very small to what a man does, because the picture will be diminish ed nearly as the eye is lefs; indeed thefe infects may fee. diftinctly fmaller things than man, becaufe the objects may be brought nearer their small eyes, without throwing the focus of the rays beyond the retina, as the fame diftance of the object would do in a larger eye, and prevent diftinct vifion; and it is highly probable, that these small infects cannot fee objects at a great distance, unless they are much larger than what a man can fee at the like diftance; but then what they do fee, they judge to be of the fame bignefs that a man does, and fo muft every creature, let its eyes be of what dimenfion or number you please. It is a vague notion opticians have, who imagine that an eye, like a microscope lens, will magnify the picture on the retina, whereas juft the contrary takes place; for when the eye is ufed alone, without fuch a lens, the shorter focus of the eye forms the picture, and the longer, is at the object; but when a lens is ufed by way of a microscope, the object is in the fhorter, and the picture at the longer focus, juft contrary to the method of common vifion.

tion of the mind, to exist external to it, and that if they did not fo exift, the mind could not imagine any extenfion, figure, and motion; for there never is found any of them perceivable by it, nor any figure or motion attending a fim. ple fenfation. Indeed it is too commonly thought, that there is a shape perceived with colour, or à coloured fhape; but no object appears of one fimple colour to a fixed eye, but every part of the object exhibits a different degree of colour, and thefe degrees are feparate fenfations, to which the mind afcribes a place, though, in fact, the colour is not in the place fo judged of, but fomething elfe that gives refiftance to the actions of the mind on the body; and from hence it fuppofes there muft be fomething existing there, which gives rife to the colour perceived by it.-'Tis impoffible the mind fhould perceive the images of things within itself, unless it was equally extended with the things themfelves, and if not, how can it be thought that an ideal world can exift within the mind, as fome philofophers have conjectured? Surely it cannot be ; but it must be only imagination that directs us to the external existence of real things. We cannot properly be faid to imagine what does not, or has not, really existed; for let a blind man try if he can imagine colour, or a deaf man found, and I fancy he will find himself at a lofs. Father Malbranche indeed tells us, that a man may have an idea of a golden mountain that never exifted, and I can admit a man may recollect the figure of a mountain which he has formerly imagined, and remember the co

lour

lour of gold which he lately had a perception of, and fuppofe it poffible they may be connected, and call this operation of his mind an idea, if he pleases: but I fancy after all his efforts, if he fhould happen to think of a mountain as large as Shooter's hill, he will hardly allow it to be contained in his mind. A. B.

M

Thoughts on Death.

Ilton has very judiciously reprefented the father of mankind as feized with horror and aftonishment at the fight of death, represented to him on the mount of Vifion. For furely nothing can fo much difturb the paffions, or perplex the intellects of man, as a difruption of his union with vifible nature, a feparation from every thing that has hitherto engaged or delighted him; a change not only of the place, but the manner of his being an entrance into a state, not fimply unknown, but which perhaps he has not faculties to know, an immediate and perceptible communication with the Supreme Being, and, what is above all diftrefsful and alarming, the final fentence, and unalterable allotment.

Yet we, whom the shortness of life has made acquainted with mortality, can, without emotion, fee generations of men pafs away, are at leifure to eftablish modes of forrow, to adjust the ceremonial of death, look upon funeral pomp as a ceremonial in which we have no concern, and turn away from it to trifles and amufements, withoat

dejection of look, or inquietude of heart.

It is indeed apparent from the conftitution of the world, that there must be a time for other thoughts; and a perpetual medi tation upon the last hour, however it may become the folitude of a monastery, is inconfiftent with many duties of common life. But furely the remembrance of death ought to predominate in our minds as an habitual and fettled principle, always operating, though not always perceived; and our attention fhould feldom wander fo far from our own condition, as not to be recalled and fixed by the fight of an event, which will foon, we know not how foon, happen likewife to ourselves, and of which, though we cannot appoint the time, we may fecure the confequence.

