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other. How little they make the case of their fellow-crea tures their own, or consider what they must suffer from their wicked aspersions, misrepresentations, and oppressive and injurious treatment; which bring a pain propor. tioned to the sensibility of the sufferer. And every one knows, that the delicacy of some minds renders them as different from others, as the temper of the lamb is meeker than that of the tiger.

But the most direct injury against the spiritual part of our fellow-creature is, leading him into vice; whether that be done by means of solicitation; by artfully imposing on his judgment; by powerful compulsion; or by prevailing example.

Some tempers are so impotently ductile, that they can refuse nothing to repeated solicitation. Whoever takes the advantage of such persons, is guilty of the lowest baseness. Yet nothing is more common, than for the de. bauched part of our sex to show their heroism by a poor triumph over weak, easy, thoughtless woman! nothing more frequent, than to hear them boast of the ruin of that virtue, of which it ought to be their pride to be the defenders. "Poor fool! she loved me, and therefore could refuse me nothing." Base 'coward! Dost thou boast thy conquest over one, who, by thy own confession, was disabled for resistance, disabled by her affection for thy worthless self? Does affection deserve such a return? Is supe rior understanding, or rather deeper craft, to be used against thoughtless simplicity; and its shameful success to be boasted of? Dost thou pride thyself, that thou hast had art enough to decoy the harmless lamb to thy hand, that thou mightest shed its blood.

To call good evil, and evil good, is in scripture stigmatized with a curse. And to put out the bodily eyes is not so great an injury, as to mislead, or extinguish the understanding, and impose upon the judgment in matters of right and wrong. Whoever is guilty of this inhuman and diabolical wickedness, may in reason expect to have the soul he has been the ruin of, required hereafter at his hands.

I am very suspicious, that many persons in eminent stations have very little notion of their being highly criminal in the sight of God, in setting a bad example before the rest of mankind. No person, who thinks at all, can

doubt, whether it is justifiable to advise, or force others to be guilty of vice. But if there is a way incomparably more effectual and alluring, by which people are more powerfully drawn into wickedness; surely that is more mischievous and hurtful, and ought most carefully to be : avoided.

Of all tyranny, none is so inhuman, as where men use their power over others, to force them into wickedness. The bloody persecutor, who uses threats and punishments, prisons, racks, and fires, to compel the unhappy sufferer to make shipwreck of faith, and give up truth and a good conscience; the corrupt minister, or candidate, who bullies the unhappy dependant into the perjured vote; these, and such like, are in the way toward being qualified for becoming furies and fiends in the lower regions. For who is so fit for the place of a tormentor, to stand among evil spirits, and plunge the emerging souls deeper in hellflames, than he, who, on earth, made it his infernal employment, to thrust his fellow-creatures into those ways, which lead down to the chambers of destruction?

"Reader, if thou hast ever been the cause of a fellow. creature's guilt; if thou hast by force or art, betrayed a wretched soul into vice, and acted the part of an agent of Satan; I charge thee on thy soul, put not off thy repent. ance for an hour. Prevent, if possible, the final ruin thy cursed arts tend to bring upon a human creature. Endeavour to open the eyes, which thou hast closed; to enlighten the understanding thou hast blinded; and to lead again into the right way, the feet thou hast taught to wander from it. If thou wilt go to destruction, why shouldest thou drag others with thee? If thy ambition prompts thee to ruin thy own soul, spare that of thy poor fellow-creature, who has no concern with thy schemes. Must thy brother have a place in the infernal regions, to get thee a place at court? Take back the damning bribe; prevent the perjured vote: think how thou wilt bear the eternal howlings of a spirit, by thy temptations sunk to irrecoverable perdition.

Besides the general duty of benevolence to all who partake of the same common nature which is indispensably necessary in the nature of things toward the very being of society, in the present, state, and for fitting us for en

tering into a more extensive society hereafter; besides the general benevolence we owe to all our fellow-creatures it is evident, that we owe particular duties to particular persons, according to the relations and connexions we have with them. This propriety is founded in the nature of things, and is self-evident. It is as plain, that reverence to superiors, for example, is proper, as that all the angles of a plain triangle are equal to two right ones. It is as evident, that the contempt of one really superior to us, would be wrong, as that it would be wrong to say that twice two are equal to fifty.

The first, and most important of all relative social duties, is that which we owe to our country. That we ought to study the interest of our country, is plain from considering, that the love of our families, and even self-love, cannot be pursued, or established, on any rational footing, but what will extend to that of our country (for it is impossible for all families and individuals to be happy in a ruined country) and from considering, that, if no person loved his country, but every individual was indifferent about its interest, no country could subsist; but the world must quickly come to an end.

