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lutely neceffary it is for us to gain habits of virtue in this life, if we would enjoy the pleafures of the next. The ftate of blifs, we call heaven, will not be capable of affecting thofe minds which are not thus qualified for it: we muft, in this world, gain a relifh of truth and virtue, if we would be able to tafte that knowledge and perfection, which are to make us happy in the next. The feeds of thofe fpiritual joys and raptures, which are to rife up and flourish in the foul to all eternity, must be planted in it during this its prefent fate of probation. In fhort, heaven is not to be looked upon only as the reward, but as the natural effect, of a religious life. MMDDISON.

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SECTION XVI.

THE PLEASURES RESULTING FROM A PROPER USE OF OUR FACULTIES.

HAPPY that man, who, unembarraffed by vulgar cares, mafter of himself, his time, and fortune, fpends his time in making himself wifer; and his fortune, in making others (and therefore himself) happier; who, as the will and underlanding are the two ennobling faculties of the foul, thinks himself not complete, till his understanding is beautified with the valuable furniture of knowledge, as well as his will enriched with every virtue; who has furnished himfelf with all the advantages to relifh folitude and enliven converfation; who when ferious, is not fullen; and when cheerful, not indifcreetly gay; whofe ambition is, not to be admired for a falfe glare of greatnefs, but to be beloved for the gentle and fober luftre of his wifdom and goodness.

The greatest minister of state has not more business to do, in a public capacity, than he, and indeed every other man, may find, in the retired and ftill fcenes of life. Even in his private walks, every thing that is vifible convinces him there is prefent a Being invifible. Aided by natural philofophy, he reads plain legible traces of the Divinity in every thing he meets: he fees the Deity in eyery tree, as well as Mofes did in the burning bufh, though not in fo glaring a manner and when he fees him, he adores him with the tribute of a grateful heart.

SECTION XVII.

DESCRIPTION OF CANDOUR.

SEED.

TRUE candour is altogether different from that guarded, inoffenfive language, and that ftudied openness of be

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haviour, which we fo frequently meet with among men of the world. Smiling, very often, is the afpect, and smooth are the words, of those who inwardly are the most ready to think evil of others. That candour, which is a Christian virtue, confifts, not in fairness of fpeech, but in fairness of heart. It may want the blandishment of external courtefy, but fupplies its place with humane and generous liberality of fentiment. Its manners are unaffected, and its profeffions cordial. Exempt, on one hand, from the dark jealoufy of a fufpicious mind, it is no lefs removed, on the other, from that eafy credulity which is impofed on by every fpecious pretence. It is perfectly confiftent with extensive knowledge of the world, and with due attention to our own faftey. In that various intercourfe, which we are obliged to carry on with perfons of every different character, fufpicion, to a certain degree, is a neceffary guard. It is only when it exceeds the bounds of prudent caution, that it degenerates into vice. There is a proper mean between undiftinguifhing credulity, and univerfal jealoufy, which a found understanding difcerns, and which the man of candour ftudies to preserve.

He makes allowance for the mixture of evil with good, which is to be found in every human character. He expects none to be faultless; and he is unwilling to believe that there is any without fome commendable quality. In the midst of many defects, he can discover a virtue. Under the influence of perfonal refentment, he can be just to the merit of an enemy. He never lends an open ear to thofe defamatory reports and dark fuggeftions, which, among the tribes of the cenforious, circulate with so much rapidity, and meet with fuch ready acceptance. He is not hafty to judge, and he requires full evidence before he will condemn. As long as an action can be afcribed to different motives, he holds it as no mark of fagacity to impute it always to the worst. Where there is juft ground for doubt, he keeps his judgment undecided; and; during the period of fufpenfe, leans to the most charitable conftruction which an action can bear. When he must condemn, he condemns with regret ; and without thofe aggravations which the feverity of others adds to the crime. He liftens calmly to the apology of the offender, and readily admits every extenuating circumstance, which equity can fuggeft. How

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much foever he may blame the principles of any. party, he never confounds, under one general cenfure, all who belong to that party or fect. He charges them not with fuch confequences of their tenets, as they refuse and difavow. From one wrong opinion, he does not infer the fubverfion of all found principles; nor from one bad action, conclude that all regard to confcience is overthrown. When he "beholds the mote in his brother's eye," he remembers "the beam in his own." He commiferates human frailty; and judges of others according to the principles, by which he would think it reasonable that they fhould judge of him. In a word, he views men and actions in the clear funfhine of charity and good nature; and not in that dark and fullen fhade which jealousy and party spirit throw over all characters.

SECTION XVIII.

BLAIR.

ON THE IMPERFECTION OF THAT HAPPINESS WHICH RESTS SOLELY ON WORLDLY PLEASURES.

