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The Christian Philosopher; or, Science and Religion

Chapter V. Beneficial Effects Which Might Result to Christian Society, from Connecting the Discoveries of Science with the Objects of Religion

page 136

Chapter V. Beneficial Effects Which Might Result to Christian Society, from Connecting the Discoveries of Science with the Objects of Religion

I—The variety of topics which would be introduced into Christian Instructions, by connecting them with the manifestations of Deity in the system of Nature, would have a tendency to allure the attention of the young to religious subjects, and to afford Mental Entertainment, and Moral Instruction, to intelligent minds of every description.

Novelty and variety appear to be essentially requisite in order to rouse the attention, not only of the more ignorant, but even of the more intelligent class of mankind, and to excite them to make progress in the path of intellectual and moral improvement. The principle of curiosity, which appears at a very early period of life, and which variegated scenery and novel objects tend to stimulate and to gratify—so far from being checked and decried, in a religious point of view, as some have been disposed to do, ought to be encouraged and cultivated in the minds both of the old and of the young. As it is a principle which God himself has implanted in our natures, for wise and important purposes, it requires only to be chastened, and directed in a proper channel, in order to become one of the most powerful auxiliaries in the cause of religion, and of intellectual improvement. To gratify this principle, and to increase its activity, the Creator has adorned our globe with a combination of beauties and sublimities, strewed in endless variety over all its different regions. The hills and dales, the mountains and plains; the seas, the lakes, the rivers; the islands of every form and size which diversify the surface of the ocean; the bays, the gulfs, and peninsulas; the forests, the groves, the deep dells, and towering cliffs; the infinite variety of trees, plants, flowers, and vegetable productions of every hue, so profusely scattered over the face of nature; the diversified productions of the mineral kingdom; the variegated coloring spread over the face of nature; together with the many thousands of different species of animated beings which traverse the air, the waters, and the earth—afford so many stimuli to rouse this principle into exercise, and to direct the mind to the contemplation of the Creator. And, as the earth displays an endless diversity of objects, so the heavens, in so far as they have been explored, exhibit a scenery both grand and variegated. There is not a planet in the Solar System but differs from another, in its magnitude, in its distance from the central luminary about which it revolves, in the velocity of its motion, in the extent of the circle it describes around the sun, in the period of time in which its revolution is completed, in its rotation round its own axis, in the number of moons with which it is attended, in the inclination of its axis to the plane of its orbit, and the diversity of seasons which results from this circumstance; in the density of its atmosphere, and the various appearances which diversify its surface. And, if we were favored with a nearer view of these majestic orbs, we should, doubtless, behold a similar variety in every part of their internal arrangements.—The surface of the moon presents a variegated prospect of mountains and vales, but so very different in their form, position, and arrangement, from what obtains on the surface of our globe, that it would exhibit a scenery altogether new and uncommon to an inhabitant of this world, were he placed on the surface of that planet Every comet too is distinguished from another, by its magnitude, the extent of its atmosphere, the length of its blazing tail, the rapidity of its motion, and the figure of the curve it describes around the sun. With regard to the fixed stars, which are distributed, of every size, and in every direction, through the immensity of space, our senses as well as the declaration of an inspired writer, convince us, that in point of brilliancy, color, motion, and magnitude, “one star differeth from another star in glory.” Almost every Nebula of the 3000 which have been discovered, differs from another in its figure, extent, brightness, and general appearance; and the motions of double and treble stars, as to the periods of their revolutions, are as diversified as those of the planets—some of them revolving around their centers in 30 or 40 years, others requiring 400, and even 1600 years to finish their circuits—some of them diffusing a bluish light, others a red, and others a brilliant white.

And as the system of nature in all its parts, presents a boundless variety of scenery, to arouse the attention, and to gratify the desire for novelty, so the revelation of God, contained in the Sacred Records, displays a diversified combination of the most sublime and interesting subjects and events. Were we to form an opinion of the compass of Divine Revelation, from the range of subjects to which the minds of some professing Christians are confined, it might all be comprehended within the limits, of five or six chapters of the New Testament; and all the rest might be thrown aside, as a dead weight upon the Christian system. But here, as in all the other displays of the Almighty, Divine Perfection and Providence are exhibited in the most diversified aspects. Here we have recorded a history of the creation and arrangement of our globe—of the formation of the first human pair—of their primeval innocence, temptation, and fall—of the arts which were cultivated in the first ages of the world—of the increase of human wickedness—of the building of the ark—of the drowning of the world by a universal deluge—of the burning of Sodom by fire from the clouds—of the origin of languages—of the dividing of the Red sea—of the journeying of the tribes of Israel through the deserts of Arabia—of their conquest of the promised land, and their wars with the nations of Canaan—of the corporeal translation of page 137 Elijah from earth to heaven—of the manifestation of the Son of God in human flesh, the benevolent miracles he performed, and the triumphs he obtained over all the powers of hell and earth.—We are here presented with the most interesting and affective narratives, elegies, dramatic poems, and triumphal songs,—with views of society in the earliest ages of the world, when the lives of men were prolonged to nearly a thousand years,—with splendid miracles performed in the land of Egypt, in the wilderness of Horeb, and in the “field of Zoan,” when “the sun and moon stood still in their habitation;” when the waters of the great deep were divided, and mountains shook and trembled “at the presence of Jehovah,”—with the glorious marching of a whole nation through the Arabian deserts, under the guidance of a miraculous pillar of cloud and fire,—with the visits of celestial messengers, and the visible symbols of “a present Deity,”—with prophetical delineations of the present and future condition of the race of Adam, with descriptions of the Power, Wisdom, Love, and Majesty of the Almighty, and of his operations in Heaven and Earth,—with the results and bearings of the Economy of Redemption,—with Divine Songs, Odes, and Hymns, composed by angels and inspired men,—with maxims of moral wisdom, examples of sublime eloquence, of strength of reasoning, and of manly boldness of reproof—with Proverbs, Parables, Allegories, Exhortations, Promises, Threatenings, and Consolatory Addresses,—In short, we have here detailed, in the greatest variety—History, Antiquities, Voyages, Travels, Philosophy, Geography, Natural and Moral Science, Biography, Arts, Epic Poetry, Epistles, Memoirs, Delineations of Nature, Sketches of Human Character, Moral Precepts, Prophesies, Miracles, Narrations, Wonderful Providences, Marvelous Deliverances, the Phenomena of the Air, the Waters, and the Earth; the Past, the Present, and the Future Scenes of the World—all blended together in one harmonious system, without artificial order, but with a majesty and grandeur, corresponding to the style of all the other Works of God, and all calculated to gratify the principle of curiosity—to convey “reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness,” and “to make the man of God perfect, and thoroughly furnished to every good work.”

And as the scenes of Nature, and the scenes of Revelation, are thus wonderfully diversified, in order to excite the attention of intelligent beings, and to gratify the desire for variety, so we have every reason to believe, that the scenes, objects, and dispensations which will be displayed in the heavenly world, will be incomparably more grand and diversified. When we consider the immensity of God's Universal Kingdom, and the numerous systems, and worlds, and beings comprehended within its vast circumference, and that the energies of Creating Power may be forever exerted in raising new worlds into existence—we may rest assured, that the desire of variety and of novelty in holy intelligences, will be completely gratified throughout an endless succession of existence; and that the most luxuriant imagination, in its boldest excursions, can never go beyond the reality of those scenes of diversified grandeur which the Heaven of heavens will display.

