<

6

་

6

I enjoy their higheft Gratifications. There is nothing which more ravishes and transports the Soul, than Harmony; and we have great Reafon to believe, from the Descriptions of this Place in holy Scripture, that this is one of the Entertainments of it. And if the Soul of Man can be fo wonderfully affected with thofe Strains of Mufick, 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 Senfes are Faculties of the Human Soul, though they cannot be employed, during this our vital Union, without proper Inftruments in the Body. Why therefore fhould we ex⚫clude the Satisfaction of thefe Faculties, which we find by Experience are Inlets of great Pleafure to the Soul, 'from among thofe Entertainments which are to make up our Happiness hereafter? Why fhould we fuppofe that our Hearing and Seeing will not be gratify'd with thofe Objects which are most agreeable to them, and which they cannot meet with in these lower Regions of Nature; Objects, which neither Eye hath Jeen, nor Ear heard, nor can it enter into the Heart of • Man to conceive? I knew a Man in Chrift (fays St. Paul, fpeaking of himself) above fourteen Years ago (whether in the Body. I cannot tell, or whether out of the Body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) fuch a one caught up to the third Heaven. And 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 fo 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.

6

IT is very natural for us to take Delight in Enquiries 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 ufeful Curiofity, to get what Informations we can of it, while we make use of

• Reve

Revelation for our Guide. When thefe everlafting 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 our felves with many other Speculations on this Subject, from thofe feveral Hints which we find of it in the Holy 'Scriptures; as whether there may not be different Manfions 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 Prefence of their Maker in more extraordinary Forms of Praife and Adoration; 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 Seven. Thele, and the like Speculations, we may very innocently indulge, fo long as we 'make ufe 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 moft ferious Subject that can employ the Mind of Man, the Omniprefence of the Deity; a Subject which, if poffible, fhould never depart from 6 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 himself in a more glorious Manner among the Regions of the Bleft. Such a Confideration fhould be kept awake in us at all Times, and in all Places, and poffefs our Minds with a perpetual Awe and Reverence. It fhould be interwoven with all our Thoughts and Perceptions, and become one with the Confcioufnefs of our own Being. It is not to be reflected on in the Coldnefs of Philofophy, but ought to fink us into the loweft Proftration before him, who is fo aftonihingly Great, Wonderful, and Holy.

E 5

Monday,

૩૦૭

N° 581. Monday, August 16.

I

Sunt bona, funt quædam mediocria, funt mala plura
Qua legis
Mart.

AM at present fitting with a Heap of Letters be-fore me, which I have received under the Charac-ter of SPECTATOR; I have Complaints from Lovers, Schemes from Projectors, Scandal from Ladies, Congratulations, Compliments, and Advice in abun dance..

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 my self at least 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 fhort Answer to most of those which have been already fent me..

THE Publick however is not to expect I should let them into all my Secrets; and though I appear abftrufe to moft People, it is fufficient if I am understood by my particular Correspondents.

MY Well-wisher Van Nath is very arch, but not: quite enough fo to appear in Print.

PHILADELPHUS will, in a little time, fee his Query fully anfwered by a Treatife which is now in the Prefs.

IT was very improper at that time to comply with Mr. G.

MISS Kitty must excufe me.

THE

THE Gentleman who sent me a Copy of Verses on his Miftrefs's Dancing, is I believe too thoroughly in Love to compofe correctly.

I have too great a Respect for both the Universities to praife one at the Expence of the other.

TO M Nimble is a very honeft Fellow, and I defire him to prefent my humble Service to his Cousin 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.

THAT of Sarah Loveit, refufed.

THE Papers of A. S. are returned.

I thank Arifippus 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 thofe Freedoms he takes with the Ladies Stockings. I am obliged to the ingenious Gentleman, who fent me an Ode on the Subject of a late SPECTATOR, and fhall take particular Notice of his last 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 describes, has I am afraid too great an Opinion of my Skill.

PHILANTHROPOS is, I dare fay, a very well-meaning Man, but a little too prolix in his Compofitions.

CONSTANTIUS himself must be the best Judge in the Affair he mentions.

THE Letter dated from Lincoln is received.
ARETHUSA and her Friend may hear further

from me.

CELIA

CELIA is a little too hafty.

HARRIOT is a good Girl, but must not curtsy to Folks fhe does not know.

I must ingenuously confefs my Friend Sampson Bentftaff has quite puzzled me, and writ me a long Letter which I cannot comprehend one Word of.

COLLIDAN must alfo explain what he means by his Drigelling.

I think it beneath my Spectatorial Dignity, to concern my felf in the Affair of the boiled Dumpling.

I fhall confult fome Litterati on the Project lent 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 fmarteft Pieces I have received from my Correfpondents of

either Sex.

Brother SPEC,

one.

WHILE you are furveying every Object that falls in your way, I am wholly taken up with Had that Sage, who demanded what Beauty was, lived to fee the dear Angel I love, he would not have asked fuch a Question. Had another feen her, he would himself have loved the Perfon in whom Heaven has made Virtue vifible; and were you your felf to be in her Company, you could never, with all your Loquacity, fay enough of her good Humour ← and Senfe. I fend you the Outlines of a Picture, which I can no more finish than I can fufficiently admire the dear Original. I am

Good Mr. Pert,

Your most affectionate Brother,

Conftantio Spec.

I Will allow you nothing till you refolve me the following Queftion. Pray what's the Reafon that while you only talk now upon Wednesdays, Fridays, and Mondays, you pretend to be a greater Tatler,

than