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te bulky parts of nature, we fee the feas, lakes, and s, teeming with numberlefs kinds of living creatures. we find every mountain and marfh, wilderness and wood, plentifully stocked with birds and beafts; and every part of matter affording proper neceffaries and conveniences, for the livelihood of multitudes which inhabit it.

The author of "the Plurality of Worlds," draws a very good argument from this confideration, for the peopling of every planet ; as indeed it seems very probable, from the analogy of reafon, that if no part of matter, with which we are acquainted, lies wafte and ufelefs, thofe great bodies, which are at such a distance from us, are not defert and unpeopled; but rather, that they are furnished with beings adapted to their respective fituations.

Existence is a bleffing to those beings only which are endowed with perception; and is in a manner thrown away upon dead matter, any farther than as it is fubfervient to beings which are confcious of their existence. Accordingly we find, from the bodies which lie under our obfervation, that matter is only made as the bafis and fupport of animals; and that there is no more of the one than what is neceffary for the existence of the other.

Infinite Goodnefs is of fo communicative a nature, that it feems to delight in conferring existence upon every degree of perceptive being. As this is a fpeculation, which I have often pursued with great pleasure to myfelf, I fhall enlarge farther upon it, by confidering that part of the scale of beings, which comes within our knowledge.

There are fome living creatures, which are raifed but just above dead matter. To mention only that fpecies of fhell fifh, which is formed in the fashion of a cone; that grows to the furface of feveral rocks; and immediately dies, on being fevered from the place where it grew. There are many other creatures but one remove from thefe, which have no other fense than that of feeling and tafte. Others have still an additional one of hearing; others, of smell; and others of fight. It is wonderful to obferve, by what a gradual progrefs the world of life advances, through a prodigious variety of fpecies, before a creature is formed, that is complete in all its fenses; and even among these there is such a different degree

of perfection, in the fense which one animal enjoys beyond what appears in another, that though the fenfe in different animals is diftinguifhed by the fame common denomination, it feems almost of a different nature. If, after this, we look into the feveral inward perfections of cunning and fagacity, or what we generally call inftinct, we find them rifing, after the fame manner, imperceptibly one above another; and receiving additional improvements, according to the fpecies in which they are implanted. This progrefs in nature is fo very gradual, that the most perfect of an inferior fpecies, comes very near to the most imperfect of that which is immediately above it.

The exuberant and overflowing goodness of the Supreme Being, whose mercy extends to all his works, is plainly feen, as I have before hinted, in his having made fo very little matter, at least what falls within our knowledge, that does not swarm with life. Nor is his goodness less seen in the diverfity, than in the multitude of living creatures. Had he made but one fpecies of animals, none of the reft would have enjoyed the happiness of existence he has therefore, specified, in his creation, every degree of life, every capacity of being. The whole chafm of nature, from a plant to a man, is filled up with diverfe kinds of creatures, rifing one after another, by fuch a gentle and easy afcent, that the little tranfitions and deviations from one fpecies to another, are almoft infenfible. This intermediate fpace is fo well husbanded and managed, that there is fcarcely a degree of perception, which does not appear in fome one part of the world of life. Is the goodness, or the wifdom of the Divine Being, more manifested in this his proceeding?

There is a confequence, befides thofe I have already mentioned, which feems very naturally deducible from the foregoing confiderations. If the fcale of being rifes by fuch a regular progrefs, fo high as man, we may, by parity of reason, fuppofe, that it ftill proceeds gradually through thofe beings which are of a fuperior nature to him; fince there is infinitely greater space and room for different degrees of perfection, between the Supreme Being and man, than between. man and the most defpicable infect.

In this great fyftem of being, there is no creature fo wonQ

derful in its nature, and which fo much deferves our particular attention, as man; who fills up the middle space between the animal and the intellectual nature, the vifible and the invifible world; and who is that link in the chain of beings, which forms the connection between both. So that he who, in one refpect, is affociated with angels and archangels, and may look upon a being of infinite perfection as his father, and the higheft order of fpirits as his brethren, may, in an, other refpect, fay to "corruption, thou art my father, and to the worm, thou art my mother and my fister."

SECTION XXI.

ADDISON.

Trust in the Care of Providence recommended.

MAN, confidered in himself, is a very helpless, and a very wretched being. He, is fubject every moment to the greatest calamities and misfortunes. He is befet with dangers on all fides; and may become unhappy by numberlèfs cafualties, which he could not forefec, nor have prevented had he forefeen them.

