rich Man's Inhumanity, who exults in Abundance. In order to maintain the Syftem, fhall we fay, that as the universal Caufe, Who fees with equal Eye, A Hero perish, or a Sparrow fall, Ep. I. v. 83. fees too, with the fame Eye, the Pride and Inflexibility of one who lives in Affluence, and the Virtue of the other who dies in Want and Mifery? 'Tis evading the Question to say, (V. 149.) That Bread is the Price of Toil, for Toil too is the Effect of Virtue, which condemns Laziness. LET US fay then, that often a Man has certain Virtues, and diftinguishes himself by them; but he has not all, he wants Humility, he cannot perfuade himself to defcend from a Condition that feeds his Vanity. A virtuous Man, on the contrary, whenever his Circumftances require it, will bring himself to work with his Hands, or teach. He will put himself into the Service of a Man who will pay him for his Trouble. To whatever Condition he is reduced and called by Providence, he is certain that that he always is approv'd and lov'd by it, when he fills his Poft, and far from being difcourag'd, performs the Duties of it with Joy. MR Pope at first made us hope that his Poem was defign'd as a Vindication of the Ways of God (Ep. I. v. 16*.) But he does not give us all he promis'd. This, however, would not have been difficult in the System contrary to that which he seems, to me, to have artfully expofed the Folly of. THE Fall of Man is not an Effect pro duced by God, with a Defign to draw from it what we now fee in the World. We must lay the Cause of it entirely upon Man, who might have perfevered in his Innocence; and upon that proud Spirit and Enemy of God, (of which Mr Pope fpeaks, Ep. I. v. 119, &c.) which feduced him. HAPPY Spirits have, from thence, feen an Order of Creatures arife, who ferve God in Ignorance and Weakness, and in the Midft of diverfe Calamities. In this Condition, however, they ftill feek * But vindicate the Ways of God to Man. feek after God, and are happy when they find him, tho' it be but in the dark. Sundry melancholy Events prove that God has Reafon to be offended with Mankind; but, on the other hand, a conftant Succeffion of Bleffings affures us that he will be merciful. IF Virtue were inceffantly rewarded, and Vice always punish'd with the fame Exactnefs, the Obfervance of our Duty. would fpring from a Motive merely natural, and the Intereft of the Senfes would be fufficient to establish us in it. WHATEVER Good is in us, we receive only from God. The natural Confequence of this Principle is, that we ought to devote ourselves entirely to our Creator, and fo to live, to think, to act, only. in order to please and obey him. This Devotion is in itfelf very delightful; for what is there more glorious and ravishing, than the Affurance that an Almighty Goodness is willing to be pleased with the Gift which we make him of ourselves, and gives us the Power of making this Gift, in order to please itself in rewarding it? S Ir IT is from Adverfity, and those Events that give Pain to our natural Sense, that the Value of this Devotion arifes; when Men, notwithstanding their Imperfection, glorify their Creator in a Manner that forms the Admiration of perfect Intelligences. THE Miseries of Hunger, in particular, are fubfervient to the Defigns of the great, juft, and good Governor, who, by that means, punishes, corrects, and transports the Inhabitants of one Country to another; procures them Deliverances, in which his Hand vifibly appears; takes Children out of the Hands of their Parents, who wou'd have made them as wicked as themselves, by a bad Education, which would have hindred them from attaining a happy Immortality. ALL the following Verfes on this Subject I think very excellent, and of an Elegance quite worthy the Pen of their Author. It is not poffible to fhew the Folly of a Man, who fhould be in fuch hafte as to require that his Virtue might be rewarded by a great Number of temporal Goods, in a more lively manner than Mr Pope has done it. IN In this vaft, this immenfe Universe, the Product of the Almighty Power of the Creator, and the Temple of his Glory, I too have the Honour of being his Work, and the Object of his Care. Penetrated and fill'd with Joy at this Thought, I am contented with few Things, and whatever I receive feems no longer little to me, when it derives its Value from the Hand which honours me with it. are Verse 171, Mr Pope fays, that there Rewards, which either would to Virtue bring WHEN I read what follows upon the Infufficiency of Riches to make us happy, upon Dignities which give no Ho., nour to the Perfons who poffefs them, unless they make a good Ufe of them, and behave fuitably to the Rank in which they are plac'd: When I read all this, I take Breath, I find myfelf at Liberty, I have no need of making violent Efforts to follow my Author through the Immenfity of Worlds, and I find myself deliver'd from the Danger of confoundS 2. ing |