cient. The mind, being formed for what is infinite, is naturally delighted with an image of unlimited duration as well as of unbounded space. The retrospection of events, which are faintly discerned in the depth of past ages, is no less pleasing than the view of an extensive prospect, where the dusky hills in the extremity of the horizon are scarcely distinguishable from the clouds. Further, we are gratified with every information relative to the primitive state of mankind, upon the same principle that nations or great families are particujarly delighted in tracing the history of their founders or remote ancestors. Lastly, the simplicity of ancient manners, so different from our own, is another source of the pleasure we experience in our enquiries into the earliest ages. While we contemplate the patriarchal times, we seem transported into a new world, where men acted more under the conduct of un-corrupted nature, and, as Plato has expressed it, lived nearer to the gods; for it is ob servable, that as we advance farther into antiquity, we enter into regions of purer light, where the principles and salutary influence of true and primitive religion become more sensible and apparent. From these sources may be derived both pleasure and use; but when our primitive researches degenerate into a mere investigation of names and dates, and other circumstances which throw no light on religion or morals, on human nature or human life, however they may amuse a vacant mind, they can yield neither profit nor any rational satisfaction. : We sometimes meet with men, under the title of antiquarians, who rate things more by the characters of age with which they are impressed, than by their real value; and who place their chief delight in the collection of old manuscripts or old medals, or other fragments of old time, which have nothing to recommend them but their rust or their rarity. This is a taste so very odd and extravagant as to render any attempt to expose it perfectly unnecessary. The study of modern history, by which I here understand the history of the last four hundred years, is generally more pleasing than that of preceding ages; and for this among other reasons, because it is attended with more interest. In the former part of the above period commenced a new æra, learning began to revive, the darkness of superstition to be dispersed, and Christianity to recover a good degree of its original purity; the feudal constitutions declined, commerce lifted up its head, and the inass of nations broke loose from that state of vassalage in which they had been held for ages; and under this order of things it is that we now live, and still continue to experience its happy effects. It must therefore be highly delightful to look back to those times in which our most valuable blessings and privileges took their rise, and to trace them in their progress to the present day. But the greatest pleasure we can receive from the study of history is in tracing the kingdom of God amongst men. The Bible is the great authentic record of this kingdom, and points out its progress from its original to its final consummation. Like the dawning light which shines more and more to the perfect day, in this record is discovered the first promise of a deliverer to a lapsed world, with its gradual disclosure through successive ages, till its accomplishment in the Messiah; and its prophecies carry forward our view to the end of all things, when the mystery of God shall be finished. It exhibits in the book of Job a noble monument of patriarchal religion; and, after the defection of the nations to idolatry, it shews us a people set apart to be a witness to the only true God, and a depository of his laws and counsels; together with the different treat ment they met with, according to the difference of their behaviour. And to add only one instance more (for a particular deduction would be endless) of the im. portant matter contained in this record, it describes to us in the gospels the first foundations of the Christian church; and in the acts of the apostles its early and wonderful progress; and all this with a brevity and simplicity that can only be accounted for by the truth of the narrative. If from scripture we turn to other histories, we may there discover many vestiges of primitive verity, some of them clear and manifest, others more or less obscured or defaced. As we ascend into antiquity they become (as we have before observed) more distinct, but there is no age in which they are not discernible; nor is there any quarter of the globe at this day where such vestiges are not found, as appears from our late voyages and travels. Nay, the mythologies of heathenism are partly a corruption of ancient tradition, or of scripture facts and characters; and an image of truth is discoverable amidst these clouds. Such glimpses and footsteps of God are interesting even in fable; while they render the page of authentic |