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Volume I.
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inaEHvity of M atter, 8cc. 99

The admirable mechanism discovered in thestructure of a plant or animal, is not onlythe effect of his wisdom and skill in the firstcontrivance, but the minutest office in theœconomy is incejj'antly performed by his ah-mighty finger. His power is still workingnear us, round us 4within us, in every partof us. And this we may be assured of, if de-monstration is to be relied on. In those fright-

evidently not at all capable of any laws or powers whatso-ever , any more than it is capable of intelligence ; exceptingonly this one negative power, that every part of it will al-tvays and necessarily continue in thatslate , whether of rejler motion , wherein it at present is. So that all those thingsWhich we commonly fay are the effects of the natural powersof matter and laws of motion ; of gravitation, attraction,or the like ; are indeed (if we will speak strictly and pro-perly ) the effects of Gods acting upon matter continuallyand every moment, either immediately by himself, ormediately by some created intelligent Being - (which obser-vation, by the by, furnishes us, as has been before noted,with an excellent natural demonstration of Providence.)Consequently [pray let the following words be marked]there is no such thing, as what men commonly call thecourse of nature, or the power of nature. The course ofnature, truly and properly speaking , is nothing else but thewill of God, producing certain effects in a continued, re-gular, constant, and uniform manner : which course ormanner of acting, being in every tnoment perfectly arbitra -r y, is as easy to be altered at any time, as to be preserved-

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