Now, since the Book of Nature and the Book of Revelation, since all the manifestations of the Creator in heaven and earth, are characterized by their sublime and diversified aspect—we would ask, why should we not be imitators of God, in displaying the diversified grandeur of his Kingdom of Providence and of Grace before the minds of those whom we profess to instruct? Why should we confine our views to a few points in the Christian system, to a few stones in the fabric of the Divine operations, when “a wide and unbounded prospect lies before us?” Why should we not rather attempt to rouse the moral and intellectual energies of mankind, from the pulpit, from the press, in the school-room, and in the family circle, by exhibiting the boundless variety of aspect which the Revelations of Heaven present, and the holy tendencies of devout contemplation on the Works and the Ways of God—that they may learn, with intelligence, to “meditate on all the works of the Lord, and to talk of all his doings?“—By enlarging and diversifying the topics of religious discussion, according to the views now stated, we have it in our power to spread out an intellectual feast to allure and to gratify every variety of taste,—the young and the old, the learned and the unlearned, yea, even the careless and the ignorant, the skeptical and the dissipated, might frequently be allured by the selection of a judicious variety of striking and impressive objects and descriptions, to partake of those mental enjoyments which might ultimately issue in the happiest results. The man of an inquisitive turn of mind, who now throws aside everything that has the appearance of religion, on account of its dullness, might have his curiosity gratified amidst such a variety as that to which I allude; and, from perceiving the bearing of every discussion on the great realities of religion and a future state, might be led to more serious inquiries after the path that leads to immortality. In a word, to associate and to amalgamate, as it were, the arts and sciences, and every department of useful knowledge with Divine subjects, is to consecrate them to their original and legitimate ends, and to present religion to the eyes of men in its most sublime, and comprehensive, and attractive form, corresponding to what appears to be the design of the Creator, in all the manifestations he has given of himself, in the System of Nature, in the operations of Providence, and in the Economy of Redemption.

II.—By connecting Science with Religion, Christians would be enabled to take an extensive survey of the Kingdom of God.

How very narrow and limited are the views of most professors of religion respecting the universal Kingdom of Jehovah, and the range of his operations! The views of some individuals are confined chiefly within the limits of their own parish, or at farthest, extend only to the blue mountains that skirt their horizon, and form the boundary of their sight. Within this narrow circle, all their ideas of God, of religion, and of the relations of intelligent beings to each other, are chiefly confined. There are others, who form an extensive class of our population, whose ideas are confined nearly to the county in which they reside, and to the adjacent districts; and there are few, comparatively, whose views extend beyond the confines of the kingdom to which they belong—though the whole island in which we reside is less than the two-thousandth part of the globe we inhabit. Of the vast extent of this earthly ball, of its figure and motions, of its continents, seas, islands, and oceans; of its volcanoes and ranges of mountains, of its numerous and diversified climates and landscapes; of the various nations and tribes of mankind that people its surface, and of the moral government of God respecting them,— page 138 they are almost as completely ignorant as the untutored Greenlander, or the roving savage.—With regard to the objects which lie beyond the boundary of our world, they have no precise and definite conceptions. When the moon is “walking in brightness” through the heavens, they take the advantage of her light to prosecute their journeys; and, when the sky is overcast with clouds, and they are anxious to travel a few miles to their destined homes, they will lift up their eyes to the heavens to see if any of the stars are twinkling through the gloom, that their footsteps may be directed by their glimmering rays. Beyond this they seldom soar. What may be the nature of the vast assemblage of shining points which adorn the canopy of their habitation, and the ends they are destined to accomplish in the plan of the Creator's operations, they consider as no part of their province to inquire.

“Their minds, fair Science never taught to stray Far as the Solar Worlds, or Milky Way.”

How very different in point of variety, of grandeur, and of extent, are the views of the man who connects all the different departments of knowledge, and the discoveries of science, with his prospects of God's Universal Dominions and Government! With his mental eye he can traverse the different regions of the earth, and penetrate into the most distant and retired recesses where human beings have their residence. He can contemplate and adore the conduct of Divine Sovereignty, in leaving so many nations to grope amidst the darkness of Heathen idolatry,—he can trace the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, as they gradually arise to illumine the benighted tribes of men,—he can direct his prayers, with intelligence and fervor, in behalf of particular kindreds and people,—he can devise, with judgment and discrimination, schemes for carrying the “salvation of God” into effect,—he can realize, in some measure, to his mental sight, the glorious and happy scenes which will be displayed in the future ages of time, when “the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ,” and when the “everlasting gospel” shall be published, and its blessings distributed among all who dwell upon the face of the earth. He can bound from this earth to the planetary worlds, and survey far more spacious globes, peopled with a higher order of intelligences, arranged and superintended by the same Almighty Sovereign, who “doth according to his will among the inhabitants of the earth.” He can wing his way beyond the visible region of the sky, until he find himself surrounded on every hand with suns and systems of worlds, rising to view, in boundless perspective, throughout the tracts of immensity—diversified with scenes of magnificence, and with beings of every order—all under the government and the wise direction of Him who “rules among the armies of heaven,” and who “preserveth them all,” and whom the “host of heaven worship” and adore. He can soar beyond them all to the Throne of God, where angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, celebrate the praises of their Sovereign Lord, and stand ready to announce his will by their rapid flight to the most distant provinces of his empire. He can descend from that lofty eminence to this terrestrial world, allotted for his temporary abode, and survey another unbounded province of the empire of God, in those living worlds which lie hid from the unassisted sight, and which the microscope alone can descry. He can here perceive the same Hand and Intelligence which direct the rolling worlds above, and marshal all the angelic tribes—organizing, arranging, and governing the countless myriads of animated existence which people the surface of a muddy pool. He can speed his course from one of these departments of Jehovah's kingdom to another, until, astonished and overwhelmed with the order, the grandeur, and extent of the wondrous scene, he is constrained to exclaim,—“Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!” “Thine understanding is infinite!” The limits of thy dominions are “past finding out!”

By taking such extensive surveys of the empire of Jehovah, we are enabled to perceive the spirit and references of those sublime passages in the sacred writings which proclaim the majesty of God and the glory of his kingdom. Such passages are diffusely scattered through the inspired volume, and have evidently an extent of reference far beyond what is generally conceived by the great mass of the Christian world. The following may suffice as a specimen:—

“Thine, O Lord! is the greatness and the glory, and the majesty; for all in heaven and earth is thine! Thine is the kingdom, O Lord! Thou art exalted above all, thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and might.—Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's; the earth also, with all that therein is.—Ascribe ye greatness to our God; for there is none like unto the God of Israel, who rideth upon the heavens in his strength, and in his excellency in the sky. Thou, even thou art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host; the earth and all things that are therein; the sea and all that is therein; and thou preservest them all, and the host of heaven worshipeth thee.—He divided the sea by his power; by his spirit he hath garnished the heavens: Lo! these are only parts of his ways; but how little a portion is heard of him, and the thunder of his power who can understand? The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all.—O Lord our God! how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him!—His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; honor and majesty are before him; all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing in his sight, and he doth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.—He measures the waters in the hollow of his hand; he meteth out heaven with a span, and comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure.—He sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers.—I have made the earth and created man upon it; I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.—The Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; for the heaven is his throne and the earth is his footstool. With God is awful majesty.—Great things doth He which we cannot comprehend; yea, the Lord sitteth King forever.—Praise ye the Lord in the heavens; praise him in the hights: praise him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars of light; praise him, ye heaven of heavens. Praise him, ye kings of the earth, and all people, princes, and judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children—let them praise the name of the Lord; for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven.”

