Want of feveral Advantages of Nature (as he himfelf tells us) was heard, admired, and made a Standard to fucceeding Ages by the beft Judge of a different Perfuafion in Religion: I fay, our Clergy may learn, That, however inftructive their Sermons are, they are capable of receiving a great Addition; which St. Paul has given them a noble Example of, and the Chriftian Religion has furnished • them with certain Means of attaining to.

с

N°634. Friday, December 17.

Ὁ ἐλαχίσων δεόμυθ έγγιστα θεῶν.

Socrates apud Xen,

T was the common Boaft of the Heathen Philofo

phers, that by the Efficacy of their feveral Doct

rines, they made Humane Nature refemble the Divine. How much mistaken foever they might be in the feveral Means they propofed for this End, it must be owned that the Defign was great and glorious. The fineft Works of Invention and Imagination are of very little Weight, when put in the Balance with what refines and exalts the rational Mind. Longinus excufes Homer very handsomely, when he fays the Poet made his Gods like Men, that he might make his Men appear like the Gods: But it must be allowed that feveral of the ancient Philofophers acted, as Cicero wishes Homer had done; they endeavoured rather to make Men like Gods, than Gods like Men.

ACCORDING to this general Maxim in Philofophy, fome of them have endeavoured to place Men in fuch a State of Pleasure, or Indolence at least, as they vainly imagined the Happiness of the Supreme Being to confift in. On the other Hand, the moft virtuous Sect of Philofophers have created a chimeri

cal

cal wife Man, whom they made exempt from Paffion and Pain, and thought it enough to pronounce him All-fufficient.

THIS laft Character, when divefted of the Glare of Humane Philofophy that furrounds it, fignifies no more, than that a Good and Wife Man fhould fo arm himself with Patience, as not to yield tamely to the Violence of Paffion and Pain; that he fhould learn fo to fupprefs and contract his Defires as to have few Wants; and that he should cherish fo many Virtues in his Soul, as to have a perpetual Source of Pleasure in Himself.

THE Chriftian Religion requires, that, after having framed the best Idea, we are able, of the Divine Nature, it fhould be cur next Care to conform our felves to it, as far as our Imperfections will permit. I might mention several Paffages in the Sacred Writings on this Head, to which I might add many Maxims and wife Sayings of Moral Authors among the Greeks and Romans.

I fhall only inftance a remarkable Paffage, to this Purpose, out of Julian's Cafars. The Emperor having represented all the Roman Emperors, with Alexander the Great, as paffing in Review before the Gods, and ftriving for the Superiority, lets them all drop, excepting Alexander, Julius Cafar, Auguftus Cafar, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and Conftantine. Each of thefe great Heroes of Antiquity lays in his Claim for the upper Place; and, in Órder to it, fets forth his Actions after the most advantageous Manner. But the Gods, instead of being dazled with the Luftre of their Actions, enquire, by Mercury, into the proper Motive and Governing Principle that influenced them throughout the whole Series of their Lives and Exploits. Alexander tells them, That his Aim was to conquer; Julius Cafar, That his was to gain the higheft Poft in his Country; Auguftus, To govern well; Trajan, That His was the fame as that of Alexander, namely, To conquer. The Queftion, at length, was put to Marcus Aurelius, who replied, with great Mo

defty,

defty, That it had always been his Care to imitate the Gods. This Conduct feems to have gained him the moft Votes and beft Place in the whole Affembly. Marcus Aurelius being afterwards asked to explain himfelf, declares That, by imitating the Gods, he endeavoured to imitate them in the Ufe of his Understanding, and of all other Faculties; and, in particular, That it was always his Study to have as few Wants as poffible in himfelf, and to do all the Good he could to others.

AMONG the many Methods by which Revealed Religion has advanced Morality, this is one, That it has given us a more juft and perfect Idea of that Being whom every reafonable Creature ought to imitate. The young Man, in a Heathen Comedy, might juftify his Lewdness by the Example of Jupiter; as, indeed, there was fcarce any Crime that might not be countenanced by thofe Notions of the Deity which prevailed among the common Peoqle in the Heathen World. Revealed Religion fets forth a proper Object for Imitation, in that Being who is the Pattern, as well as the Source, of all Spiritual Perfection.

