SERM.VI. Scales, and preponderate in all Cafes in Favour of Morality: But weigh a cold unaffecting Thought about abftract Fitneffes, and the Loveliness of Order, against the strong Preffure of incumbent Mifery; and it will be found wanting, lighter than Vanity, and nothing in Comparison. God defigned the World in general fhould be governed by Morality, and not only a few notional Men, fond of Refinements, who may be fo enamoured of Virtue, as to think it needs no Reward, but itself; nor Vice any Punishment, but it's own natural ill Confequences. And what God defigned for the Grofs of the Species, that he has enforced by fuch fubftantial Rewards and Punishments, as may intereft all the Powers of a Soul deeply immersed in Matter and not by fuch airy vifionary Notions, as seem to be calculated for quite another Order of Beings. And this is one great Proof of the Excellency of Chriftianity, that it can appeal to the common Senfe of Mankind: "Handle me and fee; the refined "Schemes, which are fet up in Oppofition "to me, have not that Substance and Soli

;

dity, which ye fee me have." Those finefpun Notions may afford Entertainment to Speculative

Speculative Men in their Closets; but the SERM. VI. Christian Doctrine of a future State, is the only one that can be of any Use in common Life, conveying to us the ftrongest Ideas of that Mifery, to which the Bad will be configned; and of that Happiness, to which the Good will be admitted.

Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither hath entered into the Heart of Man to conceive the Things that God bath prepared for them, that love him. In which Words there is, as a great Writer observeth, a very beautiful Gradation of Thought Great, fplendid, and numerous are the Objects, which the Eye hath feen: Yet the Ear may hear far more, than one Man's Eye hath feen, by an enlarged Converfation with those who have read and tra velled: But though a greater Variety of Objects may gain Admittance to the Mind through this Entrance, than through that of the Eye; yet ftill it enters into the Heart of Man to conceive or imagine far more glorious Things, than even the Ear has heard. A sprightly, adventurous, and inventive Imagination paints Objects larger than the Original, and forms what vi

* See Dr. Clarke's pofthumous Sermons, Vol. II.

4

fionary

SERM.VI. fionary Scenes it pleases within. But ftill

thofe Things, which God has prepared for them that love him, as much exceed the Heightnings of a pregnant Fancy, and the romantick Profpects of Blifs, which it can enter into the Heart of Man to conceive; as the Conceptions of the Heart, and the Powers of a luxuriant Imagination surpass the feeing of the Eye, and the hearing of the Ear.

Again St. John tells us, we shall be like God: For we fhall see him, as he is. That is, the feeing of God as he is in his own Nature, the direct Knowledge of the Sovereign Good, and the Emanations of Happiness from him immediately, (for to see God as he is, does not fignify merely to contemplate his Nature) will fo entirely fill the Compass of the Soul, and engross all her Powers, that having no Room to entertain ignobler Objects, which might tempt her to Vice, fhe must become, in fome Degree, unalterably like her Creator in Goodness by a moral Neceffity. Plea fure and Virtue, which here often draw different Ways, will hereafter unite their Forces, and act in friendly Concert. Thought is the Thought of an unlettered

f

This

Writer ;

Writer; yet it is a Thought so rational, SERM. VI. as well as elevated; that it would be a

6

vain Attempt to ftrive to equal it from Writers before him of the most distinguished Abilities and closest Application.

Let us scan over the brightest Authors of Antiquity, let us point out the MafterStrokes of thofe Authors when they are inculcating Benevolence: Yet where can we find fo bright a Description of Benevolence or Charity, as there is in St. Paul's xiiith Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians; or fo noble an Incitement to it, as there is in thefe Words, Charity never faileth? i. e. The fame Principle of univerfal Love to Mankind, which repeated Acts of Goodness beget in us here, will beautify, enlarge, and ennoble the Soul to all Eternity.

Not all the Writings of Philofophers can give a dying Man, juft upon the Threshold of another World, half that well-grounded Comfort and rational Affurance of being happy, as may be derived from four or five Lines of St. John, viz. That he faw in Heaven a great Multitude, not to be numbered, of all Nations, Tribes, and People, and Tongues, ftanding before

the

SERM.VI. the Throne and before the Lamb, clothed in

white Robes, with Palms (the Enfigns of Victory) in their Hands, and the Praifes of God and the Lamb in their Mouths, For from hence we may learn, what Reafon could never prove, that not only the Superior Few, Men of the most advanced Virtue, Saints and Apostles; but an innumerable Multitude, the undistinguished Many, undiftinguished by any extraordinary Degree of Holiness, fhall be Partakers of those pure and unmixed Joys, which are fuitable to glorified Souls acting in glorified Bodies, which will enlarge our Faculties, fatisfy our Defires, and tranfcend our Expectations.

t

And indeed we may observe, that, whenever the Scriptures draw back the Veil, and display to our View any thing concerning another World; they do not do it to fwell and puff up the Soul with lifeless Speculations, with unconcerning, though ingenious and curious Notions; but to fill the Mind with true fubftantial Knowledge, that may make us wife unto Salvation: Which makes them, though not the most finefpun, yet the moft ufeful, and confequently the beft Scheme of Metaphyfics that ever, was advanced. Thus