The virtue of patriotism is most indispensable in per sons in high stations, whose rank gives them an opportunity of being of important service to the public interest. These ought to consider themselves as general protectors and fathers, to whose care the rest of mankind are by Divine Providence committed; and ought to tremble at the thought of betraying so awful a trust. And the interest of a country consists briefly in its being properly secured against enemies; in its being governed by good laws, duly executed; in its being secured in its liberties, civil and religious, the boundaries of which last cannot be too ample, though the former may easily be extended to licen tiousness, as is at present most flagrantly the case in England; in its being kept under such a police, and such regulations, as may tend to promote health, virtue, public and private, and real religion; in a due encouragement of commerce, agriculture, manufactures, learning and arts. Whatever a nation can be the better for the encouragement of, or the worse if discouraged, is the province of gover

See the first Section of this third book.

mors to be perfect masters of, and to see effectual means used for carrying into execution every salutary scheme. With respect to the health of a people, for example, the duty of governors is not only to take all possible care to prevent the importation of infections from foreign parts, but that the people have it not in their power, by the use of unwholesome provisions of any kind, to hurt their constitutions, to the enfeebling and enervating of the race, as is most atrociously and extensively the case at present in England, by means of too low-priced spirituous liquors. Again, it is unquestionably the duty of governors to see to it, that there be no encouragement given to idleness, or debauchery; but that, on the contrary, all vices hurtful to society be liable to every kind of discouragement. That there be something found for every creature to do, who has any measure of health or strength, that all excuse for idleness may be removed, and the crime of doing noth ing be severely punishable. That lewdness and prostitution be at least driven from appearing in public without shame or restraint, to the corrupting of the youth of a nation. That marriage, the main support of states, be in the most effectual manner encouraged, and celibacy, after mature age (one of the worst offences against our country) subjected to every inconvenience and burden. That all possible encouragement be given to every person who enriches or adorns his country by any valuable discovery, or noble production, in arts, or sciences, and particularly to those, whose literary labours tend to the advancement of public and private virtue, and religion. Whatever tends to the increase of luxury and extravagance, ought to be laid under severe restraints, and heavy taxes; as in general all taxes ought to fall on the luxury and superfluity of life, while industry and frugality escape free.

To understand thoroughly all these particulars, and to endeavour to promote and improve them, is the proper calling of persons of rank and weight in a nation. And whoever makes no other advantage of a high station, than to plunder his country to gratify his avarice, to raise himself and his creatures to affluence, or to indulge sensual. ity, is unworthy of the honourable rank he holds; is a treacherous betrayer of his sacred trust; and instead of honour deserves the contempt of all men of virtue and

public spirit. For the true dignity of high life consists in a superior elevation of mind; more extensive improvements in knowledge; a greater contempt of whatever is unworthy; a more enlarged benevolence to mankind; a more uncorrupted integrity: and a more sublime way of thinking, speaking, and acting, than is to be seen in other men. Whoever is not in these respects superior to the rest of mankind, may be richer, but can with no propriety of speech be said to be greater, than others. For it is not the dress, the station, or the fortune, but the mind, that is the man. Therefore a little mind makes a mean man;

a great mind a great man.

Though it is chiefly by the great, that the interest of a nation is to be consulted and supported, it is certain, that every person has it in his power to serve his country less or more. Whoever plants a tree, incloses a field, builds a house, is the cause of a child's being brought into the world, and educated for becoming a valuable member of society; whoever, in short, fills a useful place in life, serves his country more than five hundred of those idle recluses, and holy drones, with which popish countries swarm. Especially, men of abilities, in the most private stations, are capable of serving their country, if not by action yet by suggesting useful hints to those, whose stations 'give them an opportunity of action; and of improving, by their conversation and writings, the minds and manners of their countrymen,

The true love of our country will show itself in our preferring the public to our own private interest, wherever they come in competition. In a conscientious obedience to the laws, though to our own particular disadvantage. In a proper reverence to our governors, especially the supreme; even in cases where we do not see enough (as how should persons in private stations?) to be able to explain to ourselves, or others, the wisdom of all their measures.

It is with a thorough concern, I cannot help remarking here, that the very contrary of all this seems to be the rule, by which the people of England conduct themselves in the present age. Is it not notorious, that the virtue of public spirit is become little else than a subject of ridicule? That venality has poisoned all ranks, from the bribed voter in a country borough, upwards to the candidate for a place

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