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plain and unpolished; but, on the other is that of the wisest and most flourishing king, hand, the study of letters is a matter of im-as well as the greatest preacher, who, having mense labour, and, for the most part, brings exactly computed all the advantages of his in but very little, either with regard to the exalted dignity and royal opulence, found knowledge you acquire by it, or the conveni- this to be the sum total of all, and left it on encies of life it procures. But I will enlarge record for the inspection of posterity and no farther; you find the Greek and Latin future ages" Vanity of vanities, all is poets lamenting the calamities of life, in vanity."

many parts of their works, and at length: All this may possibly be true with regard nor do they exaggerate in the least; they to the external advantages of men; but may even fall short of the truth, and only enu- not happiness be found in the internal goods merate a few evils out of many of the mind, such as wisdom and virtue? The Greek epigram ascribed by some to Suppose this granted; still, that they may Posidipus, by others to Crates the Cynic confer perfect felicity, they must, of necesphilosopher, begins thus: "What state of sity, be perfect themselves. Now, shew me life ought one to choose ?"* and having the man, who, even in his own judgment, enumerated them all, concludes in this man- has attained to perfection in wisdom and ner: "There are then only two things eligi- virtue. Even those who are accounted the ble, either never to have been born, or to die wisest, and actually were so, acknowledged as soon as one makes his appearance in the they knew nothing; nor was there one world."+ amongst the most approved philosophers, But now, leaving the various periods and whose virtues were not alloyed with many conditions of life, let us, with great brevity, blemishes. The same must be said of piety run over those things which are looked upon and true religion, which, though it is the to be the greatest blessings in it, and see beginning of felicity, and tends directly to whether any of them can make it completely perfection; yet, as in this earth it is not full happy. Can this be expected from a beauti- and complete in itself, it cannot make its ful outside? No; this has rendered many possessors perfectly happy. The knowledge miserable, but never made one happy; for of the most exalted minds is very obscure, suppose it to be sometimes attended with and almost quite dark, and their practice of innocence, it is surely of a fading and perish- virtue lame and imperfect. And indeed, ing nature," the sport of time or disease." who can have the boldness to boast of perCan it be expected from riches? Surely no; fection in this respect, when he hears the for how little of them does the owner possess, great Apostle complaining of the law of the even supposing his wealth to be ever so flesh, and pathetically exclaiming, "Who great! What a small part of them does he shall deliver me from this body of death, use or enjoy himself! And what has he of &c. ?" Besides, though wisdom and virthe rest but the pleasure of seeing them with tue, or piety, were perfect, so long as we his eyes? Let his table be loaded with the have bodies, we must, at the same time, greatest variety of delicious dishes, he fills have all bodily advantages, in order to perhis belly out of one; and if he has a hun- fect felicity. Therefore the Satirist smartly dred beds, he lies but in one of them. Can ridicules the wise man of the Stoics. "He the kingdoms, thrones, and sceptres of this is," says he, "free, honoured, beautiful, a world confer happiness? No; we learn king of kings, and particularly happy, exfrom the histories of all ages, that not a few cept when he is troubled with phlegm."+ have been tumbled down from these by Since these things are so, we must raise sudden and unexpected revolutions, and our minds higher, and not live with our those not such as were void of conduct or heads bowed down like the common sort of courage, but men of great and extraordinary mankind; who, as St. Augustine expresses abilities. And, that those who met with no it, "look for a happy life in the region of such misfortunes, were still far enough from death." To set our hearts upon the pehappiness, is very plain from the situation of rishing goods of this life, and its muddy their affairs, and in many cases from their pleasures, is not the happiness of men, but own confession. The saying of Augustine of hogs; and if pleasure is dirt, other things is well known: "I wish I had never been are but smoke. Were this the only good married, and had died childless :"§ and the expression of Severus at his death: "I be came all things, and yet it does not profit me." But the most noted saying of all, and that which best deserves to be known,

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proposed to the desires and hopes of men, it would not have been so great a privilege to be born. Be therefore advised, young gentlemen, and beware of this poisonous cup, lest your minds thereby become brutish, and fall into a fatal oblivion of your original,

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Liber, honoratus, pulcher, rex denique regum,
Præcipue felix, nisi cum pituita molesta est.
Beatam vitam quærunt in regione mortis.