It is our comfort, while we are obnoxious to fo many accidents, that we are under the care of one who directs contingences, and has in his hands the management of every thing that is capable of annoying or offending us; who knows the aftiftance we stand in need of, and is always ready to bestow it on those who afk it of him.

The natural homage, which fuch a creature owes to fo infinitely wife and good a Being, is a firm reliance on him for the bleffings and conveniences of life; and an habitual truft in him, for deliverance out of all fuch dangers and difficulties as may befall us.

The man who always lives in this difpofition of mind, has not the fame dark and melancholy views of human nature, as he who confiders himself abftractedly from this relation of the Supreme Being. At the fame time that he reflects upon his own weakness and imperfection, he comforts himself with the contemplation of thofe divine attributes, which are employed for his fafety, and his welfare. He finds his want of forefight made up, by the omnifcience of him who is his Support. He is not fenfible of his own want of frength,

when he knows that his helper is almighty. In fhort, the perfon who has a firm trust on the Supreme Being is powerful in his power, wife by his wildom, happy by his happinefs. He reaps the benefit of every divine attribute; and lofes his own infufficiency in the fullness of infinite perfection. To make our lives more easy to us, we are commanded to put our trust in him, who is thus able to relieve and fuccour us; the Divine Goodness having made fuch a reliance a duty, notwithstanding we fhould have been miferable, had it been forbidden us.

Among feveral motives, which might be made use of to recommend this duty to us, I fhall only take notice of thofe that follow.

The first and strongest is, that we are promifed, he will not fail those who put their trust in him.

But without confidering the fupernatural bleffing, which accompanies this duty, we may obferve, that it has a natural tendency to its own reward; or, in other words, that this firm truft and confidence in the great difpofer of all things, contributes very much to the getting clear of any affliction, or to the bearing of it manfully. A perfon who believes he has his fuccour at hand, and that he acts in the fight of his friend, often exerts himself beyond his abilities; and does wonders, that are not to be matched by one who is not animated with fuch a confidence of fuccefs. Truft in the affiftance of an Almighty Being, naturally produces patience, hope, cheerfulness, and all other difpofitions of mind, which alleviate thofe calamities that we are not able to remove.

The practice of this virtue adminifters great comfort to the mind of man, in times of poverty and affliction; but moft of all in the hour of death. When the foul is hovering, in the last moments of its feparation; when it is just entering on another ftate of existence, to converfe with fcenes, and objects, and companions, that are altogether new; what can fupport her under fuch tremblings of thought, fuch fear, fuch anxiety, fuch apprehenfions, but the cafting of all her cares upon HIM, who first gave her being; who has conducted her through one ftage of it; and who will be always prefent, to guide and comfort her in her progrefs through eternity?

ADDISON.

Piety and Gratitude enliven Prosperity.

PIETY, and gratitude to God, contribute, in a high degree, to enliven profperity. Gratitude is a pleafing emotion. The fenfe of being distinguished by the kindness of another, gladdens the heart, warms it with reciprocal affection, and gives to any poffeffion which is agreeable in itself, a double relifh, from its being the gift of a friend. Favours conferred by men, I acknowledge, may prove burdenfome.

For human virtue is never perfect; and fometimes unreasonable expectations on the one fide, fometimes a mortifying fense of dependence on the other, corrode in fecret the pleasure of benefits, and convert the obligations of friendship into grounds of jealoufy. But nothing of this kind can affect the intercourfe of gratitude with Heaven. Its favours are wholly difinterested; and with à gratitude the most cordial and unfufpicious, a good man looks up to that Almighty Benefactor, who aims at no end but the happiness of thofe whom he bleffes, and who defires no return from them, but a devout and thankful heart. While others can trace their prosperity to no higher fource than a concurrence of worldly caufes; and, often, of mean or trifling incidents, which occafionally favoured their defigns; with what fuperior fatisfaction does the fervant of God remark the hand of that gracious power, which hath raised him up, which hath happily conducted him through the various fteps of life, and crowned him with the most favourable distinction beyond his equals ?

Let us farther confider, that not only gratitude for the paft, but a cheering fenfe of divine favour at the present, enters into the pious emotion. They are only the virtuous, who in their profperous days hear this voice addressed to them, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart; for God now accepteth thy works." He who is the author of their profperity, gives them a little to enjoy, with complacency, his own gift.While bad men fnatch the pleasures of the world as by ftealth, without countenance from the great proprietor of the world, the righteous fit openly down to the feast of life, under the smile of approving heaven. No guilty fears damp