is in Plato, is as follows. Though you SERM.VI. "could fink into the deepest Caverns, of "the Earth, though you had Wings and "could fly up to the Heights of Heaven; "whether you continue in this World, or

remove to Hell, or to fome Place more "terrible; the Divine Providence would "feize you every where *" Thus the great Plato, who confeffedly wrote with the nobleft Elevation of Thought on divine Subjects: But how infinitely fhort doth this fall of that Paffage in the Pfalms which he feems to have had in View? Whither fhall Igo then from thy Spirit; or whither Shall I go then from thy Prefence? If I climb up into Heaven, thou art there; if I go down to Hell, thou art there alfo: If I take the Wings of the Morning, and remain in the uttermoft Parts of the Sea; even there alfo thy Hand shall lead me, and thy right Hand fhall hold me. If I fay, peradventure the Darkness fhall cover me; then shall my Night be turned to Day: Yea, the Darknefs is no Darkness with thee; but the Night is as clear as the Day: The Darkness and Light to thee are both alike.

* Plato de Legibus. Lib. II.

SERM. VI.

If Plato imitated' the Pfalmift, his Copy is unequal to the Original: It is like a fecondary Rainbow, the faint Reflection of the firft; where, though the Colours be agreeable, yet they are not fo lively, glowing and diftinct, as they are at firft Hand in that, which compafleth the Heaven with a glorious Circle, and which the Hands of the Moft High have bended.

Pretenders to a fine Taste may extol that Paffage in Virgil, where he fays, * Night involved in it's Shade Heaven and Earth and the Frauds of the Grecians; who are not affected by a much nobler Beauty, though of the fame Kind in the Pfalmift, viz. God ftilleth the Raging of the Sea, and the Noife of his Waves, and the Madness of the People. In both Places, there is an unforced and unaffected, yet a ftriking and furprizing Affemblage of Ideas. In the former, Heaven, Earth and the Frauds of the Grecians; in the latter, the Raging of the Sea and the Madness of the People, are naturally, yet unexpectedly put together, But the latter Paffage, befides this Beauty, is recommended by the noble Sentiment,

*Involvens umbrâ terramque, polumque, Myrmidonumque dolos.

Virgilii Eneidos Lib. II.

which it conveys. The wifest Statesmen, SERM.VI. when the Populace is in a Ferment; juft as the ableft Pilots, when the Sea rageth, are at a Loss what to do; they reel to and fro, and ftagger like a drunken Man, and are at their Wit's End: And he alone, who can fay to the tempeftuous Deep, here Shall thy proud Waves be ftayed, can alone ftill the Madness of an incenfed People, and fay, Hitherto shall you come, and no further.

Something should be added concerning that affectionate Manner, in which these Truths are conveyed. When the Heart does not dictate to the Head; whatever is faid generally evaporates in empty Specu lation; the Notions only hover in the Brain, without influencing the Will. But when an Author writes from the Heart, the Reader catches the Flame from the Writer, and feels his Breaft glow with the fame generous Ardor. Take one Inftance of this, out of many, from Ifaiah: Zion faid, the Lord bath forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a Woman forget her fucking Child, that she should not have Compaffion on the Son of her Womb ? Yea, they may forget; yet will I not forget thee. It is thus, that God fignifies his VOL. II.

N

ten

SERM. VI tender Love in the most endearing and ex

preffive Terms, which Language can furnifh. Obferve how the Pfalmift defcribes God, as that fovereign Good, on whom we ought to center our Affections, and repose our Confidence: Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon Earth that I defire in Comparison of thee: My Flesh and my Heart faileth; but God is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever: Words forcible enough, one would almost think, to invigorate the Soul under all the Decays of the Body, and to fufpend the Pains of the Dying. The Scriptures, unlike fome Books which are written upon the Being of God, in a cold unaffecting Manner; at the fame Time that they convey Light to the Understanding, powerfully inflame the Will, and touch the inmost Springs of the Soul.

Few or none have ever wrote worthily of that great Being, who fpake and it was done, who commanded and it stood faft; but thofe, who have derived their Sentiments from the Fund of the Scriptures, and borrowed that Fire from Heaven, which animated their Writings: Which Confideration would incline one to think, that he who

is the Subject of thefe elevated Thoughts SERM VI. in the facred Pages, is the Author of them

too.

As to the Glories of God and of another World, I may venture to fay, that the utmoft Stretch of human Thought could never reach fo far; and the utmost Force of Expreffion cannot reach farther, than the inspired Writers have done. And could one Book be produced before the Date of Christianity, where every Perfection of the Deity is difplayed in fuch a nervous Energy of Thought; and every Branch of Morality is fet forth in fuch a plain Familiarity of Style; where the Terms of our Salvation are fo punctually afcertained, as they are in the Scripture: Then fome Perfons would have fome Colour of Reason to difparage Revelation. But the Enemies of Christianity know this to be impoffible: They know it contains fronger Motives to true Holinefs, than any Religion before had; and as strong as any other can have: They know, that secure in it's own genuine Charms, it fears no Rival to eclipfe, and needs no Foil to set off it's fuperior Beauties.