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and your end. Turn that part of your com- and of little strength, especially as they are position which is divine, to God, its creator as obscure, as easily denied, and as hard to and father, without whom we can neither be be proved, as that very conclusion in support happy, nor indeed be at all. of which they are adduced.

LECTURE V.

Of the Immortality of the Soul.

They who reason from the immaterial nature of the soul, and from its being infused into the body, as also from its method of operation, which is confined to none of the bodily organs, may easily prevail with those who believe these principles, to admit the truth of the conclusion they want to draw from them; but if they meet with any who obstinately deny the premises, or even doubt the truth of them, it will be a matter of diffiTHERE are many things that keep man-culty to support such hypotheses with clear kind employed, particularly business, or ra- and conclusive arguments. If the soul of ther trifles; for so the affairs which are in man was well acquainted with itself, and this world considered as most important, fully understood its own nature; if it could ought to be called, when compared with that investigate the nature of its union with the of minding our own valuable concerns, know- body, and the method of its operation thereing ourselves, and truly consulting our high-in, we doubt not but from thence it might est interests. But how few are there that draw these and other such arguments of its make this their study! The definition you immortality; but since, shut up in the prison commonly give of man is, that he is a rational of a dark body, it is so little known, and so creature; though, to be sure, it is not appli- incomprehensible to itself; and since, in so cable to the generality of mankind, unless great obscurity, it can scarce, if at all, disyou understand, that they are such, not ac- cover the least of its own features and comtually, but in power only, and that very re- plexion, it would be a very difficult matter mote. They are, for the most part at least, for it to say much concerning its internal more silly and foolish than children, and, nature, or nicely determine the methods of like them, fond of toys and rattles: they its operation. But it would be surprising fatigue themselves running about and saun- if any one should deny, that the very operatering from place to place, but do nothing tions it performs, especially those of the more to purpose.

noble and exalted sort, are strong marks and conspicuous characters of its excellence and immortality.

What a wonder it is, that souls of a heavenly origin have so far forgot their native country, and are so immersed in dirt Nothing is more evident than that, beand mud, that there are few men who fre- sides life and sense and animal spirits, which quently converse with themselves about their he has in common with the brutes, there is own state, thinking gravely of their original in man something more exalted, more pure, and their end, seriously laying to heart, that, and what more nearly approaches to divinity. as the poet expresses it, "Good and evil are God has given to the former a sensitive soul, set before mankind ;" and who, after ma- but to us a mind also; and, to speak disture consideration, not only think it the most tinctly, that spirit which is peculiar to man, wise and reasonable course, but are also fully and whereby he is raised above all other resolved to exert themselves to the utmost, animals, ought to be called mind rather than in order to arrive at a sovereign contempt of soul. Be this as it may, it is hardly posearthly things, and aspire to those enjoy-sible to say, how vastly the human mind ments that are divine and eternal! For our excels the other with regard to its wonderful parts, I am fully persuaded we shall be of powers, and, next to them, with respect to this mind, if we seriously reflect on what has its works, devices, and inventions. For it been said. For if there is, of necessity, a performs such great and wonderful things complete, permanent, and satisfying good that the brutes, even those of the greates intended for man, and no such good is to be sagacity, can neither imitate, nor at al found in the earth, or earthly things, we understand, much less invent: nay man must proceed farther, and look for it some- though he is much less in bulk, and infe. where else; and, in consequence of this, rior in strength to the greatest part of them, conclude, that man is not quite extinguished yet, as lord and king of them all, he can, by death, but removes to another place, and by surprising means, bend and apply the that the human soul is by all means immortal. strength and industry of all the other creaMany men have added a great variety of tures, the virtues of all herbs and plants, different arguments to support this conclu-and, in a word, all the parts and powers of sion, some of them strong and solid, and this visible world, to the convenience and acothers, to speak freely, too metaphysical, commodation of his own life. He also builds • Ωτι τοις ανθρωποις κακον τ' αγαθόν τι τίτυκται. Animus potius dicendus est quam anima.

cities, erects commonwealths, makes laws, yond this, a life and happiness that more conducts armies, fits out fleets, measures not truly deserved these names, who can help only the earth, but the heavens also, and seeing, that of all creatures, man would be investigates the motions of the stars. He the most miserable, and, of all men, the foretells eclipses many years before they best the most unhappy?

