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formed for a wider range of objects, for a higher sphere of enjoyments, it finds itself, in every situation of fortune straitened and confined. Sensible of deficiency in its state, it is ever sending forth the fond desire, the aspiring wish after something beyond what is enjoyed at present. Hence, that restlessness which prevails so generally among mankind. Hence, that disgust of pleasures which they have tried; that passion for novelty; that ambition of rising to some degree of eminence or felicity, of which they have formed to them. selves an indistinct idea. All which may be considered as indications of a certain native, original greatness in the human soul, swelling beyond the limits of its present con dition; and pointing, to the higher objects for which it was made. Happy, if these latent remains of our primitive state served to direct our wishes towards their proper destination and to lead us into the path of true bliss.

But in this dark and bewildered state, the aspiring ten dency of our nature unfortunately takes an opposite direction and feed a very misplaced ambition. The flattering appear ances which here present themselves to sense; the distinc tions which fortune confers; the advantages and pleasure which we imagine the world to be capable of bestowing, fil up the ultimate wish of most men. These are the object which engross their solitary musings, and stimulate thei active labours; which warm the breasts of the young, animat the industry of the middle aged, and often keep alive th passions of the old, until the very close of life.

Assuredly, there is nothing unlawful in our wishing to b freed from whatever is disagreeable, and to obtain a fulle enjoyment of the comforts of life. But when these wishes ar not tempered by reason, they are in danger of precipitatin us into much extravagance and folly. Desires and wishe are the rst springs of action. When they become exorbitan the whole character is likely to be tainted. If we suffer ou fancy to create to itself worlds of idle happiness, we shal discompose the peace and order of our minds, and fomen many hurtful passions. Here, then, let moderation begi its reign; by bringing within reasonable bounds the wishe that we form. As soon as they become extravagant, let u check them by proper reflections on the fallacious nature o those objects, which the world hangs out to allure desire. You have strayed, my friends, from the road which conducti to felicity; you have dishonoured the native dignity of you souls, in allowing your wishes to terminate on nothing higher than worldly ideas of greatness or happiness. You

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magination roves in a land of shadows. deceive you. It is no more than a phantom, an illusion of happiness, which attracts your fond admiration; nay, an illusion of happiness which often conceals much real misery. Do you imagine that all are happy, who have attained to those summits of distinction, towards which your wishes aspire? Alas! how frequently has experience shown, that where roses were supposed to bloom, nothing but briers and thorns grew? Reputation, he uty, riches, grandeur, nay, royalty itself, would, many a time, have been gladly exchanged by the possessors, for that more quiet and humble station, with which you are now dissatisfied. With all that 5 splendid and shining in the world. It is decreed that there should mix many deep shades of wo. On the elevated situations of fortune, the great calamities of life chiefly fall. There, the storm spends its violence, and there the thunder breaks: while safe and unburt, the inhabitants of the vale remain below;-Retreat, then, from those vain and perni cious excursions of extravagant desire. Satisfy yourselves with what is rational and attainable. Train your minds ta moderate views of human life and human happiness. Remem ber, and admire, the wisdom of Agur's petition: "Remove far from me vanity and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full and leny thee; and say, who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal; and take the name of my God in vain.” BLAIR.

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Omniscience and Omnipresence of the DEITY, the source of Consolation to good Men.

I was yesterday, about sunset walking in the open fields, ill the night insensibly fell upon me. I at first amused nyself with all the riches and variety of colours, which appeared in the western parts of heaven. In proportion As they faded away and went out, several stars and planets appeared one after another, till the whole firmament was in glow. The blueness of the ether was exceedingly heightened and enlivened, by the season of the year, and the rays of all hose luminaries that passed through it. The galaxy appeared in its most beautiful white. To complete the scene, he full-moon rose, at length in that clouded majesty, which Milton takes notice of; and opened to the eye a new picture of nature, which was more finely shaded and disposed among softer lights than that which the sun had before discovered

to us.

As I was surveying the moon walking in her brightness, and taking her progress among the constellations, a thought arose in me, which I believe very often perplexes and disturbs men of serious and contemplative natures. David himself fell into it, in that reflection: "when I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou regardest him!" In the same manner, when I considered that infinite host of stars, or to speak more philosophically, of suns which were then shining upon me; with those innumerable sets of planets or worlds, which were moving round their respective suns; when I still enlarged the idea, and supposed another heaven of suns and worlds, rising still above this which we discovered; and these still enlightened by a superior firmament of luminaries which are planted at so great a distance that they may appear to the inhabitants of the former, as the stars do to us; in short, while I pursued this thought, I could not but refeet on that little insignificant figure which, I myself bore midst the immensity of God's works.

