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regard to himself in producing it. He needed slides, and he tumbles down headlong into the not to make trial of his omnipotence to be in-grave.

formed what effects were within its reach; the Thinking on this, I am obliged to believe, in world, as existing in his eternal idea, was then justice to the Creator of the world, that there as beautiful as now it is drawn forth into is another state when man shall be better situbeing; and in the immense abyss of his es- ated for contemplation, or rather have it in sence are contained far brighter scenes than his power to remove from object to object, will be ever set forth to view; it being impos- and from world to world; and be accommosible that the great Author of nature should dated with senses, and other helps, for makbound his own power by giving existence to a ing the quickest and most amazing discovesystem of creatures so perfect that he cannot ries. How does such a genius as Sir Isaac improve upon it by any other exertions of his Newton, from amidst the darkness that inalmighty will. Between finite and infinite volves human understanding, break forth, there is an unmeasured interval, not to be fill- and appear like one of another species! The ed up in endless ages; for which reason, the vast machine we inhabit lies open to him; he most excellent of all God's works must be seems not unacquainted with the general laws equally short of what his power is able to pro- that govern it, and while with the transport duce as the most imperfect, and may be ex-of a philosopher he beholds and admires the ceeded with the same ease. glorious work, he is capable of paying at once This thought hath made some imagine (what a more devout and more rational homage to it must be confessed is not impossible) that his Maker. But, alas! how narrow is the the unfathomed space is ever teeming with prospect even of such a mind! And how ohnew births, the younger still inheriting greater scure to the compass that is taken in by the perfection than the elder. But, as this doth ken of an angel, or of a soul but newly escapnot fall within my present view, I shall con-ed from its imprisonment in the body! For tent myself with taking notice, that the con- my part, I freely indulge my soul in the confisideration now mentioned proves undeniably, dence of its future grandeur; it pleases me that the ideal worlds in the divine under- to think that I, who know so small a portion standing yield a prospect incomparably more of the works of the Creator, and with slow ample, various, and deligtful, than any cre- and painful steps creep up and down on the ated world can do: and that therefore, as it surface of this globe, shall ere long shoot is not to be supposed that God should make away with the swiftness of imagination, trace a world merely of inanimate matter, however out the hidden springs of nature's operations, diversified or inhabited only by creatures of be able to keep pace with the heavenly bodies no higher an order than brutes, so the end in the rapidity of their career, be a spectator for which he designed his reasonable offspring of the long chain of events in the natural and is the contemplation of his works, the enjoy moral worlds, visit the several apartments of ment of himself, and in both to be happy; the creation, know how they are furnished having, to this purpose, endowed them with and how inhabited, comprehend the order, correspondent faculties and desires. He can and measure the magnitudes and distances of have no greater pleasure from a bare review those orbs, which to us seem disposed withof his works than from a survey of his own out any regular design, and set all in the ideas; but we may be assured that he is well same circle; observe the dependence of the pleased in the satisfaction derived to beings parts of each system, and (if our minds are capable of it, and for whose entertainment big enough to grasp the theory) of the several he hath erected this immense theatre. Is not systems upon one another, from whence rethis more than an intimation of our immor-sults the harmony of the universe. In etertality? Man, who, when considered as on nity, a great deal may be done of this kind. his probation for a happy existence hereafter, I find it of use to cherish this generous amis the most remarkable instance of divine wis-bition; for, besides the secret refreshment it dom, if we cut him off from all relation to diffuses through my soul, it engages me in an eternity, is the most wonderful and unaccount-endeavour to improve my faculties, as well as able composition in the whole creation. He to exercise them conformably to the rank I hath capacities to lodge a much greater variety now hold among reasonable beings, and the of knowledge than he will be ever master of, hope I have of being once advanced to a more and an unsatisfied curiosity to tread the se- exalted station. cret paths of nature and providence: but, The other, and that the ultimate end of man, with this, his organs, in their present structure, is the enjoyment of God, beyond which he canare rather fitted to serve the necessities of a not form a wish. Dim at best are the concepvile body, than to minister to his understand-tions we have of the Supreme Being, who, as ing; and, from the little spot to which he is it were, keeps his creatures in suspense, neither chained, he can frame but wandering guesses discovering nor hiding himself; by which concerning the innumerable worlds of light means, the libertine hath a handle to dispute that encompass him; which, though in them- his existence, while the most are content to selves of a prodigious bigness, do but just glim-speak him fair, but in their hearts prefer every mer in the remote spaces of the heavens: and trifling satisfaction to the favour of their Maker, when, with a great deal of time and pains, he and ridicule the good man for the singularity hath laboured a little way up the steep ascent of his choice. Will there not a time come, of truth, and beholds with pity the grovel- when the free-thinker shall see his impious ling multitude beneath, in a moment his foot schemes overturned, and be made a convert to

