began to be diffused, and the world itself was first inhabited, in the finest climates of the earth, which are about the latitudes 36°, &c. north: here the church was firft fettled; and the Hebrew nation, rifing by degrees till the reign of Solomon, formed a wife, wealthy, and fplendid kingdom, long before the powers of Greece and Rome were heard of: here the light of chriftianity was afterwards manifefted, and with it the lights of learning have been extended to parts where they were never known before, till both of them reached to the utmost boundaries of the weft, in the once unknown regions of the Atlantic world.

CONCLUSION.

I have now finished my courfe of Lectures, and have given you a general view of the principal phenomena in nature; nor have I been inattentive to the difcoveries made therein by man. I have endeavoured to point out the abufe that may be made of phyfical inquirics, and to guard you against the errors by which they may be perverted, and rendered a prop to fupport the weak fabric of infidelity and falfehood. From thefe Lectures it evidently appears, "Ift, That MAN is compofed of two SUBSTANCES, of which one perceives without being perceived by the fenfes; and the other is perceived without having any perception in itfelf. 2dly, That MAN, in his prefent ftate, can perceive nothing more of the UNIVERSE than what is tranfmitted to him by his organs, whofe faculties are very limited. 3dly, That there are evidently effects perceptible by MAN, which are Occafioned by BEINGS that he cannot perceive. 4thly, That MAN, deprived only of one fenfe, fight, would have been ignorant of the greater part of what he knows of the UNIVERSE, namely, of entire claffes of BEINGS, and of the relations of these beings to each

other,

other, and to thofe with which he is acquainted. 5thly, and lastly, By every rule of analogy, and from many phenomena, it is highly probable, that there exift many claffes of BEINGS, related to each other, and to MAN, which he cannot in his prefent flate perceive."*

The fpiritual powers of man are roufed into action by the medium of the fenfes. His understanding explains itfelf by the perceptions the fenfes tranfmit; fo that, notwithstanding the extent of his powers, he can make no progrefs in matters higher than fenfe, unless he take the creation for his leffon, and the omnifcient Creator for his preceptor. It is therefore weak and perverfe in him, without the very elements of knowledge in his head, to desert such a wife and kind inftructor, and then fet up for an independent difcoverer. Put the philofopher to the trial, who pretends to know fo much of a Deity without allowing him to difcover himself and explain his own works, and you will foon fee the wife man confounded by his own wifdom. If this wanted proof, I need only mention the writings of Helvetius, Voltaire, Diderot, De la Metrie, and the whole fchool of Condorcet.

In contradiction to these men, I have endeavoured to fhew that philofophy is illuftrated, and juft views of nature are exhibited by the facred writings. What indeed can we think of those who would have us believe they credit the fcriptures, while they take upon them to correct it's ftile as not philofophically juft? who would have us believe, that He who holds all nature in his hand, does not know how to accommodate his doctrines to the capacities of the vulgar, without fpeaking with philofophical impropriety of his own works? Will

they

De Luc, Lettres Phyfiques et Morales, tom. v. p. 11, p. 689

they, indeed, teach Him to speak, who gave a mouth to man, whofe word was fufficient to cause the mighty fun to fhine, and daily diffufe his treafures of light around the heavens, irradiating the thifting hemifpheres of the revolving earth, and at whole command it is surrounded by the liquid air? Shall the writings of men have excellencies in our eyes, and his have no beauty, who hath meted out the heavens, who knoweth the ballancing of the clouds, and by whofe knowledge the deeps are broken up?

Both HIS word and HIS works prove, that HE has employed and difplayed infinite wifdom, power, and goodness, in the creation of this univerfe; that HE has with ftupendous artifice ftored our globe with every thing neceffary, not only for the fupport, but for the felicity of man: all HIS works are ftamped with the characters of the infinite perfections, and overflowing goodness of the AUTHOR. HE has given to man, and to him alone, a capacity to be entertained with the magnificence, the beauty, the harmony, and the order of the univerfe; and has fo moulded his heart and fpirit, as to make pleasure attendant on admiration, and love and gratitude the neceffary companions of the fenfe of favours received.

Let us then praise the God of heaven, from whom we have received fo much, whofe mercy is extended over all.

Let every thing that hath breath praise him; and let man, the priest of the creation, offer up a facrifice of thanksgiving unto the MOST HIGH.

END OF VOL. IV.