PROOFS FROM DIVINE REVELATION. 



59 



burst upon the disembodied spirit, when it has 

 dropped its earthly tabernacle in the dust. Like 

 Seneca, when he contemplated, in imagination, 

 Ihe magnitude and beauty of the orbs of heaven, 

 we will look down, with a noble indifference, on 

 the earth as a scarcely distinguishable atom, and 

 say, &quot; Is it to this little spot that the great designs 

 and vast desires of men are confined ? Is it for 

 this there is such disturbance of nations, so 

 much carnage, and so maov ruinous wars ? O 

 folly of deceived men! to imagine great king 

 doms in the compass of an atom, to raise ar 

 mies to divide a point of earth with their swords ! 

 It is just as if the ants should divide their mole 

 hills into provinces, and conceive a field to be 

 several kingdoms, and fiercely contend to enlarge 

 their borders, and celebrate a triumph in gain 

 ing a foot of earth, as a new province to their 

 empire.&quot; In the light of heaven all sublunary 

 glories fade away, and the mind is refined and 

 ennobled, when, with the eye of faith, it pene 

 trates within the veil, and describes the splen 

 dours of the heaves of heavens. 



Again, if we believe the doctrine of immor 

 tality, we will be careful to avoid those sins 

 which would expose us to misery in the future 

 world, and to cultivate those dispositions and 

 virtues which will prepare us for the enjoyment 

 of. eternal felicity. Between virtue and vice, 

 sin and holiness, there is an essential and eter 

 nal distinction ; and this distinction will be fully 

 and visibly displayed in the eternal world. He 

 whose life is a continued scene of vicious in 

 dulgence, and who has devoted himself to &quot; work 

 all manner of uncleanness with greediness, 

 becomes, by such habits, if a vessel of wrath 

 fitted for destruction? and, from the very con 

 stitution of things, there is no possibility of 

 escaping misery in the future state, if his exist 

 ence be prolonged. Whereas, he who is de 

 voted to the practice of holiness, who loves his 

 Creator with supreme affection, and his neigh 

 bour as himself, who adds to his faith &quot; virtue, 

 knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly- 

 kindness, and charity,&quot; is, by such graces, ren 

 dered fit for everlasting communion with the 

 Father of spirits, and for delightful association 

 with all the holy intelligences that people his 

 immense empire. Again, the belief of a future 



world should excite us to the exercise of con- 

 tentment, and reconcile our minds to whatever 

 privations or afflictions Providence may allot to us 

 in the present world. &quot; For the sufferings of 

 the present time are not worthy to be compared 

 with the glory which is to be revealed.&quot; If we 

 believe that the whole train of circumstances 

 connected with our present lot, is arranged by 

 Infinite Wisdom and Benevolence, every thing 

 that befalls us here must have a certain bearing 

 on the future world, and have a tendency to 

 prepare us for engaging in its exercises and for 

 relishing its enjoyments. In short, if we recog 

 nise the idea of an immortal life, we will endea 

 vour to acquire clear and comprehensive views 

 of its nature, its pleasures, and its employments. 

 We will not rest satisfied with vague and con 

 fused conceptions of celestial bliss ; but will en 

 deavour to form as precise and definite ideas on 

 this subject as the circumstances of our sublu 

 nary station will permit. We will search the 

 Oracles of Divine Revelation, and the discove 

 ries of science, and endeavour to deduce from 

 both the sublimest conceptions we can form of the 

 glories of that &quot; inheritance which is incorrupti 

 ble, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, which 

 is reserved in heaven for the faithful.&quot; 



In a word, if our minds are as deeply im 

 pressed with this subject as its importance de 

 mands, we shall experience feelings similar to 

 those which affected the mind of Hyeronvmus 

 when he contemplated the dissolution of tho 

 world, and the solemnities of the last judgment. 

 &quot; Whether I eat or drink, or in whatever 

 other action or employment I am engaged, that 

 solemn voice always seems to sound in my ears, 

 Arise ye dead and come to judgment ! As 

 often as I think of the day of judgment, my 

 heart quakes, and my whole frame trembles. If 

 I am to indulge in any of the pleasures of the 

 present life, I am resolved to do it in such a way, 

 that the solemn realities of the future judgment 

 may never be banished from my recollection.&quot;* 



Slve comedam, sive bibani, sive aliquid aliud 

 faciam, semper vox ilia in auribus meus sonars 

 videtur: Surgite Mortui, et venite a.d judicium. 

 Quotius diem judicii cogito, totus corde et corpore 

 contremisro. Si qua enim praesentis vita, est la^ 

 titise, ita agenda est, ut nunquam amarituJo futuri 

 judicii recedat a memoria, 



