CHAP. XII. The confideration of Man, and in what Sense other Beings may be faid to have been made for him. HAV [Aving examined the Relation Men have to one to our prefent purpose, to confider the Relation they have to the other parts of Nature; because it seems hard to our Incredulous Gentle men, to fuppofe, that Man is the principal part of all the visible Creation; and that other Beings are made for his Advantage. There is nothing they omit to alledge, that can any ways ferve to leffen and debafe him. They ob ject, that he is but a meer point in comparison of those immenfe fpaces that incompafs him; that he is the Center of Infirmities and Difeafes, that his Mind is filled with Prejudices and Errors; his Will determined to Evil, and overpowered with Ill Habits; that he is the sport of Storms and Tempefts; the prey of Animals that are stronger than him; that his Life depends upon an Infect and a Worm; that he is fearful in Dangers, frail in Temptations, in Misfortunes, and weaker in Profperity; and that in fine, if he has a little more natural Light than other Animals, he is alfo capable of much stranger Disorders. All this may be true, without detracting any thing from the Idea we lave of our real Excellency and Greatness. weak For Secondly, Thok vk maar nihilation, know the the I I ME Z I faire difance betwe an imelligem Leg Temat ex fing their matte preferved to them Death; D hall be no more crede of Sale Imag 'Tis the loss of the Stars; io long as you we will make is a dour have no me of them: The Lheen of Ma, ara Nina L Jewels all ther dgan are beholding to the Sight, for all the Charms of their Brightness; and there would be nothing terrible in Thunder, nor Melodious in Voices and Inftruments, but by the hearing at least with refpect to us. So that Sounds, Smells, Colours, Light, belonging all to our Souls, as well as 0pinion and Thought, it may be faid, that whatfoever is most beautiful and magnificent in Na ture, with relation to us, does in fome manner proceed from the Center of our own Souls and is in fome refpect not different from our felves. Fourthly, But when we fay all things are referred to Man, we do not intend to prejudice the glory of other Intelligent Creatures. Who, knows, fay fome, but that there are in the Hea vens, Beings which far excel any thing in this Globe in Beauty and Perfection; Intelligences beyond comparison more perfect than our Souls? But rather who is there that contests this Truth? That ought not to be objected against Religion, which Religion it felf teaches us; nor is it fair to impofe upon us, as the Incredulous commonly do, who think they have a good pretence to ridicule thofe Expreffions, that Man is the King of the Universe, or that the World was made for Man. We do not say, the World was made for one fingle Man, but for all Men in general; for that Multitude of People, living in all Times and in all Places; and not only for Men in their prefent miferable Condition, but alfo for Men Glorified. And And the World is not only made for Man, but also for all other Intelligences with Cue has Created. Nature does not fab only for the nourishment of Man's Body, though the Lam, Fruitful Seasons, and Fertility of the Ears, Tally feem to relate to that end. Another Region of its Being, is to preserve to our darkazų, perpetual objects of esteem and admicin, because what nourishment is to our Eudes, that the knowledge of the wonders of God is to our Souls Neither does the World only farnih us with objects of admiration, but it likewife fers before our Eyes, objects of Fear, cjeāts of Respect, and objects of Hope. There is no Creature contained within the compass of it, but requires of us fome particular Homage, fome motion of Respect, or some sentiment of our Soul for God. 'Tis necessary that there should be continually new wonders in Nature for us to contemplate, left we should grow weary of those Enquiries which move us to glorify the Maker of the Univerfe: Variety keeps our Souls in Ereath; what we do not comprehend, disposes us to admire, without any distaste, what we actually know; and our ignorance of fo many incomprehenfible wonders, has its ufes, as well as the knowledge and fenfe we have of them. In fine, the World was made for God, and the World was made for intelligent Creatures, just as a Picture is designed for the Original it reprefents, and for the Perfons which are to behold it. All the Beauties of the Universe are as Cords by which God draws us to himself, and all the Sentiments of our Soul, are as fo many ties to faften us to him; and 'tis this U nion nion of the Intelligent Creature with its God, which we pretend to be the main end and design of all his Works. And this Picture ought to be great and magnificent, and expofed to the view of every one, that fo it might be worthy of God, whom it reprefents to us, without being disproportionable to the capacity of Man, to whom it reprefents him. He that does not confider all thefe different Relations, will not apprehend any thing in this matter, and will neceffarily attri bute to us fuch Thoughts as we never entertained. But on the other fide, 'tis difficult alfo for any one that makes this diftinction, to find any thing but what is great and reasonable in this Opinion. CHAP. XIII. Wherein is fbewed the Perfection of Man, by the confideration of his Defects. M AN, I confefs, has his Imperfections; his Soul finds it self fhut up within a very narrow compaís: He fees himself confined on all fides, in the middle of an unlimited extent of Space. He finds himself obliged to follow the condition of matter, which is much inferior to him in Perfection. He perceives himself Miferable and Poor in the midst of Profperity and Abundance. Nothing fills him; nothing fatisfies him: He loaths every thing, and defires every thing. He is always feeking Knowledge, and |