light was created on the first day, and the divine power alone might be the exciter, which made the light " appear we do not mean that sensation which we experience in ourselves, on the " prefence of any illuminated body, but that inconceivably fubtle matter, "which makes an impreffion on the organs of fight, and paints on the optic nerve those objects from the surfaces of which it was reflected to us. Light then, taken in this sense, is a body quite different from the fun, and independent on it, and might have existed before it, feeing now it does exift in its absence, as well as when present. It is diffused from one end of the Creation to the other, traverses the whole universe, forms a communication between the most remote spheres, pe " " penetrates into the inmost recesses " of the earth, and only waits to be put in a proper motion to make itself visible.-Light is to the eye what the air is to the ear: Air may not be called the body of found, and it does equally exist all round us, though "there be no sonorous body to put it in motion; so likewise the light does equally extend at all times, from the most distant fixed stars, to us, though "it then only strikes our eyes, when impelled by the fun, or fome other "mass of fire. " The difference betwixt the propagation of found and light confifts in "this, that the air, which is the vehicle of found, being, beyond all comparison, more dense than the vehicle of light, its motion is much flower. "Hence we may account for that common phenomenon, why we do not "hear the found of the first stroke of a hammer, when at a distance from it, " till it is at the point of giving the following blow; whereas light is propagated with incredible swiftness, though at some small distance of time " between its receiving the impulfe, and its communicating it to us; seven minutes, according to Sir ISAAC NEWTON'S calculation, being sufficient for " its passage from the fun down to us. This difference of velocity between "the progressive motion of light, and that of found, is sensibly demonftrated by firing a gun in a large open plain, where the spectator, at a great "distance from it, will perceive the flash a confiderable time before he hears "the noise. "The body of light therefore does either exist independently of the luminous body, and only waits to receive a direct impulse from it, in order to " act upon the organ of vifion; or we must suppose that every luminous body, whether it be the fun, a candle, or a spark, does produce this lighe " from itself, and project it to a great distance from its own body. There " is no medium between these two fuppofitions, and either the one or the "other must be true. But to affert the latter, is to affert a very great im probability; for if a spark, which is seen in every part of a large room, fifty cubick feet in dimensions, emits from its own substance a quantity of "light sufficient to fill the whole room, then there must issue from that " spark, which is but a point, a body, the contents of which are fifty cu"bick feet. How incredible the supposition! " Suppose the lantern on the light-house of Mefina, to be seen only eight " cubick leagues, of which itself is the centre; it will follow, that an eye placed in any point of those fix cubick leagues will difcern it, and consequently so much space will be filled with the light of it. Now how "incredible that a little fire, some few inches in diameter, should diffuse " around it a substance capable of filling eight cubick leagues! Suppose the " lantern concealed, and the light immediately disappears; let it be un" covered the moment after, and it will instantly be seen as far as before, and " confe B 3 appear for the three first days of creation, until the fun, the instru mental exciter, was produced. Further, we must remark, that although God is here said to create the world, yet it may be true, that he employed a fubordinate agent in the formation of it; namely, the Son of God, who afterwards came into the world for the redemption of mankind, See John i. 2, 3. Col. i. 15, 16, 17. 1 Cor, viii. 5, 6, But though he was the instrumental cause, yet it is true, that God made all things, because our Lord acted by a power derived from him. He that hath built all things is God. Heb. iii. 4. So much for critical remarks. The subject naturally leads to the following reflections. "These are thy glorious Works, Parent of Good! Almighty, thine this univerfal Frame, "Thus wonderous fair; thyself how wonderous then ! How wonderous, how immenfe is the power, goodness, and wisdom, which gave existence to the stupendous fabric and furniture of the universe! I. POWER. How vast and mighty is the arm which stretched out the beavens, and laid the foundations of the earth! which sustains numberless worlds, of amazing bulk, suspended in the unmeasurable and unconceivably distant regions of empty space; and steadily directs their various rapid and regular motions! Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created all these things. He bringeth out all their hosts by number, he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in Power, not one of them faileth. Ifai. xl. 26. How powerful was the command, Let there be light, and there was light-Let there be a firmament, &c. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For be fpake, and it was done; he commanded confequently fill eight cubick leagues of space with fresh light: then how many times eight cubick leagues of luminous matter, will all the fuc**ceffive instants of illumination produce in one night's time! Sure nothing was ever more inconceivable. "On the contrary, how fimple and natural is it to suppose, that as the air ** existed before the bell that put it in motion, and caused it to vibrate into found, fo, in like manner, the light exifted round the fire of Meffina, before "the lantern was illuminated, and only waited to be put in motion by the "fire, in order to make an impreffion on the eves of the mariners. The fun ** and stars do, by the fame means, make themselves visible, without fuffering any diminution of their substance, by continual emarations of luminous " matter into those valt regions of space through which we behold them; "God having placed between those luminous globes and us, the body of "that light which we see, and which is impreced on the organs of vition, by their action and influence; but does not proceed from them, nor owes " its exiftence to them. The account of Moss therefore, as to this particular, is agreeable to truth, as well as an useful letfon of caution, when **he informs us, that God, and not the fun, was the author and parent of light, and that it was created by his almighty fiat before there was a fun * to dart it on one part of the earth, and a moon to reflect it on the other." manded, and it stood fast. Pfal. xxxiii. 6, 9. Thus the Scriptures sublimely express the exertion of the divine Power in Creation; as if it were done instantaneously, and with as little difficulty as speaking a word. II. And as for GOODNESS, what an infinite fulness of life and being, what an immense, inexhaustible treasury of all Good, must that be, from whence all this life and being was derived! How infinitely rich is the glorious and eternal God! Out of his own fulness he hath brought worlds and worlds, replenished with myriads and myriads of creatures, furnished with various powers and organs, capacities and instincts; and out of his own fulness continually and plentifully supplieth them with all the neceffaries of existence. And still his fulness remaineth the fame, unemptied, unimpaired; and he can yet bring out of his fulness worlds and worlds without end. How immensely full of all life and being is the glorious and eternal God! Thus he is good in himself. And he doth good. He is kind and beneficent, willing to communicate being and good. How profufe is his bounty! He might have kept, as I may fay, the whole of existence to himself; but he has liberally shared it out among his creatures; and of all his creatures in this world, the most liberally to us men. Survey the whole of what may be seen in and about this globe, and say, if our Maker hath a sparing and niggardly hand; say, if we have a churlish and unkind father. Certainly it is his pleasure to form creatures, and furnish them with enjoyment; and therefore his tender mercies must be over all his works. III. His WISDOM appears illustrious in the variety, beauty, exactness, order, and harmony, in which God hath formed and fixed the universe; in the several capacities and degrees of excellence he has conferred upon his creatures; the proper stations he hath assigned to them; the fubordination and subserviency of one to another, which he hath established, for the regularity and well-being of the whole. They are all, as they come out of his hands, just what they should be, adjusted in the exactest proportions to their several ends and connexions; all in every part and respect shewing the workmanship of the profoundest skill, and most curious art. The utmost stretch of human understanding can reach but a small part of God's works; but they who study the wisdom of Creation, cannot but admire, and use the words of the facred penman, Pfal. civ. 24. (where he is surveying the several parts of our globe) O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In Wisdom haft thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches! These reflections will (1) inspire the most elevated sentiments of the most high and mighty Creator, who is exalted infinitely above the heavens, his glory is above all the earth, Pfal. cviii. 5. The Lord our God is very great, he is clothed with honour and majesty; and we should study to magnify him in our hearts by the most raised conceptions of his transcending greatness. (2.) This should alfo fill our minds with joy, and our mouths with his high praises. This God is our God, our maker, and therefore our father. The first and most proper notion we ought to entertain of the great God is, that of a Father; our Father, and the Father of the whole universe. And greatly should we be delighted with the displays of our Father's infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. Tranfported B 4 appear for the three first days of creation, until the sun, the instrumental exciter, was produced. Further, we must remark, that although God is here said to create the world, yet it may be true, that he employed a fubordinate agent in the formation of it; namely, the Son of God, who afterwards came into the world for the redemption of mankind. See John i. 2, 3. Col. i. 15, 16, 17. 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. But though he was the instrumental caufe, yet it is true, that God made all things, because our Lord acted by a power derived from him. He that hath built all things is God. Heb. iii. 4. So much for critical remarks. The subject naturally leads to the following reflections. "These are thy glorious Works, Parent of Good! Almighty, thine this universal Frame, "Thus wonderous fair; thyself how wonderous then ! How wonderous, how immenfe is the power, goodness, and wisdom, which gave existence to the stupendous fabric and furniture of the universe! I. POWER. How vast and mighty is the arm which stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth! which sustains numberless worlds, of amazing bulk, suspended in the unmeasurable and unconceivably distant regions of empty space; and steadily directs their various rapid and regular motions! Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created all these things. He bringeth out all their hosts by number, he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in Power, not one of them faileth. Ifai. xl. 26. How powerful was the command, Let there be light, and there was light-Let there be a firmament, &c. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was done; be commanded "confequently fill eight cubick leagues of space with fresh light: then "how many times eight cubick leagues of luminous matter, will all the fuc* cessive instants of illumination produce in one night's time! Sure nothing was ever more inconceivable. " On the contrary, how fimple and natural is it to suppose, that as the air "exifted before the bell that put it in motion, and caused it to vibrate into "found, fo, in like manner, the light existed round the fire of Messina, before "the lantern was illuminated, and only waited to be put in motion by the "fire, in order to make an impression on the eyes of the mariners. The fun " and stars do, by the fame means, make themselves visible, without fuffering any diminution of their substance, by continual emanations of luminous " matter into those vast regions of space through which we behold them; "God having placed between those luminous globes and us, the body of "that light which we see, and which is impressed on the organs of vifion, by their action and influence; but does not proceed from them, nor owes " its existence to them. The account of Mofis therefore, as to this par "ticular, is agreeable to truth, as well as an useful lesson of caution, when "he informs us, that God, and not the fun, was the author and parent of "light, and that it was created by his almighty fiat before there was a fun "to dart it on one part of the earth, and a moon to reflect it on the other." i manded, and it stood fast. Pfal. xxxiii. 6, 9. Thus the Scriptures fublimely express the exertion of the divine Power in Creation; as if it were done instantaneously, and with as little difficulty as speaking a word. II. And as for GOODNESS, what an infinite fulness of life and being, what an immense, inexhaustible treasury of all Good, must that be, from whence all this life and being was derived! How infinitely rich is the glorious and eternal God! Out of his own fulness he hath brought worlds and worlds, replenished with myriads and myriads of creatures, furnished with various powers and organs, capacities and instincts; and out of his own fulness continually and plentifully supplieth them with all the neceffaries of existence. And still his fulness remaineth the fame, unemptied, unimpaired; and he can yet bring out of his fulness worlds and worlds without end. How immensely full of all life and being is the glorious and eternal God! Thus he is good in himself. And he doth good. He is kind and beneficent, willing to communicate being and good. How profufe is his bounty! He might have kept, as I may fay, the whole of existence to himself; but he has liberally shared it out among his creatures; and of all his creatures in this world, the most liberally to us men. Survey the whole of what may be seen in and about this globe, and say, if our Maker hath a sparing and niggardly hand; say, if we have a churlish and unkind father. Certainly it is his pleasure to form creatures, and furnish them with enjoyment; and therefore his tender mercies must be over all his works. III. His WISDOM appears illustrious in the variety, beauty, exactness, order, and harmony, in which God hath formed and fixed the universe; in the several capacities and degrees of excellence he has conferred upon his creatures; the proper stations he hath affigned to them; the fubordination and fubferviency of one to another, which he hath established, for the regularity and well-being of the whole. They are all, as they come out of his hands, just what they should be, adjusted in the exactest proportions to their several ends and connexions; all in every part and respect shewing the workmanship of the profoundest skill, and most curious art. The utmost stretch of human understanding can reach but a small part of God's works; but they who study the wisdom of Creation, cannot but admire, and use the words of the facred penman, Pfal. civ. 24. (where he is surveying the several parts of our globe) O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In Wisdom haft thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches! These reflections will (1) inspire the most elevated sentiments of the most high and mighty Creator, who is exalted infinitely above the heavens, his glory is above all the earth, Pfal. cviii. 5. The Lord our God is very great, he is clothed with honour and majesty; and we should study to magnify him in our hearts by the most raifed conceptions of his transcending greatness. (2.) This should alfo fill our minds with joy, and our mouths with his high praises. This God is our God, our maker, and therefore our father. The first and most proper notion we ought to entertain of the great God is, that of a Father; our Father, and the Father of the whole universe. And greatly should we be delighted with the displays of our Father's infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. Tranfported B 4 |