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clearly seen by the things which he has made," that is, by the visible creation. And he gives the reason, saying, "That things which are seen were not made of things which do appear;" and when he declares, "that the things on earth are copies of those in heaven :" as though he had said, that all the visible and sensible objects are only dross and material copies, whose originals are spiritual and invisible. This is the foundation of that mysticism which runs through the Gospel. To reject it, is to continue in ignorance of Divine things, and in spiritual infancy. It is to imitate the folly of stupid persons who reject the sense of the Scriptures, and content themselves with admiring the pictures which render the meaning more agreeable and easy.

I will conclude this dissertation by a remark taken from Dr. Henry More, one of the greatest men that have ornamented the university of Cambridge. This poet and philosopher, in his discourse on John iv, 31-34, gives a proper idea of evangelical mysticism, and the character of such as turn it into ridicule.

Having considered the carnal disposition of the disciples, who imagined when Jesus Christ said, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of; my meat is to do the will of him that sent me ;" that he spake of animal food; and said one to another, "Hath any man brought him aught to eat?" And having noticed the manner in which our Lord takes the opportunity of offering spiritual grace, under the name of "living water,' to the woman of Samaria, who had come to draw material water from Jacob's well, he thus expresses himself:

"Whether we instruct others, or wish to enlarge our own knowledge, let us imitate the example given by Jesus Christ on this occasion. This is not only our privilege but indispensable duty; for the whole universe forms one great emblem, or symbolic sign of the most interesting truths.

"On the first appearance of the morning, when the sun darts his new-born rays over the face of creation, let us open the eyes of our understanding with those of our body, and say with David, Lord, lift upon me the light of thy countenance.' The air we respire should awaken a desire, like that which filled the breast of a certain emperor, not merely to breathe the common air, but to be united with the great Intelligence which fills the universe. Solitude and darkness, which naturally inspire dread and horror, represent the privation of that 'perfect love which casteth out fear.' Thus St. John speaks, 'He that hateth his brother, walks in darkness.'

"As the circle of nature is unfolded to the natural man, the Spirit of God makes use of this, for the purpose of conducting him to spiritual things; so that by a thousand objects, which constantly strike the eyes, our souls are invited to elevate themselves above gross matter, and to obtain the spiritual treasure offered in the Gospel. Whatever we see, smell, taste, or hear, and the things that are tangible and sensible, represent some hidden mystery; and under all this bark and these ornamental shells, that veil the face of nature, we may find nourishment more precious than that which supports our senses and perishable bodies.

"A man surrounded by these objects, and neglecting to elevate himself to the more substantial and excellent things, is afflicted with a spiritual lethargy, or rather he is spiritually dead; and in conduct resembles the beasts of the forest. He is under a malediction, and in

that brutality which fell on Nebuchadnezzar; and continues in this deplorable state, till the pride of his heart is humbled sufficiently to recollect, like that degraded monarch, that the Most High governs the world, and that a Divine Providence superintends all things. Then returning to himself, with all the regenerate, he is able to understand the meaning of spiritual life. He discovers that our spirits, as well as our bodies, may here find that beauty, fortitude, and pleasure, which are suitable to the dignity of their nature."

Thus speaks this ingenious divine and philosopher. And I confess, I would much rather be blamed unjustly by superficial philosophers, than be compared to Nebuchadnezzar, by the celebrated author whose words are here cited.

GRACE AND NATURE.

WHEN St. Paul exhorts Christians to improve their grace, (or the spiritual aids which God bestows on reasonable creatures,) he says, "Rejoice evermore, and in every thing give thanks to the Lord." Gratitude, which naturally utters its feelings in praise, is so essential a part of Christian worship, that the contrary disposition is, by this apostle, represented as characteristic of obdurate Pagans: "They are inexcusable," said he, "because having known God," by his works, "they did not glorify him as God," nor render him due praise. They forgot their greatest benefactor, and behaved like Atheists in refusing him the tribute of adoration.