THE vanity of human plafures is a topic which might be embellished with the pomp of much defcription. But I fhall ftudioufly avoid exaggeration, and only point out a threefold vanity in human life, whith every impartial obferver cannot but admit; difappointment in purfuit,diffatiffaction in enjoyment, uncertainty in poffeffion.

First, disappointment in purfuit. When we look around us on the world, we every where behold a bufy multitude, intent on the profecution of various defigns, which their wants or defires have fuggested. We behold them employing every method which ingenuity can devife: fome the patience of industry, fome the boldness of enterprise, others the dexterity of ftratagem, in order to compafs their ends. Of this inceffant stir and activity, what is the fruit? In comparison of the crowd who have toiled in vain, how fmall is the number of the fuccefsful? Or rather where is the man who will declare, that in every point he has completed his plan, and attained his utmost wifh? No extent of human abilities has been able to discover a path which, in any line of life, leads unerringly to fuccefs. "The race is not always to the fwift, nor the battle to the frong, nor riches to men of understanding." We may form our plans with the most profound fagacity, and with the moft vigi

lant caution may gaurd against dangers on every fide. But fome unforeseen occurrence comes acrofs, which baffles our wisdom, and lays our labours in the duft.

Were fuch difappointments confined to thofe who afpire at engroffing the higher departments of life, the misfortune would be lefs. The humiliation of the mighty, and the fall of ambition from its towering height, little concern the bulk of mankind. Thefe are objects on which, as on diftant meteors, they gaze from afar, without drawing perfonal inftruction from events fo much above them. But, alas! when we defcend into the regions of private life, we find difappointment and blated hope equally prevalent there. Neither the moderation of our views, nor the juftice of our pretenfions, can enfure fuccefs. But "time and chance happen to all." Against the stream of events, both the worthy and the undeferving are obliged to ftruggle; and both are frequently overborne alike by the current.

Befides difappointment in purfuit, diffatisfaction in enjoyment is a farther vanity, to which the human state is fubject. This is the fevereft of all mortifications, after having been fuccefsful in the purfuit, to be baffled in the enjoyment itself. Yet this is found to be an evil still more general than the former. Some may be fo fortunate as to attain what they have pursued; but none are rendered completely happy by what they have attained Disappointed hope is mifery; and yet fuccefsful hope is only imperfect blifs. Look through all the ranks of mankind. Examine the condition of those who appear moft profperous; and you will find that they are never juft what they defire to be. If retired, they languish for action; if bufy, they complain of fatigue. If in middle life, they are impatient for distinction; if in high stations, they figh after freedom and eafe. Something is ftill wanting to that plenitude of fatisfaction, which they expected to acquire. Together with every wish that is gratified, a new demand arifes. One void opens in the heart, as another is filled. On wishes, wishes grow; and to the end, it is rather the expectation of what they have not, than the enjoyment of what they have, which occupies and interefts the most fuccefsful.

This diffatisfaction in the midst of human pleasure, Spring's partly from the nature of our enjoyments them

felves, and partly from circumstances which corrupt them. No worldy enjoyments are adequate to the high defires and powers of an immortal fpirit. Fancy paints them at a distance with fplendid colours; but poffeffion unveils the fallacy. The eagerness of paffion bestows upon them, at first, a brisk and lively relish. But it is their fate always to pall by familiarity, and fometimes to país from fatiety into difguft. Happy would the poor man think himself, if he could enter on all the treasures of the rich; and happy for a fhort time he might be : but before he had long contemplated and admired his ftate, his poffeffions would feem to leffen, and his cares would grow.

Add to the unfatisfying nature of our pleafures, the attending circumstances which never fail to corrupt them. For, fuch as they are,they are at no time poffeffed unmixed. To human lips it is not given to tafte the cup of pure joy. When external circumftances fhow faireft to the world, the envied man groans in private under his own burden. Some vexation difquiets, fome paffion corrodes him; fome dif trefs, either felt or feared, gnaws, like a worm, the root of his felicity. When there is nothing from without to dif turb the profperous, a fecret poifon operates within. For worldly happiness ever tends to deftroy itself, by corrupt ing the heart. It fosters the loofe and the violent paf fions. It engenders noxious habits, and taints the mind with falfe delicacy, which makes it feel a thousand unreal evils.

But put the cafe in the most favourable light. Lay afide from human pleasures both disappointment in pursuit, and deceitfulness in enjoyment; fuppofe them to be fully attainable, and completely fatisfactory; ftill there remains to be confidered the vanity of uncertain poffeffion and fhort duration. Were there in worldly things any fixed point of fecurity which we could gain, the mind would then have fome bafis on which to reft. But our condition is such, that every thing wavers and totters around us. "Boast not thyfelf of tomorrow; for thou knoweft not what a day may bring forth." It is much if, during course, thou hearest not of somewhat to disquiet or alarm thee. For life never proceeds long in a uniform train. It is continually varied by unexpected events. The feeds of alteration are every where fown; and the funthine of

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