human

Being in the most exalted Strains of Devotion, in fome measure correfponding, as far as human Imagination is able to reach, to the Grandeur and Sublimity of the Subject. Whither fhall 1 go from thy Spirit? or whither fhall 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 Morning, and dwell in the uttermoft Parts of the Sea; even there fhall thy Hand lead me, and thy right Hand shall hold me. The Elevation of the Thoughts, and the Variety and Noblenefs of the Figures and Expreffions, cannot be fufficiently admired. He first obferveth, in general, the utter Impoffibility of escaping from the Prefence of God: Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit? or whither fhall I flee from thy Prefence? intimating, that it would be the vainest Thing in the World for him, or any Creature, to think of finding a Place within the whole Compafs of Things where God is not. And then he particularly mentioneth feveral Parts of this vast Universe, and fheweth that God is prefent in them all: If I afcend up into Heaven, thou art there. If I could take a Flight throughout that vast Expanse to which this Earth of ours is but a Point, in the Expectation of finding fome Corner or other

in all that unmeasurable Space, unpoffeffed of God, the Attempt would be vain; Thou art there, filling and poffeffing all thofe boundless Regions with thine Effence and thy Glory. He adds, If I make my Bed in Hell, behold, thou art there. The Word in the Original which we render Hell, admitteth of various Senfes in Scripture. It is not merely taken for the State of Punishment of evil Angels or wicked Men, but it frequently fignifieth the Grave, or State of the dead in general, and it is also ufed to fignify deep fubterraneous Places. The last of these is probably what the Pfalmift principally intendeth in this Paffage; but we may take them all in, as if he faid, If I could defcend to the nethermoft Depths of the Earth, to which no mortal Eye hath yet been able to penetrate, or could I go to the unfeen World and State of the dead, or even to the difmal Abodes prepared for the Punishment of the damned, ftill I could not hide myself from thee, for there alfo thou art prefent. He proceeds, Verfe 9, 10. If I take the Wings of the Morning, and dwell in the uttermoft Parts of the Sea; even there shall thy Hand lead me, and thy right Hand shall hold

me.

The taking the Wings of the Morning, is a noble Metaphor to fignify the speedieft Flight that can be imagined: For

what

t

What can be swifter than the Light? It fhooteth to an immense Distance in an Inftant. Now let us fuppofe that a Man could dart as fwift as a Ray of Light to the Extremities of the wide Ocean, could he find any fecret Cell or Cavern there, where he might lie concealed from God? The Word which we render the Sea might as well be rendered the Weft'; and then the Words would run thus, If I take the Wings of the Morning and dwell in the uttermoft Parts of the Weft; i. e. If I take my Flight as swift as a Sun-beam from the fartheft Eaftern Regions to the utmost Bounds of the Weft, as far as it is poffible for the fpeedieft Motion to carry me, fhall I be any farther from God than I was before? Can I outrun the divine Prefence? No. To what Part foever of the World I direct my Courfe, God is there before me, because he filleth all Places and my very Motion or Flight would be a Proof of his Prefence with me, fince without his fuftaining Influence to fupport my Flight, I could do nothing, I could neither live nor move: Even there fball thy Hand lead me, and thy right Hand Shall hold me.

Having given this brief Paraphrase of the Words, I now proceed to a more diftinct Confideration of this Subject. [VOL. I.] I

And

And first, I fhall offer fomething to explain what we are to understand by God's Immenfity and Omniprefence.

Secondly, I. fhall endeavour to prove that this is a Perfection effentially belonging to the Supreme Being: And then fhall conclude with fome fuitable Reflections by Way of practical Improvement.

First, I fhall offer fomething to explain what we are to understand by God's Immenfity and Omniprefence. And in general it must be obferved, that as God's Eternity fignifieth that he hath no Limits of Time or Duration, fo his Immenfity fignifieth that he is without any Bounds of Place. Whatsoever exifteth at all, must exist every where. With regard to every created Being, it must be acknowledged that there is fome determinate Portion of Space to which it is prefent, and there are other Parts of Space to which it is not at the fame Time prefent. This is what we evidently perceive as to corporeal Beings. We plainly fee that they are circumscribed within certain Bounds, and can determine the Places to which they are prefent. And though Spirits are not extended like Bodies by Parts, one beyond another, nor can we diftinctly explain the Manner in which they poffefs Space, yet they have alfo their proper Place; they are fo here as

not

not to be there at the fame Time: Of this we have an Instance in our Souls or Spirits. We are confcious that our Exiftence and our active Power is bounded within certain Limits, and a determinate Space. Every individual Man is a diftinct Soul dwelling in a particular Body, on which it immediately acteth, and to which it is immediately prefent. And though there may be other Spirits that are present to a much larger Portion of Space, and which have a wider Sphere of Activity, than our Souls, yet ftill they have also their determined Bounds, to which their perceptive and active Powers reach, and no farther. And in general we may conclude concerning every created Spirit, that however great and excellent it may be fuppofed to be, yet as it hath its Effence and Perfections limited, fo there is a certain Space within which it exifteth and acteth, and it is not prefent, nor capable of operating in all Places at once. But with respect to the Supreme Being, the great Jehovah, there is this Difference between him and all other Beings whatfoever, that he is effentially prefent in every Part of this vaft Univerfe at once, and not only fo, but beyond the Limits of created Existence.

ift, God is effentially prefent to every Part of this vaft Universe at once, and to