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make him deem it a burden. There is naturally a great terror of death in the ftate of childhood; which proves that in that ftate there exifts a fondness for life, and an unwillingness to be deprived of it. Its genuine pleafures are then tafted without alloy or mixture of vice. The first principles of inftruction inculcate the idea of a fuperior Being, the Creator and Preferver of the world. As years increafe, experience confirms this fundamental truth, of which new proofs exhibit themfelves every day to an attentive and inquifitive mind. It is manifeft alfo, that all the pleafures experienced by man are owing to the gift of existence from this Almighty Being, and therefore it becomes a clear point, that life itself ought to be deemed a favour and a bleffing. But as the understanding opens, it is very natural to fearch for further information concerning this Being, to whom man is indebted for the gift of life. This leads to an inquiry, whether He has made any difcoveries of Himfelf, or of the purposes for which mankind were placed in the world? A new fcene then opens, while man is contemplating the nature of God, reverencing his attributes and perfections, and fearching out for his will; whilft he is comparing and combining his own existence with that of others, studying his duty, and in fhort forming to himself such a system of conduct in the management of this gift of life, as confcience dictates to be juft and grateful. That obedience is owing to the Author of our existence is an immediate and neceffary confequence; but this can be shown no other way than by an implicit fubmiffion to his will, and by a patience and refignation under the allotments of his Providence. It is very certain, that misfortunes and evils may befal a man, which may make him defirous of immediate death; and he has the " power" without doubt of relieving himself: but power is far from always implying is far from always implying "right." A state of dependence requires an attention to the will and pleasure of another, not to our own; and therefore one must be well affured, that it is the will and pleasure of the Superior to receive back the gift he has conferred, before it can be refigned into his hands with due attention to decency, propriety, and obedience.

But the self-murderer, who thinks at all of religion or futurity, replies, that he throws himself on the goodness and benevolence of the Deity both for his paffport and pardon. "A good God (fays he) gave me life as a bleffing; but if, by a number of untoward accidents, it has proved to me a curfe, his "Benevolence can never furely be offended at my feeking to return it quickly

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into his hands." That the Almighty meant man's "whole" exiftence, prefent and future, to be a blefling to him, can fcarce be denied, without leffening His attributes of mercy and juftice. But man is often fo ignorant of what is really beft for him on the whole, and fo apt to judge from prefent circumstances alone, without attention to confequences, as frequently to call his evil goed, and his good evil; to miftake the bleffing for the curfe, and the curfe for the bleffing. How often is pain itself the forerunner of eafe, and sickness of better health! how often do riches owe their fuperior comforts to the experience of past poverty! how often are the fufferings of poverty the of increafing induftry and procuring wealth! how does pleasure of all kind receive its zeft from the remembrance of past trouble! Prefent virtues perhaps are owing to former errors; prefent wifdom to paft folly, affliction opes the door to confideration; and painful reflection becomes the parent of future caution, peace, and happiness. But had life been refigned in haste, as a burden. and a curfe, an end had been put to all fubfequent bleffings, which might havearifen from prefent evils, and the condemnation of life had been pronounced without giving it a full and impartial trial. Befides, how often are thefe untoward circumftances, which put a man fo much out of humour with his life, the fole effects of his own follies and vices! of the abufe of that reafon and free-will, which was bestowed on him to render life a comfort and a bleffing! Is the wisdom then of the Almighty, or his benevolence, to be vainly arraigned. for man's rashness and folly? Are His precious gifts to be ungratefully thrown. up and returned into his hands, because those on whom He has been pleased to beftow them will not affign them their juft value, or convert them to their proper ufe? If a gracious Providence be fuppofed to prefide over the world, a man's life, (he may reft affured) whatever its complexion may be as to prefent mifery or happiness, must be for his benefit in his whole existence prefent and future, if he make but a proper use of it: but for any one precipitately to rush. out of life, is to doubt the power and foftering care of that Providence, under the wings of whofe mercy he is at the fame time crying out for shelter; is to counteract that very authority, to the exercife of whofe goodness he is laying. claim; and whilft engaged in an act of open rebellion, to expect the rewards. due only to a fubmiffive and obedient fubject.

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CHA P. III.