Yet, though every instance of death may justly awaken our fears, and quicken our vigilance, it feldom happens that we are much alarmed, unlefs fome clofe connection is broken, some scheme fruftrated, or fome hope defeated. There are therefore many, who feem to live without any reflection on the end of life, becaufe they are wholly involved within themfelves, and look on others as unworthy their notice, without any expectation of receiving, or intention of bestowing good.

It is indeed impoffible, without fome mortification of that defire, which every man feels of being remembered and lamented, to behold how little concern is caufed by the eternal departure even of those who have paffed their lives with public honours, and been distinguished by fuperior qualities, or extraordinary performances It

is

is not poffible to be regarded by tenderness, except by a few. That merit which gives reputation and renown, diffufes its influence to a wide compafs, but acts weakly in every single breaft; it is placed at a diftance from common fpectators, and fhines like one of the remote ftars, of which the light reaches us, but not the heat. The wit, the hero, the philofopher, whom either their tempers, or their for tunes, have hindered from intimate relations, or tender intercourses, die often without any other effect than that of adding a new topic to the converfation of the day, and imprefs none with any fresh conviction of the fragility of our nature, because none had any particular interest in their lives, or were united to them by a recipro cation of benefits and endearments. Thus we find it often happens, that those who in their lives have excited applause, and attracted admiration, are laid at laft in the duft without the common honour of a ftone; because by thofe excellencies, with which many have been delighted, none have been obliged; and though they had many to celebrate them, they had none to love them.

Cuftom fo far regulates the fentiments at least of common minds, that I believe men may be generally obferved to grow lefs tender as they advance in age; and he who, when life was new, melted at the lofs of every companion, can look, in time, without concers, upon the grave into which his laft friend was thrown, and into which he himself is ready to

fall; not because he is more willing to die than formerly, but becaufe he is more familiar with the death of others, and therefore not alarmed fo far as to confider how much nearer he approaches to his end. But this is to fubmit tamèly to the tyranny of accident, and to fuffer our reafon to lie ufelefs. Every funeral may be justly confidered as a fummons to prepare for that ftate into which it is a proof that we must some time enter, and a fummons more hard and piercing, as the event of which it warns us at lefs diftance. To neglect at any time making preparation for death, is to fleep on our poft at a fiege; but to omit it in old age, is to fleep on an attack.

It has always feemed to me, one of the most striking paffages in the vifions of Quevedo, where he ftigmatifes thofe as fools who com plain that they failed of happiness by fudden death. << How, fay's he, can death be sudden to a being, who always knew that he must die, and that the time of death was uncertain ?”

Since there are not wanting admonitions of our mortality to preferve it active in our minds, nothing can more properly renew the impreffion than the examples which every day fupplies, and as the great incentive to virtue is the reflection that we must die, it may be useful to accuftom ourselves, whenever we fee a funeral, to confider how foon we may be added to the number of those whofe probation is paft, and whofe happiness or mifery fhall endure for ever.

Your's, &c. P. P.

Mr.

Mr. Dodd having lately favoured the public with the following piece, we thought it worthy a place in our collection.

The truth of Chriftianity, deduced from Daniel's prophecy of the Seventy weeks. By Mr. Locke.

Ofephus, in the tenth book of his Antiquities, cap. ult. confutes Atheists and Epicureans, fuch as denied either God or Providence, from the prophecies of Daniel. "All thefe prophecies, fays he, being revealed by God to Daniel, were left in writing by him, fo that men, by feeing the events, : might be fufficiently convinced thereby that the Epicureans are in a great error, who caft Providence out of human life, and will not allow God to have any thing to do with the regimen of our affairs, nor the universe to be governed by a bleffed and immortal effence, but all things to flow promifcuoufly without a guide, or governor, as hips that are toffed in the sea by waves and ftorms." And again, "When I confider Daniel's prophecy, I cannot but condemn the folly of those men who deny God to have any care of the affairs of mortals. For how should things come to pass fo exactly, as they have done, according to Daniel's predictions, if all things happen ed by chance?"