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These sublime descriptions of the supremacy of God and of the grandeur of his kingdom, must convince every reflecting mind of the inconceivable magnificence and extent of that dominion “which ruleth over all.” It is quite evident that we can never enter, with intelligence, into the full import and the grand reference of such exalted language employed by inspired writers, unless we take into view all the discoveries which science has made, both in the earth and in the heavens, respecting the variety and extent of the dominions of the Creator. If the “kingdom of the Most High” were as limited in its range as most Christians seem to conceive, such descriptions might be considered as mere hyperboles of bombast, or extravagant declamation, which far exceed the bounds of “truth and soberness.” But we are certain that the conceptions and the language of mortals can never go beyond the reality of what actually exists within the boundless precincts of Jehovah's empire; for “who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?” or “who can show forth all his praise?” The language and descriptions to which we have now adverted seem to have had a prospective reference to later and more enlightened times, when more extensive prospects of God's dominions would be opened up by the exertions of the human intellect. And were we to search all the records of literature, in ancient or modern times, we should find no descriptions nor language of such a dignified nature as to express the views and feelings of an enlightened Christian philosopher, when he contemplates the sublimity and extent of Divine operations—except those which are to be found in the inspired volume—the strength, and majesty, and comprehension of which no human language can ever exceed.

Again, by familiarizing our minds to such extended prospects of God's universal kingdom, we shall be qualified and disposed to comply with the injunctions of Scripture, which represent it as an imperious duty to communicate to the minds of others such elevated conceptions. This duty is enjoined in numerous passages of sacred Scripture, particularly in the book of Psalms: “Declare his glory among the heathen, and his wonders among all people.—I will extol thee, my God, O King.—One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.—I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.—And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts, and shall declare thy greatness. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men thy mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of thy kingdom!”* When we look around us in the world, and in the visible church, and mark the conceptions and the conversation of the members of religious societies, we need scarcely say how little this ennobling duty is attended to by the mass of those who bear the Christian name. We hear abundance of idle chat about the fashions and the politics of the day; about balls, horse-races, court etiquette, theatrical amusements, contested elections, the squabbles of corporations, sectarian contentions, and ecclesiastical feuds. We listen to slanderous conversation, and hear abundance of mean, and base, and uncharitable insinuations against our neighbors; which indicate the operation of malice, hatred, envy, and other malignant dispositions. We spend whole hours in boisterous disputations about metaphysical subtleties in religion, and questions “which gender strife rather than godly edifying:” but “to speak of the glory of God's kingdom, and to talk of his ‘power,”’ with the view of “making known to the sons of men his mighty works,” is a duty which remains yet to be learned by the majority of those who profess the religion of Jesus. Even sincere Christians, while “taking sweet counsel together,”—when conversing about the love of Christ, and “the deep things of God,” and when endeavoring to cheer each other's spirits with the comforts of religion—seldom or never advert to the visible works of God, and the displays of his power and beneficence, as manifested in creation, from which they might derive additional comfort and support to their faith, hope, and joy, and more expansive views of the perfections and character of their Father and their friend. And how can they be supposed to be qualified to enter into the spirit of such exercises, and to proclaim to others “the glorious majesty of God's kingdom,” unless such subjects be illustrated in minute detail, and proclaimed with becoming energy, both from the pulpit and from the press? These powerful engines, whe[gap — reason: unclear] conducted with judgment and discrimination, are capable of producing on the mass of mankind a tone of thinking and an enlargement of conception on such subjects which no other means can easily effect; and it is to be hoped that more precise and luminous details, and more vigor and animation will soon be displayed in this respect than in the ages that are past.

There is a certain principle of selfishness which pervades the minds of many professed religionists, which leads them to conclude that, if they can but secure their own personal salvation, they need give themselves no trouble about the glory and extent of the kingdom of the Most High. “What need we care,” say they, “about nations in the far-distant parts of the world, and about the planets and the stars? our business is to attend to the spiritual interests of our souls.” Such persons seem neither to understand in what salvation really consists, and what is conducive to their spiritual interests, nor to appreciate those tempers and habits which-will qualify them for the enjoyment of eternal life. It forms but a very slender evidence of their possessing any spark of Christianity at all, if they wish to rest satisfied with the most vague and groveling conceptions, and if they do not ardently aspire after a more enlarged view of the attributes of God, and the glory of his empire, and of whatever may tend to expand their conceptions of the “inheritance of the saints in light.” We have often been astonished at the opinions of some of those who move in a higher sphere of intelligence, who seem to consider it as a matter of pure indifference whether or not Christians should attain to the highest conception in their power of the God whom they worship, and of his boundless dominions; because they conceive that such views are not essentially connected with salvation! But we would ask such persons how they came to know that such views are not connected with salvation! Though they may not have been essential to the salvation of men in the dark ages that are past, or to obscure tribes of people at present, who have no access to the proper sources of information, yet, since God, in the course of his providence, which guides all human inventions and discoveries, has disclosed to us a far more expansive view of the “glory of his kingdom,” than former ages could obtain, for the purpose of illustrating the revelations of his word,

* Psalm cxlv. and xcvi. 3, 4.

page 140 who will dare to assert that the man who has access, by his studious efforts, to contemplate this wondrous scene, and to display its grandeur to others, and yet willfully shuts his eyes on the divine glory therein displayed, does not thereby hazard the Divine displeasure? In this point of view, the following passage deserves a serious consideration: “because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operations of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.” We have no hesitation in admitting that persons may have obtained salvation who never saw more of the sacred writings than what is contained in the gospel of Mark, or in one of Paul's epistles; but what should we say of the man who had access to all the revelations of heaven we now possess, and yet confined his attention solely to a chapter or two in the New Testament, and would not deign to look into any other part of the inspired volume? We should not hesitate at once to pronounce that such a person was grossly deficient in his duty, and devoid of that reverence and submission which are due to the oracles of God.—And if it be admitted that the person who has access to the Bible, and who refuses to peruse its important contents, is guilty of a criminal neglect, we do not see how the man who has free access to the other volume of God's revelation, and views it as a matter of mere indifference whether he look into it or not, can be deemed in this respect entirely innocent. If it be understood that we shall be judged according to the light and privileges we enjoy, and the use we make of them in our improvement in the knowledge of God—we would deem it a hazardous position for any one to support, “That inattention to the visible glories of the kingdom of God, and to the ‘declaration of his wonders among the people,’ is a matter either of indifference or of trivial importance.”

For, let it be considered further, that on the extent of our views respecting the universal kingdom of God, depends our conceptions of the majesty and glory of the Creator himself. We become acquainted with the nature of God only in so far as he has manifested himself to us by external operations,* and in so far as we form just conceptions of these operations. If we conceive his empire as included within the bounds of eighty or ninety thousand miles, our conceptions of the Sovereign of that empire will be circumscribed within nearly the same limits. The mind of every reasonable man must indeed admit the abstract proposition, “That the Divine Being is infinite, and consequently fills all space with his presence.”—But this infinity, in our view, is nothing more than a vague conception of empty space, extending a little way beyond the sphere of his visible operations. The mind must have some material, visible, or tangible objects to rest upon, and to guide it in its excursions when it would attempt to form the most definite and comprehensive conceptions of an infinite, eternal, and invisible existence. For, however much we may talk about purely spiritual ideas, it is quite evident, from the nature of things, and from the very constitution of man, that we can have no ideas at all without the intervention of sensible objects. And therefore, if we would wish to form the most sublime conceptions of God himself, we must endeavor, in the first place, to take the most extensive views which science and revelation exhibit of his vast dominions. We must endeavor to form some adequate idea of the wide extent of the globe on which we dwell, its diversified scenery, and the numerous tribes of human beings and other animated existences, visible and invisible, which people its different provinces. We must explore the vast regions of the planetary system, and compare the bulk of the earth, large as it is, with some of those more magnificent globes which would contain within their circumference a thousand worlds as large as ours. We must next wing our way, in imagination, over a space which a cannon ball, flying five hundred miles every hour, would not traverse in ten hundred thousand years, until we arrive at the nearest fixed stars, and find ourselves in the center of thousands of systems and worlds, arranged at immeasurable distances from one another. We must pass from one nebula, or cluster of systems, to another; continuing our excursions as far as the eye or the telescope can direct our view; and, when the aid of artificial instruments begins to fail, our imagination must still take its flight far beyond the boundaries of mortal vision, and add system to system, and nebula to nebula, through the boundless regions of space, until we arrive at the grand center of the universe, the Throne of God, around which all worlds and beings revolve, where “thousands of thousands” of bright intelligences “minister to Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him.”—We must consider all this magnificent assemblage of objects, not merely as so many masses of inert matter, or as a grand raree-show, to dazzle the eyes of a few hundreds of human spectators,—but as destined for purposes worthy of the plans and the intelligence of Him who is “the only wise God,”—as peopled with numerous orders of intelligent beings, whose physical and moral economy is superintended and directed by Him who, at the same time, rules amidst the tumults of human revolutions, and governs the living myriads which people a drop of water.

