tellectual being, might have been thought' incapable. True philosophy is not of this assuming character; it teaches us,

;

that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end * that we know but parts of his ways † ; that it requires long and patient observation to lay a ground in experience on which to erect any general axiom; that this can be done only in few cases; and that, when it is done, and the axiom is properly established, the practical use will commonly be inconsiderable. All this has an evident tendency to abate the pride of the human mind, to deliver it from a vain confidence in its own abstracted reasonings and fanciful theories, and at the same time to regulate its enquiries and its expectations: for "man, being the mini"ster and interpreter of nature, acts and "understands so far as he has observed "of the order, the works, and mind of "nature; and can proceed no farther: for

Eccles. iii. 11.

Job, xxvi. 14.

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"no power is able to loose or break the "chains of cause; nor is nature to be conquered but by submission *." Under this wholesome discipline, the understanding is reclaimed, is made sensible of its contraction and weakness, and thus is prepared to yield a humble deference to the word of revelation; a disposition which is one of the greatest virtues in itself, and productive of all others.

* Lord Bacon. See his works, by Shaw, vol. i. p. 16. He had before said, "Nor could we hope to succeed, if we arrogantly searched for the sciences in the narrow cells of the human understanding, and not submissively in the wider world." And again; "If we shall have effected any thing to the purpose, what led us to it was a true and genuine humiliation of mind. Those who before us applied themselves to the discovery of arts, having just glanced upon things, examples and experiments; immediately, as if invention was but a kind of contemplation, raised up their own spirits to deliver oracles. whereas our method is continually to dwell upon things soberly, without abstracting or setting the understanding farther from them than makes their images meet; which leaves but little room for genius or mental abili- . ties."

Lastly: The knowledge of nature is favourable to virtue, as it supplies analogies that are of use to obviate objections against the credibility of religion. If nature and Christianity proceed from the same Author, it is reasonable to expect between them such features of resemblance, so much of the same style and character, as would afford evidence of their common original. Accordingly such characters of resemblance to each other are found actually to exist. In particular it is found, that whatever objections lic against the Christian religion, the same bear with equal force against the constitution and course of nature: so that whoever admits the latter to be from God, cannot, consistently with his own principles, deny the general credibility, that the former may have proceeded from the same original. This an excellent author has so fully demonstrated, in a treatise very commonly known, and justly held in high estimation*, that I might entirely have referred Bishop Butler's Analogy.

*

the reader to what is there contained; but I could not pass a subject of such importance without the following brief illustration.

The analogy between force in the natural world, and grace in Christianity, has already been observed; and it has appeared, that we have as much reason to argue against the reality of the former, on account of its mysterious nature and operation, as, upon the same grounds, to argue against the reality of the latter; and that, as it is sufficient if we know how to employ the former to our benefit; how, for instance, we may receive, by the help of fit engines, the force of air or water in order to grind our corn, and for other useful purposes of life; so, in the other case, it is sufficient if we know through what appointed means we may receive the influences of grace, in order to our sanctification and salvation.

The resurrection of the body is another article of the Christian system, whose natural incredibility is obviated by analogy.

*

St. Paul, in treating upon this subject, thus · speaks: But some man will say, How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come? To which he replies, Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body which shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain; but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body Here the human body is resembled to a vegetable seed; and it is supposed that, prior to experience, it would be no more credible for a grain of corn, after it had seemingly perished in the earth, to spring up again in other grains similar to itself, than for a human body, after it was laid in the grave, to be raised again from a state of dissolution. The like analogy is presented in the successive transformations of some insects from a vermicular to a kind of sepulchral state, and thence to an aërial existence. Nay, the whole face of nature, if viewed in the

* 1 Cor. xv. 35-8.