་ ⚫ an innumerable company of angels and fpirits of juft men • made perfect? THIS is certain, that our imaginations cannot be • raised too high, when we think on a place where omnipotence and omniscience have fo fignally exerted them'felves, because that they are able to produce a scene infinitely more great and glorious than what we are able to imagine. It is not impoffible but at the confumma⚫tion of all things, thefe outward apartments of nature, ' which are now fuited to those beings who inhabit them, may be taken in and added to that glorious place of ' which I am here fpeaking; and by that means made a proper habitation for beings who are exempt from mortality, and cleared of their imperfections: for fo the fcripture feems to intimate, when it speaks of new heavens and of a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteouf⚫ nefs. I HAVE only confidered this glorious place with re'gard to the fight and imagination, though it is highly probable, that our other fenfes may here likewise en'joy their highest gratifications. There is nothing which more ravishes and tranfports the foul, than harmony; and we have great reafon to believe, from the defcriptions of this place in holy fcripture, that this is one of the entertainments of it. And if the foul of man can be fo wonderfully affected with those strains of mufic, ' which human art is capable of producing, how much more will it be raised and elevated by thofe, in which is exerted the whole power of harmony! The fenfes are faculties of the human foul, though they cannot be employed, during this our vital union, without proper inftruments in the body. Why therefore fhould we ex'clude the fatisfaction of these faculties, which we find by experience are inlets of great pleafure to the foul, from among thofe entertainments which are to make up our happiness hereafter? Why fhould we fuppofe that our hearing and feeing will not be gratified with thofe objects which are moft agreeable to them, and which they cannot meet with in thefe lower regions of nature; objects, which neither eye hath feen, nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive? I · knew ven. ⚫ knew a man in Chrift (fays St Paul, fpeaking of himself) above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I can not tell, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell : • God knoweth) fuch a one caught up to the third heaAnd I knew fuch a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) how that he was caught up into paradife, and heard unSpeakable words, which it is not poffible for a man to utter. By this is meant, that what he heard was so infinitely different from any thing which he had heard in this world, that it was impoffible to exprefs it in fuch ⚫ words as might convey a notion of it to his hearers. 'It is very natural for us to take delight in inquiries concerning any foreign country, where we are fome time or other to make our abode; and as we all hope to be admitted into this glorious place, it is both a laudable and useful curiofity, to get what informations we can of it, while we make use of revelation for our guide. When thefe everlasting doors fhall be open to us, we may be fure that the pleafures and beauties of this place will infinitely tranfcend our prefent hopes and expectations, and that the glorious appearance of the throne of God will rife infinitely beyond whatever we are able to conceive of it. We might here entertain ourselves with many other fpeculations on this fubject, from those feveral hints which we find of it in the holy fcriptures; as whether there may not be different mansions and apartments of glory, to beings of different natures; whether as they excel one another in perfection, they are ⚫ not admitted nearer to the throne of the Almighty, and enjoy greater manifeftations of his prefence; whether there are not folemn times and occafions, when all the ⚫ multitude of heaven celebrate the presence of their Ma'ker in more extraordinary forms of praise and adora · tion; as Adam, though he had continued in a state of innocence, would, in the opinion of our divines, have kept holy the Sabbath-day, in a more particular manner than any other of the feven. These, and the like fpeculations, we may very innocently indulge, fo long as • we make use of them to infpire us with a defire of becoming inhabitants of this delightful place. ་ I HAVE in this, and in two foregoing letters, treated on the most ferious fubject that can employ the mind of man, the omniprefence of the Deity; a fubject which, if poffible, fhould never depart from our meditations. We have confidered the divine Being, as he inhabits infinitude, as he dwells among his works, as he is prefent to the mind of man, and as he difcovers himfelf in a more glorious manner among the regions