the truths he hates? when deluded mortals as something analagous to the sense of seeing, shall be covinced of the folly of their pursuits; which is the medium of our acquaintance with and the few wise, who followed the guidance of this visible world. And in some such way can Heaven, and, scorning the blandishments of God make himself the object of immediate insense, and the sordid bribery of the world, as- tuition to the blessed; and as he can, it is uot pired to a celestial abode, shall stand possessed improbable that he will, always condescending, of their utmost wish in the vision of the Crea- in the circumstances of doing it, to the weaktor? Here the mind heaves a thought now and ness and proportion of finite minds. His works then towards him, and hath some transient but faintly reflect the image of his perfections; glances of his presence: when in the instant it it is a second-hand knowledge: to have a just thinks itself to have the fastest hold, the ob-idea of him, it may be necessary to see him as ject eludes its expectations, and it falls back he is. But what is that? It is something that tired and baffled to the ground. Doubtless there never entered into the heart of man to conis some more perfect way of conversing with ceive; yet, what we can easily conceive, will be heavenly beings. Are not spirits capable of a fountain of unspeakable and everlasting rapmutual-intelligence, unless immersed in bodies, ture. All created glories will fade and die away or by their intervention? Must superior na-in his presence. Perhaps it will be my happitures depend on inferior for the main privilege ness to compare the world with the fair exemof social beings, that of conversing with and plar of it in the Divine Mind; perhaps, to view knowing each other? What would they have the original plan of those wise designs that done had matter never been created ? ́ I sup- have been executing in a long succession of pose, not have lived in eternal solitude. As in- ages. Thus employed in finding out his works, corporeal substances are of a nobler order, so, and contemplating their Author, how shali 1 be sure, their manner of intercourse is answer-fall prostrate and adoring, my body swallowed ably more expedite and intimate. This method up in the immensity of matter, my mind in the of communication we call intellectual vision, infinitude of his perfections!

THE END.

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Bags of money, a sudden transformation of them
into sticks and paper

Bamboo, (Benjamin) the philosophical use he re-
solves to make of a shrew of a wife

Bankruptcy, the misery of it

Bantam, (ambassador of) his letter to his master
about the English

Baptist Lully, his prudent management

-

415 Boccalini, his animadversions upon critics

His fable of a grasshopper applied to Spectator
19 Bodily exercises of ancient encouragement
19 Body (human) the work of a transcendently wise
and powerful being

29

Bareface, his success with the ladies-reason for it 156 Buffoonery censured

355

Blanks of society, who

Blank, his letter to the Spectator about his family 563
Blank verse proper for tragedy

39

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10

Blast, (Lady) her character

529 Bluemantle, (Lady) an account of her
Board-wages, the ill effects of it

457
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543

411 Bohours, (Monsieur) great critic among the French
447 Boileau censured, and for what

62

200

554 Bonosus, the drunken Briton, a saying of him af-
ter he had hanged himself

569

607

608

Books, reduced to their quintessence
The legacies of great geniusses

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3 Breeding, fine breeding distinguished from good
Bribery, most pravailing way of making one's court 394
482 British ladies distinguished from the Picts
428, 456 Brunetta and Phillis, their adventures

66

41

80

Bruyere, (Mons.) his character of an absent man
557 Buck, (Timothy) his answer to James Miller's chal-
lenge

77

436

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