VI. I'll carve our paffion on the bark, Shall drop and bear fome myftic mark VII. The swains fhall wonder when they read, That Heav'n itself came down, and bled SPECTATOR, N° 600. Have always taken a particular pleasure in examining the opinions which men of different religions, different ages, and different countries, have entertained concerning the immortality of the foul, and the ftate of happiness 'which they promise themfelves in another world. For whatever prejudices and errors human nature lies under; we find that either reafon, or tradition from our firft parents, has difcovered to all people fomething in these great points which bears analogy to truth, and to the doctrines opened to us by divine revelation. I was lately difcourfing on this fubject with a learned person who has been very much. converfant among the inhabitants of the more more western parts of Africk. Upon his converfing with feveral in that country, he tells me that their notion of heaven or of a future ftate of happiness is this, That every thing we there with for will immediately prefent it felf to us. We find, fay they, our fouls are of fuch nature that they require variety, and are not capable of being always delighted with the fame objects. The Supreme Being therefore, in compliance with this taste of happinefs which he has planted in the foul of man, will raise up from time to time, fay they, every gratification which it is in the humour to be pleased with. If we wish to be in groves or bowers, among running ftreams or falls of water, we fhall immediately find our felves in the midft of fuch a fcene as we defire. If we would be entertained with mufick and the melody of founds, the confort, rifes upon our wifh, and the whole region about us is filled with harmony. In fhort, every defire will be followed by fruition, and whatever a man's inclination directs him to, will be prefent with him. Nor is it meterial whether the Supreme Power creates in conformity to our wishes, or whether he only produces fuch a change in our imagination, as makes us believe ourfelves converfant among thofe fcenes which delight delight us. Our happiness will be the fame, whether it proceed from external objects, or from the impreffions of the Deity upon our own private fancies. This is the account which I have received from my learned friend. Notwithstanding this fyftem of belief be in general very chimerical and vifionary, there is fomething fublime in its manner of confidering the influence of a Divine Being on a human foul. It has alfo, like most other opinions of the heathen world upon thefe important points, it has, I fay, its foundation in truth, as it fuppofes the fouls of good men after this life to be, in a state of perfect happiness, that in this ftate there will be no barren hopes, nor fruitless wishes, and that we fhall enjoy every thing we can defire, But the particular circumftance which I am moft pleas'd with in this scheme, and which arifes from a juft reflection upon humane nature, is that variety of pleasures which it fuppofes the fouls of good men will be poffeffed of in another world. This I think highly probable from the dictates both of reafon and revelation. The foul confifts of many faculties, as the understanding, and the will, with all the fenfes both outward and inward; or to fpeak more philofophically, the foul can exert herself in many different ways of action, action. She can understand, will, imagine, fee, and hear, love, and difcourfe, and apply herself to many other the like exercifes of different kinds and natures; but what is more to be confidered, the foul is capable of receiving a moft exquifite pleasure and fatisfaction from the exercise of any of these its powers, when they are gratified with their proper objects; he can be entirely happy by the fatisfaction of the memory, the fight, the hearing, or any other mode of perception. Every faculty is as a distinct tafte in the mind, and hath objects accommodated to its proper relifh. Doctor Til lotfon fomewhere fays, that he will not prefume to determine in what confift's the happiness of the bleft, because God Almighty is capable of making the foul happy by ten thousand different ways. Befides thofe feveral avenues to pleasure which the foul is endowed with in this life; it is not impof fible, according to the opinions of many eminent divines, but there may be new faculties in the fouls of good men made perfect, as well as new fenfes in their glorified bodies. This we are fure of, that there will be new objects offer'd to all thofe faculties which are effential to us. We are likewise to take notice that every particular faculty is capable of being employed ployed on a very great variety of objects. The understanding, for example, may be happy in the contemplation of moral, natural, mathematical, and other kinds of truth. The memory likewife may turn itself to an infinite multitude of objects, efpecially when the foul fhall have pass'd through the space of many millions of years, and fhall reflect with pleasure on the days of eternity. Every other faculty may be confider'd in the fame extent. 3 We cannot queftion but that the happinefs of a foul will be adequate to its nature, and that it is not endowed with any faculties which are to lie ufelefs and unemploy'd. The happiness is to be the happiness of the whole man, and we may eafily conceive to our felves the happiness of the foul, whilft any one of its faculties is in the frution of its chief good. The happiness may be of a more exalted nature in proportion as the faculty employ'd is fo, but as the whole foul acts in the exertion of any of its particular powers, the whole foul is happy in the pleasure which arifes from any of its particular acts. For notwithstanding, as has been before hinted, and as it has been taken notice of by one of the greatest modern philofophers, we divide the foul into feveral powers and faculties, there is no fuch |