If grace leads us to celebrate the God of all grace, nature, in like manner, calls upon us to celebrate her invisible Author. "It is necessary," says M. de Luc, in his History of the Earth, "daily to recall men to the original bias of human nature, which certainly was the admiration of the universe. That every step we advance in discoveries should be compared with our ideas of a wise and intelligent Cause," &c. To follow the advice of this physician, is to proceed by the light of the universe, to the knowledge of her author. By this mean, religion walks hand in hand with philosophy, and grace and nature are united.

EULOGY

ON THE

CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHERS,

PASCAL, NEWTON, BONNET, DE LUC, BACON,
BOYLE, NEWTON, &c.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF THE REV. J. FLETCHER,

BY THE LATE REV. MILES MARTINDALE.

Good sense should lead thee to the Gospel door,
That source of mercy to the guilty poor.
Led by this torch, implore celestial peace,
And prove the virtue of redeeming grace.
The yoke of Satan from thy heart remove,
And taste true wisdom flowing from above.
With humble Newton gain supernal light;
The Christian and philosopher unite.

Deep in thy heart let grace and wisdom join,
Thy life shall prove their energy Divine:
Copy Bonnet, that great observing sage,
And point to God in every glowing page.
The dreadful deluge with de Luc unfold;

With him by faith the righteous Judge behold,

Who with infuriate waters drown'd the earth,

Changed ocean's bed, and to new worlds gave birth :
With vast concussions roused volcanoes dire,

To raise the deep, and bid the globe expire.

Who plunged the guilty world in death profound,
Bid ocean roll her foaming billows round.

This mighty wreck with pious dread behold,
Revere that God whom Moses sung of old;

With Galen trace his wondrous skill and might,
Till Heaven bestow the renovating light.

In the former edition I said, such as humble Pascal: the sense is equally just. PASCAL was one of the best writers, the finest geniuses, and the greatest mathematicians that France has produced. In his conduct and writings he has fully demonstrated, that philosophy perfectly accords with Christianity. Superficial philosophers are frequently among the incredulous, but the truly learned consider it an honour to be believers. The system of DESCARTES tends to demonstrate the existence of a God and though Voltaire has frequently ridiculed the devotion of Pascal, he has done justice to that of the great English philosopher, in his Elements of Newton's Philosophy.

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Newton," says he, "was intimately persuaded of the existence of a God; and he understood by this word, not merely a being that is infinite,

omnipotent, eternal, and the Creator of all things, but a Master, who hath formed a relation between himself and his creatures; for without this relation the knowledge of the Deity is only a barren science. This great philosopher has likewise a very singular remark at the conclusion of his principles; which is, that we do not say, My eternal, my infinite, because these attributes have no relation to our nature; but we say, and we ought to say, My God! and by this we understand the Master and Preserver of our life, and the object of our thoughts. I remember that, in several conversations which I had with Dr. Clarke, in the year 1726, this philosopher never pronounced the name of God but with an air of recollection, and the most marked respect. I acknowledged to him the impression which his manner made upon my mind, and he informed me that it was from Newton he insensibly learned this manner, which indeed ought to be that of all men.

"A catechist announces God to his pupils, and Newton demonstrates his being to the wise. The whole of his philosophy necessarily leads to the knowledge of the Supreme Being, who created all things, and regulates them with ease. Of all the proofs concerning the existence of a God, those which proceed from final causes, appeared the strongest in the eyes of Newton. The infinite designs which beam forth in the most extensive, and in the smallest parts of the universe, are a demonstration; and yet, though so obvious, they are almost neglected; but Newton thought that these numberless evidences, which he perceived more clearly than others, were the productions of an infinitely powerful artist. "I do not know," continues M. de Voltaire, "that there is one metaphysical proof that speaks more strongly to man than this admirable order which reigns in the universe; and if there had existed a more beautiful argument than this verse, The heavens declare the glory of the Lord, Newton would not have placed this at the end of his principles. He found no kind of ratiocination more convincing in favour of the Deity than that of Plato, who says to one of his interrogators, You judge that I have a reasonable soul, because you perceive an order in my words and actions: judge then, in beholding the order of the universe, that it is regulated by a mind infinitely intelligent." Thus speaks M. de Voltaire. I am glad to see this philosopher united with Plato and Newton in supporting this grand truth! I likewise feel great satisfaction when I behold LOCKE demonstrate the superiority of his judg ment, saying, "I receive the light of revelation with pleasure and gratitude, and I rejoice therein: for it lays my mind at rest concerning many questions which my poor feeble reason could never fathom."

