small soever that portion of this inaccessible brightness may be, which, in the sacred Scriptures, shines upon us through these veils, it certainly very well deserves that we should often turn our eyes towards it, and view it with the closest attention. Now, the first thing that necessarily occurs in the constitution of happiness, is a full and complete deliverance from every evil and every grievance; which we may as certainly expect to meet with in that heavenly life, as it is impossible to be attained while we sojourn here below. All tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and every cause and occasion of tears for ever removed from our sight. There, there are no tumults, no wars, no poverty, no death nor disease; there, there is neither mourning nor fear, nor sin, which is the source and fountain of all other evils. There is neither violence within doors nor without, nor any complaint in its nature is such, that we can neither understand it, nor, if we could, can it be expressed in words. The divine apostle, who had had some glimpse of this felicity, describes it no otherwise than by his silence, calling the words he heard, "unspeakable, and such as it was not lawful for a man to utter." And if he neither could nor would express what he saw, far be it from us boldly to force ourselves into, or intrude upon, what we have not seen; especially as the same apostle, in another place, acquaints us, for our future cantion, that this was unwarrantably done by some rash and forward persons in his own time. But since in the sacred archives of this new world, however invisible and unknown to us, we have some maps and descriptions of it suited to our capacity; we are not only allowed to look at them, but, as they were drawn for that very purpose, it would certainly be the greatest ingratitude, as well as the highest negligence in the streets of that blessed city; there, no in us, not to make some improvement of them. Here, however, we must remember what a great odds there is between the description of a kingdom in a small and imperfect map, and the extent and beauty of that very kingdom, when viewed by the traveller's eye; and how much greater the difference must be between the felicity of that heavenly kingdom to which we are aspiring, and all, even the most striking figurative expressions, taken from the things of this earth, that are used to convey some faint and imperfect notion of it to our minds. What are these things, the false glare and shadows whereof in this earth, are pursued with such keen and furious impetuosity-riches, honours, pleasures? All these in their justest, purest, and sublimest sense, are comprehended in this blessed life: it is a treasure that can neither fail nor be carried away by force or fraud it is an inheritance uncorrupted and undefiled, a crown that fadeth not away, a never-failing stream of joy and delight: it is a marriage-feast, and of all others the most joyous and most sumptuous; one that always satisfies, and never cloys the appetite; it is an eternal spring, and an everlasting light, a day without an evening: it is a paradise, where the lilies are always white and full blown, the saffron blooming, the trees sweat out their balsams, and the tree of life in the midst thereof: it is a city where the houses are built of living pearls, the gates of precious stones, and the streets paved with the purest gold; yet all these are nothing but the veils of the happiness to be revealed on that most blessed day; nay, the light itself, which we have mentioned among the rest, though it be the most beautiful ornament of this visible world, is at best but a shadow of that heavenly glory and how : friend goes out, nor enemy comes in. 2. Full vigour of body and mind, health, beauty, purity, and perfect tranquillity. 3. The most delightful society of angels, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all the saints; among whom there are no reproaches, contentions, controversies, nor party-spirit, because there are, there, none of the sources whence they can spring, nor any thing to encourage their growth; for there is, there, particularly, no ignorance, no blind self-love, no vain-glory nor envy, which is quite excluded from those divine regions; but, on the contrary, perfect charity, whereby every one, together with his own felicity, enjoys that of his neighbours, and is happy in the one as well as the other: hence there is among them a kind of infinite reflection and multiplication of happiness, like that of a spacious hall adorned with gold and precious stones, dignified with a full assembly of kings and potentates, and having its walls quite covered with the brightest looking-glasses. 