cards, without esteem from the old, men of serious and contemplative or reverence from the young. natures. David himself fell into it

I cannot but think, Mr. Rambler, in that reflection, "When I conthat I have reason to complain; for sider the heavens the work of thy surely the females ought to pay some fingers, the moon and the stars which regard to the age of him whose youth thou hast ordained, what is man was passed in endeavours to please that thou art mindful of him, and them. They that encourage folly in the son of man that thou regardest the boy, have no right to punish it in him!" In the same manner, when the man. Yet I find, that though I consider that infinite host of stars, they lavish their first fondness upon or, to speak more philosophically, of pertness and gaiety, they soon trans- suns, which were then shining upon fer their regard to other qualities, and me, with those innumerable sets of ungratefully abandon their adorers to planets or worlds, which were movdream out their last years in stupidity ing round their respective suns; and contempt. when I still enlarged the idea, and supposed another heaven of suns and Rambler. worlds rising still above this which we discovered, and these still enlightened by a superior firmament of

I am, &c. Florentulus.

6. Omniscience and Omnipresence luminaries, which are planted at so of the Deity, together with the Immensity of his Works.

great a distance, that they may appear to the inhabitants of the former I was yesterday, about sun-set, as the stars do to us; in short, while walking in the open fields, till the I pursued this thought, I could not night insensibly fell upon me. I at but reflect on that little insignificant first amused myself with all the rich- figure which I myself bore amidst ness and variety of colours which ap- the immensity of God's works. peared in the western parts of heaven: Were the sun, which enlightens in proportion as they faded away and this part of the creation, with all the went out, several stars and planets host of planetary worlds that move appeared one after another, till the about him, utterly extinguished and whole firmament was in a glow. The annihilated, they would not be missblueness of the ether was exceed-ed, more than a grain of sand upon ingly heightened and enlivened by the the sea-shore. The space they posseason of the year, and the rays of all sess is so exceedingly little in comthose luminaries that passed through parison of the whole, it would scarce it. The galaxy appeared in its most make a blank in the creation. The beautiful white. To complete the chasm would be imperceptible to an scene, the full moon arose at length eye, that could take in the whole in that clouded majesty which Mil- compass of nature, and pass from one ton takes notice of, and opened to end of the creation to the other as the eye a new picture of nature, it is possible there may be such a which was more finely shaded, and sense in ourselves hereafter, or in disposed among softer lights, than creatures which are at present more that which the sun had before dis- exalted than ourselves. We see ma

covered to us. ny stars by the help of glasses, which As I was surveying the moon walk- we do not discover with our naked ing in her brightness, and taking her eyes; and the finer our telescopes progress among the constellations, a are, the more still are our discoverthought arose in me, which I believe ies. Huygenius carries this thought very often perplexes and disturbs so far, that he does not think it im

possible there may be stars whose some measure ascribing it to him in light is not yet travelled down to us whom there is no shadow of impersince their first creation. There is fection. Our reason indeed assures no question but the universe has cer- us, that his attributes are infinite: tain bounds set to it; but when we but the poorness of our conceptions consider that it is the work of infi- is such, that it cannot forbear setting nite power, prompted by infinite bounds to every thing it contemgoodness, with an infinite space to plates, till our reason comes again to exert itself in, how can our imagina- our succour, and throws down all tion set any bounds to it? those little prejudices which rise in To return, therefore, to my first us unawares, and are natural to the thought, I could not but look upon mind of man.

myself with secret horror, as a being We shall therefore utterly extinthat was not worth the smallest re-guish this melancholy thought, of our gard of one who had so great a work being over-looked by our Maker in under his care and superintendency. the multiplicity of his works, and the I was afraid of being overlooked infinity of those objects among which amidst the immensity of nature, and he seems to be incessantly employlost among that infinite variety of ed, if we consider, in the first place, creatures, which, in all probability, that he is omnipresent; and in the swarm through all these immeasur-second, that he is omniscient. able regions of matter.