In this way, then, do we come to acquire the most extensive views of the amplitude and glory of the kingdom of the Most High; and it is only by the same process of thought that we can ever attain the most exalted conceptions of the attributes of its Almighty Sovereign. For our views of the Sovereign of the universe must always correspond with our views of the extent and magnificence of those dominions which sprung from his Creating Hand, and over which he every moment presides. His essence must forever remain imperceptible to finite minds; for He is “the King Eternal, Immortal, and Invisible, dwelling in that Light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, or can see.” From his nature, as a spiritual uncompounded substance, and from his immensity, as filling infinite space with his presence, it appears impossible, in the very nature of things, that the glory of his perfections can be displayed in any other way than through the medium of the visible operations of his hands, or in the dispensations of his providence toward particular worlds or classes of intelligences. And if, in the future world, the souls of good men shall enjoy a more glorious display than at present of the attributes of Deity, it will be owing chiefly to their being placed in more favorable circumstances than they now are for contemplating this display; to their faculties being more invigorated; and every physical and moral impediment to their exercise being completely removed; so as to enable them to perceive more clearly than they now do the unbounded displays he has given of his infinite Power, Wisdom, and Benevolence. And, if

* Here I include the manifestation of Deity as exhibited both in Divine Revelation and in the system of Nature.

page 141 we expect to be introduced to this state of enlarged vision when we pass from the scenes of mortality, it cannot be a matter of mere indifference, even now, whether or not our minds be prepared for such exalted employments, by endeavoring to form the most ample conceptions of the attributes of God which can be obtained through the medium of his Word, and by a contemplation of the variety and magnificence of his Works.

In the prospect of that world where we hope to spend an interminable existence, it must also be interesting to ascertain, whether or not the dominions of the universal Sovereign present such an extent of empire, and such a variety of objects, that new scenes of wonder and glory may be expected to be displayed in continual succession, for the contemplation and entertainment of holy beings, while eternal ages are rolling on. And, on this point, the discoveries of science onfirm and illustrate the notices of heavenly glory and felicity recorded in the inspired Volume, and lead us to rest with full assurance on the prophetic declaration, that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

III.—By connecting the Discoveries of Science with Religion, the minds of Christians would be enabled to take a more minute and comprehensive survey of the operations of Providence.

Providence is that superintendence and care which God exercises over all creatures and events, in order to accomplish the eternal purposes of his will. In Creation, God brought the universe out of nothing, and arranged all its provinces and inhabitants into due order. By his Providence, he supports and governs all the movements of the material system, and the sensitive and rational beings with which it is peopled. It is evident, that, in proportion as our views of the Creator's Dominions are extended, our views of his Providence will, to a certain extent, be proportionably enlarged. For, wherever worlds and beings exist, there will God be found preserving, superintending, and governing the movements of all creatures and events. It is chiefly, however, in the world in which we reside, that the diversified dispensations of Providence can be distinctly traced. Now, an acquaintance with the prominent parts of the different branches of knowledge to which I have already adverted, would enable us to take a particular and comprehensive view, not only of the ways of God to man, but also of his arrangements in reference to all subordinate creatures and events.

From the Inspired History of the Old Testament, we can trace the prominent lines of the dispensations of God toward man, particularly in regard to the Israelites and the surrounding nations—from the Creation to a period about 400 years before the coming of Christ. But in order to perceive the further progress and bearings of these lines until the commencement of the New Testament economy, we must have recourse to the most authentic records of profane history. From the era of the birth of Christ to near the close of the first century, we can acquire, from the Evangelists, and the History of the Apostles, a particular account of the life of Christ, of the events which preceded and accompanied the finishing of the work of redemption, and of the progress of the Gospel through Judea, and the adiacent countries. But, after this period, we have no inspired guide to direct us in tracing the Divine dispensations toward the various nations of the earth; and therefore we must have recourse to the annals, memoirs, chronicles, and other records of the history of nations, down to the period in which we live; otherwise we could never contemplate the continued series of events in the Divine economy toward the inhabitants of our world. Unless men of learning and of observation had recorded the prominent facts which have occurred in the history of nations, for 1700 years past, we must have remained almost as ignorant of the dispensations of God toward our race, during that period, as the inhabitants of the planet Saturn; and unless we study the events thus recorded in the writings of the historian, and contemplate their various aspects and bearings in the light of Divine Revelation, we must still remain ignorant of the grand movements and tendencies of Divine Providence. This single circumstance shows, in the clearest light, that it is the intention of God, that we should learn the operations of his Providence from the researches of Science and of History, as well as from the records of Revelation; and that the Scriptures, though they contain every supernatural discovery requisite to our happiness, are not of themselves sufficient to present us with a connected view of the prominent dispensations of Heaven, from the Creation to the period in which we live.

From the science of Geography, we acquire a knowledge of the extent of the surface of the earth—of the various tribes of human inhabitants with which it is peopled—of the physical aspect of the different climates they inhabit—of their arts, manners, customs, laws, religion, vices, wars, and political economy: and, consequently, we can, in these and similar respects, trace some of the aspects of Divine Providence toward them in relation to their present and future condition. From the same source, we learn the number of human beings which the Governor of the world has under his direction at one time, which is nearly a thousand millions, or about four hundred times the number of the inhabitants of Scotland. From the data afforded by this science, we may also form an estimate of the number of disembodied spirits that have passed from this world since the creation, and are now under the superintendence of the Almighty in the invisible state, which cannot be much less than 145,000 millions; and, on similar grounds, we may also learn the number of rational beings that are coming forward into existence, and passing into the eternal world every day, which is at least 68,000, and consequently nearly 50 during each passing minute,—every individual of which the Supreme Disposer of events superintends at his entrance into life; and, at his departure from it, directs to his respective and eternal state of destination. Hence it follows, that, could we take a view of the whole system of animation on our globe with the eye of Omniscience, or even with the penetrating glance of an angelic being, we should behold every hour, thousands of human and other animated beings incessantly emerging into existence, and thousands, at the same time, departing into an unseen world, under a vast diversity of circumstances; and this succession and exit of human beings will incessantly go forward from age to age, until all the designs of Providence in relation to our world be fully accomplished. All which circumstances, and many others of a similar kind, must be taken into account, in order to our forming a comprehensive conception of the numerous bearings, and the incessant agency of a Superintending Providence.

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From Natural History, we learn the immense number and variety of the subordinate tribes of animated beings which inhabit the different regions of earth, air, and sea—their economy and instincts—their modes of existence, and the manner in which the Creator provides for their various necessities, From an acquaintance with the History of the Arts and Mechanical Inventions, we learn the gradual manner in which God directs the movements of the human mind, in making those improvements and discoveries which have a bearing upon the accomplishment of his eternal plans of mercy, and which tend to enlarge our views of the amplitude and the glories of his kingdom.—From Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, we learn the secondary causes or subordinate laws by which the Almighty supports and directs the natural constitution of the world—the wonderful manner in which our lives are every moment supported—and the agencies by which fire, air, light, heat, and fertility are distributed through the globe, for promoting the comfort and happiness “of everything that lives.”—From Anatomy and Physiology, we learn how “fearfully and wonderfully we are made and preserved”—that our health and comfort depend upon the regular action of a thousand organical parts and functions over which we have no control—and that our very existence every moment is dependent on the superintendence of a Superior Power, “in whose hand our breath is, and whose are all our ways.”