WHILE we remain in this Life, we are fubject to innumerable Temptations, which, if liften'd to, will make us deviate from Reason and Goodness, the only Things wherein we can imitate the Supreme Being. In the next Life we meet with nothing to ex cite our Inclinations that doth not deserve them. I fhall therefore difmifs my Reader with this Maxim, viz. Our Happiness in this World proceeds from the Suppreffion of our Defires, but in the next World from the Gratification of them.

Monday,

No 635. Monday, December 20.

Sentio Te fedem Hominum ac Domum contemplariqua fi tibi parva (ut eft) ita videtur, hac cæleftia femper Spe&tato; illa humana contemnito. Cicero. Somn. Scip.

T

HE following Effay comes from the ingenious Author of the Letter upon Novelty, printed in a late Spectator: The Notions are drawn from the Platonick way of Thinking, but as they contribute to raise the Mind, and may infpire noble Sentiments of our own future Grandeur and Happiness, I think it well deferves to be prefented to the Publick.

I

F the Universe be the Creature of an intelligent Mind, this Mind could have no immediate Regard to himself in producing it. He needed not to make Trial of his Omnipotence, to be informed what Effects were within its Reach: The World as exifting in his eternal Idea was then as beautiful as now it is drawn forth into Being; and in the immenfe Abyss of his Effence are contained far brighter Scenes than will be ever set forth to View; it being impoffible that the great Author of Nature fhould bound his own Power by giving Existence to a Syftem of Creatures fo perfect that he cannot improve upon it by any other Exertions of his Almighty Will. Between Finite and Infinite there is an unmeasured Interval, not to be filled up in endless Ages; for which Reason, the moft excellent of all God's Works must be equally fhort of what his Power is able to produce as the most imperfect, and may be exceeded with the fame Ease.

THIS Thought hath made fome imagine, (what, it must be confeft, is not impoffible) that the unfathomed Space is ever teeming with new Births, the younger

Still

ftill inheriting a greater Perfection than the elder. But as this doth not fall within my prefent View, I fhall content my felf with taking Notice, that the Confideration now mentioned proves undeniably, that the Ideal Worlds in the Divine Understanding yield a Profpect incomparably more ample, various and delightful than any Created World can do: And that therefore as it is not to be supposed that God should make a World merely of inanimate Matter, however diveṛfified; or inhabited only by Creatures of no higher an Order than Brutes; fo the End for which he defigned his reafonable Offspring is the Contemplation of his Works, the Enjoyment of himself, and in both to be happy; having, to this Purpofe, endowed them with correfpondent Faculties and Defires. He can have no greater Pleasure from a bare Review of his Works, than from the Survey of his own Ideas, but we may be affured that he is well pleafed in the Satisfaction derived to Beings capable of it, and, for whofe Entertainment, he hath erected this immenfe Theatre. Is not this more than an Intimation of our Immor. tality? Man, who when confidered as on his probation for a happy Exiftenee hereafter is the moft remarkable Inftance of Divine Wisdom, if we cut him off from all Relation to Eternity, is the most wonderful and unaccountable Compofition in the whole Creation. He hath Capacities to lodge a much greater Variety of Knowledge than he will be ever Mafter of, and an unfatisfied Curiofity to tread the fecret Paths of Nature and Providence: But, with this, his Organs, in their prefent Structure, are rather fitted to ferve the Neceffities of a vile Body, than to minister to his Underftanding; and from the little Spot to which he is chained, he can frame but wandering Gueffes concerning the innumerable Worlds of Light that encompass him, which, tho' in themfelves of a prodigious Bignefs, do but juft glimmer in the remote Spaces of the Heavens; and, when with a great deal of Time and Pains he hath laboured a little way up the steep Afcent of Truth, and beholds with Pity the

grove