gratify the other appetites of a body, which he has in common with the brutes? to snuff up the wind, to entertain delusive and vain hopes all the days of his life, and, when that short scene of madness is over, to be laid in the grave, and reduced to his original dust? Far be it from us to draw such conclusions: there is certainly something beyond this, something so great and lasting, that, in respect of it, the short point of time we live here, with all its bustle of business and pleasures, is more empty and vanishing than smoke. “I am more considerable, says R. S. and born to greater matters, than to become the slave of my diminutive body * ?" With how much greater truth might we speak thus, were we regenerated from heaven? Let us be ashamed to live with our heads bowed down, like groveling beasts gazing upon the earth, or even to catch at the vain and airy shadows of science, while, in the mean time, we know not, or do not consider, whence we took our rise, and whither we are soon to return, what place is to receive our souls, when they are set at liberty from these bodily prisons. If it is the principal desire of your souls to understand the nature of this felicity, and the way that leads to it, search the scriptures; for, from them alone, we all think, or profess to think, we can have eternal life. I exhort, and beseech you, never to suffer so much as one day to pass, either through lazy negligence, or too much eagerness in inferior studies, without

* Major sum, et ad majora genitus, quam ut sim mancipium mei corpusculi.

reading some part of the sacred records, with a pious and attentive disposition of mind; still joining with your reading fervent prayer, that you may thereby draw down that divine light, without which spiritual things cannot be read and understood. But with this light shining upon them, it is not possible to express how much sweeter you will find these inspired writings, than Cicero, Demosthenes, Homer, Aristotle, and all the other orators, poets, and philosophers. They reason about an imaginary felicity, and every one in his own way advances some precarious and uncertain thoughts upon it but this book alone shews clearly, and with absolute certainty, what it is, and points out the way that leads to the attainment of it. This is that which prevailed with St. Augustine to study the Scriptures, and engaged his affection to them. "In Cicero, and Plato, and other such writers, says he *, I meet with many things wittily said, and things that have a moderate tendencyto move the passions; but in none of them do I find these words, Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

* Apud Ciceronem et Platonem, aliosque ejusmodi scriptores, multa sunt acute dicta, et leniter calentia, sed in iis omnibus hoc non invenio, Venite ad me, &c. MATT. xii. 28.

LECTURE IV.

In which it is proved that HUMAN FELICITY cannot be found either in the Earth, or earthly Things.

We are all in quest of one thing, but almost all of us out of the right road: therefore, to be sure, the longer and the more swiftly we move in a wrong path, the farther we depart from the object of our desires and if it is so, we can speak or think of nothing more proper and seasonable, than of inquiring about the only right way, whereby we may all come to see the bright fountain of goodness*. I know you will remember, that, on the last occasion, we proposed the most important of all questions, viz. that concerning our ultimate end, or the way to discover true happiness; to which we asserted, that all mankind do aspire with a natural, and therefore a constant and uniform ardourt; or rather, we supposed, that all are sufficiently acquainted with this happiness, nay, really do, or at least may feel it within them, if they thoroughly know themselves. For this is the end of the labours of men, to this tend all their toils; this is the general aim of all, not only of the sharp-sighted, but the bleareyed and short-sightedt, nay, even of those that are quite blind; who, though they cannot see the

* Boni fontem visere lucidum. † ̓Αδιατρέπλῳ ὅρμη.

† Μυωπάζοντες.

mark they propose to themselves, yet are in hopes of reaching it at last: that is to say, though their ideas of it are very confused and imperfect, they all desire happiness in the obvious sense of the word. We have also observed, that this term, in its general acceptation, imports that full and perfect good which is suited to intelligent nature*. It is not to be doubted, but the felicity of the Deity, as well as his being, is in himself, and from himself; but our inquiry is concerning our own happiness. We also positively determined, that there is some blessed end suited and adapted to our nature; and that this can by no means be denied: for since all parts of the universe have proper ends suited and adapted to their natures, that the most noble and excellent creature of the whole sublunary world, should, in this, be defective, and therefore created in vain, would be so great a solecism, such a deformity in the whole fabric, and so unworthy of the supreme and all-wise Creator, that it can by no means be admitted, nor even so much as imagined. This point being settled, viz. that there is some determinate good, in the possession whereof the mind of man may be fully satisfied, and at perfect rest, we now proceed to inquire what this good is, and where it may be found.

The first thing, and at the same time a very considerable step towards this discovery, will be, to shew where, and in what things this perfect good is not to be found; not only because this point being * Πρωτὸν τε, εχαῖὸν τε και μέγισον καλόν.

settled, it will be easier to determine wherein it actually consists; nay, the latter will naturally flow from the former: but also because, as has been observed, we shall find the far greater part of mankind pursuing vain shadows and phantoms of happiness, and throughout their whole lives wandering in a great variety of bye-paths, seeking the way to make a proper improvement of life, almost always hunting for that chief good where it is not to be found. They must first be recalled from this rambling and fruitless course, before they can possibly be directed into the right road. I shall not spin out this negative proposition, by dividing the subject of it into several branches, and insisting separately upon every one of them; but consider all these errors and mistakes, both vulgar and practical, speculative and philosophical, however numerous they may be, as comprehended under one general head, and fully obviate them all by one single proposition, which, with divine assistance, I shall explain to you in this Lecture, and that very briefly.

The proposition is, that human felicity, or that full and complete good that is suited to the nature of man, is not to be found in the earth, nor in earthly things.

Now, what if, instead of further proof or illustra tion, I should only say, if this perfect felicity is to be found within this visible world, or the verge of this earthly life, let him, pray, who hath found it out, stand forth: let him tell, who can, what star, of whatever magnitude, what constellation or com