This satisfaction is augmented, when I behold so fine a genius as M. de MONTESQUIEU giving evidence in favour of the truth of Christianity, and of that power which at first established it, and which has preserved it to the present season. "The religion of Heaven," says he, "was not established by the same methods as the religion of this world. Read the history of the Church, and you will see the wonders of the Christian religion. Did she resolve to enter a country? She caused the gates to open: all instruments served her purpose. Sometimes God makes use of a few fishermen, and at other times he takes an emperor from his throne, and makes him bend his neck to the yoke of the Gospel. Did the Christian religion conceal herself in subterranean caverns?

Attend a moment, and you shall see imperial majesty speaking for her. She passes, at pleasure, the ocean, the rivers, and the mountains: no obstacles on earth can impede her progress. Fill the minds of men with hatred to her, she will vanquish this aversion. Establish customs, form usages, publish edicts, make laws: she will triumph over the climate, the laws which are in force there, and the legislators who formed them. God, by his decrees, of which we have no knowledge, extends or contracts the boundaries of his holy religion." (Defense de l'Esprit des Loix, p. 112.)

How different is this language to that of Hume, the Scottish philosopher, who, filled with a vain hope concerning the progress of his vain philosophy, takes upon him to predict the approaching downfall of the Gospel; as if the religion of Jesus Christ must lick the dust before his philosophy, and that of Voltaire! But his expectation is vain: M. BONNET, the pious philosopher of Geneva, more closely unites Christian piety with sound philosophy; and his judicious researches into the truth of Christianity, demonstrate the Scottish prophet to be grossly mistaken.

It will not be unimportant to notice here the eulogy which M. Bonnet pays, in his Philosophic Regeneration, to the piety of LEIBNITZ, the great philosopher of Germany, whom he called the Germanic Plato.

This Genevese philosopher, speaking of the philosophical comparison of death and sleep, which Leibnitz had made according to the words of Jesus Christ, adds, "He cited with great pleasure even the least words of this Divine Master, and he always discovered some hidden sense still the more beautiful, as it was the more philosophical. The passage upon which I comment will furnish us with a remarkable example: I could easily cite many more; but I confine myself to the admirable preface to the Theodicee. He who was delighted to find in the Gospel a philosophy so exalted, was a living Encyclopedia, and one of the most profound geniuses that ever appeared on the earth. I beseech those who have neither the understanding nor the wisdom of this great man, to consider that it ill becomes them to despise the Gospel, and to strive at inspiring others with the same contempt."

"Four of the greatest English philosophers, (says Dr. Newton, the bishop of Bristol, in his Dissertation on the Philosophy of the Holy Scriptures,) were Lord BACON, BOYLE, LOCKE, and NEWTON, who have all proved, by their example, that philosophy and faith perfectly accord.

BACON, elevated by his merit and his talents to the rank of chancellor, was a universal genius. In his works, which do great honour to England, we every where see his marked respect for religion, and his veneration for the Holy Scriptures, which he always quotes with reverence. His maxim is well known: That a smattering of philosophy leads to Atheism, but a profound knowledge of this science to devotion.' He considered theology as the most exalted of all knowledge, and the perfection of human nature.

"BOYLE, a profound natural philosopher, is better known by his piety than his nobility, and his discoveries in experimental physics. He wrote a treatise on Seraphic Love, for thus he called the love of God. This work is dedicated to his sister, the countess of Warwick, and it breathes the most sublime devotion of David's Psalms. He was the author of a

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