dishonour thy high original, or degrade thy noble nature. But let me still urge it. Consider (I say), O my soul! that thou art an immortal spirit. Thy body dies; but thou, thou must live for ever, and thine eternity must take its tincture from the manner of thy behaviour, and the habits thou contractest, during this thy short copartnership with flesh and blood. Oh! do nothing now, but what thou mayest, with pleasure, look back upon a million of ages hence! For know, O my soul, that thy self-consciousness and reflecting faculties will not leave thee with thy body; but will follow thee after death, and be the instrument of unspeakable pleasure or torment to thee in that separate state of existence."

(2.) In order to a full acquaintance with ourselves, we must endeavour to know not only "what we are, but what we shall be."

And, O what different creatures shall we soon be, from what we now are! Let us look forward then, and frequently glance our thoughts towards death; though they cannot penetrate the darkness of that passage, or reach the state behind it. That lies veiled from the eyes of our mind;

and the great God hath not thought fit to throw so much light upon it, as to satisfy the anxious and inquisitive desires the soul hath to know it. However, let us make the best use we can of that little light which scripture and reason have let in upon this dark and important subject.

"Compose thy thoughts, O my soul, and imagine how it will fare with thee when thou goest, a naked, unembodied spirit, into a world, an unknown world of spirits, with all thy self-consciousness about thee, where no material object shall strike thine eye, and where thy dear partner and companion, the body, cannot come nigh thee; but where, without it, thou wilt be sensible of the most noble satisfactions, or the most exquisite pains. Embarked in death, thy passage will be dark; and the shore, on which it will land thee, altogether strange and unknown. It doth not yet appear what we shall be.

That revelation, which God hath been pleased to make of his will to mankind, was designed rather to fit us for the future happiness, and direct our way to it, than open to us the particular glories of it, or distinctly shew us what it is.This it hath left still very much a mystery, to

be ignorant, if we

check our too curious enquiries into the nature of it, and to bend our thoughts more intently to that which more concerns us, viz. an habitual preparation for it. And what that is, we cannot believe either our Bible or our reason. For both these assure us, that "that which makes us like to God, is the only thing that can fit us for the enjoyment of him." Here then, let us hold. Let our great concern be, to be "holy, as he is holy." And then, and then only, are we sure to enjoy him, “in whose light we shall see light." And, be the future state of existence what it will, we shall some way be happy there, and much more happy than we can now conceive; though in what particular manner we know not, because God hath not revealed it.

CHAP. III.

The several Relations in which we stand to God to Christ, and our Fellow-creatures.

II. "SELF-KNOWLEDGE requires us to be well acquainted with the various relations in which we stand to other beings, and the several duties that result from those relations." And,

(1.) "Our first and principal concern is to consider the relation we stand in to Him who gave us our being."

We are the creatures of his hand, and the objects of his care. His power upholds the being his goodness gave us; his bounty accommodates us with the blessings of this life; and his grace provides for us the happiness of a better. Nor are we merely his creatures, but his rational and intelligent creatures. It is by the dignity of our natures, that we are capable of knowing and enjoying him that made us. And, as the ra tional creatures of God, there are two relations

especially that we stand in to him; the frequent consideration of which is absolutely necessary to a right self-knowledge. For, as our Creator, he is our King and Father: and, as his creatures, we are the subjects of his kingdom, and the children of his family.

1. "We are the subjects of his kingdom." And, as such, we are bound,

(1.) To yield a faithful obedience to the laws of his kingdom. And the advantages by which these come to be recommended to us above all human laws, are many. They are calculated for the private interest of every one, as well as that of the public; and are designed to promote our present, as well as our future happiness. They are plainly and explicitly published; easily understood; and in fair and legible characters writ in every man's heart, and the wisdom, reason, and necessity of them are readily discerned. They are urged with the most mighty motives that can possibly affect the human heart. And, if any of them are difficult, the most effectual grace is freely offered to encourage and assist our obedience; advantages which no human laws have to enforce the observance of them. (2.) As