of their particular fituation requires; fure a man must have a strange caft of understanding, who does not discover the Finger of God in fo wonderful a work. These duplicates in those parts of the body, without which a man might have very well fubfifted, tho' not fo well as with them, are a plain demonstration of an all-wife contriver; as thofe moré numerous copyings, which are found among the veffels of the fame body are evident demonstrations that they could not be the work of chance. This argument receives additional ftrength, if we apply it to every animal and infect within our knowledge, as well as to those numberlefs living creatures that are objects too minute for a human eye: and if we confider how the several species in this whole world of life resemble one another, in very many particulars, fo far as is convenient for their respective states of existence: it is much more probable that an hundred million of dice fhould be cafually thrown a hundred million of times in the fame number, than that the body of any fingle animal fhould be produced by the fortuitous concourfe of matter. And that the like chance should arife in

innumerable inftances, requires a degree of credulity that is not under the direction of common fenfe. We may carry this confideration yet further, if we reflect on the two fexes in every living fpecies, with their resemblances to each other, and those particular diftinctions that were neceffary for the keeping up of this great world of life.

There are many more demonftrations of a fupreme Being, and of his tranfcendent wisdom, power and goodness in the formation of the body of a living creature, for which I refer my reader to other writings, particularly to the fixth book of the Poem, intitled Creation, where the anatomy of the human body is described with great perfpicuity and elegance. I have been particular on the thought which runs through this fpeculation, because I have not seen it enlarged upon by others.

Jupiter

I

Jupiter eft quodcunque vides

Lucan.

Had this morning a very valuable and kind prefent feht me, of a tranflated work of a moft excellent foreign writer, who makes a very confiderable figure in the learned and chriftian world. It is intitled, A Demonftration of the Exiftence, Wisdom, and Omnipotence of God, drawn from the knowledge of nature, particularly of man, and fitted to the meaneft capacity, by the Archbishop of Cambray, author of Telemachus, and tranflated from the French by the fame hand that Englished that excellent piece. This great author, in the writings which he has before produced, has manifefted an heart full of virtuous fentiments, great benevolence to mankind, as well as a fincere and fervent piety towards his Creator. His talents and parts are a very great good to the world, and it is a pleafing thing to behold the polite arts fubfervient to religion, and recommending it from its natural beauty. Looking over the letters of my correfpondents, I find one which celebrates this treatise, and recommends it to my readers.

Το

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SIR,

I

To the GUARDIAN.

Think I have fomewhere read, in the writings of one whom I take to be a friend of yours, a faying which • ftruck me very much, and as I remember it was to this purpose: The Exiftence of a God is fo far from being a thing that wants to be proved, that I think it the only thing of which we are certain. This is a fprightly and just expreffion; however, I dare fay, you will not be difpleafed that I put you in mind of faying fomething on the de• monstration of the Bishop of Cambray. A man of his talents views all things in a light different from that in which ordinary men see them, and the devout difpofition of his foul turns all thofe talents to the improvement of the pleafures of a good life. His ftyle clothes philofophy in a drefs almoft poetic, and his readers enjoy in full perfection the advantage, while they are reading him, of being what he is. The pleafing reprefentation of the animal powers in the beginning of his work, and

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• his confideration of the nature of man with the addition of reafon, in the fub

fequent discourse, impreffes upon the • mind a strong fatisfaction in itself, and gratitude. towards him who bestowed that fuperiority over the brute world. These thoughts had fuch an effect upon the author himself, that he has ended his difcourfe with a prayer. This • adoration has a fublimity in it befitting • his character, and the emotions of his • heart flow from wisdom and knowledge. I thought it would be proper for a Saturday's paper, and have tranf'lated it, to make you a prefent of it. I have not, as the tranflator was obliged to do, confined myself to an exact verfion from the original, but have endeavoured to exprefs the spirit of it, by taking the liberty to render his thoughts in fuch a way, as I fhould have uttered them if they had been my own. It has been obferved, that the private letters of great men are the best pictures of their fouls, but certainly their private devotions would be ftill more • inftructive, and I know not why they 'fhould not be as curious and entertain⚫ing.