him in all his works, and all his ways, and every where behold the marks and footsteps of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness.

Having thus confidered thofe faculties of the foul which may be called its perceptive powers, we are next to take notice of its liberty, or freedom of will. And this may be looked upon as an image of the Creator's power, as our reafon is of his intelligence. By this faculty we move our bodies, and exert the operations of our minds; and find in a great measure our thoughts, words, and actions at our own difpofal. As we readily move our limbs, though we cannot comprehend muscular motion; fo we freely command our ideas, though we are not able to understand how it is that fuch a power is exerted. Every moment's experience affures us that we have it; though we can give very little account of the nature of it, or the manner of its operation. We fay to one thought, Go, and it goeth; and to another, Come, and it cometh. And though fome intrude themfelves, and others by deep impreffion, or long custom, take faft hold of the mind, and are hard to be driven away; yet none can stay against our wills: if we be refolute and stedfast, we can difmifs thofe thoughts, and banish those ideas, which are most familiar or importunate,

and

and introduce what we please in the room of them. And the fame freedom we have in respect of our words and actions, which equally depend on the uncontrollable determinations of our minds and wills. In fhort, we are entrusted with the guidance and government of ourselves, and the reins are put into our own hands. And being thus conftituted mafters of ourfelves, and our own conduct, and endued with fuitable talents and powers, we are justly answerable for the difcharge of this important truft. Whoever does amifs, the fault is his own, and fin lieth at his door. A man may indeed, in fome fense, lose this his liberty: he may fo far lofe it as to become the fervant of fin, and a slave to his lufts and paffions; but then this bondage is, and must be, his choice, and he is a flave of his own making. Doubtless men may abuse or impair any of their faculties: they may, by mifmanagement, dull their fenses, defile their imaginations, corrupt their understandings, or fhackle their wills; but this is fo far from being an argument against the power I am fpeaking of, that it amounts to plain proofs and direct inftances of it.

I might now proceed to take notice of various affections and propenfities, planted in

the foul, and balanced against each other in a wonderful manner; a display of which would open a new scene, and yield further proofs of the point before us: but this being too copious and complicated a fubject for our prefent inquiry, I fhall not now infift on it. The foregoing account, though but a short and imperfect sketch of the powers of human nature, may suffice to convince us of the peculiar excellence and dignity thereof; even without the support and confirmation of other arguments, which I purposely forbear, as not directly included in the words of my text. At present, I only consider man in that light wherein the Pfalmift has there placed him, as naturally endued with high gifts, and honourable diftinctions, and fixed in a fituation little lower than the very angels.-We know not indeed, and should not therefore prefume to define, what particular powers belong to fuperior spirits. We can neither determine to what heights and dignities they are exalted, nor into what claffes and gradations they are diftributed by the great Creator. But, in general, we may fecurely fay, that they neither have nor can have any higher dignity, or nobler distinction, than to be formed after God's own image; and this very honour, though in a lower degree, the children of men are blef

fed with. That divine likeness which confifts in intellectual and moral powers, is common to men and angels; though doubtlefs in very different measures and proportions; fuch a difference prevailing, without queftion, in various ranks and fubordinations, among the angels themselves.-May it not then be allowable to magnify human nature, and extol it, as it were, in the confidence of boafting? Such a resemblance, fuch an alliance as my text fpeaks of, demands our peculiar attention, our highest regards, and most joyful acknowledgments. Though one part of us be only duft and ashes, the other part partakes of a heavenly original, and claims kindred with the angels. Have they immaterial and incorruptible substances; so have we. Have they reafon, intelligence, liberty; fo have we. Are they qualified to worship the Creator, to admire him in his works, and enjoy him for ever; fo are we. Doubtless then the foregoing doctrine is well grounded and firmly fupported; and our only remaining concern is to make a proper use of it. In order thereto, I fhall briefly point out fuch inferences and conclufions as naturally flow from it; and, if we be not wanting to ourselves, will make us improve it to our unspeakable comfort and advantage. And in the

First place, from the dignity of human nature, and those distinguishing powers which are granted us, we may juftly prefume, setting afide all other proofs, that this prefent life is not the whole of our existence; but that we are defigned to live again, and deftined for another state. A being fo curiously framed, fo richly adorned, fo nobly endowed, so fearfully and wonderfully made, as the foul of man appears to be, cannot furely be confined by the maker of it to that short span which is here allotted us. Such a being can never be intended to pass away like a fhadow; and, after the term of a few years, expire and perish for ever. If this were our cafe, why such a waste of workmanship? Why such a profufion of art and fkill? Whence is it that our talents and endowments are thus disproportioned to our conditions? To what end was the divine image planted in us? Can fuch excellent powers, and fublime faculties, be given us merely for the purposes of this vain and tranfitory ftate? Can it be fuppofed that man, after he has been toffed a little while on the billows of a tempeftuous world, fhould immediately fink into utter oblivion? Is it to be imagined that a race of creatures thus furnished, and fitted out, fhould only rife and vanish like bubbles in a storm? If

death