
I love you, my
Hammy,
too much; too intensely, for my own Peace here; I will say nothing of my Interests in an eternal hereafter. And yet, my Darling, were it put to my Choice, I would rather famish, with you from Hour to Hour, and Day to Day; provided you perished content and resigned, and in a blessed Conformity to the Will of your Creator; than to enjoy, in Conjunction with you, for a Million of Ages, all that this World can bestow, till its Dissolution.
Here ended my
Arabella,
but the Sweetness of her Voice continued to vibrate in my Ear; like the Tone of a fine tuned Harp, when the Finger has ceased to touch the sounding Strings.
She had, opportunely, laid hold of the Season for making the Impression she desired; as my Mind was still affected and softened by the late Adventure. I did not indeed, yet, behold the World or its Author in the Light, by which they are represented, in the Christian System, but, even in the Eye of Philosophy, all that my Wife had said appeared reasonable, and right, and conformable to the Nature of a Being infinitely powerful, benevolent, and wise. Here was a PRINCIPLE, without whose continued Will and Operation, no one Thing, in the Universe, could either begin, or continue to exist; and as all Things in that Universe, must of necessity depend upon him, he had of necessity an equal Claim to their Confidence in him. I reflected, indeed, that he had hitherto permitted much, of Evil, to intermingle with the Beauties, both of material and moral Nature; but this I held to be well accounted for, if we considered him as a Being who chose to Work by Progression; as first, by producing a Chaos out of Nothing; and again, by producing the present System out of Chaos; and lastly, by preparing the present System for a final State of unchangeable and consummate Perfection. I, therefore held it incumbent to bear the Bruisings of Mortality, with Content and Thankfulness; as a Matter previously necessary to our future Sublimation. Even, as the coarse Earth of
China,
must be crushed, and pounded to Powder, before it can obtain that Purity and Consistence, which renders it capable of the final Polish and Beauty.
I am apt, Sir, to think, that there are very few Men, who do not, at different Times, behold the World, and its Creator, in very different Lights; according to the different Events, with which