happen; and, with very little difficulty, For although every wise man looks upon sends his thoughts to a great distance, bids the belief of the immortality of the soul as them visit the remotest cities and countries, mount above the sun and the stars, and even the heavens themselves.

one of the great and principal supports of religion, there may possibly be some rare, exalted, and truly divine minds, who would But all these things are inconsiderable, and choose the pure and noble path of virtue for contribute but little to our present purpose, its own sake, would constantly walk in it, in respect of that one incomparable dignity and, out of love to it, would not decline the that results to the human mind from its severest hardships, if they should happen to being capable of religion, and having inde- be exposed to them on its account; yet it lible characters thereof naturally stamped cannot be denied, that the common sort of upon it. It acknowledges a God, and wor- Christians, though they are really and at ships him; it builds temples to his honour; heart sound believers and true Christians, it celebrates his never-enough exalted Ma- fall very short of this attainment, and would jesty with sacrifices, prayers, and praises, scarcely, if at all, embrace virtue and reli depends upon his bounty, implores his aid, gion, if you take away the rewards; which, and so carries on a constant correspondence I think, the apostle Paul hints at in this with heaven; and, which is a very strong expression, "If in this life only we have proof of its being originally from heaven, it hope, we are of all men the most miserable." hopes at last to return to it. And, truly, in The apostle, indeed, does not intend these my judgment, this previous impression and words as a direct proof of the immortality of hope of immortality, and these earnest de- the soul in a separate state, but as an argu sires after it, are a very strong evidence of ment to prove the resurrection of the body; that immortality. These impressions, though which is a doctrine near akin, and closely in most men they lie overpowered, and al- connected with the former. For that great most quite extinguished by the weight of restoration is added as an instance of the their bodies, and an extravagant love to pre- superabundance and immensity of the Divine sent enjoyments; yet, now and then, in goodness, whose pleasure it is, that not only time of adversity, break forth and exert the better and more divine part of man, themselves, especially under the pressure of which, upon its return to its original source, severe distempers, and at the approaches of is, without the body, capable of enjoying a death. But those whose minds are puri- perfectly happy and eternal life, should have fied, and their thoughts habituated to divine a glorious immortality, but also, that this things, with what constant and ardent wishes earthly tabernacle, as being the faithful atdo they breathe after that blessed immorta-tendant and constant companion of the soul, lity! How often do their souls complain through all its toils and labours in this within them, that they have dwelt so long world, be also admitted to a share and parin these earthly tabernacles! Like exiles, ticipation of its heavenly and eternal felicity; they earnestly wish, make interest, and that so, according to our Lord's expression, struggle hard, to regain their native country. Moreover, does not that noble neglect of the body and its senses, and that contempt of all the pleasures of the flesh, which these Let our belief of this immortality be heavenly souls have attained, evidently shew, founded entirely on divine revelation, and that, in a short time, they will be taken from then, like a city fortified with a rampart of hence, and that the body and soul are of a earth drawn round it, let it be outwardly very different, and almost contrary nature to guarded and defended by reason; which, in one another? And therefore the duration this case, suggests arguments as strong and of the one depends not upon the other, but convincing as the subject will admit of. If is quite of another kind; and the soul, set any one, in the present case, promises deat liberty from the body, is not only exempt-monstration, "his undertaking is certainly ed from death, but, in some sense, then be- too much;" if he desires or expects it from gins to live, and then first sees the light. another, "he requires too much."§ There Had we not this hope to support us, what are indeed very few demonstrations in phi ground should we have to lament our first losophy, if you except the mathematical nativity, which placed us in a life so short, sciences, that can be truly and strictly so so destitute of good, and so crowded with mi- called; and, if we inquire narrowly into the series; a life which we pass entirely in grasp-matter, perhaps we shall find none at all; ing phantoms of felicity, and suffering real 1 Cor. xv. 19. + Luke vi. 38. § M.ya was TO KITNUD.