4. But what infinitely exceeds, and quite eclipses all the rest, is that boundless ocean of hap piness which results from the beatific vision of the ever-blessed God; without which, neither the tranquillity they enjoy, nor the society of saints, nor the possession of any particular finite good, nor indeed of all such taken together, can satisfy the soul, or make it completely happy. The manner of this enjoyment we can only expect to understand when we enter upon the full possession of it; till then, to dispute and raise many questions about it, is nothing but vain, foolish talking, and fighting with phantoms of our own brain. But the schoolmen, who confine the whole of this felicity to bare speculation, or, as they call it, an intellectual act, are in this, as in many other cases, guilty of great presumption, and their con Actus intellectualis. clusion is built upon a very weak foundation. | blessed harvest. Aspire, therefore, to holiFor although contemplation be the highest ness, young gentlemen, "without which no and noblest act of the mind, yet complete man shall see the Lord." LECTURE VII. Of the BEING of GOD. happiness necessarily requires some present good suited to the whole man, the whole soul and all its faculties. Nor is it any objection to this doctrine, that the whole of this felicity is commonly comprehended in scripture under the term of vision; for the mental vision, or contemplation of the primary and infinite good, most properly signifies, or, at least, includes in it, the full enjoyment of that good; and the observation of the Rabbins concerning scripture-phrases, "That THOUGH, on most subjects, the opinions words expressing the senses, include also of men are various, and often quite opposite, the affections naturally arising from those insomuch that they seem to be more remarksensations," is very well known. Thus, able for the vast variety of their sentiments knowing is often put for approving and than that of their faces and languages; there loving; and seeing for enjoying and attain are however two things, wherein all nations ing. "Taste and see that God is good," are agreed, and in which there seems to be says the Psalmist; and in fact, it is no a perfect harmony throughout the whole small pleasure to lovers to dwell together, human race-the desire of happiness and and mutually to enjoy the sight of one an-a sense of religion. The former no man other. "Nothing is more agreeable to desires to shake off; and though some, lovers, than to live together."+ possibly, would willingly part with the latter, We must, therefore, by all means con- it is not in their power to eradicate it entireclude, that this beatific vision includes in it ly; they cannot banish God altogether out not only a distinct and intuitive knowledge of their thoughts, nor extinguish every of God, but, so to speak, such a knowledge spark of religion within them. It is ceras gives us the enjoyment of that most per- tainly true, that for the most part this desire fect Being, and, in some sense, unites us to of happiness wanders in darkness from one him; for such a vision it must of necessity object to another, without fixing upon any; be, that converts that love of the Infinite and the sense of religion is either suffered to Good, which blazes in the souls of the saints into full possession, that crowns all their riches, and fills them with an abundant and overflowing fulness of joy that vents itself in everlasting blessings and songs of praise. lie inactive or deviates into superstition. Yet the great Creator of the world employs these two, as the materials of a fallen building, to repair the ruins of the human race, and as handles whereby he draws his earthen vessel out of the deep gulf of misery into which it is fallen. And this is the only doctrine, if you beieve it, (and I make no doubt but you do,) this, I say, is the only doctrine that will Of the former of these, that is felicity, we transport your whole souls, and raise them have already spoken on another occasion : up on high. Hence you will learn to tram- we shall therefore now, with divine assistple under feet all the turbid and muddy ance, employ some part of our time in conpleasures of the flesh, and all the allurements sidering that sense of religion that is natuand splendid trifles of the present world. rally impressed upon the mind of man. However those earthly enjoyments that are Nor will our labour, I imagine, be unpro swelled up by false names and the strength fitably employed in collecting together those of imagination, to a vast size, may appear few general principles, in which so many, grand and beautiful, and still greater and and so very dissimilar forms of religion and more engaging to those that are unacquaint-sentiments, extremely different, harmonioused with them; how small, how inconsidera-ly agree: for as every science most properble do they all appear to a soul that looks ly begins with universal propositions, and for a heavenly country, that expects to share things more generally known; so, in the the joys of angels, and has its thoughts con- present case, besides the other advantages, stantly employed about these objects! To it will be no small support to a weak and conclude the more the soul withdraws, so wavering mind, that, amidst all the disputes to speak, from the body, and retires within and contentions subsisting between the itself, the more it rises above itself, and the various sects and parties in religion, the more closely it cleaves to God, the more the great and necessary articles, at least, of our life it lives, in this earth, resembles that faith, are established in some particulars, by which it will enjoy in heaven, and the larger the general consent of mankind, and, in all foretastes it has of the first-fruits of that the rest, by that of the whole Christian world. • Verba sensus connotant affectus. * Ουδιν ούτω των φίλων ως το συζην. I would therefore most earnestly wish that your minds, "rooted