Chap. XI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 153 



have not, but of which we have hardly an idea ; and we have ftill lefs 

 an idea of the manner of the perception of the Supreme Mind, of which 

 we can fay no more with any certainty, except that he is not obhged 

 to look abroad for difcovering tlie effences of things, as inferior intel- 

 ligences mufl; do, but has within himfelf the yorwj- or ideas of all 

 things conrtantly prefent, fo that he perceives them always, and at one 

 view, without the afTiflance of memory or recollection, and without 

 paffing from one thing to another, as we do. 



How far our minds, in this ftate of their exiftence, can ever ope- 

 rate in a manner any ways refembling thofe Superior Intelligences, 

 or whether we can attain to any communication with fuch intelligen- 

 ces, as fome philofophers have pretended to do *, I will not take 

 upon me to determine; but this 1 will venture to affirm, that, if we live 

 as we ought to do in this world, and, by the exercife of our luperior 

 faculties, difengage ourfelves, as much as poffible, from the body, 

 when, at laft, we are intirely difencumbered of the load of it, and 

 come out, like the butterfly out of the worm, or the ferpent in Virgil, 



Pofitis novus exuviis, nitidufque juventa, 



we {hall then perceive in a very different manner, and fee not 

 the fhadows only, but the things themfelves ; for we fliall then ope- 

 rate always, as we do now fometimes, by the pure intelkB^ without 

 the ule of either fenfes or imagination ; and (liall, in that way, be 

 converfant iuimediately with the ideal lorms, not as now, through 

 the medium only of our fenfes. 



This, I know, will appear merely vifionary, and no better than 

 philofophical enth'ifiafm, to iho!e wlio believe, that our minds, at pre- 

 fent, can oper<ite only by the Icnks. Such men will fay, that they 

 have no idea of their operating otherwife in any flate of their ex- 



U iftence; 



• See above, page 140. 