every faithful soul may have returned into its bosom, "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over."+

calamities! So that, if there were not, be-,
+ Μίγα λίαν σε επιχώρησα

nay, if even the mathematical demonstrations | ponded with this doctrine, and always looked are examined by the strict rules and ideas of upon it as most beautiful and worthy of creAristotle, the greatest part of them will be dit. "Nobody," says Atticus in Cicero, found imperfect and defective. The saying "shall drive me from the immortality of the of that philosopher is, therefore, wise and soul."" And Seneca's words are, "I took applicable to many cases: "Demonstrations pleasure to inquire into the eternity of the are not to be expected in all cases, but so far soul, and even, indeed, to believe it. I reas the subject will admit of them."* But, signed myself to so glorious a hope, for now if we were well acquainted with the nature I begin to despise the remains of a broken and essence of the soul, or even its precise constitution, as being to remove into that method of operation on the body, it is highly immensity of time, and into the possession probable we could draw from hence evident of endless ages."+ O, how much does the and undeniable demonstrations of that im- soul gain by this removal ! mortality which we are now asserting : whereas, so long as the mind of man is so little acquainted with its own nature, we must not expect any such.

As for you, young gentlemen, I doubt not but you will embrace this doctrine, not only as agreeable to reason, but as it is an article of the Christian faith. I only put you in But that unquenchable thirst of the soul, mind to revolve it often within yourselves, we have already mentioned, is a strong proof and with a serious disposition of mind; for of its divine nature; a thirst not to be allay. you will find it the strongest incitement to ed with the impure and turbid waters of any wisdom, good morals, and true piety; nor earthly good, or of all worldly enjoyments can you imagine any thing that will more eftaken together. It thirsts after the never- fectually divert you from a foolish admira-` failing fountain of good, according to that of tion of present and perishing things, and the Psalmist, "As the hart panteth after from the allurements and sordid pleasures of the water-brooks :"+ it thirsts after a good, this earthly body. Consider, I pray you, invisible, immaterial, and immortal, to the enjoyment whereof the ministry of a body is so far from being absolutely necessary, that it feels itself shut up, and confined by that to which it is now united, as by a partitionwall, and groans under the pressure of it. And those souls, that are quite insensible of this thirst, are certainly buried in the body, as in the carcase of an impure hog; nor have they so entirely divested themselves of this appetite we have mentioned, nor can they possibly divest themselves of it, so as not to feel it severely, to their great misery, sooner or later, either when they awake out of their lethargy within the body, or when they are obliged to leave it. To conclude: nobody, I believe, will deny, that we are to form our judgment of the true nature of the human mind, not from the sloth and stupidity of the most degenerate and vilest of men, but from the sentiments and fervent desires of the best and wisest of the species.

These sentiments, concerning the immortality of the soul in its future existence, not only include no impossibility or absurdity in them, but are also every way agreeable to sound reason, wisdom, and virtue, to the Divine economy, and the natural wishes and desires of men; wherefore most nations have, with the greatest reason, universally adopted them, and the wisest in all countries, and in all ages, have cheerfully embraced them. And though they could not confirm them with any argument of irresistible force, yet they felt something within them that corres

how unbecoming it is to make a heaven-born soul, that is to live for ever, a slave to the meanest, vilest, and most trifling things; and, as it were, to thrust down to the kitchen a prince that is obliged to leave his country only for a short time. St. Bernard pathetically addresses himself to the body in favour of the soul, persuading it to treat the latter honourably, not only on account of its dignity, but also for the advantage that thereby will redound to the body itself. "Thou hast a noble guest, O flesh! a most noble one indeed, and all thy safety depends upon its salvation: it will certainly remember thee for good, if thou serve it well; and when it comes to its Lord, it will put him in mind of thee, and the mighty God himself will come to make thee, who art now a vile body, like unto his glorious one; and O wretched flesh, He who came in humility and obscurity to redeem souls, will come in great majesty to glorify thee, and every eye shall see him." Be mindful, therefore, young gentlemen, of your better part, and accustom it to think of its own eternity; always and every where having its eyes fixed upon that world to which it is most nearly related. And thus it will look down, as from on

Me nemo de immortalitate depellet.

+ Juvabat de æternitate animarum quærere, imo mehercule credere: dabam me spei tantæ, jam enim reliquias infractæ ætatis contemnebam, in immensum S. Epis. 102. illud tempus, et in possessionem omnis ævi transiturus

Nobilem hospitem habes, O caro! nobilem valde, et tota tua salus de cjus salute pendet: omnino etiam memor erit tui in bonum, si bene servieris illi; et cum pervenerit ad Dominum suum, suggeret ei de te, et veniet ipse Dominus virtutum, et te vile corpus con

* Ουκ εν πασιν αποδείξεις αιτητίον, aλ 16figurabit corpori suo glorioso, qui ad animas redimen δέχεται το υποκειμενον.

