only been preparing for himself, causes of peni

tence.

In demonstrative evidence, sometimes improper or inaccurate rules are taken; or good ones are unskilfully or erroneously used; or both causes of error, unite. This occurs, not only in merely physical demonstrations, or measurements of things obvious to the senses, and in things of science, but also in the great concern of life, moral and religious deportment.

11. In probable evidence error arises from taking too few, or too many, or unsuitable materials, into the computation; or from using all that should be taken, injudiciously; or, from both causes. But more commonly, perhaps, especially among young persons, from acting thoughtlessly, and without any evidence, but only from sudden impulses. This is one obvious reason why children are so much less happy than they should be, at that time of life when they should be happiest. Yet, it is not the children only who are to be commiserated in this respect; for parents, guardians, and instructers, must share in the blame, or misfortune, whichsoever it may be. 12. In presumptive evidence, as commonly used, is found a prolific source of human error, folly, and of consequent sufferings. That, is taken to be true which is not true, and, consequently, the inference is false. The facts taken to be true may be so, but the inferences drawn from them, may be entirely false. Every moral person must see how deep is the obligation to know, whether that which he presumes to be true is satisfactorily known to him to be so; and the still deeper obligation to feel assured, that he draws a just inference from that which his reason and his conscience, allow him to regard as truth.

As before intimated, we hope to show, that all the material propositions in this volume, are maintained on that intuitive or demonstrative evidence, to which the common sense of mankind will assent. As to all which must depend on probability and presumption, every one has that liberty which be

longs equally to all, of weighing the evidence offered, and of drawing his own conclusions.

CHAPTER III.

Proofs of the Existence of the SUPReme Being.

13. THERE is a SUPREME BEING, who is the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the Universe. Those who read the BIBLE, and who believe what it teaches, need no proof of this proposition. But such belief may be entertained, either from common impressions, without regard to proof; or from having been accustomed to regard those with respect, who are seen to treat the Bible with reverence, and who profess to live according to its rules. It is not intended to take any thing to be unquestionably true, merely because it is said to be so. The solemn and awful truths contained in the Bible itself, depend on the evidence of their truth. And although it is the express purpose of this volume to make the truths of the Bible clear and unquestionable, and as being, at the same time, the true exposition of morals, and rational Christianity, yet, for the present purpose, we lay the Bible out of the question, to be answered, which is, Whether enlightened reason can arrive, independently of the scriptures, at the certainty that there is a SUPREME BEING?

It is not known, intuitively, that there is a Supreme Being, as it is so known to us, that there are other beings. No one has seen the Deity, nor is his personal existence known to us, as we know each other. But his existence, power, and government may be known to us, by necessary and clear demonstration, through facts and truths, which are as undeniable as our own existence.

14. Does any one doubt that there is an existing material universe? Does any one doubt that he is a part of that universe? Did any human being form himself? Could any one of those from whom

he sprung, form himself? If intellectual, spiritual man could not be originally the Creator of himself, could the material world, which is without intellect or spirit, create itself, and subject itself to the laws which we know, from experience, do govern it? The natural universe could come into existence in but one of two ways. 1. It created itself, out of nothing. 2. It was created by some Being who had power to create it. Human reason rejects the first supposition. The second, therefore, must be admitted. To this assertion it may possibly be. replied, No. The supposition of creation is not proved.

15. It may be asserted that all things may have existed from eternity, just as we see them. What intelligible thought does this assertion communicate to a reasonable mind ?-What is eternity? Can the human mind form any conception of eternity? Add thousands to thousands, and millions to millions, till the power of computation is exhausted, and it comes to no more than a succession of years. Men are incapable of judging of duration but by measures of successive periods of time. Let us ascend to the highest possible duration of which we can conceive, we shall find a material universe existing there; the question would be the same then, as it is now: How came it into being? Did it create itself? The answer to such inquiries has always been, in every age of the world, by the most exalted minds, that the universe could not be its own creator. When, and in what manner it was created, may not be intended for us to know. It is enough for us to know, that it had a Creator.

16. It is among the deplorable errors of our race, that in those things which are incomprehensible by mortals, we reason on the agency of the ALMIGHTY, as though it must be likened to our own. We are utterly incompetent to form any conception of the DEITY in this state of being, but through his works; and by his revelation of himself, made in such manner as to be level with our humble and finite powers. Our duty, then, is to learn all we can of HIM, of his

majesty and power, his beneficence and laws, from the contemplation of his works. Every step which we take in exploring the works of the MosT HIGH, forces upon us, more and more strongly, the conviction that all which we are made capable of understanding, proceeds from infinite wisdom, and from awful authority. We have only to trust, in this examination, to our own senses, and to the inferences which we draw from what they disclose to us, to be assured of the existence, of the presence, and of the government of such a Being.

17. There are few who have had the benefit of instruction, probably few who are sensible of existence, who have not raised their eyes, in a cloudless night, to the starry firmament, and who have not felt some emotion, however undefined, that all which they see there, was the work of some incomprehensible Being, and that it continues to exist in pursuance of his laws. Familiar as this continually recurring spectacle may be, it is ever magnificent and ever new, and ever fills the mind with astonishment and awe. Examined by the light of science, and contemplated in its systematic regularity, the feeling of reverence and awe sinks deeper and deeper; and well has it been said,

'An undevout astronomer is mad!'

18. How wonderful is it that such a comparatively insignificant being as he who moves on the surface of this little globe, and whose mortal frame is held to it by the irresistible power of attraction, should be able to foretell, with unerring certainty, the very moment when the light of the sun will be shut out from the earth by the intervening of its satellite nay, the precise moment when a comet was visible from our little globe at a time long past, when he was not in being himself; and when it will be again visible, when he must be gone, and perhaps unremembered on the earth.

19. Omitting always the light derived from revelation, in the present view of the subject, we know, in these days, the Author of the Universe only by

approaching towards him in the contemplation of his works. In doing this it will be demonstrated to all rational minds, that everywhere the proofs of an infinitely wise and powerful Deity are clearly disclosed.

CHAPTER IV.

Proof drawn from the Firmament.

20. THE usual course of instruction in our schools makes known only that part of the firmament which is called the solar system, and of which our own planet is a part. This system, it will be remembered, comprises the sun, the eleven planets, the two rings and seven moons of one of them (Saturn); the four moons of another (Jupiter); and the moon of our own planet. All these planets have the sun for the centre of their system, and seem to us to be dependent on him for light and heat, and are well known to move around him with the most exact regularity, while the moons of such of these planets as have them, move with the like regularity around them. Each of these planets, and each of their satellites, revolve in measured time as they move. What must that power be, which appointed to the unconsumed and undiminished sun, his place, and to the planets, which move around him, their unchangeable orbits? The sun is 520 times larger than all the planetary globes which revolve around him, and one million 300 thousand times larger than our own globe. Such is the power of this luminary that the planet Herschel is held in its orbit, lighted and warmed by his brilliancy at the distance of 1800 millions of miles from his surface. Who upholds these orbs in their paths, and prevents them from rushing into one common ruin? If it be answered, it is the law of their being; who, then, ordained that law?