Deity. There is no queftion but the Universe has certain bounds fet to it; but, as has been already obferved, when we confider that it is the work of infinite Power, prompted by infinite Goodnefs, with an infinite Space to exert itself in, how dare our narrow Imaginations fet any bounds to it?

Such are the natural, the noble and fublime Ideas and Notions true Aftronomy furnishes us with of the Works of God. Nor does it give us less just and exalted ones of his own divine Perfections, and particularly the two great and leading ones in the Government of the Univerfe, and the universal Conduct of Providence, his Omniprefence and Omniscience; both thefe it proves with a demonftrative evidence that they are coexiftent, and muft run together thro' the whole Infinitude of Space: And that as he is neceffarily prefent to every thing, he cannot but be attentive to every thing, and privy to all the modes and parts of their exiftence. His Being paffes through, actuates and fupports the whole frame of nature: There is nothing he has made that is either fo diftant, fo little or fo inconfiderable, which he does not effentially inhabit. It would be an imperfection in him, were he able to remove out of one place to another, or to withdraw himself from any thing he has created, or from any part of that Space which is diffused and spread abroad to Infinity.

His Omniscience naturally and neceffarily flows from this his Omniprefence: He cannot but be confcious of every motion that arifes in the material World which he thus effentially pervades, and of every thought that is ftirring in the intellectual World, to every part of

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which he is thus intimately united. Moralifts have confider'd the Creation as the Temple of God, which he has built with his own hands, and which is filled with his prefence. Others have confider'd infinite Space as the receptacle, or rather the habitation of the Almighty. But the nobleft and most exalted way of confidering this infinite Space, is that of Sir Ifaac Newton, who calls it the Senforiwm of the Godhead; efpecially in that clearer and fuller manner he expreffed this in the first Edition of his Opticks, which I was forry to find changed and alter'd (I think much for the worfe) in the following ones. Brutes and Men have their Senforiola, or little Senforiums, by which they apprehend the prefence, and perceive the actions of a few objects that lye con tiguous to them. Their knowledge and obfervation turns within a very narrow circle: But as God Almighty cannot but perceive and know every thing in which he refides, infinite Space gives room to infinite Knowledge, and is as it were an organ to Omniscience.

In this confideration of God Almighty's Omniprefence and Omnifcience, every uncomfortable thought vanifhés; we need not now be afraid of being overlook'd amidft the immenfity

.of nature, or loft among that infinite variety of creatures, which in all probability fwarm through all the immeafurable regions of matter: he cannot but regard every thing that has being, and more efpecially fuch of his creatures as ufe their beft endeavours to imitate and refemble him in the ufe of their moral and intellectual faculties, and who always make it their ftudy, with that wonderful Man, and excellent Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, by daily more and more fupJANUARY 1729.

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preffing and contracting their defires, to have as few wants as poffible in themselves, and to do all the good they can to others; and by cherishing fo many other virtues in their fouls, as to have a perpetual fource and spring of pleasure in their own breasts. All fuch, however their outward fenfes are too grofs to apprehend him, will tafte and feel how gracious he is, by the influences he has upon their minds, and, to use the expreffions of one of our best writers, by thofe virtuous thoughts he awakens in them, by thofe fecret comforts and refreshments he conveys into their fouls, and by thofe ravishing joys and inward fatisfactions, which are perpetually springing up, and diffusing themselves among all the thoughts of good men. He is lodged in our very effence, and is as a foul within the foul, to irradiate our understandings, rectify our wills, purify our paffions, and to enliven all our intellectual powers. How happy therefore is the Man, who, by virtue and good works, opens the communication between God and his Soul! Tho' the whole creation frowns upon him, and all nature looks black about him, he has his light and fupport within him, that are able to cheer his mind, and bear him up in the midft of all thofe horrors which encompafs him. In the midst of calumny and contempt, he attends to that Being, who whispers better things within his foul. In his deepest folitude and retirement, he can fay upon much better grounds than Scipio Africanus, Nunquam minus folus quam cum folus. He knows he is in company with the greatest and best of Being, and perceives within himself fuch real fenfations of his prefence, as to him are more delightful, than any thing can be met with in the converfation

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of his creatures. Even in the hour of death, a good man confiders the pains of his diffolution, to be nothing elfe but the breaking down of that partition which ftands betwixt his foul and the fight of that Being, who is always prefent with him, and is now about to manifeft itself to him in fulness of joy.

For dim at beft here, are even the fublimest conceptions we can form of the fupreme Being; his works but faintly reflect the image of his perfections, 'tis a fecond-hand knowledge. To have a juft idea of him, it may be necessary to fee him as he is. But what is that? 'Tis fomething that never entered into the heart of Man to conceive; yet what we can easily imagine, will be a fountain of unfpeakable, of everlasting rapture. All created glories will fade and die away in his prefence. Perhaps it will be my happiness to compare the World with the fair exemplar of it in the divine Mind; perhaps to view the original plan of thefe wife designs that have been executing in a long fucceffion of ages. Thus employed in finding out his works, and contemplating their author! how fhall I fall proftrate and adoring, my body fwallowed up in the immenfity of matter, my mind in the infinitude of his divine Perfections.

Thus far at prefent, of a few of the more obvious ufes, the great pleasure and advantages of Aftronomy; and that rather in the way of Rhapfody than juft Effay: But this Article running into a much greater length than was expected, or originally intended, we must now refer the remaining particulars, viz. what relates to the Evidence and Certainty, the Hiftory of Aftronomical Obfervations, and that ftate of perfection this Science is now arrived at ; as alfo what we principally defigned when we begun this Article,

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the great and vaft obligations it has to the unwearied Labours of Mr. Flamftel, to another Journal. Tho' as to this laft we have partly anticipated ourselves in what has already been faid in the introductory Account of his Atlas Cæleftis; tho' but very imperfectly, in proportion to the great merits of the Author. We intend therefore to refume this Article, together with the others; and hope very foon to have a proper opportunity of doing it, in giving an account of another pofthumous Treatife of his not yet published, of which fee more in the following Article.

ARTICLE IV.

An Account of the other Works of Mr. FLAMSTED, either printed or in Manufcript.

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LL that Mr. FLAMSTED printed before his Hiftoria Cæleftis (befides feveral aftronomical Obfervations difperfed and scattered up and down the Philofophical Tranfactions; but which are inferted in their natural order, more entire and accurate in his Britannic Celestial Hiftory) was only a Treatife upon the Doctrine of the Sphere; and all that was found among his papers, after his death, his Executors think fit to be published, befides his new Projection of the Conftellations; of which a particular account has been already given, are feveral Aftronomical Lectures, of which we hope foon to communicate to the publick a more full and exact account.