The power of enforcing penal laws of the utmost confequence to fociety: this power evaded by fuicide.-The imagined lawfulness of fuicide, or what may be filed its principle," an encouragement to the commission of every vice.—An awe of futurity over the minds of the people of great importance to the good order of every State. The principle of fuicide very much depends on defacing the impressions of virtue and religion, and therefore ruinous to the interests of fociety.-By this principle all fear of God and man is discharged from the mind, and therefore the Juicide will not only die "when" he pleases, but live "how" he pleases.—No confidence to be placed, as to any focial ties or duties, in one, who will never fcruple to become his own executioner.-The principle of fuicide gains ground with the cause of fcepticism and infidelity; and these unite in fubverting the good order of fociety. The wealth and profperity of a nation fuppofed to depend on its degree of population. By the practice of suicide every individual decreases the number of citizens, as far as he can, and therefore acts injuriously by the ftate in his own perfon.-Every citizen poffeffes only a joint property in his own life, together with the community to which he belongs: the fuicide deferts all his civil duties.—The objection concerning suicide's being no more than a migration from one's country, which is allowed to be lawful, propofed and anfwered.—Suicide injurious to the first principles of fociety by the affumption of private punishment.-The prefervation of the lives of its citizens, the first object of government.—No citizen to be put to death but by the fentence of public juftice: fuicide is therefore murder in the eye of the law.―The fuicide, who has been guilty of no previous offence against the state, offends in thus depriving the fate of a citizen; but the guilt of the self-murderer is greatly accumulated when he evades the punishment due to his crimes.—Objection concerning individuals not having a right to give the power of life and death to the magistrate, if they had no fuch power over themselves, propofed and answered.— Criminals offend against the good order of fociety by killing themselves before or after condemnation; because one defign of punishment is to make a public example in order to deter others.

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HE fpecial finfulness of suicide against God, as the natural and moral Governor of mankind, conftituted the first inquiry into its offence, because that part, having lefs to do with fenfible and furrounding objects, may naturally be fuppofed to have lefs influence over a perverted and vicious mind. For a fimilar reafon its guilt against the good order of fociety fhall next come into consideration, because social concerns are not fo likely to affect a narrow and contracted fpirit, and to influence towards the prevention of any crime, as are the perfonal feelings of felf, and its own immediate interefts.

Now the good order of society, as well as its effential interests, must be materially affected and injured by an opinion of the lawfulness and expediency of putting an end to life, whenever its poffeffor is weary of it. Though rewards and punishments are generally confidered as the mutual props and fupports of every government, yet they are not fo in an equal degree; fince its greatest fecurity confifts in the power of enforcing its own laws, or, in other words, of punishing the refractory and disobedient. When this fupport is taken away, or its extent and energy diminished, laws become nugatory, and the foundation of all authority is fhaken to its center. It is felf-evident then, that the abettor of fuicide undermines the basis of all civil fociety, that he defies all threatenings of law and terrors of judicial process, and confequently that the executive authority lofes by these means its firmest hold over the decent and regular conduct of its dependents and citizens. But if it can be further proved, that the man who confiders fuicide as a juftifiable expedient to fly from mifery, or from the shame of that punishment which his crimes have deferved, will likewise be ready to adopt every opinion which destroys virtue, and to countenance every practice which encourages vice, (when it fuits his own temper and inclination) it undeniably follows, that what may be called the " Principle" of fuicide, is of a truly dangerous and alarming nature to the good order of all fociety.

Due impreffions of virtue and religion have always been efteemed the most fure and firm bafis of focial intercourfe and focial happinefs; infomuch that even those statesmen among the heathens, who, through want of that fuperior illumination which is now enjoyed, might at times have their doubts on the subject of futurity, were yet very fenfible of the neceffity of inculcating fome notions of religion, and of future rewards and punishments, into the minds.

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of the common people, as deeming it the best political fecurity for the practice of thofe virtues, which are effential to the well-being of every community. It appears, then, that he, who is leaft influenced in his conduct by a respect for virtue and a reverence for religion, is leaft likely to promote the good and happiness of his fellow-citizens. But the "Principle" of fuicide (or a perfuafion, that I may put an end to my life at my own pleasure) cannot be confiftently maintained by any one, who has not previously imbibed notions. very inconfiftent with all serious thoughts of futurity, as a state of reward and punishment for human actions: confequently the principle of fuicide is founded on that which tends to fubvert the basis of social happiness, viz. a want of religious fear and an awe of futurity.

But fome, it may be faid, who are ready to caft off all fear of God, are yet influenced in their conduct by the fear of man; of those difgraces and punishments, for instance, which it may be in the power of man to inflict on them. True; but how stands the cafe with those who imbibe the principle of fuicide? Determining that they need not live any longer than seems good to themselves, they think as little of fearing man as God, and therefore put no other restraint on themselves or their actions, than feems to them confiftent with their prefent or future gratifications." As I can die when I pleafe, I will live how I please," is the natural deduction from the conceded principle of fuicide; and when traced through all its variety of confequences, gives birth to every species of unfocial and immoral conduct." I will purfue my projects of ambition to "the utmost, and, if unexpectedly ftopt fhort in my career, need not live to "feel the fhame of a repulfe. I will gratify my luft at the expence and honour of my friend and his family; and whenever difagreeable confequences are likely to enfue to myself, the point of my fword can foon put an end "to them. I can fport with the property of others in what manner I please, or increase my own by every finifter method; and whenever my frauds are on the eve of difcovery, I can fly from justice, shame, and remorfe, by the "discharge of my piftol. I can fatiate myself with revenge on my adversary, “and draw the reeking dagger out of "his" heart to plunge it in “ "Others may talk as they pleafe of "future" happinefs or mifery; but my" prefent" appetites are warm and preffing, and shall not yield to fuch "diftant uncertainties. I will then gratify my paffions of every kind to the " utmost

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