If we consider him in his omni

In order to recover myself from presence: his being passes through, this mortifying thought, I considered actuates, and supports the whole that it took its rise from those nar- frame of nature. His creation, and row conceptions, which we are apt every part of it, is full of him. There to entertain of the divine nature. is nothing he has made, that is either We ourselves cannot attend to many so distant, so little, or so inconsiderdifferent objects at the same time. able, which he does not essentially If we are careful to inspect some inhabit. His substance is within the things, we must of course neglect substance of every being, whether others. This imperfection which we material or immaterial, and as intiobserve in ourselves, is an imperfec- mately present to it, as that being is tion that cleaves in some degree to to itself. It would be an imperfeccreatures of the highest capacities, tion in him, were he able to move as they are creatures, that is, beings out of one place into another, or to of finite and limited natures. The draw himself from any thing he has presence of every created being is created, or from any part of that confined to a certain measure of space which he diffused and spread space, and consequently his observa- abroad to infinity. In short, to speak tion is stinted to a certain number of of him in the language of the old objects. The sphere in which we philosophers, he is a being whose move, and act, and understand, is of centre is every where, and his cira wider circumference to one crea- cumference no where. ture than another, according as we In the second place, he is omrise one above another in the scale niscient as well as omnipresent. His of existence. But the widest of these omniscience indeed necessarily and our spheres has its circumference. naturally flows from his omnipreWhen therefore we reflect on the sence. He cannot but be conscious of divine nature, we are so used and every motion that arises in the whole accustomed to this imperfection in material world, which he thus essenourselves, that we cannot forbear in tially pervades; and of every thought

that is stirring in the intellectual vanishes. He cannot but regard world, to every part of which he is every thing that has being, especithus intimately united. Several mo- ally such of his creatures who fear ralists have considered the creation they are not regarded by him. He as the temple of God, which he has is privy to all their thoughts, and to built with his own hands, and which that anxiety of heart in particular, is filled with his presence. Others which is apt to trouble them on this have considered infinite space as the occasion; for, as it is impossible he receptacle, or rather the habitation should overlook any of his creatures; of the Almighty: but the noblest and so we may be confident that he remost exalted way of considering this gards, with an eye of mercy, those infinite space, is that of Sir Isaac who endeavour to recommend themNewton, who calls it the sensorium selves to his notice, and in unfeigned of the Godhead. Brutes and men humility of heart think themselves have their sensoriola, or little senso- unworthy that he should be mindfu riums, by which they apprehend the of them. Spectator presence and perceive the actions of a few objects, that lie contiguous to them. Their knowledge and obser- 7. On the Immortality of the Soul. vation turn within a very narrow cir- I was yesterday walking alone in cle. But as God Almighty cannot one of my friend's woods, and lost but perceive and know every thing myself in it very agreeably, as I was in which he resides, infinite space running over in my mind the several gives room to infinite knowledge, arguments that establish this great and is, as it were, an organ to om- point, which is the basis of morality, niscience. and the source of all the pleasing

Were the soul separate from the hopes and secret joys that can arise body, and with one glance of thought in the heart of a reasonable creature. should start beyond the bounds of I considered those several proofs the creation, should it for millions of drawn,

years continue its progress through First, from the nature of the soul infinite space with the same activity, itself, and particularly its immateit would still find itself within the riality; which, though not absoembrace of its Creator, and encom-lutely necessary to the eternity of its passed round with the immensity of duration, has, I think, been evinced the Godhead. While we are in the to almost a demonstration. body he is not less present with us, Secondly, from its passions and because he is concealed from us. sentiments, as particularly from its "Oh that I knew where I might find love of existence, its horror of annihim! (says Job.) Behold I go for- hilation, and its hopes of immortality, ward, but he is not there; and back- with that secret satisfaction which it ward, but I cannot perceive him: on finds in the practice of virtue, and the left hand, where he does work, that uneasiness which follows in it but I cannot behold him he hideth upon the commission of vice. himself on the right hand that I can- Thirdly, from the nature of the not see him." In short, reason as Supreme Being, whose justice, goodwell as revelation, assure us, that he ness, wisdom, and veracity, are all cannot be absent from us, notwith- concerned in this point. standing he is undiscovered by us.

But among these and other excelIn this consideration of God Al-lent arguments for the immortality mighty's omnipresence and omnisci- of the soul, there is one drawn from ence, every uncomfortable thought the perpetual progress of the soul to

