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tremble at the apprehension of what it will not confess, or slenderly believes."

"There is an inward feeling and sense of God implanted in every soul, and all without us confirms it. Whatever a man can behold above him, about him, beneath him, the most mean and inconsiderable creatures are pearls and transparent stones, that cast abroad the rays of that glorious brightness which shines on them; as if a man were inclosed in a city, built all of precious stones, that in the sun-shine all and every parcel of it, the streets, the houses, the roofs, the windows*, all of it, reflected into his eyes. those sun-beams in such a manner, as if all had been one mirror."

The being of God may, therefore, be laid down as a fact generally acknowledged by all sober men. But what his being consists in, or what his attributes are, is the question; and surely, if it had been a proper one for man to ask, Moses would have been resolved therein. He was going, in the authority of the Lord, to persuade a great king to let 600,000 of his subjects go, and was to persuade these subjects, to follow whither he, at the Lord's command, should lead them. Well then might he say within himself, "Who am I to speak such a thing to a king? Who am I to lead out such a mighty people? Peradventure, when I mention to them the God of their fathers, and say he

There is a peculiar beauty in the repetition of the words “ all, and all of it" here, which shews how full the author was of his subject, and desirous to amplify and use all the force of language and figures, in order, if possible, to make his simile and images reach it.

hath sent me, they will not believe me, or they will ask me, what is his name? Or how shall we distinguish him from other Gods, and the idols of the nations? What shall I say, in that case?"

The Lord answered, I AM THAT I AM*.-Should I declare my essence to them it would be incomprehensible! It is a secret! It is wonderful, and beyond the reach of human capacity! Tell them the great Omnipotent first Being, the Father and Maker of all, hath sent thee; whose perfections are unfathomable, and whose existence has been from eternity, the same to day, yesterday and for ever! I AM THAT I AM hath sent thee. Tell them that I am inscrutable to all but myself, and derive my existence from none besides. This short, though mysterious, answer will teach them more than all human eloquence could do. It will teach them to ask no more, but to rest satisfied, and wonder and adore and obey!

From this answer, given by the Almighty himself, it would appear that he never intended the human race should throw away time, in metaphysical researches into his unsearchable essence. To know that he is, and is a rewarder of all that diligently seek him, is the sum total of what we are now concerned to know. To be convinced that he is self-existent, over all, and possessed of every endearing quality, without limitation and in full assemblage, is enough for speculation. The rest should be all practice; namely faith in his promises, hope in their accomplishment, charity and good will to his creatures, resignation to

Exod. chap. 3.

his government, and a patient continuance in well doing, looking forward to the consummation of our earthly pilgrimage, when we shall be taken into his beatific presence to know, and to see, and to love more abundantly.

Nevertheless, though we are to check vain curiosity, yet such a knowledge and belief as I have mentioned above, are absolutely necessary to our felicity here.

There is implanted in the soul of man, a natural affectation of whatever is great, marvellous, and new. Who would stoop to survey a little brook that murmurs at his feet, when the mighty ocean lies expanded to the sight? Who would gaze upon the feeble rays of a common star, when a comet, or some strange phenomenon, blazes through the vault of night? The contemplation of things great, wonderful and new, as it delights and fills the soul with uncommon elevation, so it teaches us to believe that if there is an object capable of delighting us forever, he must have these qualities. He must be all perfection. He must be such, that if we should contemplate and adore him for ever, the great, the wonderful and the new would never be exhausted, nor suffer diminution in him!

Now this active energy was undoubtedly stamped on our minds, to raise us above the objects of sense, nor suffer us to rest beneath our native love. From Heaven the soul descended, and thither must return, before she can find an object fully commensurate to her more generous affections! Else, wherefore burns within us this constant hankering after something

new and untried*? Wherefore does every object, with which we are conversant here, so soon grow familiar to the sight, and pall upon the enjoyment? Why does the soul desire to give unconfined range to her flight, and pry into every nature through the immense of being? Why, when she has travelled as far as thought can reach, or time itself permit, is she still unsatisfied, crying "farther! yet a little farther!"

Whence all this, but because, in this mortal state, she is, as it were, confined from home, from the immediate vision of him who is her true delight, the great model and source of all perfection? Whence, but because in all things else, she discovers marks of imperfection; and the new, the great and the wonderful in them, are soon exhausted? Nothing can be a God to the mind of man, in which any defect or blemish can be discovered.

'Tis fatally true that souls grovelling in sin and folly may, for a while, lull their best faculties asleep, and rest satisfied without thinking of God, or by making gods of his creatures. Yet this is but a very transient rest, disturbed by every cross accident, that is capable of rousing and keeping up reflection. Then all that we trusted to is vanished; and the mind, if it would shift and turn forever, can find no more ease till it has come to its true God; till it has conceived a being, able to save to the uttermost all who put their trust in him!

• See some beautiful passages to this purpose, in Dr. Akenside's sublime poem, on the Pleasures of Imagination.

But having once fled to this being, in the methods appointed by his grace, we can rest fully satisfied; through the eye of faith in him, though we find it in vain to look for his uncircumscribed essence here, or there; in this region, or among that order of beings. For it is high as the heavens, what can we do? And deeper than hell, what can we know? It is longer than the earth and broader than the sea!-He is all! He is every where! And, though in that all, and, this every where, the soul be swallowed up and lost, yet there it can rest; fearing his power, adoring his wisdom, and trusting his goodness!

Here at last is firm footing! Almighty wisdom to contrive, almighty goodness to influence, and almighty power to execute, what is best on the whole! Under such a governor, virtue may safely trust all her concerns both now and for ever! What need man to know more for the present, but that such a being exists over all, and independent of all?

Yet though this be our main business, still it may neither be improper nor presumptuous to look forward, with an earnest longing, to that time when we shall see and known and love him more abundantly

Oh for a glimpse of him my soul adores! &c.

But while I meditate on these glorious and rap: turous subjects, I am carried beyond the usual length of a single essay. Yet-Oh! that I could meditate upon them for ever! Oh! that they were become the chief joy of all mankind, and that every reader could, for himself, say Amen!

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