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Where the sun, which enlightens this part of the creation, with all the hosts of planetary worlds that move above him atterly extinguished and annihilated, they would not be misted, more than a grain of sand upon the sea-shore. The pace they possess is so exceedingly little in comparison of the vhole, it would scarcely make a blank in the creation. The hasin would be imperceptible to an eye, that could take in he whole compass of nature, and pass from one end of the reation to the other; as it is possible there may be such a ense in ourselves hereafter, or in creatures which are at resent more exalted than ourselves. By the help of glasses, e see many stars, which we do not discover with our naked yes; and the finer our telescopes are, the more still are ir discoveries.-Huygenius carries this thought so far, that e does not think it impossible there may be stars, whose ght has not yet travelled down to us, since their first creation. here is no question that the universe has certain bounds t to it; but when we consider that it is the work of Infinite ower, prompted by Infinite Goodness, with an infinite space exert itself in, how can our imagination set any bounds

it.

To

return, therefore, to my first thought, I could not but k upon myself with secret horror, as a being that was t worth the smallest regard of one who had so great a erk under his care and superintendance. I was afraid of

PART I. being overlooked amidst the immensity of nature; and lost among the infinite variety of creatures, which, in all probability, swarm through all these immeasurable regions of

matter.

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In order to recover myself from this mortifying thought, I considered that it took its rise from those narrow conceptions, which we are apt to entertain of the Divine Nature. We ourselves cannot attend to many different objects at the same time. If we are careful to inspect some things, we must of course neglect others. This imperfection which we observe. in ourselves, is an imperfection that cleaves, in some degree, to creatures of the highest capacities, as they are creatures, that is, beings of finite and limited natures. The presence of every created being is confined to a certain measure of space; and consequently his observation is stinted to a certain number of objects. The sphere in which we move, and act, and understand, is of a wider circumference to one creature than another, according as we rise one above another in the scale of existence. But the widest of these our spheres has its circumference. When, therefore, we reflect on the Divine Nature, we are so used and accustomed to this imperfection in ourselves, that we cannot forbear, in some measure ascribing it to HIM, in whom there is no shadow of imperfection. Our reason indeed assures us, that his attributes are infinite; but the poorness of our conception is such, that it cannot forbear setting bounds to every thing it contemplates, till our reason comes again to our succour and throws down all those little prejudices, which rise in us unawares, and are natural to the mind of man.

We shall therefore utterly extinguish this melanchol thought, of our being overlooked by our Maker, in the mu tiplicity of his works, and the infinity of those objects among which he seems to be incessantly employed, if we consider in the first place, that he is omnipresent, and in the second that he is omniscient.

If we consider him in his omnipresence, his being passe through, actuates, and supports the whole frame of nature His creation, in every part of it, is full of him. There nothing he has made, which is either so distant, so little, so inconsiderable, that he does not essentially reside in His substance is within the substance of every being, whet er material or immaterial, and as intimately present to as that being is to itself. It would be an imperfection him, were he able to move out of one place into another; to withdraw himself from any thing he has created, or f

any part of that space which he diffused and spread abroad to infinity. In short, to speak of him in the language of the old philosophers, he is a being whose centre is every where, and his circumference no where.

In the second place, he is omniscient as well as omnipresent. His omniscience, indeed, necessarily and naturally lows from his omnipresence. He cannot but be conscious of every motion that arises in the whole material world, which he thus essentially peryades; and of every thought that is tiring in the intellectual world, to every part of which he 8 thus intimately united. Were the soul separated from he body, and should it with one glance of thought start eyond the bounds of the creation; should it for millions of Fears, continue its progress through infinite space, with the ame activity, it would still find itself within the embrace fits Creator, and encompassed by the immensity of the Godhead.

In this consideration of the Almighty's omnipresence and mniscience, every uncomfortable thought vanishes. He annot but regard every thing that has being, especially such 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 occasion; for is it is impossible he should overlook any of his creatures, so we may be confident that he regards with an eye of mercy those who endeavor to recommend themselves to his notice; and in unfeigned humility of heart, think themselves unworthy that he should be mindful of them.

ADDISON,

CHAP. IV.

ARGUMENTATIVE PIECES.

SECTION 1.

Happiness is founded in Rectitude of Conduct.

ALL men pursue good, and would be happy, if they knew ow; not happy for minutes, and miserable for hours; but. happy, if possible, through every part of their existence. Either, therefore, there is a good of this steady, durable kind, or there is not. If not, then all good must be transient and Incertain; and if so, an object of the lowest value, which an little deserve our attention or inquiry. But if there be

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