Imatges de pàgina
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established (like the fixing of the correfponding points in the retina) not even the most fudden appearance of evil will be able to affect the mind with the idea of any thing but what is right and defirable upon the whole, any more than two images, one in each eye, though ever fo unexpectedly impreffed, are not able, even for a moment, or by furprise, to give us the idea of two objects; though this was always the cafe in our infancy, and would be for fill without affociation of ideas. If ever our minds should arrive at the perfect ftate here hinted at, all the works of God, and all the events of divine providence, will conftantly appear to us as they do to the divine being himself, i. e. perfectly and infinitely good, without the leaft perceivable mixture of evil.

In what time it is even poffible to effect all this, cannot, with the least certainty, be fo much as conjectured for though we cannot remember objects appearing to us in any other manner than they now do; yet as these affociations of vifible ideas must have been impreffed every time we opened our eyes, from the time that we began to take notice of things; we must conclude, that this operation cannot but require a very long and fteady application of mind. Temporary pains and evils of all kinds, must be very clearly and fatisfactorily feen to be, in all cafes, productive of happinefs in the iffue, under the government of an infinitely good God; and

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the conviction must be repeated and felt again and again, before the ideas will entirely, univerfally, and readily coalefce; fo that, by reafon of the neceffary avocation of mind, and the unfteady and imperfect views of things we can gain in this ftate, little can be done towards it here, and it must be referred to the attainments of a better world.

The above-mentioned facts, however, fhew, in the ftrongest light, what is the natural progress and effect of association of ideas in the human mind. We see the course that things are evidently in, and it doth not appear, that any bounds can be fet to it. We muft, therefore, in favourable circumftances (fuch as we fhall, no doubt, find ourselves in, in a future world) approximate to this perfection of comprehenfion with the experience of every day; in this way, time only is requifite, to make a mere man arrive at a pitch of excellence and happiness, of which we are able, at prefent, to form but very imperfect conceptions. With these lights, though, as yet, we are able to apply them but very imperfectly, how may we stand amazed in the contemplation of our future felves!

By the help of these considerations, we may form fome idea wherein confifts the superiority of beings of higher orders, whofe intellectual powers exceed The affociation of their ideas may be more extenfive, and affociated ideas may unite and

ours.

coalefce

coalefce more readily, and perfectly in their minds, than they do in ours; the confequence of which will be, that ideas collected from a greater space, both before and after the prefent moment, will be co-existent in their minds; which will make the influence of ideas ftill greater, and that of fenfation (or what may be in them analogous to fenfation in us) ftill lefs than it is with us; fo that their natures will be more purely intellectual than ours.

Hence, alfo, if we may prefume to indulge a conjecture on such a subject, may we form a faint idea of the incomprehenfible greatnefs and perfection of the divine being. For fince there is a real connection of all things, in the whole system of nature, how distant foever the parts of it may be, in point of time or place; this connection may at once be fo completely feen by him who planned, and who directs the whole, that it may be faid, there is nothing paft or future in his ideas; but that to him, the whole compafs of duration is, to every real purpose, without diftinction, prefent. To him, therefore, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day; the two extremes, being fo perfectly united, and fo equally prefent, that the intervals, how different foever, vanish alike in both cafes.

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We fee, then, the courfe which the divine being has pointed out for the improvement of intelligent beings, whereby we may make approaches

to

to the excellence and happiness of the divine nature. We are to be influenced lefs by fenfation, and more by affociated ideas perpetually. The affociation of all connected ideas is to grow more perfect, and more extenfive continually, till things paft, prefent, and to come fhall, to greater and greater diftances, become the fubject of our contemplation, and the source of our happiness. Provifion is made for the continuance of this progress, in the ftructure of our minds, and in all the influences to which we are expofed. All the objects about which we are converfant, and all the events to which we are liable, are contrived to favour it. Let us now confider whether any thing fimilar to this may be obferved in the fcheme of revelation; and fince both the ordinary and extraordinary courfe of divine providence have the fame object with respect to us, both being defigned and calculated to raife, improve, and blefs the human race; let us confider whether they be conducted in a manner analogous to one another; fo that we may trace the fame hand in both, and hence derive a prefumptive argument in favour of revelation.

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To me, I own, there feems to be, in this respect, a very great analogy between both these difpenfations of God to mankind, and the argument that may thence be deduced in favour of revela tion ftrikes me very much. For in those extraordinary dispensations of God to mankind, of which

we

we are informed in the books of fcripture, we fee a most glorious apparatus for accomplishing this great end, for enlarging the comprehenfion of the human mind, and raifing us to the highest pitch of perfection and excellence.

To have the mind impreffed with the idea of its being in a state of moral government, and that our actions have great and diftant confequences, is of admirable ufe in this refpect; and this, we find, was the fituation of Adam prefently after he came from the hands of his maker. He was permitted the free ufe of all the trees in the garden of Eden except one, which he was forbidden to meddle with under fevere penalties. In these circumftances he was under a neceffity of looking before him, and attending to the diftant confequences of what he was doing. He faw (as is generally understood) an immortal existence before him in cafe of obedience, and of prudence and regularity in the gratification of his appetites; and death (of the meaning of which he was, no doubt, informed) in cafe of difobedience and irregular indulgence.

If we confider the importance of having enlarged views, and of the attention being engaged upon objects, beyond the prefent moment, we must fee how vaftly fuperior this fituation was, with refpect to the improvement of his faculties, to a ftate in which he should have been left to the random indulgence of his appetites, without any intimation

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