But perhaps they’ll ſay, it does not become us to be ſo curious and inquiſitive in theſe Things which the Supreme Creator ſeems to have kept for his own Knowledge: For ſince he has not been pleaſed to make any farther Diſcovery or Revelation of them, it ſeems little better than preſumption to make any inquiry into that which he has thought fit to hide. But theſe Gentlemen muſt be told, that they take too much upon themſelves when they pretend to appoint how far and no farther Men ſhall go in their Searches, and to ſet bounds to other Mens Induſtry; as if they knew the Marks that God has placed to Knowledge: or as if Men were able to paſs thoſe Marks. If our Forefathers had been at this rate ſcrupulous, we might have been ignorant ſtill of the Magnitude and Figure of the Earth, or that there was ſuch a Place as America. We ſhould not have known that the Moon is inlightned by the Sun’s Rays, nor what the Cauſes of the Eclipſes of each of them are, nor a multitude of other Things brought to light by the late Diſcoveries in Aſtronomy. For what can a Man imagine more abſtruſe, or leſs likely to be known, than what is now as clear as the Sun? Whence it follows, that vigorous Induſtry, and piercing Wit were given Men to make Advances in the Search of Nature, and there’s no Reaſon to put any Stop to ſuch Enquiries. I muſt acknowledge that what I here intend to treat of is not of that Nature as to admit of a certain Knowledge; I can’t pretend to aſſert any thing as poſitively true (for how is it poſſible) but only to advance a probable Gueſs, the Truth of which every one is at his own liberty to examine. If any one therefore ſhall gravely tell me, that I have ſpent my Time idly in a vain and fruitleſs Enquiry after what by my own acknowledgment I can never come to be ſure of; The Anſwer is, that at this rate he would put down all Natural Philoſophy as far as it concerns it ſelf in ſearching into the Nature [Conjectures not uſeleſs, becauſe not certain.] of Things: In ſuch noble and ſublime Studies as theſe, ’tis a Glory to arrive at Probability, and the Search it ſelf rewards the Pains. But there are many degrees of Probable, ſome nearer Truth than others, in the determining of which lies the chief exerciſe [Theſe Studies uſeful to Religion.] of our Judgment. But beſides the Nobleneſs and Pleaſure of the Studies, may not we be ſo bold as to ſay, they are no ſmall help to the Advancement of Wiſdom and Morality? ſo far are they from being of no uſe at all. For here we may mount from this dull Earth, and viewing it from on high, conſider whether Nature has laid out all her Coſt and Finery upon this ſmall Speck of Dirt. So, like Travellers into other diſtant Countries, we ſhall be better able to judge of what’s done at home, know how to make a true Eſtimate of, and ſet its own Value upon every Thing. We ſhall be leſs apt to admire what this World calls Great, ſhall nobly deſpiſe thoſe Trifles the generality of Men ſet their Affections on, when we