its perfection, without a possibility of tue, and come up to the perfection ever arriving at it; which is a hint of his nature, before he is hurried that I do not remember to have seen off the stage. Would an infinitely opened and improved by others who wise being make such glorious creahave written on this subject, though tures for so mean a purpose? Can he it seems to me to carry a very great delight in the production of such weight with it. How can it enter abortive intelligences, such shortinto the thoughts of man, that the lived reasonable beings? Would he soul, which is capable of such im- give us talents that are not to be exmense perfections, and of receiving erted? capacities that are never to new improvements to all eternity, be gratified? How can we find that shall fall away into nothing almost as wisdom which shines through all his soon as it is created? Are such abili-works, in the formation of man, ties made for no purpose ? A brute without looking on this world as arrives at a point of perfection that only a nursery for the next, and behe can never pass: in a few years he lieving that the several generations has all the endowments he is capable of rational creatures, which rise up of; and were he to live ten thousand and disappear in such quick succesmore, would be the same thing he is sions, are only to receive their first at present. Were a human soul thus rudiments of existence here, and afat a stand in her accomplishments, terwards to be transplanted into a were her faculties to be full blown, more friendly climate, where they and incapable of farther enlarge- may spread and flourish to all eterments, I could imagine it might fall nity? away insensibly, and drop at once There is not, in my opinion, a into a state of annihilation. But can more pleasing and triumphant consiwe believe a thinking being, that is deration in religion, than this of the in a perpetual progress of improve- perpetual progress which the soul ments, and travelling on from per- makes towards the perfection of its fection to perfection, after having nature, without ever arriving at a just looked abroad into the works period in it. To look upon the soul of its Creator, and made a few dis- as going on from strength to strength, coveries of his infinite goodness, to consider that she is to shine for wisdom, and power, must perish at ever with new accessions of glory, her first setting out, and in the very and brighten to all eternity; that beginning of her inquiries? she will be still adding virtue to vir

A man, considered in his present tue, and knowledge to knowledge; state, seems only sent into the world carries in it something wonderfully to propagate his kind. He provides agreeable to that ambition which is himself with a successor, and imme- natural to the mind of man. Nay, diately quits his post to make room it must be a prospect pleasing to God for him. He does not seem born to himself, to see his creation for ever enjoy life, but to deliver it down to beautifying in his eyes, and drawing others. This is not surprising to con- nearer to him, by greater degrees of sider in animals, which are formed resemblance. for our use, and can finish their busi- Methinks this single consideraness in a short life. The silk-worm, tion, of the progress of a finite spirit after having spun her task, lays her to perfection, will be sufficient to exeggs and dies. But a man can never tinguish all envy in inferior natures, have taken in his full measure of and all contempt in superior. That knowledge, has not time to subdue cherubim, which now appears as a his passions, establish his soul in vir- God to a human soul, knows very

well that the period will come about there will necessarily occur so many in eternity, when the human soul secret instincts and biases of human shall be as perfect as he himself now nature, which would pass unobservis: nay, when she shall look down ed by common eyes. I thank Heaupon that degree of perfection as ven I have no outrageous offence much as she now falls short of it. against my own excellent parents to It is true, the higher nature still ad- answer for; but when I am now and vances, and by that means preserves then alone, and look back upon my his distance and superiority in the past life, from my earliest infancy to scale of being; but he knows that, this time, there are many faults how high soever the station is of which I committed that did not apwhich he stands possessed at pre-pear to me, even until I myself besent. the inferior nature will at came a father. I had not until then length mount up to it, and shine a notion of the yearnings of heart, forth in the same degree of glory. which a man has when he sees his With what astonishment and vene-child do a laudable thing, or the sudration may we look into our own den damp which seizes him when he souls, where there are such hidden fears he will act something unworstores of virtue and knowledge, such thy. It is not to be imagined what inexhausted sources of perfection! a remorse touched me for a long We know not yet what we shall be, train of childish negligences of my nor will it ever enter into the heart mother, when I saw my wife the of man to conceive the glory that other day look out of the window, will be always in reserve for him. and turn as pale as ashes upon secThe soul, considered with its Crea- ing my younger boy sliding upon tor, is like one of those mathematical the ice. These slight intimations lines that may draw nearer to another will give you to understand, that for all eternity without a possibility there are numberless little crimes, of touching it and can there be a which children take no notice of thought so transporting as to consi- while they are doing, which, upon der ourselves in these perpetual ap-reflection, when they shall themselves proaches to him, who is not only the become fathers, they will look upon standard of perfection, but of happi- with the utmost sorrow and contriness! Spectator. tion, that they did not regard, before those whom they offended were to be $ 8. The Duty of Children to their no more seen. How many thousand things do I remember, which would I am the happy father of a very have highly pleased my father, and 1 towardly son, in whom I do not only omitted for no other reason but that 1 see my life, but also my manner of thought what he proposed the effect life renewed. It would be extremely of humour and old age, which I am beneficial to society, if you would now convinced had reason and good frequently resume subjects which sense in it! I cannot now go into serve to bind these sort of relations the parlour to him, and make his faster, and endear the ties of blood heart glad with an account of a matwith those of good-will, protection, ter which was of no consequence, observance, indulgence, and venera- but that I told it and acted in it. tion. I would, methinks, have this The good man and woman are long done after an uncommon method; since in their graves, who used to sit and do not think any one, who is and plot the welfare of us their chilnot capable of writing a good play, dren, while, perhaps, we were somefit to undertake a work wherein times laughing at the old folks at

Parents.