glorious attributes in all his decrees, and therefore they must necessarily be all right, just, and merciful, have ever been so, and ever will be so: when he considers the great privilege he is allowed, whilst on earth, of walking with God, and the glorious state he is permitted to believe he shall hereafter enjoy, through the goodness of God and the merits of his Saviour; when he thus reflects on the goodness of God in his cre ation and redemption, and, with all the powers of his mind, further investigates that goodness by a careful induction of its particulars in all its numerous and important ramifications and branches, the result of such contemplation is a combined feeling of the mind, at one and the same time affectionate, elegant, joyous, pure, holy, heavenly; it is that devout absorption before mentioned; and, whilst it lasts, it elevates human nature to its highest degree of perfection and hap→ piness. But unfortunately it never does or can last long in this life; the frail nature of man will not permit it; but we should be thankful, greatly thankful, that we are ever permitted to soar so sublime a flight, adopt every means in our power to favour and encourage as frequent a repetition of it as pos sible, and with all our soul bless and praise our gracious Creator for the hope that he is pleased to give us, that, when what is sown in weakness is raised in power, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, we shall then be blessed with its enjoyment everlastingly, and without intermission. Many persons deprive themselves of this highest felicity of which their souls are susceptible. They stop short at mere amusement, instead of proceeding on to the sublime and po sitive enjoyment just mentioned, and appear to consider such gratifications as arise from the possession of a large fortune, rank, equi pages, and sensual pleasures, as the greatest portion of happiness that can be enjoyed in this life whereas none of these, however they may affect with pleasure the sensitive soul, ever did or ever will vibrate the mind of man with much intenseness, or any great or permanent satisfaction. It is the consciousness of beneficent acts and intentions towards our fellow-creatures, of living a virtuous and pious life, of knowing and walking with God, which accomplishes true genuine happiness; because it is this consciousness only which draws out the powers. and faculties of the human mind to its full est dimensions, and expands it to its highest capacity and feeling of that sublime and native pleasure it was designed by its Maker to enjoy. Therefore, as we value our present or eternal welfare, we should set apart some time every day for the express purpose of contemplating the goodness of God towards the human species in general, and to ourselves in particular, by a regular, succinct induction of it in its several instances and particulars; a practice which will be found on trial to give proportionable pleasure and satisfaction to the mind, that is, the highest and noblest it is capable of enjoying. For it should be considered, that the mind of man receives, or is capable of receiving, from contemplation and reflection, from conversation, and from the perusal of books, as many and as different and distinct vibrations and ideas, as the palate is capable of receiving sensations from a variety of tastes; and that the latter is not at all more sensible of a specific difference between the taste of the most common and the most delicious fruit, than the former is between the sublime degree of exquisite pleasure arising from the contemplation I have mentioned, and any worldly amusement whatever. Upon this principle, G g since happiness is allowed to be seated in the mind, if we are desirous that our mind should not be degraded by trifling thoughts and ideas, and are anxious that it should be occupied with such as are sublime, noble, and interesting, we have only to be careful to converse as much as we can with persons of probity and piety, careful what books we read, (studying the best and highest,) and careful of the subjects we select for our contemplation: for though it may be out of our power to indulge when we please our sensual taste, it is certainly entirely in our power to indulge our mental one, and to keep its highest and noblest faculties in constant exercise; by which the ratio of our happiness in this life will be increased to a degree, which appears to be but little understood, or experienced, by the bulk of mankind. The man who does not feel that the pleasures of intellect are higher and greater than the pleasures of sense, betrays great want of just taste and feeling; and it is from a want of this just taste that many persons are averse to reading the Scriptures, and those excellent, sermons with which our language abounds. For as the Scriptures and these sermons treat on the noblest subjects, whenever there is a correspondent feeling, and a true and genuine taste in the mind for the sublime, it will naturally take pleasure in seeking its congenial gratification; therefore, when a person finds no pleasure in the perusal of the Scriptures, or a well-composed sermon, it is not only a sign of a culpable want of zeal in his religion, but it is a sign of his want of true taste, that he is a slave to vulgar prejudice, and that he either does not, or cannot judge correctly and properly of his duty or his happiness; especially as men of the sublimest genius, and of the most acknowledged taste, have ever exercised and gratified their minds by the perusal of these writings. I shall conclude this treatise in the following emphatic words, four times repeated by the pious and inspired writer of the 107th Psalm; "O that men would praise "the Lord for his goodness, and for his "wonderful works to the children of men!" being fully convinced, that, without a constant observance of this holy practice, no ardent or radical love of God can penetrate or prevail in the heart of man; and that every human being, who will daily and deeply employ his mind in this grateful ex |