a continual creation; for was creative power to ceafe operating, the confequence would be, that no more new beings would make their appearance in the world, and that this earth would foon become a wild and horrid defart.

The conclufion arising from these obfervations is very obvious. Divine Power, we fee, did not ceafe operating at the creation. It appears, on the contrary, that there is a conftant exertion of it

through all nature. Can there be any reafon for denying that by it Providence is administered? Though employed continually in the prefervation of the general laws of the material world, and the production of animate and inanimate Beings, muft it be fuppofed to have no

thing

different laws, have taken place of themselves, and will for ever continue to do fo, in virtue of that one act, without requiring any immediate direction from the Creator, or any interpofition of his power. If there is any person who is inclined to adopt this opinion, I have nothing to fay to him,

thing to do with the affairs of moral agents?

I cannot think of more than one difficulty that can here offer itself to any perfon's thoughts. It is poffible, that fome who admit those general influences of Divine Power by which the world: is preserved, may yet imagine that there is an incredibility in that kind of influence which the interpofitions of Providence imply, because, being accommodated to particular cafes and occafions, it must be a particular and occafional influence introduced out of course, and not reducible to any ftated and uniform mode of operation. It cannot perhaps be neceffary to take much notice of this objection. Since general influences are

only a number of particular ones, the diftinction upon which it is founded cannot be of much weight. And, fuppofing it of weight, it must be in a great measure invalidated by fome of the facts I have mentioned; for among

3

these are

inftances,

inftances, not only of general and stated exertions of Divine Power in the world, but of fuch as must be meant by particular and occafional ones. However, were it at all neceffary, it might very well be granted, without any prejudice to the present argument, that the Deity always acts by general influence, and in a stated courfe. It is easy to conceive, that the agency by which a particular providence is carried on, may be an agency by laws operating, in given circumstances, invariably and regularly; for no one can fay, what laws and regulations may be established in the universe, by which events may be fecretly directed. Dr. Butler* obferves, that fo particular an interpofal

*Thus, that miraculous powers fhould be "exerted at fuch times, upon fuch occafions, in "fuch degrees and manners, and with regard to "fuch persons rather than others; that the affairs "of the world, being permitted to go on in their "natural courfe fo far, fhould, juft at fuch a point, "have a new direction given them by miraculous "interpofitions; that these interpofitions should be

❝ exactly

interpofal of the Deity as that in the Christian revelation, might have been by general laws. It is at least certain, that there is one law to which the whole of divine influence in nature, of whatever kind it is, may be reduced. I mean the fupreme law of rectitude. When viewed in their reference to this, all the diverfities of operation by which the adminiftration of the world may be conducted, agree, and appear to be only different effects of one and the fame principle acting variously, according to the different circumftances and characters of moral agents.- -If any person should still want fatisfaction about the present point,

let

"exactly in fuch degrees and respects only; all this "may have been by general laws: Unknown in"deed to us: But no more unknown than the laws " from whence it is that fome die as foon as they are born, and others live to extreme old age; "that one man is fo fuperior to another in under"ftanding; with innumerable more things, which

we cannot reduce to any laws or rules at all, tho' "it is taken for granted they are as much reduceable ❝to general ones, as gravitation." Analogy, Part II, Chap. 4.

let him recollect an observation which has been made at the beginning of this fection. Let him confider that there is no more reafon for being prejudiced against the influence of invifible agents, and especially the fupreme, over events, while a course of nature is going on, than there is for being prejudiced, on the fame account, against the influence which visible agents have over the affairs of their own fpecies, and those of the Beings below them. The latter we know to be, not only confiftent with the course of nature, but a part of it; and the other may be equally fo. This is fo true that, agreeably to Dr. Butler's obfervation, even the interpofition of fuperior power implied in a miracle, however unusual or extraordinary, may be entirely natural: That is; the conftitution of the world may be fuch as allows of it in certain cafes.I know it is common to think, that miracles imply a fufpenfion or violation of the laws of nature. But no opinion can be more groundless. Were we

to