whofe Centre is every where, and his Circumference no where.

IN the second Place, he is Omnifcient as well as Omniprefent. His Omniscience indeed neceffarily and naturally flows from his Omnipresence; he cannot but be confcious of every Motion that arifes in the whole material World, which he thus effentially pervades, and of every Thought that is ftirring in the intellectual World, to every Part of which he is thus intimately united. Several Moralifts have confidered the Creation as the Temple of God, which he has built with his own hands, and which is filled with his Prefence. Others have confidered infinite Space as the Receptacle, or rather the Habitation of the Almighty: But the noblest and most exalted Way of confidering this infinite Space is that of Sir Ifaac Newton, who calls it the Senforium of the Godhead. Brutes and Men have their Senforiola, or little Senforiums, by which they apprehend the Prefence and perceive the Actions of a few Objects, that lie contiguous to them. Their Knowledge and Obfervation turns within a very VOL. XV. F

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narrow Circle. But as God Almighty cannot but perceive and know every Thing in which he refides, infinite Space gives room to infinite Knowledge, and is, as it were, an Organ to Omniscience..

WERE the Soul feparate from the Body, and with one Glance of Thought fhould ftart beyond the Bounds of the Creation, fhould it for Millions. of Years continue its Progress through infinite Space with the fame Activity, it would ftill find it felf within the Embrace of its Creator, and encompaffed round with the Immenfity of the Godhead. Whilft we are in the Body he is not lefs prefent with us, because he is concealed from us. O, that I knew where I might find him! fays Job. Behold I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him. On the left band, where he does work, but I cannot behold him he bideth himself on the right hand that I cannot fee him. In fhort, Reafon as well as Revelation affures us, that he cannot be abfent from us, notwithstanding he is undiscovered by, us,

IN this Confideration of God Almighty's Omniprefence and Omnifcience every uncomfortable Thought vanishes. He cannot but regard every thing that has Being, efpecially fuch of his Creatures who fear they are not regarded by him. He is privy to all their Thoughts, and to that Anxiety of Heart in particular, which is apt to trouble them on this Occafion: For, as it is impoffible he fhould overlook any of his Creatures, fo we may be confident that he regards, with an Eye of Mercy, those who endeavour to recommend themselves to his Notice, and in an unfeigned Humility of Heart think themselves unworthy that he fhould be mindful of them.

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Fri

SKLIZOKING KHAY?

N° f66. Monday, July 12.

Militia Species Amor eft.

A

Ovid.

S my Correspondents begin to grow pretty numerous, I think my felf obliged to take fome Notice of them, and fhall therefore make this Paper a Miscellany of Letters. I have, fince my re-affuming the Office of SPECTATOR, received abundance of Epiftles from Gentlemen of the Blade, who, I find, have been so used to Ation that they know not know to lie ftill. They seem generally to be of Opinion, that the Fair at home ought to reward them for their Services abroad, and that, 'till the Cause of their Country calls them again into the Field, they have a fort of Right to quarter themfelves upon the Ladies. In order to favour their Approaches, I am defired by fome to enlarge upon the Accomplishments of their Profeffion, and by others

to

to give them my Advice in the carrying on of their Attacks. But let us hear what the Gentlemen fay for themfelves.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

TH

'HO' it may look fomewhat perverse amidst the Arts of Peace to ' talk too much of War, it is but Gratitude to pay the laft Office to its Manes, fince even Peace it felf is, in fome measure, obliged to it for its • Being

"YOU have, in your former Papers, always recommended the Accomplished to the Favour of the Fair; and, I hope, you will allow me to reprefent 'fome Part of a Military Life not alto'gether unneceffary to the forming a Gentleman. I need not tell you, that in France, whofe Fashions we have 'been formerly fo fond of, almost eve ry one derives his Pretences to Merit from the Sword; and that a Man has fcarce the Face to make his Court to 'a Lady, without fome Credentials from the Service to recommend him. As 'the Profeffion is very ancient, we have 'Reason to think fome of the greatest Men, among the old Romans, derived • many

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