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(Book III. In fuch a plan, where all was to be full, and no void, or chafm, it is evident, there must be an extensive variety, and innumerable different degrees of excellence and perfection in things animate and inanimate, fuitable to the respective places to be filled by each, higher or lower, rifing one above another by a just and easy gradation. This we can accordingly trace in the small part of the fcale of being, which our obfervation takes in. From crude, unprepared duft, or earth, we proceed to various ftrata impregnated with fome higher qualities. From thence to pebbles, and other foffil fubftances, which feem to be endowed with a fort of vegetative principle. Next we proceed from the lowest and fimpleft of vegetables, up to the highest and most curious; among which the fenfitive plant seems to partake of fomething like animal life. As the polype, and fome other reptiles, feem to defcend a little, as if to meet the vegetable creation. Then we come to animals endowed with the fenfe of feeling and tafting only, as various fhell-fish. After them follow fuch as have more fenfes, till we come to thofe that poffefs fomewhat analogous to human faculties, as the faithfulness of dogs, the generous courage of the horfe, the fagacity of the elephant, and the mischievous low cunning of the fox and ape. Suppofe a human creature, of the meanest natural abilities, from its birth deprived of the faculty of speech, how much would it be fuperior to a monkey? How much is a Hottentot fuperior? From fuch a human mind we may proceed to thofe which are capable of the common arts of life; and from them onward to fuch as have fome degree of capacity for fome one branch of art or science. Then we may go on to thofe, who are endowed with minds fufceptible of various parts of knowledge. From which there are a great many degrees of natural capacities, rifing one above another, before we reach fuch a divine fpirit as that of a Newton. Perhaps fome of the lower orders of angelic natures might not be raised above him at a much greater diftance, than he was above fome of his fpecies.

Even among the inhabitants of different elements there is an analogy kept up. Various fpecies of fishes

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approach very nearly to beafts, who live on dry land, in form and conftitution. Several fpecies unite the aquatic and terreftrial characters in one. The bat and owl join the bird and beaft kinds; fo that the different natures run almost into another; but never meet fo clofely, as to confound the diftinction.

Thus, fo far as we can trace the divine plan of creation, all is full, and all connected! And we may reafonably conclude, that the fame uniformity amidst variety takes place through the univerfal fcale of being, above our fpecies, as well as below it, in other worlds as well as ours. This was to be expected in an univerfal fyftem planned by one immenfe and all-comprehending mind.

Confidering the unbounded and unlimited perfections of the first caufe, who has exifted from eternity, has had an infinite fpace to act in, an infinity of wisdom to fuggeft fchemes, and infinite power to put thofe fchemes in execution for effecting whatever infinite goodness might excite him to propose: confidering these things, what ideas may we form of the actual exertion of fuch perfections? What may they not have produced; what may they not be every moment producing; what they may not produce throughout an endless eternity! There is no determinate time we can fix for infinite wifdom, power, and goodness to have begun to exert themselves in creating, but what will imply an eternity paft, without any exertion of creating power. And it is not easy to fuppofe Infinite Goodnefs to have let an eternity pafs without exerting itfelf in bringing any one creature into existence. Whither then does this lead us? There is no point in eternity paft, in which can conceive, that it would have been improper for infinite wisdom, power, and goodness to have been exerted. And he, who from all eternity has had power, in all probability has from all eternity had will or inclination to communicate his goodness. Let us try to imagine then, what may be the whole effect of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, exerted through an infinite duration paft, and in an unbounded fpace. What ought to be the number of productions of infinite power, wifdom,

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and goodness, throughout immenfity and eternity? What may we fuppofe the prefent degree of perfection of beings, who have exifted from periods diftant from the present beyond all reach of human numbers, and have been conftantly improving? What degrees of knowledge, of power, of goodness, may fuch beings have by this time acquired? Let readers, who have accumftomed themfelves to fuch trains of thinking, purfue thefe views to their full extent. To add here all that may be deduced from fuch confiderations, may not be neceffary.

It is afterwards demonftrated, that the happiness of the proper creatures was the fole view, which the Divine Wisdom could have in producing an universe. Now, happiness being a primary or fimple idea, it neither needs, nor is capable of any explanation, or of being expreffed, but by fome fynonymous term, which likewifes communicates a fimple idea, as fatisfaction, pleafure, or fuch like. But it is of good ufe to underftand what makes real happinefs, and how to attain it. The foundation or ground of happinefs, then, is "A "confcious being's finding itself in that ftate, and fur"nished with all thofe advantages, which are the most "fuitable to its nature, and the moft conducive to its "improvement and perfection."