Psalm xlii. 1.

das humilis ante vencrat, et occultus, pro te glorifi cando, O misera caro, sublimis veniet et manifestus.

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high, on all those things which the world | another felicity, to secure that which they are considers as lofty and exalted, and will see already possessed of." If, after all, there them under his feet; and of all the things are some whose minds are hardened against which are confined within the narrow verge all the forms and appearances of external of this present life, it will have nothing to things, and that look down with equal condesire, and nothing to fear. tempt upon all the events of this world, whether of a dreadful or engaging aspect, even this disposition of mind does not make them happy: nor do they think themselves so; they have still something to make them uneasy-the obscure darkness that overspreads their minds, their ignorance of heavenly things, and the strength of their carnal affections, not yet entirely subdued. And though these we are now speaking of are by far the noblest and most beautiful part of the human race, yet, if they had not within them that blessed hope of removing hence, in a little time, to the regions of light, the more severely they feel the straits and afflictions to which their souls are exposed by being shut up in this narrow, earthly cottage, so much they certainly would be more miserable than the rest of mankind.

LECTURE VI.

Of the HAPPINESS of the LIFE to come.

Or all the thoughts of men, there is certainly none that more often occur to a serious mind, that has its own interest at heart, than that to which all others are subordinate and subservient, with regard to the intention, the ultimate and most desirable end of all our toils and cares, and even of life itself. And this important thought will the more closely beset the mind, the more sharp-sighted it is in prying into the real torments, the delusive As oft, therefore, as we reflect upon these hopes, and the false joys of this our wretch-things, we shall find that the whole comes to d state; which is indeed so miserable, that this one conclusion: "There is certainly it can never be sufficiently lamented: and some end."+ There is, to be sure, some as for laughter amidst so many sorrows, dan-end suited to the nature of man, and worthy gers and fears, it must be considered as down- of it; some particular, complete, and perright madness. Such was the opinion of manent good and since we in vain look the wisest of kings: "I have said of laugh- for it within the narrow verge of this life, ter," says he, "it is mad; and of mirth, and among the many miseries that swarm what doth it ?" We have, therefore, no on it from beginning to end, we must of necause to be much surprised at the bitter com-cessity conclude, that there is certainly some plaints which a grievous weight of afflictions more fruitful country, and a more lasting life, has extorted, even from great and good men; may, it is rather a wonder if the same causes lo not often oblige us to repeat them.

If we look about us, how often are we shocked to observe either the calamities of our country or the sad disasters of our relations and friends, whom we have daily occasion to mourn, either as groaning under the pressures of poverty, pining away under languishing diseases, tormented by acute ones, or carried off by death, while we ourselves are, in like manner, very soon to draw tears from the eyes of others! Nay, how often are we a burden to ourselves, and groan heavily under afflictions of our own, that press hard upon our estates, our bodies, or our minds! Even those who seem to meet with the fewest and the least inconveniences in this life, and dazzle the eyes of spectators with the brightness of a seemingly constant and uniform felicity; besides that they often suffer from secret vexations and cares, which destroy their inward peace, and prey upon their distressed hearts; how uncertain, weak, and brittle, is that false happiness which appears about them, and, when it shines brightest, how easily is it broken to pieces! So that it has been justly said, "They want Eccles. ii, 2.

to which our felicity is reserved, and into which we shall be received when we remove hence. This is not our rest, nor have we any place of residence here; it is the region of fleas and gnats; and while we search for happiness among these mean and perishing things, we are not only sure to be disappointed, but also not to escape those miseries which, in great numbers, continually beset us, so that we may apply to ourselves the saying of the famous artist, confined in the island of Crete, and truly say, "The earth and the sea are shut up against us, and neither of them can favour our escape; the way to heaven is alone open, and this way we will strive to go."+

Thus far we have advanced by degrees, and very lately we have discoursed upon the immortality of the soul, to which we have added the resurrection of our earthly body, by way of appendix. It remains that we now inquire into the happiness of the life to come.

Yet, I own, I am almost deterred from
entering upon this inquiry by the vast ob-
scurity and sublimity of the subject, which
* Alia felicitate ad illam felicitatem tuendam opus
est.
+ Εστιν αρα τι τέλος.

Nec tellus nostræ, nec patet unda fuga,
Restat iter cœli
Jire.

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