By an occasional study, then, of the subjects to which we have now alluded, we might gradually expand our conceptions of the range and operations of Divine Providence. Every geographical exploration of a new region of the globe—every scientific improvement and discovery—every useful invention—every eruption of a volcano—every shock of an earthquake—every hurricane, and storm, and tempest—every battle of the warrior—every revolution among the nations—and every detail in the newspapers we daily read, would lead us to form some conceptions of the providential purposes of Him who is the Supreme Disposer of all events.—Even the arrangements of Divine Wisdom, with regard to the economy of the lower animals, ought not to be overlooked in such a survey. When we consider the immense number and variety of animated beings—that there are 600 species of quadrupeds, every species containing, perhaps, many millions of individuals; 4000 species of birds; 3000 species of fishes; 700 species of reptiles; and 44,000 different kinds of insects, beside many thousands of species altogether invisible to the unassisted sight—when we consider that the structure and organization of all these different species are different from each other, and exactly adapted to their various situations and modes of existence, and that their multifarious wants in regard to food and habitation, are all provided for, and amply supplied by Him, who, at the same time, arranges and governs the affairs of ten thousand worlds—we must be lost in astonishment at the greatness of the Intelligence which formed them, and at the exuberance of that bounty which spreads so full a table for so immense an assemblage of living beings! And were we transported to other worlds, we should, doubtless, behold still more ample displays of Divine Beneficence.

We are here presented with a striking commentary on such passages of the Sacred Volume as these: “The eyes of all look unto thee, O Lord! and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand liberally, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The earth is full of thy riches, O Lord! so is the great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both great and small beasts. These all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. That which thou givest them they gather: Thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.”—“O Lord, thou preservest man and beast! How excellent is thy loving-kindness! Therefore the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house”* (of the table thou hast spread in thy world for all thine offspring), “and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” One excellent practical effect which might flow from such contemplations would be to inspire us with feelings of humanity toward the inferior order of animals, and to prevent us from wantonly and unnecessarily torturing, or depriving them of existence. For, since the Creator and Preserver of all has so curiously organized their bodies, and fitted them for the different regions in which they reside, and so carefully provided for all their wants, it must be His will that they should enjoy happiness according to the extent of their capacities; and, therefore, they ought to be considered as necessary parts of our sublunary system.—Another practical lesson we may derive from such surveys, is, to place an unshaken dependence upon God for our temporal subsistence, while we, at the same time, exert all our faculties in the line of active duty. “Blessed is the man who trusteth in him; for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions may suffer hunger, but they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing.”—He who decks the lily of the vale, and spreads out a plentiful table to the fowls of heaven, to the beasts of the forest, to the creeping insect, and even to the microscopic animalcule, will never fail to supply the necessary wants of those who “do His will, and hearken to the voice of His commandments.” And if at any time we be found destitute of daily food, and pining away in penury and squalid disease, we have too much reason to conclude, that in one way or another, either our deviation from the path of rectitude, or our distrust of Divine Providence, or our want of prudence and economy, has procured for us these things.

I have said, that it is chiefly in the world in which we dwell that the dispensations of Providence can be distinctly traced. But we must, nevertheless, admit, that the care and superintendence of God are as minutely exercised in the distant regions of the universe, as in our terrestrial sphere; though we are not permitted, at present, to inspect the particular details of His procedure in reference to other orders of intelligences. We are not, however, altogether ignorant of some prominent features of the physical and moral economy of other worlds, in consequence of the discoveries of modern astronomical science.

With respect to their physical economy, we behold a striking variety in the Divine arrangements We perceive one planetary world surrounded by

* This and several other similar passages, may be consid ered as more especially applicable to the bounty of Providence which God has provided for all his creatures. The practice of spiritualizing such passages, as it is termed, has a tendency to caricature Scripture, and to twist it from its precise and sublime references, to accord with the vague fancies of injudicious minds. The literal meaning of Scripture is always the most appropriate, emphatic, and sublime, but it may, in some cases, be used by way of accommodation, in illustrating divine subjects when it is applied with judgment and discrimination.

page 143 two splendid and magnificent rings, one of them 204,000, and the other 184,000 miles in diameter, stretching across its celestial canopy from one end of the heavens to another—moving with majestic grandeur around its inhabitants every ten hours, and diffusing a light equal to several thousands of moons like ours—which may be considered as a visible and permanent emblem of the Majesty and Glory of their Creator. We perceive, connected with the same globe, seven moons all larger than ours, of different magnitudes, and placed at different distances, and revolving in different periods of time around that spacious world. The diversified aspects of these rings, as viewed from the different regions of the planet at different times, and the variety of appearances produced by the alternate rising, setting, culmination, and frequent eclipses, and other aspects of the moons, must present to the inhabitants a very grand, and diversified, and magnificent scene of Divine operation.* On the other hand, we behold another planetary globe destitute both of rings and moons, but which has the starry heavens presented to view nearly in the same aspect in which we behold them. We perceive a third globe much larger than them both, capable of containing 200 times the number of the inhabitants of our world—accompanied in its course with four moons to diffuse light in the absence of the sun, and to diversify the aspect of its sky. In some of these worlds, the succession of day and night is accomplished within the space of ten hours; in others, this revolution is not completed until after the lapse of twenty four hours, or of as many days. In some, the days and nights are nearly equal on every part of their surface, and they have little variety of seasons; in others, the variety in the length of the days and the vicissitudes of the seasons, are nearly the same as those we experience in our terrestrial world. Around some, there appears a dense atmosphere, while others are environed with atmospheres more rare and transparent. Some move in the vicinity of the sun, and enjoy an abundant efflux of light and heat, while others are removed to the distance of eighteen hundred millions of miles from that central luminary. Some finish the revolution of their year in a few months; while others require twelve, thirty, or even eighty of our years to complete their annual round. Some appear adorned with majestic mountain scenery, and others seem to have great changes occasionally taking place in their atmospheres, or on their surfaces. There are four planetary bodies lately discovered, which, there is every reason to believe, once formed the component parts of a larger globe; but, by some mighty catastrophe in the dispensations of Heaven, it appears to have been burst asunder into the fragments we how behold. If the general proposition illustrated in Section II of the preceding chapter be admitted, such a fact would seem to indicate, that a moral revolution has taken place among the intelligent beings who had originally been placed in those regions; and that their fate was involved in the dreadful shock which burst asunder the globe they inhabited, just as the fate of the Antediluvians was involved in the shock by which the solid crust of our globe was disrupted, at the period of the universal deluge.

These are some outlines in the economy of Providence which we can trace with regard to the arrangements of other worlds; but beyond such general aspects we are not permitted to penetrate, so long as we sojourn in tabernacles of clay. But even such general views afford some scope to the contemplative mind, for forming enlarged conceptions of the Grandeur and Diversity of the Dispensations of God, in the worlds which roll in the distant regions of space.