Here is a fubject for an angel to preach upon, and the whole human race to be his audience. It is the very fubject, which the Ambaffador of heaven came to this world to treat of, and explain to mankind.

Happiness is no imaginary or arbitrary thing. It is what it is by the unalterable nature of things, and the Divine Ordination. In treating of fuch fubjects, it is common to fpeak of the nature of things feparately from the pofitive will of the Supreme Being. To understand this matter rightly, it is neceffary to remember, that in the nature of things, the Divine Nature is included, or rather is the foundation of all. Thus when it is here faid, that happiness is fixed according to the unalterable nature of things, as well as determined by the pofitive will of God, the meaning is, that the Su

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preme Being, indetermining what fhould be the happiness of the creature, and how he fhould attain it, has acted according to the abfolute rectitude of his own nature.

But to return, no creature is, or can be fo formed, as to continue steadily and uniformly happy, through the whole of its exiftence, at the fame time that it is in a state unsuitable to its nature, and deprived of all the advantages neceffary for its improvement and perfection. It is a direct and felf-evident impoffibility, that fuch a creature should be. Were the foundation of happiness dependent upon the refpective imaginations of different creatures, what occafion for all the pompous apparatus we know has been made for preparing the human fpecies for happiness? Had it been poffible, or confiftent with the Divine Perfections and nature of things, that mere fancy fhould have been a foundation for happinefs, there had needed no more than to have lulled the creature into a pleafing delufion, a golden dream, out of which he should never have waked. And there is no doubt, but, if the happiness of our fpecies and other rational agents could, properly, have been brought about in this, or any other lefs operofe manner, than that which is appointed, there is not the leaft doubt, I fay, but the unbounded Wisdom and Goodnefs of the Governor of the world, who brought them into being on purpose for happiness, and cannot but choose the eafieft and beft ways for gaining his ends, would have brought them to happiness in fuch a way. But it is evident, that then man could not have been man, that is, an intelligent, free agent; therefore could not have filled his place in the scale of being; for as he ftands in the place between angels and brutes, he must have been exactly what he is, or not have been at all. An infinitely perfect Author, if he creates at all, will neceffarily produce a work free from chafms and blunders. And to think of the God of Truth as producing a rational, intelligent creature, whofe whole happiness fhould be a deception; what can be conceived more abfurd, or impious? If fuch a creature is formed for contemplating truth, could he likewife have been brought into existence, to be irrefiftibly led into a delufion? To what end a faculty of reafoning,

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reafoning, to be, by his very make and ftate, drawn into unavoidable error?

Befides all this, let any mån try to conceive in his own mind the poffibility of bringing about a general and univerfal happiness upon any other footing, than the concurrence of all things, in one general and uniform courfe, to one great and important end; let any man try to conceive this, I fay, and he will find it in vain. If the foundation of univerfal happinefs be, Every being's finding itself in fuch circumftances as beft fuit its : nature and state, is it poffible, that every being should find itself in thofe circumftances, if every being acted a part uniuitable to its nature and ftate? On the contrary, a deviation from that conduct, which fuits a reasonable nature, is the very definition of moral evil. And every deviation tends to produce diforder and unhappiness. And every leffer degree of fuch deviation tends to draw on greater, and this deviation into irregularity would in the end produce univerfal unhappiness; but that it is over-ruled by fuperior Wisdom and Goodness. So that, inftead of the fophiftical maxim, "That private vices "are public benefits," we may eftablish one much more juft; "That the fmalleft irregularities, unrestrained, "and encouraged, tend to produce univerfal confufion "and mifery."

In confequence of the above account of the true foundation of happiness, it is plain, that different natures will require a different provifion for their happinefs. The mere animal will want only what is neceffary for the fupport of the individual, and the fpecies. Whatever is fuperadded to that, will be found fuperfluous and ufelefs, and will go unenjoyed by the animal. But for a higher nature, fuch as that of man, another fort of apparatus must be provided. Inafmuch as he partakes of the animal, as well as the rational nature, it is plain he cannot be completely happy with a provifion made for only one half of his nature. He will therefore need whatever may be requifite for the fupport and comfort of the body, as well as for the improvement of the mind. For the happiness of an angel, or other fuperior power, a provifion greatly fuperior, and more fublime,

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