wisdom, of virtue, and of piety. It is evident that man never attains to
a true self-knowledge until after he has contemplated the face of God,
and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.

It is beyond dispute that there exists in the human mind, and indeed by
natural instinct, some sense of deity. As Cicero, though a pagan, tells
us, there is no nation so brutish as not to be imbued with the
conviction that there is a God. Even idolatry is an evidence of this
fact. But, though experience teaches that a seed of religion is divinely
sown in all, few cherish it in the heart. Some lose themselves in
superstitious observances; others, of set purpose, wickedly revolt from
God; and many think of God against their will, never approaching Him
without being dragged into His presence.

But since the perfection of blessedness consists in the knowledge of
God, He has been pleased not only to deposit in our minds the seed of
religion, of which we have already spoken, but so to manifest His
perfections in the whole structure of the universe, and daily place
Himself in our view, that we cannot open our eyes without being
compelled to behold Him. His essence is, indeed, transcendent and
incomparable, but on each of His works His glory is engraven in
characters so bright that none, however dull and illiterate, can plead
ignorance as an excuse.

Herein appears the shameful ingratitude of men, that, though they have
in their own persons a factory where countless operations of God are
carried on, instead of praising Him, they are the more inflated with
pride. How few are there among us who, in lifting our eyes to the
heavens, or looking abroad on the earth, ever think of the Creator! In
vain, because of our dulness, does creation exhibit so many bright lamps