With regard to their moral economy—we may rest assured, that the prominent outlines of it are materially the same as of that economy which relates to the inhabitants of our world. The fundamental principles of the moral laws given to men, and which it is the great object of Revelation to support and illustrate, are, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and understanding,” and, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.—Now we must at once admit from the Nature of the Divine Being, and from the relation in which rational beings stand to Him, and to one another,—that the Creator has enacted these laws, as the great governing principles by which the actions of all intelligences in heaven, as well as upon earth, are to be directed. For the governor of the world can never be supposed to issue a law to any order of rational creatures, which would permit them to hate their Creator, or to hate those whom he has formed after his own image. Such a supposition would be inconsistent with the eternal rules of rectitude, and with the perfections of Deity; and the fact supposed (if it could exist), would introduce confusion and misery throughout the whole intelligent universe. And, therefore, we must necessarily admit, that the laws to which I now advert, are binding upon all the rational inhabitants which exist throughout Jehovah's dominions; and that it is by these that the moral order of all the Principalities and Powers of Heaven is preserved and directed. In those worlds where there is no change in the succession of their inhabitants—or, in other words, where there is no death, or where they are not produced by any process analogous to generation, but have a fixed and permanent residence — there will be no need for moral precepts corresponding to the fifth and seventh commandments of our moral law; and, in those worlds where property is common, and the bounties of the Creator are equally enjoyed by all, there will be no necessity for a law corresponding to the eighth commandment; but the general principles on which these laws are founded, will be applicable to all the other circumstances and relations which actually exist: so that the principle, and spirit, and essence of our religion, must be common to all the holy inhabitants of the universe. And, therefore, it will follow, that every intelligent being that is animated and directed by such principles and affections, will be qualified for holding delightful intercourse with all holy beings throughout the universe of God, in whatever province of the Creator's empire he may hereafter be placed; and, to qualify us for such harmonious and affectionate intercourses, is one great end of the Salvation exhibited in the Gospel. So that, although we cannot, in our present state, acquire a minute and comprehensive knowledge of the moral history of other worlds, of the special interpositions or manifestations of Deity in relation to them, or of the means by which they are carried forward in moral and intellectual improvement—yet we can trace the general principles or laws which form the basis of their moral and religious economy. For, as the laws of optics, and the principle of gravitation, pervade the whole material system, as far as the universe is visible to our unassisted vision—so the principle of supreme love to God, and sincere affection to

* See the Frontispiece, Fig. 7.

page 144 fellow-intelligences, must pervade the intellectual universe wherever it extends; and, if any intelligent agents beside men have violated these laws, they must experience pain, and misery, and disorder, analogous to those which are felt by the inhabitants of our apostate world.

Thus I have endeavored to show, that the combination of Science with Religion, would tend to expand our views of Divine Providence—in the various arrangements of God, in relation to the human race, and to the subordinate tribes of sensitive beings—and in reference to some of the prominent features of his administration in distant worlds. And, therefore, though the Christian ought never to overlook the ways of Providence in relation to himself, and to his spiritual and domestic concerns, yet it would argue a selfishness and a sottishness, altogether inconsistent with the noble and expansive spirit of Christianity, to overlook all the other parts of the Theater of Divine Dispensations, when a very slight degree of labor and research might be instrumental in unfolding them to his view.

IV.—The connection of Science with Religion would have a tendency to induce upon Christians a spirit of liberality, of candor, and of accuracy in judging of the opinions and actions of men, and of the Divine procedure and operations.

Who is the most Candid and Liberal Being in the universe? God.—And why is God to be considered as the most Liberal Intelligence that exists? Because He embraces a minute, a full, and comprehensive view of all the circumstances, connections, relations, habits, motives, temptations, modes of thinking, educational biases, physical affections, and other causes, that may influence the sentiments or the conduct of any of his creatures. — Who, among created intelligences may be viewed as endowed with these qualities in the next degree? The loftiest seraph that God has created, who has winged his way to numerous worlds; and taken the most extensive survey of the dispensations of the Almighty, and of all creatures and events.—Who, among the sons of men, is the most illiberal and inaccurate in judging of opinions, of persons, and of things? The man who has lived all his days within the smoke of his father's chimney, or within the confines of his native village—who has never looked beyond the range of his own religious party — whose thoughts have always run in one narrow track—whose reading has been confined to two or three musty volumes, which have lain for ages on the same smoky shelf—who cares for nothing either in the heavens or the earth, but in so far as it ministers to his convenience, his avarice, or his sensual enjoyment—who will admit no sentiment to be true, but what he may have heard broached by his parson—and whose conversation seldom rises beyond mere gossiping chit-chat, and the slanderous remarks which are circulated among his neighbors. Such characters are entirely unqualified for forming a correct judgment, either of the sentiments and the actions of men, or of the works and the ways of God; for they are completely destitute of the requisite data whereon to form a rational decision in relation to either of these subjects.

It may be admitted as a kind of axiom, in our estimate of human character, that, in proportion to the ignorance, and the narrow range of view, which characterize any individual, in a similar proportion will be his want of candor, and his unfitness for passing a sound judgment on any subject that is laid before him—and that the man who has taken excursions through the widest range of thought, accompanied with a corresponding improvement of his moral powers, will always be the most liberal and candid in his decisions on the moral and intellectual qualities of others. To these maxims, few exceptions will generally be found.—In forming an enlightened judgment in regard to any action or object, it is essentially requisite, that we contemplate it in all its different features and aspects, and in all its minute circumstances, bearings, and relations.—We would not hesitate for a moment to determine who is best qualified to give an accurate description of a city,—he who has only viewed its spires from a distance, while in rapid motion in his chariot — or he who has minutely surveyed all its streets, lanes, squares, public edifices, and surrounding scenery, in every variety of aspect; or, who appears most likely to form the most accurate and enlightened judgment in relation to any particular kingdom, — he who has just skirted along a few miles in one of its coasts, or he who has traversed its length and breadth in all directions, and mingled with every class of its inhabitants. On the same principle it must be admitted, that he who has viewed religion in all its aspects and bearings, who has taken the most extensive survey of the manifestations of God, and of the habits and relations of men, is the best qualified to pronounce a candid and accurate decision on all the intellectual and moral cases that may come before him.

If the spirit of the above-stated sentiments be founded on reason and on fact, it will follow that, the more we resemble God in the amplitude of our intellectual views and benevolent affections, the more candid, and liberal, and accurate will our judgments be in reference to all the actions, objects, and relations we contemplate. On the other hand, the man who is confined to a narrow range of thought and prospect, is continually blundering in the estimates he forms, both in respect to physical facts, to general principles, and to moral actions. He forms a premature and uncharitable opinion on every slander and report against his neighbor. He condemns without hesitation, and throws an unmerited odium on whole bodies of men, because one or two of their number may have displayed weakness and folly. He hates and despises men and their opinions, because they belong not to his political or religious party. He pronounces his decisions on the motives of men with as much confidence as if he had surveyed their hearts with the eye of Omniscience. He cannot hear an objection against his favorite opinions with patience, nor an apology for any set of principles but his own. He is arrogant and dogmatical in his assertions, and will make no concessions to the superior wisdom of others. He sets himself, with violence, against every proposal for reformation in the church, because his forefathers never thought of it, and because such “innovations” do not suit his humor and preconceived opinions. He decides, in the most confident tone, on what God can and cannot do, as if he had taken the gauge of infinite perfection; and he frets at the Divine dispensations when they do not exactly quadrate with his own humors and selfish views.

With regard to the operations of the Most High he also forms the most foolish, and vague, and contradictory conceptions. Tell him of the last dimensions of the planetary system, of the men and animals that live on the opposite side of the page 145 globe, of the annual and diurnal motion of the earth—that this world and its inhabitants are moving through the regions of space many thousands of miles every hour—that one of the planets is so large that it would contain 1400 worlds as spacious as ours—that, another is flying through the tracts of immensity at the rate of a hundred thousand miles an hour—and that light is darted from the sun at a velocity of 192,000 miles in a moment of time,—he will stare at you with astonishment at such extravagant assertions, and will sooner believe the stories of giants 100 feet high, and of fairies that can enter in crowds through the keyhole of his door. Instead of frankly acknowledging that “he is ignorant of such subjects, and of the grounds of such conclusions—that those that have studied them with intelligence are best capable of judging — that, if true, they must fill us with admiration of the glory of God—but that, as he has hitherto had no opportunity of examining such matters, he must suspend his assent until he inquire into the reasons which can be given for such amazing deductions;” instead of such concessions, which are the dictates of modesty and of common sense, he will tell you at once, without hesitation, and without a blush at his presumptuous decisions, that “it is all extravagance, and folly, and idle romance, contrary to Scripture, and reason, and common sense;” and will not hesitate to brand you as a heretic, for endeavoring to break loose his intellectual trammels!—thus tacitly declaring that he is far better qualified to pronounce a decision on such topics than all the philosophers and divines, and all the brightest geniuses who have appeared in the world for ages past; though he will at the same time admit, that he never gave himself the trouble to examine into such matters!