of the bleffed. • Such a confideration should be kept awake in us at all times, and in all places, and poffefs our minds with a perpetual awe and reverence. It should be interwoven ' with all our thoughts and perceptions, and become one ⚫ with the consciousness of our own being. It is not to ⚫ be reflected on in the coldness of philofophy, but ought to fink us into the lowest proftration before him, who is fo aftonishingly great, wonderful, and holy.' N° 581. Monday, Auguft 16. I Sunt bona, funt quædam mediocria, funt mala plura, Some good, more bad, fome neither one nor t'other. AM at prefent fitting with a heap of letters before me, which I have received under the character of Spectator I have complaints from lovers, fchemes from pro- jectors, fcandal from ladies, congratulations, compliments, and advice in abundance. I HAVE not been thus long an author, to be infenfible of the natural fondness every perfon must have for their own productions; and I begin to think I have treated my correfpondents a little too uncivilly in ftringing them all together on a file, and letting them lie fo long unregarded. I fhall therefore, for the future, think myself at leaft obliged to take fome notice of fuch letters as I receive, and may poffibly do it at the end of every month. In the mean time, I intend my prefent paper as a short answer to most of thofe which have been already fent me. THE THE public however is not to expect I should let them into all my fecrets; and though I appear abftrufe to moft people, it is fufficient if I am understood by my particular correfpondents. My well-wisher Van Nath is very arch, but not quite enough fo to appear in print. que PHILADELPHUS will, in a little time, fee his ry fully answered by a treatise which is now in the prefs. IT was very improper at that time to comply with Mr G. Miss Kitty must excufe me. THE gentleman who fent me a copy of verfes on his miftrefs's dancing, is, I believe, too thoroughly in love to compofe correctly. I HAVE too great a refpect for both the universities to praife one at the expense of the other. TOM NIMBLE is a very honest fellow, and I defire him to prefent my humble fervice to his coufin Fill Bumper. I AM obliged for the letter upon prejudice. I MAY in due time animadvert on the cafe of Grace Grumble. THE petition of P. S. granted. I THANK Ariftippus for his kind invitation. My friend at Woodstock is a bold man, to undertake for all within ten miles of him. I AM afraid the entertainment of Tom Turnover will hardly be relished by the good cities of London and Weftminster. I MUST confider further of it, before I indulge W. F. in those freedoms he takes with the ladies ftockings. I AM obliged to the ingenious gentleman, who sent me an ode on the fubject of a late SPECTATOR, and shall take particular notice of his laft letter. WHEN the lady who wrote me a letter, dated July the 20th, in relation to fome paffages in a lover, will be more particular in her directions, I fhall be fo in my answer. THE poor gentleman, who fancies my writings could reclaim an husband who can abufe fuch a wife as he de VOL. VIII. fcribes fcribes, has, I am afraid, too great an opinion of my fkill. PHILANTHROPOS is, I dare fay, a very wellmeaning man, but is a little too prolix in his compofitions. CONSTANTIUS himself must be the best judge in the affair he mentions. me. THE letter dated from Lincoln is received. ARETHUSA and her friend may hear further from CELIA is a little too hafty. HARRIOT is a good girl, but muft not curtsy to folks she does not know. I MUST ingenuously confefs my friend Sampfon BentStaff has quite puzzled me, and writ me a long letter which I cannot comprehend one word of. COLLID AN muft alfo explain what he means by his Drigelling. I THINK it below my Spectatorial dignity, to concern myself in the affair of the boiled dumpling. I SHALL Confult fome Litterati on the project fent me for the discovery of the longitude. I KNOW not how to conclude this paper better, than by inferting a couple of letters which are really genuine, and which I look upon to be two of the fmartest pieces I have received from my correfpondents of either fex. • Brother SPEC, WH HILE you are furveying every object that falls in your way, I am wholly taken up with one. Had that fage, who demanded what beauty was, lived < to fee the dear angel I love, he would not have asked fuch a queftion. Had another feen her, he would himfelf have loved the perfon in whom Heaven has made virtue vifible; and were you yourself to be in her company, you could never, with all your loquacity, fay' enough of her good humour and fenfe. I fend you the outlines of a picture, which I can no more finish than I can fufficiently admire the dear original. I am Your most affectionate brother, CONSTANTIO SPEC. • Good |