A discourse delivered before the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at the semiannual meeting twelfth of June, 1798 / By William Walter, D.D.

  • Walter, William, 1737-1800.
Date:
1798
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse delivered before the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at the semiannual meeting twelfth of June, 1798 / By William Walter, D.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Power infinite enters into the very Idea of Creation ; for nothing fhort of the infinite DivineWord could give Exiftence vifible to that which once was not. And our bell Conceptions of a World effeHed by infinite Power, fuggeftedby infiniteGoodnefs, and directed by infinite Wifdom, would be one where Population and Enjoyment would go hand in hand ; where Soil would be productive ; Climate mild ; and the alternate Returns of Light and Darknefs fo nearly equal, as to afford a fuitable Time both for Labour and Reft. That fuch was our Earth in its original Con ft ruCtion we may pro« bably infer, partly from its prefent State, and partly from thofe various Appearances which are no otherwife to be accounted for, than by acknowledging that it has undergone fome molt violent Concuflion, when theFountains of the great Deep were broken up, when the Land was here piled into Mountains which mock the Skies, leaving there an immenfeVoid to be covered over by the mighty Waters of the Pacific, thelndian, and theAtlantic Oceans ; and fuch a Caft of Axis as to give in fome Parts of the Earth, a molt unfriendly Alternation of Night and Day, and fuch an Extreme of Cold and Heat, as to render almoft, if not altogether uninhabitable the frozen Regions of the Polar Circles, and the arid Sands of the Arabian Defert: as if intended by Divine Providence that we fhould have perpetually prefent to our Senfes thofe ftrong Marks of our Maker’s Anger, for theTranfgreflions of our Forefathers, that we, their Children, might be thereby refrained from their Offences, and be held, through Fear of fimilarDifpleafure, in the flrait and humble Walks of entire Obedience. Let us next turn our Thoughts to Man himfelf. : and what will be our Ideas of a Spirit formed for Happinefs, and deftined by infinite Wifdomi