104 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF A FUTURE STATE. 



Perhaps some whose minds are not accustom 

 ed 10 such bold excursions through the regions 

 of material existence, may be apt to consider the 

 grand idea which has now been suggested, and 

 many of the preceding details as too improbable 

 and extravagant to claim our serious attention. 

 In reply to such an insinuation, let it be consi 

 dered, in the first place, that nothing has been sta 

 ted but what corresponds to the whole analogy 

 of nature, and to several sublime intimations 

 contained in the system of divine Revelation. 

 It is a fact, which, in the present day, cannot be 

 denied by any one acquainted with the subject, 

 that the material universe, as far as our eye and 

 our glasses can carry us, consists of a count 

 less multitude of vast bodies, which completely 

 baffle our feeble powers in attempting to form any 

 adequate conception of them. This amazing 

 fact, placed within the evidence of our senses, 

 shows us, that it is impossible for the human 

 mind to form too extravagant ideas of the uni 

 verse, or to conceive its structure to be more glo 

 rious and magnificent than it really is.f 



Again, nothing short of such sublime and 

 magnificent conceptions seems at all suitable to 

 the idea of a Being of infinite perfection and of 

 eternal duration. If we admit, that the divine Be- 



ence from the sun to the planet Herschel, at the 

 distance of eighteen hundred millions of miles, and 

 to the remotest parts of the orbits of the comets, 

 which stretch far beyond this limit ; and there is the 

 strongest reason to believe, that it forms a connect 

 ing bond between all the bodies of the universe, 

 however distant from each other. This being ad 

 mitted, the motion of the different systems now 

 alluded to, and the immensity of the central body, 

 from which motion of every kind originates, to pro 

 duce the order and harmony of the universe, ap 

 pear to be necessary, in order to preserve the balance 

 of the universal system, and to prevent the numer 

 ous globes in the universe from gradually approach 

 ing each other, in the course of ages, and becoming 

 one universal wreck. We are mechanically con 

 nected with the most distant stars visible through 

 our telescopes, by means of light, which radiates 

 from those distant luminaries, mingles with the solar 

 rays, penetrates our atmosphere, and effects our op 

 tic nerves with the sensation of colours, similar to 

 those produced by the rays of the sun. And we have 

 equal reason to conclude, that we are likewise me 

 chanically connected with these bodies by the law 

 of gravitation. So that the idea thrown out above, 

 however grand and overwhelming to our feeble 

 powers, is not a mere conjecture, but is founded on 

 observation, and on the general analogies of the 

 universe. 



*In descending to the minute parts of nature, we 

 obtain ocular demonstration of facts which overpower 

 our faculties, and which would be altogether incredi 

 ble, were they not placed within the evidence of the 

 senses. In a drop of water, in which certain vege 

 table substances have been infused, millions of liv 

 ing creatures have been seen, and, in some instances 

 where the animalcule are transparent, their eyes, 

 and the peristaltic motion of their bowels have 

 been perceived. The minuteness of the blood-vessel, 

 and other parts of the structure of such creatures, is 

 as wonderful, and as incomprehensible, on the one 

 hand, as the magnitude and immensity of the uni 

 verse are on the other, demonstrating, that, in the 

 works of the Creator, there is an infinity on either 

 hand, which limited intellects will never be able fully 

 to comprehend. 



ing is infinite, pervading the immensity of space 

 with his presence, why should we be reluctant 

 to admit the idea, that his almighty energy w 

 exerted throughoutthe boundless regions of space* 1 

 for it is just such a conclusion as the notion of an 

 infinite intelligence should naturally lead us to 

 deduce. Whether does it appear to correspond 

 more with the notion of an infinite Being, to 

 believe, that his creative power has been con 

 fined to this small globe of earth, and a few spark 

 ling studs fixed in the canopy of the sky, or to 

 admit, on the ground of observation and analogy, 

 that he has launched into existence millions of 

 worlds that all the millions of systems within 

 the reach of our vision, are but as a particle of 

 vapour to the ocean, when compared with the 

 myriads \\hich exist in the unexplored regions 

 of immensity that the whole of this vast assem 

 blage of suns and worlds revolves around the 

 grand centre of the universe and that this centre 

 where the throne of God is placed, is superior to 

 all the other provinces of creation in magnitude, 

 beauty, and magnificence ? Who would dare to 

 prove that such conceptions are erroneous, or 

 impossible, or unworthy of that Being who sits 

 on the throne of the universe ? To attempt 

 such a, proof would be nothing less than to set 

 bounds to Omnipotence to prescribe limits to 

 the operations of him &quot; whose ways are past find 

 ing oOt. 



&quot; Can man conceive leyond what God can do ? 



Nothing but quite impossible is hard. 



He summons into being with like ease 



A whole creation, and a. single grain. 



Speaks he the word ? a thousand worlds are born ! 



A thousand worlds? There s space for millions 



more ; 



And in what space can his great Fiat fail ? 

 Condemn me not, cold critic ! but indulge 

 The warm imagination ; why condemn ? 

 Why not indulge such thoughts as swell our hearts 

 With fuller admiration of that Power 

 Which gives our hearts with such high thoughts to 



swell ? 



Why not indulge in his augmented praise? 

 Darts not his glory a still brighter ray, 

 The less is left to chaos, and the realms 

 Of hideous night ?&quot; 



These views and reasonings are fully corrobo* 

 rated by the sublime descriptions of Deity con 

 tained in the Holy Scriptures. &quot; Canst thou by 

 searching find out God ? canst thou find out the 

 Almighty to perfection ?&quot; &quot; He is the high and 

 lofty One who inhabiteth eternity &quot; &quot;He is glo 

 rious in power&quot; &quot;He dwells in light unap 

 proachable and full of glory&quot; &quot;Great is our 

 Lord and of great power, his grealness is un 

 searchable ; his understanding is infinite &quot; &quot; Can 

 any thing be too hard for Jehovah ? &quot; The ev 

 erlasting God the Lord, the Creator of the ends 

 of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary, there 

 is no searching of his understanding &quot; &quot; He do- 

 eth great things, past finding out, and wonders 

 without number.&quot; &quot; He meteth out the heaven* 

 with a span, and comprehendeth the dust of th* 



