fterling import of the appellation. This is however but a very fummary account of the matter, neither would a letter contain the aftonishing particulars, of it. If we ever meet again in this world, I will relate them to you by word of mouth; if not, they will ferve for the subject of a conference in the next, where I doubt not I shall remember and record them with a gratitude better fuited to the fubject. Yours my dear coufin affectionately, LETTER VI. To Mrs. COWPER, at the Park-Houfe, Hartford. April 17, 1766. MY DEAR COUSIN, AS in matters unattainable by reason, and unrevealed in the Scripture, it is impoffible to argue at all; fo in matters concerning which reason can only give a probable guess, and the Scripture has made no explicit discovery, it is, though not impoffible to argue at all, yet impoffible to argue to any certain conclufion. This seems to me to be the very cafe with the point in queftion. Reason is able to form many plausible conjectures concerning the poffibility of our knowing each other in a future ftate, and the Scripture has, here and there, favoured us with an expreffion, that looks at least like a flight intimation of it; but because a conjecture can never amount to a proof, and a flight intimation cannot be construed into a positive affertion; therefore I think we can never come to any abfolute conclufion upon the subject. We may indeed reason about the plaufibility of our conjectures, and we may difcufs, with great industry, and fhrewdnefs of argument, thofe paffages in the Scripture, which feem to favour the opinion; but ftill no certain means having been afforded us, no certain end can be attained; and after all, that can be faid, it will still be doubtful, whether we fhall know each other or not. As to arguments founded upon human reason only, it would be easy to mufter up a much greater number on the affirmative side of the question, than it would be worth my while to write, or yours to read. Let us fee therefore what the Scripture fays, or feems to fay towards the proof of it; and of this kind of argument alfo I fhall infert but a few of those, which seem to me to be the fairest and cleareft for the purpose. For after all, a disputant, on either fide of this question, is in danger of that cenfure of our bleffed Lord's, "Ye do err, "not knowing the Scripture, nor the power of God.” As to parables, I know it has been faid in the dispute concerning the intermediate ftate, that they are not argumentative; but this having been controverted by very wife and good men, and the parable of Dives and Lazarus having been used by fuch, to prove an intermediate state, I see not why it may not be as fairly ufed for the proof of any other matter, which it feems fairly to imply. In this parable we fee that Dives is reprefented as knowing Lazarus, and Abraham as knowing them both, and the difcourfe between them is entirely concerning their refpective characters and circumstances upon earth. Here therefore our Saviour feems to countenance the notion of a mutual knowledge and recollection; and if a foul that has perifhed fhall know the foul that is faved, furely the heirs of falvation fhall know and recollect each other. In the first epiftle to the Theffalonians, the 2d Chapter, and 19th Verfe, St. Paul fays, "What is our hope, "or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the "prefence of our Lord Jefus Chrift at his coming? For "ye are our glory and our joy.” As to the hope which the Apoftle has formed concerning them, he himself refers the accomplishment of it to the coming of Christ, meaning that then he fhould receive the recompenfe of his labours in their behalf; his joy and glory he refers likewife to the fame period, both which would refult from the fight of fuch numbers redeemed by the bleffing of God upon his ministration, when he should prefent them before the great Judge, and fay in the words of a greater than himself, "Lo, I and the children whom thou haft given me." This feems to imply that the Apostle fhould know the converts, and the converts the Apostle, at least at the day of judgment; and if then, why not afterwards? See alfo the 4th chapter of that Epiftle, 13, 14, 16, which I have not room to transcribe. Here the Apoftle comforts them under their affliction, for their deceafed brethren, exhorting them "Not to forrow as without "hope;" and what is the hope, by which he teaches them to fupport their fpirits? Even this, "That them, "which fleep in Jefus, fhall God bring with him." In other words, and by a fair paraphrafe furely, telling them they are only taken from them for a feason, and that they should receive them at the refurrection. If you can take off the force of thefe texts, my dear coufin, you will go a great way towards fhaking my opinion; if not, I think they muft go a great way towards fhaking yours. The reafon, why I did not fend you my opinion of Pearfhall was, becaufe I had not then read him; I have read him fince, and like him much, especially the latter part of him; but you have whetted my curiofity to fee the last letter by tearing it out; unless you can give me a good reason why I fhould not fee it, I fhall inquire for the book the next time I go to Cambridge. Perhaps I may be partial to Hervey for the fake of his other writings, but I cannot give Pearfhall the prefer ence to him, for I think him one of the moft fcriptural writers in the world. Yours, WM. COWPER. LETTER VII. To Mrs. COWPER, at the Park-Houfe, Hartford. MY DEAR COUSIN, April 18, 1766. HAVING gone as far as I thought needful to justify the opinion of our meeting and knowing each other hereafter; I find upon reflection, that I have done but half my business, and that one of the questions, you proposed, remains entirely unconfidered, viz. "Whether the things of our present state will not be of too low and mean a nature to engage our thoughts, or make a part of our communications in heaven?" The common and ordinary occurrences of life no doubt, and even the ties of kindred, and of all temporal interests, will be entirely difcarded from amongst that happy fociety, and poffibly even the remembrance of them done away. But it does not therefore follow, that our spiritual concerns, even in this life, will be forgotten, neither do I think that they can ever appear trifling to us in any the most distant period of eternity. God, as you fay in reference to the Scripture, will be all in all. But does not that expreffion mean, that being admitted to fo near an approach to our heavenly Father and Redeemer, our whole nature, the foul, and all its faculties, will be employed in praising and adoring him? Doubtlefs however this will be the cafe, and if fo, will it not furnish out a glorious theme of thanksgiving, to recollect "the rock whence we were hewn, and the hole of the pit whence we were digged?" To recollect the time when our faith, which under the tuition and nurture of the Holy Spirit, has produced fuch a plentiful harvest of immortal blifs, was as a grain of mustard feed, small in itself, promifing but little fruit, and producing lefs? To recollect the various attempts that were made upon it, by the world, the flefh, and the devil, and its various triumphs over all, by the affiftance of God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift? At prefent, whatever our convictions may be of the finfulness and corruption of our nature, we can make but a very imperfect eftimate either of our weakness or our guilt. Then, no doubt, we fhall understand the full value of the wonderful falvation wrought out for us: and it feems reasonable to suppose that in order to form a juft idea of our redemption, we fhall be able to form a juft one of the danger we have efcaped; when we know how weak and frail we were, furely we fhall be more able to render due praife and honour to His strength who fought for us; when we know completely the hatefulness of fin in the fight of God, and how deeply we were tainted by it, we fhall know how to value the blood by which we are cleanfed, as we ought. The twenty-four elders in the 5th of the Revelations, give glory to God for their redemption, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. This furely implies a retrofpect to their refpective conditions upon earth, and that each remembered out of what particular kindred and nation he had been redeemed, and if fo, then furely the minuteft circumftance of their redemption did not escape their memory. They who triumph over the beast in the 15th chapter, fing the fong of Mofes, the fervant of God: and what was that fong? A fublime record of Ifrael's deliverance, and the deftruction of her enemies in the Red-Sea, typical no doubt of the fong which the redeemed in Sion fhall fing to celebrate their own falvation, and the defeat of their fpiritual enemies. This again implies a recollection of the dangers they had before encountered, and the fupplies of ftrength and ardour they had in every emergency re. |