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away childish things. For now we see SERM. through a glass darkly; but then, face to face: Now I know in part; but then, I fhall know even as I am known. Under the care of the Almighty, our education is now going on, from a mortal to an immortal state. As much light is let in upon us, as we can bear without injury. When the objects become too fplendid and dazzling for our fight, the curtain is drawn. Exercised in fuch a field of action, as fuits the ftrength of our unripened powers, we are, at the fame time, by proper prospects and hopes, prompted to afpire towards the manhood of our nature, the time when childish things fhall be put away. But ftill, betwixt those future prospects, and the impreffion of present objects, fuch an accurate proportion is established, as on the one hand shall not produce a total contempt of earthly things, while we afpire to those that are heavenly; and, on the other, fhall not encourage fuch a degree of attachment to our present state, as would

SERM. render us unworthy of future advance

IV.

ment. In a word, the whole course of things is fo ordered, that we may neither by an irregular and precipitate education, become men too foon; nor by a fond and trifling indulgence, be suffered to continue children for ever.

LET these reflections not only remove the doubts which may arife from our obfcure knowledge of immortality, but likewife produce the higheft admiration of the wisdom of our Creator. The ftructure of the natural world affords innumerable instances of profound defign, which no attentive fpectator can furvey without wonder. In the moral world, where the workmanship is of much finer and more delicate contexture, fubjects of still greater admiration open to view. But admiration must rife to its highest point, when those parts of the moral constitution, which at firft were reputed blemishes, which carried the appearance of objections, either to the wifdom or the

goodness

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goodness of Providence, are discovered, SERM on more accurate infpection, to be adjusted with the most exquifite propriety. We have now feen, that the darkness of man's condition is no lefs effential to his well-being, than the light which he enjoys. His internal powers, and his external fituation, appear to be exactly fitted to each other. Thofe complaints which we are apt to make, of our limited capacity and narrow views, of our inability to penetrate farther into the future deftination of man, are found, from the foregoing observations, to be just as unreasonable, as the childish complaints of our not being formed with a microscopic eye, nor furnished with an eagle's wing; that is, of not being endowed with powers which would fubvert the nature, and counteract the laws, of our prefent ftate.

In order to do juftice to the subject, I muft obferve, That the fame reasoning which has been now employed with respect to our knowledge of immortality, is equally applicable to many other branches

of

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SERM. of intellectual knowledge. Thus, why we are permitted to know fo little of the nature of that Eternal Being who rules the universe; why the manner in which he operates on the natural and moral world, is wholly concealed; why we are kept in fuch ignorance, with refpect to the extent of his works, to the nature and agency of fpiritual beings, and even with respect to the union between our own foul and body: To all these, and several other enquiries of the fame kind, which often employ the folicitous researches of fpeculative men, the answer is the fame that was given to the interesting question which makes the fubject of our difcourfe, the degree of knowledge desired, would prove incompatible with the defign, and with the proper business of this life. It would raise us to a sphere too exalted; would reveal objects too great and striking for our prefent faculties; would excite feelings too strong for us to bear; in a word, would unfit us for thinking or acting like human creatures. It is therefore reserved for a more advanced period of our na

ture;

1

IV.

ture; and the hand of Infinite wisdom hath SERM in mercy drawn a veil over fcenes which would overpower the fight of mortals.

One inftance in particular, of Divine wisdom, is so illuftrious, and correfponds fo remarkably with our prefent fubject, that I cannot pass it over without notice; that is the concealment under which Providence has placed the future events of our life on earth. The defire of penetrating into this unknown region, has ever been one of the most anxious paffions of men. It has often feized the wife as well as the credulous, and given rise to many vain and impious fuperftitions throughout the whole earth. Burning with curiosity at the approach of fome critical event, and impatient under the perplexity of conjecture and doubt, How cruel is Providence, we are apt to exclaim, in denying to man the power of forefight, and in limiting him to the knowledge of the prefent moment? Were he permitted to look forward into the courfe of deftiny, how much more fuitably