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boundless treasures of Divine science has flashed upon the mind, it is to pass only a few months or years i anxious desire and suspense, and then be extinguished fo ever?

It may be farther observed, in connexion with the pro ceding remarks-that the creation of such a vast unive must have been chiefly intended to display the perfections of the Deity, and to afford gratification and felicity to the intellectual beings he has formed. The Creator stands in no need of innumerable assemblages of worlds and of inferior ranks of intelligences, in order to secure or to augment his felicity. Innumerable ages before the universe was created, he existed alone, independent of every other being, and infinitely happy in the contemplation of his own eternal excellences. No other reason, therefore, can be assigned for the production of the universe, but the gratification of his rational offspring, and that he might give a display of the infinite glories of his nature to innumerable orders of intelligent creatures. Ten thousand times ten thousand suns, distributed throughout the regions of immensity, with all their splendid apparatus of planets, comets, moons, and rings, can afford no spectacle of novelty to expand and entertain the Eternal Mind; since they all existed, in their prototypes, in the plans and conceptions of the Deity, during the countless ages of a past eternity. Nor did he produce these works for the improvement and information of no being. This amazing structure of the universe, then, with all the sensitive and intellectual enjoyments connected with it, must have been chiefly designed for the instruction and entertainment of subordinate intelligences, and to serve as a magnificent theatre on which the energies of Divine power and wisdom, and the emanations of Divine benevolence might be illustriously displayed. And can we suppose that the material universe will exist, while intelligent minds, for whose improvement it was reared, are suffered to sink into annihilation?

Again, it cannot be admitted, in consistency with the attributes of God, that he will finally disappoint the rational hopes and desires of the human soul, which he himself has implanted and cherished. If he had no ultimate design of gratifying rational beings with a more extensive display of the im

mensity and grandeur of his works, it is not conceivable, that he would have permitted them to make those discovees they have already brought to light respecting the extent and the glory of his empire. Such discoveries could not have been made without his permission and direction, without those faculties and means which he himself had imparted. And, therefore, in permitting the inhabitants of our world to take a distant glimpse of the boundless scene of his operations, he must have intended to excite those ardent desires which will be gratified in a future world, and to commence those trains of thought which will be prosecuted with increasing ardour, through eternity, till we shall be able to perceive and comprehend the contrivance and skill, the riches of Divine munificence, the vast designs, and the miracles of Power and Intelligence which are displayed throughout every part of the universal system. To suppose that the Creator would unfold a partial and imperfect view of the wonders of creation, and enkindle a rational longing and desire, merely for the purpose of mocking and tantalizing our expectations, would be to represent the moral character of the Deity as below the level of that of a depraved mortal. It would argue a species of deceit, of envy, and of malignity, which is altogether repug. nant to the character of a Being of infinite benevolence. As his goodness was the principal motive which induced him to bring us into existence, his conduct must be infinitely removed from every thing that approaches to envy, malignity, or a desire to mock or disappoint the rational hopes of his creatures. His general character, as displayed in all his works, leads us to conclude, that, in so far from tantalizing the rational beings he has formed, he is both able and willing "to do to and for them exceeding abundantly above all that they can ask or think." If he had intended merely to confine our desires to sensitive enjoyments and to the present life, the habitation of man would have required no more contrivance nor decoration than what are requisite for the lion's den and the retreats of the tiger, and no farther display of the grandeur of his empire would have been unfolded to view.

Since, therefore, it appears, that the universe is replenished with innumerable systems, and is vast and unlimited

in its extent-since God endued the mind of man with those faculties by which he has explored a portion of its distant regions-since the soul feels an ardent desire to obtain a more full disclosure of its grandeur and magnificence-since it is endued with faculties capable of receiving an indefinite increase of knowledge on this subject— since all the knowledge it can acquire in the present state, respecting the operations and the government of God, is as nothing when compared with the prospects which eternity may unfold-since the universe and its material glories are chiefly intended for the gratification of intelligent mindsand since it is obviously inconsistent with the moral character of the Deity, to cherish desires and expectations which he will finally frustrate and disappoint-the conclusion appears to be unavoidable, that man is destined to an immortal existence. During the progress of that existence, his faculties will arrive at their full expansion, and there will be ample scope for their exercise on myriads of objects and events which are just now veiled in darkness and mystery. He will be enabled to penetrate more fully into the plans and operations of the Divinity-to perceive new aspects of the Eternal Mind, new evolutions of Infinite Wisdom and Design, new displays of Omnipotence, Goodness, and Intelligence--and to acquire a more minute and comprehensive view of all the attributes of the Deity, and of the connexions, relations, and dependencies, of that vast physical and moral system over which his government extends.