But this one prophecy of Seventy weeks is not only a fufficient con

futation of Atheists and Epicureans, but also of Pagan Theifts and Jews, and proves, undeniably, that Jefus is the Chrift, or Meffiah promifed. Since, according to this prediction, Meffiah the prince was to appear, juft at the very time, when Jefus, being thirty years old*, was baptifed by John. And there was, at that time, no other pretender to the Meffiahship befides him.

Moveover, it is undeniably evident, from this prophecy of Daniel, together with that of Jacob's about Shilo, that the notion which the prefent and modern Jews have of the Meffiah is abfolutely false and that chiefly in these four particulars following:

First, They denying the Meffiah to be already come, muft, of neceffity, hold, that he is to come in the time of the difperfion and captivity of the Jews, that he may bring them into their own land again, and build a third temple. But the contrary hereunto is unqueftionably evident, namely, that the Meffiah was to come whilst the Jewish common-wealth was standing, and under the fecond temple, before the deftruction by Titus. For the feventy weeks determined to bring in the everlasting righte oufnefs, to feal vifion and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy, are unquestionably determined for the bringing in of the Meffiah, Now they are faid to be determin, ed upon Daniel's people and city; that is, that the Jewish polity and

city of Jerufalem fhould continue all that while, and therefore till the coming of the Meffiah.-The beginning of these weeks must be from the going forth of the decree of fome Perfian king to reftore and build Jerufalem, and the lateft of thefe decrees was either in the feventh or twentieth of Artaxerxes; and therefore the Meffiah was undoubtedly to come within four hun dred and ninety years after the twentieth of Artaxerxes at fartheft. However no man can extend thefe feventy weeks farther than the deftruction of the city and temple by Titus, therefore the Meffiah was unquestionably to come before that time. So alfo from Jacob's prophecy, Shilo was to come before the fcepter was departed from Judah: therefore, either before the deftruction by Nebuchadnezzar, or elfe by Titus. Not the former, because these four prophets, Daniel, Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi, prophefied of the Meffiah's coming as future, after the deftruction by Nebuchadnezzar. This fame truth is farther attefted by other of the prophets. Haggai, chap. ii. ver. 6, 7, 8, 9. "Yet once, it is a little while and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land, and I will fhake all nations, and the defire of all nations fhall come, and I will fill this houfe with glory. The filver is mine, and the gold is mine, the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, and in this place will I give peace." Where it is plain, that the glory of this latter houfe exceeding that of the former, is not meant in refpect of filver and gold, becaufe that is excluded, but from the defire of all nations,

the Mef'ah (who shall be readily embraced by the gentiles) coming to it. Wherefore, it is not here material to difpute, whether the fecond temple, as repaired and beautified by Herod, did exceed that of Solomon's, in beauty or pomp, or no,-that glory of it, which the prophet fpeaks of, being not in reference to filver and gold, but the coming of the Mef= fiah into it. For otherwife, the Talmudifts themselves have ob ferved, that the second temple was inferior to the first, in respect of five things that were wanting in it. And, Matt. iii. ver. 1, "Behold, I will fend my meffenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom ye feek, fhall fuddenly come to his temple, even the meffenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in. Behold, he fhall come, faith the Lord of hofts.” This can be no other than the Meffiah. And if he were to come to his temple, then muft the temple be ftanding at his coming.

But, whatever the Jews, who have refufed the true Meffiah, now think, it is certain, that before the deftruction of the fecond temple, they generally expected the coming of the Meffiah, and fuch an one, that fhould fet up a Jewish monarchy over the whole world, which was the chief thing that animated them to the war against the Romans. Thus Jofephus teftifies, book vii. chap. 12. p. 961: "That which did chiefty excite them to the war, was an obfcure oracle found in the holy writings, that about that time, one coming out of that land fhould rule over the whole world, which they interpreted of one of their own nation, and many of the wife men

were