PROOFS FROM THE LIGHT OF NATURE. 



which he himself had imparted. And, there 

 fore, in permitting the inhabitants of our world 

 to take a distant glimpse of the boundless scene 

 of his operations, he must have intended to ex 

 cite those ardent desires which will be gratified 

 in a future world, and to commence those trains 

 of thought which will be prosecuted with increas 

 ing ardour, through eternity, till we shall be able 

 to perceive and comprehend the contrivance and 

 skill, the riches of divine munificence, the vast 

 designs, and the miracles of power and intelli 

 gence which are displayed throughout every part 

 of the universal system. To suppose that the 

 Creator would unfold a partial and imperfect view 

 of the wonders of creation, and enkindle a ra 

 tional longing and desire, merely for the purpose 

 of mocking and tantalizing our expectations, would 

 be to represent the moral character of the Deity 

 as below the level of that of a depraved mortal. 

 It would argue a species of deceit, of envy, and 

 of malignity, which is altogether repugnant to 

 the character of a Being of infinite benevolence. 

 As his goodness was the principal motive which 

 induced him to bring us into existence, his con 

 duct must be infinitely removed from every thing 

 that approaches to envy, malignity, or a desire 

 to mock or disappoint the rational hopes of his 

 creatures. His general character, as displayed 

 in all his works, leads us to conclude, that, in so 

 far from tantalizing the rational beings he has 

 formed, he is both able and willing &quot; to do to and 

 for them exceeding abundantly above all that they 

 can ask or think.&quot; If he had intended merely 

 to confine our desires to sensitive enjoyments and 

 to the present life, the habitation of man would 

 have required no more contrivance nor decoration 

 than what are requisite for the lion s den and the 

 retreats of the tiger, and no farther display of 

 the grandeur of his empire would have been un 

 folded to view. 



Since, therefore, it appears, that the universe 

 is replenished with innumerable systems, and is 

 vast, and unlimited in its extent since God en 

 dued the mind of man with those faculties by 

 which he has explored a portion of its distant 

 regions since the soul feels an ardent desire to 

 obtain a more full disclosure of its grandeur and 

 magnificence since it is endued with faculties 

 capable of receiving an indefinite increase of 

 knowledge on this subject since all the know 

 ledge it can acquire in the present state, re 

 specting the operations and the government of 

 God, is as nothing when compared with the 

 prospects which eternity may unfold since the 

 universe and its material glories are chiefly in 

 tended for the gratification of intelligent minds 

 and since it is obviously inconsistent with the 

 moral character of the Deity, to cherish desires 

 *nu expectations which he will finally frustrate 

 and disappoint the conclusion appears to be un 

 avoidable, that man is destined to an immortal 

 itMtence. During the progress of that existence, 



his faculties will arrive at their full expansion, 

 and there will be ample scope for their exercise 

 on myriads of objects and events which are just 

 now veiled in darkness and mystery. He will 

 be enabled to penetrate more fully into the plans 

 and operations of the divinity to perceiv-e new 

 aspects of the Eternal Mind, new evolutions of 

 infinite wisdom and design, new displays of om 

 nipotence, goodness, and intelligence and to 

 acquire a more minute and comprehensive view 

 of all the attributes of the Deity, and of the con 

 nexions, relations, and dependencies, of that vast 

 physical and moral system over which his go 

 vernment extends. 



SECTION VI. 



ON THE MORAL POWERS OF MAIT. 



The moral powers with which man is endued 

 form a strong presumptive proof of his immortal 

 destiny. 



Man is formed for action, as well as for con 

 templation. For this purpose there are inter 

 woven in his constitution, powers, principles, 

 instincts, feelings, and affections, which have a 

 reference to his improvement in virtue, and which 

 excite him to promote the happiness of others. 

 These powers and active principles, like the in 

 tellectual, are susceptible of vast improvement, 

 by attention, by exercise, by trials and difficul 

 ties, and by an expansion of the intellectual 

 views. Such are filial and fraternal affection, 

 fortitude, temperance, justice, gratitude, genero 

 sity, love of friends and country, philanthropy, 

 and general benevolence. Degenerate as our 

 world has always been, many striking examples 

 of such virtues have been displayed both in an 

 cient and modern times, which demonstrate the 

 vigour, expansion, and sublimity of the moral 

 powers of man. 



When we behold men animated by noble sen 

 timents, exhibiting sublime virtues, and perform 

 ing illustrious actions, displaying generosity 

 and beneficence in seasons of calamity, and tran 

 quillity and fortitude in the midst of difficulties 

 and dangers desiring riches only for the sake 

 of distributing them estimating places of pow 

 er and honour, only for the sake of suppressing 

 vice, rewarding virtue, and promoting the pros 

 perity of their country enduring poverty and 

 distress with a noble heroism suffering inju 

 ries and affronts with patience and serenity 

 stifling* resen ient when they have it in their 

 power to inflict vengeance displaying kindness 

 and generosity towards enemies and slanderers 

 vanquishing irascible passions and licentious 

 desires in the midst of the strongest tempta 

 tions submitting to pain and disgrace in order 

 to promote the prosperity of friends and rela- 



