they will only be the reward of the diligence with which they have been sought — of the difficulties their pursuit has occasioned us. The atheist himself-he who, having no views beyond this world, gives his passions their full range in it - acts with abundantly more sense and consistency than he who, full of the hopes of immortality, yet consults his humor or his ease, his pleasure or his profit, regardless of any understanding he has to improve, or any progress in virtue he has to make. Nor is there any thing that so much confirms the irreligious man in his bad principles, as his observing this conduct in those who profess to believe in a God and another life. He thinks, and, I must own, but too justly, that it is the same thing not to be influenced by such a belief, and not to have it- that it is even much more reasonable to give up all expectations of future happiness, than to expect it, and yet do nothing in order to it- do nothing that can appear at all qualifying us for, or entitling us to it: in a word, he rightly thinks that, supposing there be a God of that perfect justice and wisdom attributed to our Creator, he cannot make any difference hereafter between those who have absolutely denied his justice, his wisdom, nay, his very being, and those who, with all their acknowledgments of him and his perfections, would yet never sacrifice any of their inclinations to him would not be at any pains to know his will, or, if they did know it, would only so far obey it as it was agreeable to their own. I can hardly quit this subject. So great is the danger, so certain, I may say, is the mischief of persuading ourselves, that an eternal happiness will be the reward of the little we do to secure it, that I scarcely know when I have said enough to evince what conduct alone it can reward. THE SAME, CONCLUDED. As the visible world is the only universal guide to our conjectures on the invisible, and therein, as I have observed, the method of Providence in dispensing its blessings is manifest to every eye, all those which can most engage our wishes depending wholly on what we do to obtain them; as, likewise, whether we consider the wisdom of God, or his truth, or his justice, they all concur in teaching us this lesson, that an ever-continuing felicity can only be prepared for a distinguished virtue; as things, I say, are thus, may it not properly be asked, What can it be that so strangely infatuates us that possesses us with hopes so extravagantly absurd that makes a pursuit so lazy and remiss, which ought to be so vigorous and uninterrupted? I know not what this possibly can be, but either the numbers that countenance our practice, or the reliance we have on the Deity's unbounded goodness. As to the former, how little stress we should lay on numbers, will be evident from these three considerations. First, they who, in every age, are most commended for their wisdom and prudence, never take the multitude for their pattern; but, on the other hand, constantly live in a direct opposition to its practices, and dissuade from them all to whom they are well-wishers. Secondly, those follies and vices, which are the reproach of numbers, are not, therefore, the less mischievous in their consequences. The increasing multitudes of the lewd and drunken do not, in any instance, occasion lewdness and drunkenness to have more favorable circumstances attending them, either with respect to the persons, or the posterity of the guilty; and, if God be in no instance more favorable to the vicious in this world because of their numbers, we have hence too sad a proof, that they have not the least ground to expect he should be so in the next. Thirdly, an established order taking place in all the works of God that we are acquainted with; every thing in the natural world being subjected to certain laws; and in the moral world, good having still a tendency to produce good, nor ever failing to do it, unless from some accidental hinderances; and evil, when things are in their proper course, producing evil,—we have very strong reason to believe that an unchangeable God-he whose wisdom uniformly displays itself has fixed things thus, that thus they will proceed to all eternity; good following from good, evil from evil; with this difference alone, with respect to us, in another state, that all hinderances of the natural consequences of things will there be removed nothing will prevent the virtuous man's reaping the fruits of his virtue, nor will any thing hinder the whole of the dismal effects of vice from being felt by those, who have here allowed themselves in it. And, if this be the case, than which nothing is more probable, it is then quite clear that all the hopes of the guilty from their numbers must be utterly vain — that it would be full as reasonable to think a plague could not be a dangerous distemper, because it is so infectious a one, as to think that we shall be safe amidst our crimes because of the multitude that share them. With regard to the goodness of God, how groundless our reliance must be upon it, when we act contrary to the ends for which we were made when we neglect our opportunities, and abuse our capacities — will, I hope, be sufficiently plain to us, if we attend to the following short remarks: 1. We ascribe goodness to God as a perfection; but nothing can be a perfection in him, which has, morally speaking, a necessary tendency to make his creatures less perfect, less careful to answer the ends of their creation; and this the divine goodness would certainly do, if it were indeed such as allowed us nothing to fear, though we neglected to use rightly the abilities and opportunities afforded us. - 2. As God is the Governor of the world, is acknowledged so by all who own his being, — we must, therefore, consider his goodness as that of a governor, or as consistent with, and agreeable to, a wise government: but can this be said of his goodness, if it exempt from all punishment our wilful and continued disobedience to his laws, and thereby encourage us to disobey them? 3. One attribute or perfection of the Deity cannot clash with another; his goodness, for instance, with his justice; but the punishment of evil is as much a part of justice, as the rewarding of good. To treat evil as if it were not evil, can neither be agreeable to justice nor truth; and this would be the case evil would be regarded as if it were not evil did the goodness of God so favor the wilful offender, that his crimes would never receive their desert. 4. To restrain evil, to obstruct its progress, must be the care of a good governor - nay, would be the surest proof of his goodness. To punish, therefore, such as act contrary to the law of their nature, contrary to the well-being of society, and therein contrary to their own and the common happiness, is not only a part of justice, but even of goodness itself. We could not consider God as good, had he not properly guarded against his creatures corrupting themselves, and against that corruption extending itself; and what are the discouragements to this, but in the way of punishment — but by the sufferings the guilty have to fear? The more there are who act in defiance of these sufferings, the more necessary it becomes to inflict them; and offenders can have no reason to think that the mercy of God will spare them, when the greatest mercy is shown in obviating the t g 168-185. m 85, 97. mischief of such examples, by treating them according to what they have deserved. Let us behold the goodness of God in this light; and this is that in which we ought to see it-this is its true representation; and thus seen, it cannot but convince us how impossible it is, that we should have any thing to hope after a life unprofitably, vainly spent how much such a life has necessarily to fear. DEAN BOLTON. VOUCHSAFED; granted in condescension. RECOMPENSE; an equivalent roturned for any thing given, done, or suffered. SOLICITUDE; concern, care, anxiety, uneasiness of mind. INFATUATE; deprive of sound judgment. INFECTIOUS; capable of being communicated by near approach. EXEMPT; free, or permit to be free. A PSALM OF LIFE. ENJOYMENT; ě, not ì. FUNERAL; fu'nêr-ǎl; three syllables. BIVOUAC; bivoo-ǎk; required by the metre to be in three syllables. TELL me not, in mournful numbers, For the soul is dead that slumbers, Life is real! life is earnest ! And the grave is not its goal; "Dust thou art, to dust returnest," Was not spoken of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, |