and established in the faith," ," were firmly united in this delight- they absolutely denied the being of God, ful bond of religion, which, like a golden but only because they rejected, and justly chain, will be no burden, but an ornament; laughed at, the fictitious and ridiculous not a yoke of slavery, but a badge of true deities of the nations. and generous liberty. I would, by no means, Of all the institutions and customs rehave you to be Christians, upon the authori-ceived among men, we meet with nothing ty of mere tradition or education, and the more solemn and general than that of reexample and precepts of parents and masters, ligion, and sacred rites performed to the but from a full conviction of your own under- honour of some deity; which is a very strong standings, and a fervent disposition of the argument, that that persuasion, in preference will and affections proceeding therefrom; to any other, is written, nay, rather engraven, "for piety is the sole and only good among in strong and indelible characters upon the mankind," and you can expect none of the mind of man. This is, as it were, the name fruits of religion, unless the root of it be well of the great Creator stamped upon the laid, and firmly established by faith; "for noblest of all his visible works, that thus all the virtues are the daughters of faith," man may acknowledge himself to be his; says Clemens Alexandrinus. and (concluding, from the inscription he Lucretius, with very ill advised praises, finds impressed upon his mind, that what extols his favourite Grecian philosopher as belongs to God, ought in strict justice to one fallen down from heaven to be the deli- be restored to him) be wholly reunited to verer of mankind, and dispel their distress- his first principle, that immense ocean of ing terrors and fears, because he had fancied goodness whence he took his rise. The he had found out an effectual method to distemper that has invaded mankind is, inbanish all religion entirely out of the minds deed, grievous and epidemical; it consists of men. And to say the truth, in no age in a mean and degenerate love to the body have there been wanting brutish souls, too and corporeal things; and, in consequence much enslaved to their corporeal senses, that of this, a stupid and brutish forgetfulness of would wish these opinions to be true; yet, God, though he can never be entirely blotted after all, there are very few of them who are out of the mind. This forgetfulness a few, able to persuade themselves of the truth of and but very few, alarmed and awakened these vicious principles, which, with great by the Divine rod, early shake off; and even impudence and importunity, they commonly in the most stupid, and such as are buried inculcate upon others; they belch out, with in the deepest sleep, the original impression full mouth, their foolish dreams, often in di- sometimes discovers itself, when they are rect opposition to conscience and knowledge; under the pressure of some grievous calaand, what they unhappily would wish to be mity, or on the approach of danger, and true, they can scarcely, if at all, believe especially upon a near prospect of death: then themselves. You are acquainted with Ho- the thoughts of God, that had lain hid, race's Recantation, wherein he tells us, and been long suppressed, forced out by the "that he had been long bigoted to the mad weight of pain, and the impressions of fear, tenets of the Epicurean philosophy; but come to be remembered, and the whole found himself at last obliged to alter his soul being, as it were, roused out of its long sentiments, and deny all he had asserted and deep sleep, men begin to look about before."§ them, inquire what the matter is, and seri Some souls lose the whole exercise of their ously reflect whence they came, and whither reason, because they inform bodies that la- they are going. Then the truth comes natubour under the defect of temperament or rally from their hearts. The stormy sea of proper organs; yet you continue to give alarmed even profane sailors so much, that the old definition of man, and call him a they awakened the sleeping Prophet: rational creature; and should any one think" Awake," say they, "thou sleeper, and proper to call him a religious creature, he call upon thy God." would, to be sure, have as much reason on But however weak and imperfect this his side, and need not fear his opinion would original or innate knowledge of God may be, be rejected, because of a few madmen who it discovers itself every where so far, at least, laugh at religion. Nor is it improbable, as that you can meet with no man, or society some of the ancients have asserted, that of men, that, by some form of worship or those few among the Greeks, who were ceremonies, do not acknowledge a Deity, and, called Atheists, had not that epithet because according to their capacity, and the custom of their country, pay him homage. It is true, some late travellers have reported, that, in that part of the new world called Brazil, there are some tribes of the natives, among whom you can discover no symptoms that they have the least sense of a Deity: but, * Τα του Θεου το Θερ Nor besides that the truth of this report is very place, "That it is the very being of the soul far from being well ascertained, and that the to know God, on whom it