His views of the providential dispensations of God are equally partial and distorted. If disease, or poverty, or misfortune, happen to his neighbor, especially if he had withdrawn from the religious party to which he belongs, it is considered as a penal judgment for his error and apostasy. If prosperous circumstances attended his family or his religious party, it is viewed as a sign of Divine approbation. He seldom views the hand of God, except in uncommon occurrences, and then, he imagines that a miracle is performed, and that the wheels of nature are stopped in order to accomplish the event. He seldom looks beyond the precincts of his own church or nation, to observe the movements of the Divine footsteps toward other tribes of his fallen race. He overlooks the traces of Divine operation which are every moment to be seen above and around him—and yet, in the midst of all such partial and contracted views, he will sometimes decide on the Wisdom and Rectitude of the Ways of God, with as much confidence as if he had entered into the secret councils of the Eternal, and surveyed the whole plan of his procedure.

Such are a few prominent outlines of the character of thousands, whose names are enrolled as members of the visible church—whose illiberality and self-conceit are owing to the contracted notions they have formed of God and of Religion. And, surely, it must appear desirable to every enlightened Christian, that every proper mean should be used to prevent rational immortal beings from remaining enchained in such mental thraldom.

On the other hand, the man who takes an enlightened view of all the works and dispensations of God, and of all the circumstances and relations of subordinate beings, necessarily acquires a nobleness and liberality of mind, and an accuracy in judging of things human and divine, which no other person can possess. He does not hastily take up an evil report against his neighbor; for he considers how unfounded such reports often are, and how much they are owing to the insinuations of envy or of malice. And, when he can no longer doubt of an evil action being substantiated against any one, he does not triumph over him in the language of execration; for, he considers all the circumstances, relations, feelings, and temptations with which he may have been surrounded; he considers, that he himself is a frail sinful creature, and might possibly have fallen in a similar way, had he been placed in the same situation. He does not trumpet forth the praises of a man who has performed one brilliant benevolent deed, as if he were a character to be admired and eulogized–while the general course of his life is marked with vice, and an utter forgetflness of God and Religion; nor does he fix a stigma of immorality upon the person who may have acted foolishly or sinfully in one or two instances, while the general tenor of his conduct has been marked by purity and rectitude: for, in both cases he considers, that it is not an isolated action, but general habits which determine the character of any individual. He esteems the Wise and the Good, and holds friendly intercourse with them, to whatever political or religious party they belong. He can bear, with affability and candor, to have his opinions contradicted, and can differ from his neighbor in many disputed points, while, at the same time, he values and esteems him. He will not brand a man as a Heretic or a Deist, because he takes a view of some dogmas in Theology in a different light from what he himself does; for he considers the difference of habits, studies, pursuits, and educational prejudices, which must have influenced his opinions; and makes due allowance for the range of thought to which he may have been accustomed. He is always disposed to attribute the actions of others to good motives, when he has no proof to the contrary. He uses no threats nor physical force to support his opinions, or to convince gainsayers; for he knows that no external coercion can illuminate the mind, and that the strength of arguments, and the force of truth, can alone produce conviction. He is convinced how ignorant he is, notwithstanding all his study, observations, and researches, and presses forward, as long as he lives, to higher degrees of knowledge and of moral improvement.

He is an active promoter of every scheme that tends to enlighten and meliorate mankind, and to extend the knowledge of salvation to the ends of the earth; for he considers that it is not by miracles, but by the subordinate agency of intelligent beings, that God will effectuate the illumination and the moral renovation of our apostate race. He views the special agency of God in all the movements of the Scientific, the Religious, and the Political world, and perceives Him accomplishing his purpose, in the inventions of human genius, and in the economy of the minutest insect, as well as in the earthquake, the storm, and the convulsions of nations; for he considers the smallest atom, and the Hosts of Heaven, as equally directed by Eternal Wisdom, and equally necessary in the universal chain of creatures and events. He displays a becoming modesty in speaking of the ways and the works of God. When he meets with any dark and afflictive dispensation in the course of Providence, he does not fret and repine, but is calm and resigned, conscious that he perceives only a small portion of page 146 the chain of God's dispensations, and is, therefore, unable to form a just comparison of the connection of any one part with the whole. When he contemplates the depraved and wretched condition of the greater part of the world, at present, and for thousands of years past, notwithstanding the salvation which has been achieved for sinners of mankind, he is far from arraigning the Divine goodness and rectitude, in leaving so many nations “to walk in their own ways;” for he knows not what ‘relation this dismal scene may bear, what influence it may have, or what important impressions it may produce, on worlds and beings with which we are at present unaequainted.

He is cautious in pronouncing decisively respecting the dispensations of God, in regard to the universe at large. He does not, for example, assert, with the utmost confidence, as some have done, “that there never was, and never will be, to all the ages of eternity, such a bright display of the Divine Glory as in the Cross of Christ.” He admires and adores the Condescension and the Love of God, in the plan of Salvation which the Gospel exhibits, and feels an interest in it far beyond that of any other special manifestation of Deity; but he dares not set limits to the Divine Attributes and Operations. He considers himself at present, with regard to the grand system of the Universe, in a situation similar to that of a small insect on one of the stones of a magnificent edifice, which sees only a few hairbreadths around it, and is altogether incapable of surveying the symmetry, the order, and beauty of the structure, and of forming an adequate conception of the whole. He considers that he has never yet surveyed the millionth part of Jehovah's empire, and, therefore, cannot tell what the Eternal Sovereign has been pleased to exhibit in its numerous provinces; and, least of all, can he ever presume to dive into the depths of interminable ages, and boldly declare what the Almighty will, or will not do, through eternity to come. He, therefore, views it as presumption, while he has no dictate of revelation for his warrant, to pronounce decisively, either on the one side or on the other, of such a deep and important question, which seems above the reach of the loftiest seraph to determine.* In short, he endeavors to take a view of all the manifestations of Deity within his reach, from every source of information which lies before him, and as far as his limited faculties will permit. He does not call in question the discoveries of Science, because they bring to his ears most astonishing reports of the Wisdom and Omnipotence of Jehovah; and of the boundless extent of his Kingdom; but rejoices to learn, that the grandeur of his dominions is actually found to correspond with the lofty descriptions of Divine Majesty and Glory recorded in the Volume of Inspiration, and is thereby inspired with nobler hopes of the glory and felicity of that heavenly world where he expects to spend an endless existence.

If, then, such be some of the features in the character of the enlightened Christian; if liberality and candor, and accurate investigation, mark the judgments he pronounces on the sentiments and the actions of men, and on the works and the ways of God; and if such views and feelings ought to be considered as more congenial to the noble and benevolent spirit of our religion, than the narrow and distorted notions of a contracted mind,—it must be an object much to be desired, that the mass of the Christian world be led into such trains of thought, as might imbue their minds with a larger proportion of this spirit. And, if diversified and occasional discussions on the topics to which we have adverted would have a tendency to produce this desirable effect, it is obvious, that such branches of knowledge as are calculated to enlarge the capacity of the mind, and to throw a light over the revelations and the works of God, should no longer be overlooked in the range of our religious contemplations.

V.—The extensive range of thought which the diversified objects in Nature present, would have a tendency to inspire us with a spirit of piety and profound humility.

