however, the character of God, as a wife fuperintendant, and generous benefactor, with the ftate in which things at prefent appear, where virtue is often depreffed and afflicted, and vice apparently triumphs, it will be treated with the infamy it merits, and virtue receive that happiness and honor, which from its own intrinfic worth, it deferves, and, from its conformity to the nature of God, it has reafon to expect.

This fubject, perhaps, has been too much exaggerated, and fome pious men have weakly thought, the best way to convince us that order and happinefs prevailed in a future ftate, was to perfuade us that there was none at all in this. External advantages have been taken for the only goods of human nature; and, because, in this view, all things fpeak the appearance of mal-adminiftration, we have been taught to expect a government of rectitude and benevolence hereafter. Let us, on the contrary, candidly own that virtue is fovereignly and folely good, left, by depreciating her charms, we obliquely detract from the character of God himself. Let us confefs her undowered excellence fuperior to all the inconveniences that may attend her, even in the prefent fituation. But, without allowing fome difference between poverty and riches, fickness and health, pain and pleasure, &c. we fhall have no foundation to preference; and it will be in vain to talk of felecting where no one cho ce can be more agreeable or disagreeable to nature than, another. Upon this difference, therefore, however it be called, let the prefent argument proceed.

If infinite Goodnefs be the fpirit and characteristic of this univerfal government, then every advantage, however inconfiderable in kind or degree, muft either be fuppofed immediately beftowed on virtue; or, at least, that fuch retributions will, at fome time, be made her, as may not only render her votaries equal, but fuperior to

thofe of vice, in proportion to their merit. But how different the cafe is in human life, hiftory and obfervation may easily convince us; fo that one, whofe eyes are not intent on the character of God, and the nature of virtue, would often be tempted to think this world a theatre merely intended for mournful fpectacles and pomps of horror. How many perfons do we fee perish by the mere wants of nature, who, had they been in different circumftances, would have thanked God with tears of joy for the power of communicating thofe advantages they now implore from others in vain? While, at the fame time, they have, perhaps, the additional mifery of feeing the most endeared relations involved in the fame deplorable fate! How often do we fee thofe ties which unite the foul and body, worn out by the gradual advances of a lingering disease, or burft at once by the fudden efforts of unutterable agony? While the unhappy fufferers, had they been continued in life, might have diffufed happiness, not only through the narrow circle of their friends and neighbourhood, but as extensively as their country, and even the world at large. How many names do we fee buried in obfcurity, or foiled with detraction, which ought to have fhone the first in fame? How many heroes have furvived the liberties of their country, or died in abortive attempts to preferve them; and by their fall, only left a larger field for the lawless ravages of tyranny and oppreffion?

But were it poffible, how long and infuperable would be the task to enumerate all the ingredients which compofe the prefent cup of bitterness? And is this the confummation of things? Will fupreme and effential Goodnefs no way diftinguifh fuch as have invariably purfued his honor, and the intereft of his government, from thofe who have induftrioufly violated the order he has appointed in things? who have blotted the face of

nature with havock, murder, and defolation; and fhown a conftant intention to counteract all the benevolent defigns of Providence? It is confeffed that the virtuous, happy in the poffeffion of virtue alone, make their exit from the prefent fcene with bleffings to their Creator, for having called them to exiftence, and given them the glorious opportunity of enjoying what is in itself fu premely eligible. They are confcious that this felicity can receive no acceffion from any external luftre or advantage whatever. Yet it feems highly neceffary in the divine adminiftration, that thofe who have been dazzled with the falfe glare of profperous wickedness, should at laft be undeceived; that they fhould at laft behold. virtue confpicuous, in all her native fplendor and majesty as fhe fhines, the chief delight of God, and ultimate happiness of all-intelligen: nature.

The language of religion, and our own hearts, on this important argument, is equally comfortable and decifive. It accumulates and enforces whatever can infpire us with confidence in that God, who is not the God of the dead, but of the living; who reigns in the invifible, as well as in the vifible world; and whofe attention to our welfare ceafe: not with our lives, but is commenfurate to the full extent of our being. Indeed the votaries of the foul's mortality may as well be honeft for once, and speak out what fo many fools think in their hearts. For what is God to us, or we to him, if our connexion extends but to the pitiful space allotted us in fuch a pitiful world as this is? To be fure, no abfurdity will be rejected, which can fmother the feelings, or keep the vices of profligates in countenance; but, if only made like worms and reptiles beneath our feet, to live this moment, and expire the next, to ftruggle in a wretched life with every internal and external calamity, that can affault our bodies or infeft our minds; to bear

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the mortifications of malignity, and the unmerited abhorrence of thofe who perhaps may owe us the greatest and tendereft efteem, and then, funk in everlafting ob-. livion, our fate would ftand on record, in the annals of the universe, an eternal exception to all that can be called good.

Suppofe a father poffeffed of the most exquifite tenderness for his fon, delighted with his fimilarity of form, his promifing conftitution, his ftrength, gracefulnefs, and agility, his undifguifed emotions of filial af fection, with the various prefages of a fuperior genius and understanding. Let us fuppofe this father pleased with the employment of improving his faculties, and inspiring him with future hopes of happiness and dignity: but that he may give him a quicker fenfibility to the misfortunes of others, and a more unfhaken fortitude to fuftain his own, he often prefers younger brethren, and even ftrangers, to thofe advantages which otherwife merit, and the force of nature would determine him to beftow on for worthy an offspring. Let us go further, and imagine, if we can, that this father, without the leaft diminu-tion of tenderness, or any other apparent reafon, def troys his fon in the bloom of life, and height of expectation: Who would not lament the fate of fuch

youth with inconfolable tears? Doomed never more to behold the agreeable light of Heaven! never more to difplay his perfonal graces, nor exercife his manly powers; never more to feel his heart warm with benevolent regards, nor tafte the foul-transporting pleasure of obliging and being obliged! Blotted at once from existence, and the fair creation, he finks into filence and oblivion, with all his fublime hopes difappointed, all his immenfe defires ungratified, and all his intellectual faculties unimproved. Without mentioning the 'inftinctive horror which must attend fuch an action, how

abfurd to reafon, and how inconfiftent with the common feelings of humanity, would it be to fuppofe a father capable of fuch a deed. Forbid it, God! forbid it, Nature that we fhould impute to the munificent Father of being and happiness, what even in the loweft of rational creatures, would be monstrous and deteftable!

(5) The truth is, that form which all mankind have deemed immortal, is fo far from being the fraileft, that it seems in fact the most indiffoluble and permanent of any other we know. All the rational and inventive powers of the mind happily confpire to proclaim her infinitely different in nature, and fuperior in dignity to every poffible modification of pure matter. Were mankind joined in fociety, was life polished and cultivated were the fciences and arts, not only of utility, but elegance, produced by matter? by brute mafs? A fubstance so contrary to all activity, and intelligence, that it feems the work of an omnipotent hand alone to connect them. What judgment fhould we form of that principle which informed and enlightened a Galileo, a Copernicus, or a Newton? What inspiration taught them, to place the fun in the centre of this fyftem, and affign the various orbs their revolutions round him, reducing motions fo diverfe and unequal to uniform and fimple laws? Was it not fomething like that great eternal mind which firft gave existence to those -luminous orbs, and prefcribed each of them their province? Whence the infinite harmony and variety of found, the copious flows of eloquence, the bolder graces and more inspired elevations of poetry, but from a mind, an immaterial being, the reflected image of her all-perfect Creator, in whom eternally, dwells all beauty and excellence. Were man only endowed with a principle of vegetation, fixed to one peculiar spot, and