depends." observation might have been too precipitately would he think amiss, who, in this, should made by new comers, who had not made suf- espouse the opinion of Plato; for to know ficient inquiry-even supposing it to be true, this is nothing more than to call to rememit is not of such consequence, when opposed brance what was formerly impressed upon to all the rest of the world, and the universal the mind; and when one forgets it, which, agreement of all nations and ages upon this alas! is too much the case of us all, he has subject, that the least regard should be paid as many remembrancers, so to speak, within to it. Nor must we imagine that it, at all, him, as he has members; and as many withlessens the weight of this great argument, out him as the individuals of the vast variety which has been generally, and most justly, of creatures to be seen around him. Let, urged, both by ancients and moderns, to es- therefore, the indolent soul that has almost tablish the first and common foundations of forgot God, be roused up, and every now and religion. then say to itself, "Behold this beautiful starry heaven," &c. But because we have too many of that sort of fools that say in their heart, "There is no God," and if we are "not to answer a fool, so as to be like unto him ;" yet we are, by all means, to "answer him according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit ;" again, because a criminal forgetfulness of this leading truth is the sole source of all the Now, whoever accurately considers this universal sense of religion of which we have been speaking, will find that it comprehends in it these particulars: 1. That there is a God. 2. That he is to be worshipped. 3. Which is a consequence of the former, that he regards the affairs of men. 4. That he has given them a law, enforced by rewards and punishments; and, that the distribution of these is, in a very great measure, reserved wickedness in the world; and, finally, beto a life different from that we live in this earth, is the firm belief, if not of all, at least of the generality of mankind. And though our present purpose does not require that we should confirm the truth of all these points with those strong arguments that might be urged in their favour; but rather, that we should take them for granted, as being sufficiently established by the common consent of mankind; we shall, however, subjoin a few thoughts on each of them, separately, with as great brevity and perspicuity as we can. son thus: cause it may not be quite unprofitable nor unpleasant, even to the best of men, sometimes to recollect their thoughts on this subject; but, on the contrary, a very pleasant exercise to every well-disposed mind, to reflect on what a solid and unshaken foundation the whole fabric of religion is built, and to think and speak of the eternal Fountain of Goodness, and of all other beings, and consequently of his necessary existence: we reckon it will not be amiss to give a few thoughts upon it. Therefore, not to insist upon several arguments, which are urged 1. THAT THERE IS A GOD. And here with great advantage on this subject, we I cannot help fearing, that when we endea-shall only produce one or two, and shall reavour to confirm this leading truth, with regard to the first, and uncreated Being, by a It is by all means necessary that there long and laboured series of arguments, we should be some eternal Being, otherwise nomay seem, instead of a service, to do a kind thing could ever have been; since it must of injury to God and man both. For why be a most shocking contradiction to say, that should we use the pitiful light of a candle to any thing could have produced itself out of discover the sun, and eagerly go about to nothing. But if we say, that any thing exprove the being of Him who gave being to isted from eternity, it is most agreeable to every thing else; who alone exists necessa- reason that that should be an eternal Mind, rily, nay, we may boldly say, who alone or thinking Being, that so the noblest proexists; seeing all other things were by him perty may be ascribed to the most exalted extracted out of nothing, and, when compar- Being. Nay, that eternal Being must, of ed with him, they are nothing, and even less absolute necessity, excel in wisdom and than nothing, and vanity! And would not power, and, indeed, in every other perfection; any man think himself insulted, should it since it must itself be uncreated, and the be suspected that he doubted of the being cause and origin of all the creatures, otherof Him, without whom he could neither wise some difficulty will remain concerning doubt nor think, nor be at all? This per- their production. And thus all the parts of suasion, without doubt, is innate, and strong- the universe, taken singly, suggest arguments ly impressed upon the mind of man, if any in favour of their Creator. thing at all can be said to be so.' Nor does The beautiful order of the universe, and Jamblicus scruple to say, "That to know the mutual relation that subsists between all God is our very being :"+ and in another its parts, present us with another strong and • Primum visibile lux, et primum intelligibile Deus. Esse animæ, est quoddam intelligere, scilicet † Esse nostrum est Deun cognoscere. Deum, unde dependet. convincing argument. This order is itself finite series of