It is owing, in many instances, to want of at tention to the impressive displays of Wisdom and Omnipotence in the material world, that our pious feelings and devotional exercises are so cold and languid. We stalk about on the surface of the earth, and pass from one day to another, without reflecting on the grand and complicated machinery around us, which is carrying us along through the regions of space, and from one portion of duration to another, as if the mighty energies of the Eternal Mind, exerted in our behalf, were unworthy of our acknowledgment or regard. How few, for example, reflect, when they open their eyes in the morning, and perceive the first beams of the rising sun, that, since they lay down to sleep, the Divine Power has been exerted in carrying them more than four thousand miles round to the eastward, in order that they might again be cheered with the morning light; and that, during the same period, they, along with the earth and its vast population, have been carried forward 476,000 miles from that portion of space which they occupied seven hours before?* Or, if they have no idea of the motion of the earth, and attach no belief to such an opinion, how is it they do not reflect, that, after night has thrown its shades around them, the sun, and ten thousand other vast globes, must move several hundreds of millions of miles, before their eyes can again behold the light of day! Either the one or the other of these cases must be the fact; and, in either case, there is presented to our view, a display of the Omnipotence and the Superintendence of Him in whom we live and move, which demands our gratitude our admiration, and praise. And can it ever be supposed, that such reflections, combined with all the other excitements to reverence and gratitude, will not tend to elevate our contemplations, and to raise our pious feelings to a higher pitch of devotion? Whether the Psalmist entertained any views of this kind, when he composed the ninety-second Psalm, we

* See Appendix, Note XII.

* When it is here said that we are carried “more than 4000 miles round to the eastward” during the hours of sleep—the author refers to the diurnal motion of the earth from west to east. The rate of this motion is different to the inhabitants of different latitudes. At the Equator the inhabitants are carried at the rate of 1038 miles an hour, and if 7 hours be allowed for nightly repose, they are carried round 7266 miles during sleep. Those who live in the 52d degree of latitude, as the inhabitants of places near London, move at the rate of 637 miles an hour; and, conse quently, in the course of 7 hours, are carried round 4459 miles. The inhabitants of Greenland, in lat. 69°, during the same time, move only 2570 miles; and, were there any inhabitants at the 88th degree of latitude, or within two degrees of the polar points their motion, during 7 hours, would not exceed 252 miles.—When it is said we are carried forward during the same time, 476,000 miles, the reference is to the annual motion of the earth, which is at the rate of sixty-eight thousand miles every hour, and consequently 476,000 miles during the 7 hours supposed to be allotted to sleep.

page 147 cannot certainly determine; but I presume, the pious and contemplative mind, when awakening from the slumbers of the night, under such impressions, might sing the first part of that song of praise with peculiar emphasis and delight—“It is a good thing to give thanks to Jehovah, and to sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High! to show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work” (or thy powerful energy),—“I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O Lord! how great are thy works! and thy thoughts” (or contrivances) “are very deep! A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this.”

An extensive acquaintance with nature and science, combined with Christian principle, would also induce profound humility. The man who has made excursions through the most diversified regions of thought, is deeply sensible of the little progress he has attained, and of the vast and unbounded field of divine science which still remains to be explored. When he considers the immense variety of sublime subjects which the Volume of Inspiration exhibits, and of which he has obtained but a very faint and imperfect glimpse—the comprehensive extent, and the intricate windings of the operations of Providence, and the infinite number of beings over which it extends—the amplitude and magnificence of that glorious universe over which Jehovah presides, and how small a portion of it lies open to his minute inspection—he is humbled in the dust at the view of his own insignificance; he sees himself to be a very babe in knowledge; and, as it were, just emerging from the gloom of ignorance into the first dawnings of light and intelligence. He feels the full force and spirit of the poet's sentiment— “Much learning shows how little mortals know.” When he considers the comprehensive extent of the Divine law and its numerous bearings on every part of his conduct, and on all the diversified relations in which he stands to his God, and to his fellow-men; and when he reflects on his multiplied deviations from that eternal rule of rectitude, he is ashamed and confounded in the presence of the Holy One of Israel; and on a review of his former pride and self-conceit, is constrained to adopt the language of Agur and of Asaph—“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.” “So foolish was I, and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee.” He views the meanest and the most ignorant of his species, as but a very few degrees below him in the scale of intelligence, and sees no reason why he should glory over his fellows.

This sentiment might be illustrated from the example of some of the most eminent men in whose minds science and religion were combined. The Honorable Mr. Boyle was the most unwearied and successful explorer of the works of God, in the age in which he lived, and all his philosophical pursuits were consecrated to the service of Religion. Among the excellent traits in his character, humility was the most conspicuous. “He had about him,” says Bishop Burnet, “all that unaffected neglect of pomp in clothes, lodging, furniture, and equipage, which agreed with his grave and serious course of life,” and was courteous and condescending to the meanest of his fellow-men. “He had,” says the same author, “the profoundest veneration for the great God of heaven and earth that ever I observed in any person. The very name of God was never mentioned by him without a pause, and a visible stop in his discourse; and the tenor of his philosophical and theological writings is in complete unison with these traits of character.—Sir Isaac Newton, too, whose genius seemed to know no limits but those of the visible universe, was distinguished by his modesty, humility, and meekness of temper. He had such a humble opinion of himself, that he had no relish of the applause which was so deservedly paid him. He would have let others run away with the glory of his inventions, if his friends and countrymen had not been more jealous of his honor than he was himself. He said a little before his death, “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”

The same sentiment might have been illustrated from the lives of Bacon, Locke, Dr. Boerhaave, Hervey, Nieuwentyt, Ray, Derham, the Abbe Pluche, Bonnet, and other eminent characters, who devoted their stores of knowledge to the illustration of the Christian system. For an extensive knowledge of the operations of God has a natural tendency to produce humility and veneration; and wherever it is combined with pride and arrogance, either among philosophers or divines, it indicates a lamentable deficiency, if not a complete destitution, of Christian principle, and of all those tempers which form the bond of union among holy intelligences. After the attention of Job had been directed to the works of God, and when he had contemplated the inexplicable phenomena of the Divine agency in the material world, he was ashamed and confounded at his former presumption; and, in deep humility, exclaimed, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”—In accordance with what has been now stated, we find, that the most exalted intelligences, who, of course, possess the most extensive views of the works and providential arrangements of God, are represented as also the most humble in their deportment, and as displaying the most profound reverence in their incessant adorations. They “fall down before Him who sits upon the throne; and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”—Their moral conduct evinces the same lowly temper of mind. They wait around the throne, in the attitude of motion, and wings outspread, ready to fly, on the first signal of their Sovereign's will; they “do his commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word,” and do not disdain to perform important services, in our wretched world, to the meanest human being who is numbered among “the heirs of salvation.” In like manner, were we indued with the grasp of intellect, the capacious minds, the extensive knowledge, and the moral powers which they possess, we would also display the same humble and reverential spirit, and feel ashamed of those emotions of vanity and pride, which dispose so many of the human family to look down with contempt on their fellow-mortals.

If the leading train of sentiment which pervades this volume be admitted, the following page 148 general conclusions may be deduced:—That, in conducting the religious instruction of the young, the works of God in the material world, and the most striking discoveries which have been made as to their magnitude, variety, and mechanism, should be frequently exhibited to their view, in minute detail; as illustrations of the attributes of the Deity, and of those descriptions of his nature and operations contained in the Volume of Inspiration;—that the books put into their hands should contain, among other subjects, popular and striking descriptions of the facts and appearances of nature;—that seminaries should be established for the occasional instruction of young persons, from the age of fifteen to the age of twenty or thirty, or upward, in all those popular branches of natural and moral science which have a tendency to enlarge the capacity of their minds, and to expand their conceptions of the incessant agency of God;—and that the Ministers of Religion, in their public instructions, should frequently blend their discussions of divine topics with illustrations derived from the scenes of Creation and Providence.