moment Immediately preceding the Creation of Bodies, we might be apt to conceive, that there was then a Space wherein he himself, and himself alone Existed, and wherein he produced this vifible frame of things. And yet this is liable to some Difficulties, which do not affect the notion of Imaginary Space, extended beyond Corporeal Subftances, and wherein God can, if he pleaseth, create other Worlds, by the fame uncontroulable Power, which produced the Heaven and the Earth. Thus may men raife and indulge their Pious Admiration, whilst they do, as far as their imperfect Capacities allow them, contemplate the Incomprehenfible Effence of God whofe Prefence admits of no Limitation. And furely an Unconfined, Unlimited Prefence of God must be fignified by the Holy Pfalmift, in his Beautiful Expoftulation concerning this Point, Pfal. cxxxix. Whither Shall I go then from thy Spirit? Or, whither shall i flee from thy Prefence? If I afcend up into Heaven, thou art there; if I make my Bed in Hell, behold thou art there. If I take the Wings of the Morn ing, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea, even There Shall thy Hand lead me, and thy Right-hand fhall hold me. Swift are the Wings of the Morning, those fprightly Rays, the Meffengers of Light, which in a Moment dart themselves from Heaven to Earth; And yet, if our Activity were equal to Theirs, we should be utterly Incapable of flying, or being in the leaft removed, from the Face of Him who is prefent to Every Being, and according to the Apoftle's Expression, with which I fhall conclude this Head, Who filleth all in all*. Hence therefore I proceed II. To draw fome Inferences from this Doctrine of God's Omniprefence. And, Ift, The Belief of it should raise in us the utmoft Reverence towards him. Majefty does in fo forcible a Manner command the tribute of Refpect from us, that we cannot eafily prevail with our felves to with-hold it. The Presence of a Prince does Naturally ftrike awful Apprehenfions upon our Minds, and we muft offer fome violence to our felves * Eph. i. 23. before before we can either prevent or rafe out fuch Impreffions. How ought we then to Revere the Almighty, in whom we live and move and have our Being. Those Profane and Impious men, who make their Senfes the fole Judges in Determining the Existence of Things, do of course exclude fuch Reverential Thoughts of God as are deducible from the Belief of his Omniprefence; But the Wifer part of Mankind, very well knowing that the Evidence of Faith is no lefs to be depended on, than That of Senfe, and Therefore being abundantly affured, that the Effence or Subftance of God fills Heaven and Earth, do, on that account, indulge in their minds the moft Honourable and Awful conceptions of him. For what Bounds can be Prefcribed to the veneration of him whofe Effence is unbounded and Infinite? Or, how is it poffible for us to reflect Attentively upon our being in his Immediate Prefence without the Proftration of our Souls before him? 2dly, The Belief of his Omniprefence fhould introduce and preferve upon our Minds, an Habitual Fear of Offending him him. Those Actions which cannot bear the Light do naturally feek for Darkness as their Refuge. And this is one Reaon why Wickedness is, in Scripture, ftyled Works of Darkness. Fear of Difcovery may oblige Flagitious Men to proceed with fome Degrees of Caution and Reserve in that part of their Behaviour which falls under publick Obfervation: But when close Retirement becomes the Scene of Action, and they are no longer apprehensive that the Eye of Man can reach them, they then lay afide all Restraint, and freely execute all the Imaginations of their Hearts which are Evil continually. Thus do Men vainly flatter themselves with the Hopes of Security, not confidering that they are all the while Manifeft in the Sight of God, from whofe Eyes the thickest Darkness cannot Cover us, and whofe Prefence the moft Solitary Recefs does not exclude. For, if we should find out fome of those lonely Apartments of Nature where no Living Creatures dwell, and There take up our Abode; even There fhould we find the Almighty; There There would our Actions, and our Thoughts too, be as Confpicuous to Him, as if we were placed in the publick View of the World. And what Confideration can more powerfully restrain us from Offending God, than a deep Sense of this his Continual Prefence with us? To what height of Impudence and Defiance must we be arrived, when we dare, as it were to Affront God to his Face, by doing those things which are difpleafing to him, at the fame time that we confider him as Beholding us? Or is it indeed poffible to consider him as Beholding us, to have such a strong and lively Conviction of his Omniprefence upon our minds, as we ought to have, and yet be prevailed upon to commit fuch actions before him, as we fhould not dare to Commit before even an Equal, or Inferiour? 3dly, The Belief of God's Omniprefence fhould encourage us to go through every part of our Obedience and Duty with Pleasure and Delight. And the Truth of this obfervation may in fome mea→ fure be Illuftrated even from the Principles and Practices of Hypocrites themselves. Their Industrious Display of Good Ff works |