SECTION VI.

On the moral powers of man.

The moral powers with which man is endued form a strong presumptive proof of his immortal destiny.

Man is formed for action, as well as for contemplation. For this purpose there are interwoven in his constitution powers, principles, instincts, feelings, and affections, which have a reference to his improvement in virtue, and which excite him to promote the happiness of others. These powers and active principles, like the intellectual, are sus

ceptible of vast improvement, by attention, by exercise, by trials and difficulties, and by an expansion of the intellec tual views. Such are filial and fraternal affection, forti tude, temperance, justice, gratitude, generosity, love of friends and country, philanthropy, and general benevolence. Degenerate as our world has always been, many striking examples of such virtues have been displayed both in ancient and modern times, which demonstrate the vigour, expansion, and sublimity of the moral powers of man.

When we behold men animated by noble sentiments, exhibiting sublime virtues, and performing illustrious actions, displaying generosity and beneficence in seasons of calamity, and tranquillity and fortitude in the midst of diffi culties and dangers-desiring riches only for the sake of distributing them-estimating places of power and honour, only for the sake of suppressing vice, rewarding virtue, and promoting the prosperity of their country-enduring poverty and distress with a noble heroism-suffering inju ries and affronts with patience and serenity-stifling resentment when they have it in their power to inflict vengeance-displaying kindness and generosity towards enemies and slanderers-vanquishing irascible passions and licentious desires in the midst of the strongest temptations -submitting to pain and disgrace in order to promote the prosperity of friends and relatives-and sacrificing repose, honour, wealth, and even life itself, for the good of their country, or for promoting the best interests of the human race, we perceive in such examples features of the human mind, which mark its dignity and grandeur, and indicate its destination to a higher scene of action and enjoy

ment.

Even in the annals of the Pagan world, we find many examples of such illustrious virtues. There we read of Regulus exposing himself to the most cruel torments, and to death itself, rather than suffer his veracity to be impeached, or his fidelity to his country to be called in ques. tion-of Phocion, who exposed himself to the fury of an enraged assembly, by inveighing against the vices, and endeavouring to promote the best interests of his countrymen, and gave it as his last command to his son, when he was going to execution," that he should forget how ill the

Athenians had treated his father"-of Cyrus, who was possessed of wisdom, moderation, courage, magnanimity, and noble sentiments, and who employed them all to promote the happiness of his people-of Scipio, in whose actions the virtues of generosity and liberality, goodness, gentle. ness, justice, magnanimity, and chastity, shone with distin guished lustre and of Damon and Pythias, who were knit together in the bonds of a friendship which all the terrors of an ignominious death could not dissolve. But of all the characters of the heathen world, illustrious for virtue, Aristides appears to stand in the foremost rank. An extraordinary greatness of soul, (says Rollin) made him superior to every passion. Interest, pleasure, ambition, resentment, jealousy, were extinguished in him by the love of virtue and his country. The merit of others, instead of offending him, became his own by the approbation he gave it. He rendered the government of the Athenians amiable to their allies, by his mildness, goodness, humanity, and justice. The disinterestedness he showed in the manage. ment of the public treasure, and the love of poverty which he carried almost to an excess, are virtues so far superior to the practice of our age, that they scarce seem credible to us. His conduct and principles were always uniform, steadfast in the pursuit of whatever he thought just, and incapable of the least falsehood, or shadow of flattery, disguise, or fraud, even in jest. He had such a control over his passions, that he uniformly sacrificed his private interests, and his private resentments, to the good of the public. Themistocles was one of the principal actors who procured his banishment from Athens ;-but, after being recalled, he assisted him on every occasion with his advice and credit, joyfully taking pains to promote the glory of his greatest enemy, through the motive of advancing the public good. And when afterwards the disgrace of Themistocles gave him a proper opportunity for revenge, instead of resenting the ill treatment he had received from him, he constantly refused to join with his enemies, being as far from secretly rejoicing over the misfortune of his adversary as he had been before from being afflicted at his good success. -Such virtues reflect a dignity and grandeur on every mind in which they reside, which appear incompatible with

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