generations from eternity, and an effect, and, indeed, a wonderful one; and so the human race must be supposed inde it is also evidently distinct from the things pendent, and to owe its being to itself; but, themselves, taken singly; therefore it must by this hypothesis, mankind came into the proceed from some cause, and a cause en-world by generation, therefore every indivi dowed with superior wisdom; for it would dual of the race owes its being to another; be the greatest folly, as well as impudence, consequently the whole race is from itself, to say it could be owing to mere chance. and at the same time from another; which Now, it could not proceed from man, nor is absurd. Therefore the hypothesis imcould it be owing to any concert or mutual plies a plain and evident contradiction. "O! agreement between the things themselves, immense wisdom, that produced the world! separately considered; seeing the greatest Let us for ever admire the riches and skil part of them are evidently incapable of con- of thy right-hand ;"* often viewing with atsultation and concert: it must therefore pro- tention thy wonders, and, while we view ceed from one superior Being, and that being them, frequently crying out with the divine is God, "who commanded the stars to move Psalmist, "O Lord, how manifold are thy by stated laws, the fruits of the earth to be works! In wisdom hast thou made them all. produced at different seasons, the changeable The earth is full of thy riches !”+ "From moon to shine with borrowed light, and the everlasting to everlasting thou art God, and sun with his own.' besides thee, there is no other." And with Hermes : "The Father of all, being himself understanding, life, and brightness, created man like himself, and cherished him as his own son. Thou Creator of universal nature, who hast extended the earth, who poisest the heavens, and commandest the waters to flow from all the parts of the sea, we praise thee, who art the one exalted God, for by thy will all things are perfected."|| The same author asserts, that God was prior to humid nature. He is the monarch of the universe, and the most absolute monarch in nature: for who else assigned to every rank of creatures its particular form and uses, so that the stars, subjected to no human authority or laws, should be placed on high, and serve to bring about to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof, the regular returns of day and night, and distinguish the seasons of the year? Let us take, in particular, any one species of sublunary things, for instance man, the noblest of all, and see how he came by the form In vain would any one endeavour to evade wherewith he is vested, that frame or consti- the force of our argument, by substituting tution of body, that vigour of mind, and that nature in the place of God, as the principrecise rank in the nature of things, which pal cause of this beautiful order: for either he now obtains, and no other. He must, by nature, he understands the particular certainly, either have made choice of these frame and composition of every single thing, things for himself, or must have had them which would be saying nothing at all to the assigned him by another; whom we must purpose in hand, because it is evident, that consider as the principal actor and sole archi-this manifold nature, which in most instantect of the whole fabric. That he made ces is quite void of reason, could never be choice of them for himself, nobody will ima- the cause of that beautiful order and hargine; for, either he made this choice before mony which is every where conspicuous he had any existence of his own, or after he throughout the whole system; or he means began to be: but it is not easy to say which an universal and intelligent nature, disposing of these suppositions is most absurd. It re- and ordering every thing to advantage. But mains, therefore, that he must be indebted this is only another name for God; of whom for all he enjoys, to the mere good pleasure it may be said, in a sacred sense, that he, as of his great and all-wise Creator, who framed an infinite Nature and Mind, pervades and his earthly body in such a wonderful and fills all his works. Not as an informing surprising manner, animated him with his form, according to the expression of the own breath, and thus introduced him into schools, and as the part of a compounded this great palace of his, which we now be- whole, which is the idlest fiction that can be hold; where his manifold wisdom, most imagined; for, at this rate, he must not onproperly so called, displays itself so glorious-ly be a part of the vilest insects, but also of ly in the whole machine, and in every one of its wonderfully variegated parts. The first argument, taken from the very being of things, may be further illustrated by the same instance of man: for unless the first man was created, we must suppose an in stocks and stones, and clods of earth; but a pure, unmixed nature, which orders and governs all things with the greatest freedom and *O! immensa, opifex rerum, sapientia! dextræ | Ο παντων Πατης, ο νους ων ζωη και φως, απεκύησε ανθρωπων οὐ ηρασθη ὡς ίδιου τοκοι. Πάσης φυτέας Κτιστών ο πήξας την γην και ουρανον κρέμασας και επιτάξας το γλυκυ ύδωρ εξ αυτού του ωκεανού ὑπαρχειν, ὑμνωμεν σε, το των, και το ένα σου γας βουλομένου ταντα τελευταί |