"world, than he who has never experi "enced adverfity." There is nothing, perhaps, in which mankind are more apt to make falfe calculations than in the article both of their own happiness and that of others; as there are few, I believe, who have lived any time in the world, but have found frequent occafions to fay with the poor hunted ftag in the fable, who was entangled by thofe horns he had but just before been admiring;

O me infelicem! qui nunc demum intelligo, Ut illa mihi profuerint quæ defpexeram,

Et qua

laudaram quantum luctus habuerint ! PHÆD.

If we look back upon the fentiments of past ages, we shall find, the opinion for which I am contending has prevailed from the remoteft account of time. It must undoubtedly have entered the world as early as religion herself; fince all institu tions of that kind muft neceffarily be founded upon the fuppofition of a particular Providence. It appears indeed to have been the favorite doctrine of fome of the most distinguished names in antiquity. Xenophon tells us, when Cyrus led out his

army

he

army against the Affyrians, the word which gave to his foldiers was, ZETE ΣTMΜΑΧΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΗΓΕΜΩΝ, " Jupiter our "auxiliary and conductor:" and he represents that prince as attributing fuccefs even in the sports of the field, to divine providence. Thus, likewife, Timoleon (as the author of his life affures us) believed every action of mankind to be under the immediate influence of the Gods: and Livy remarks of the firft Scipio Africanus, that he never undertook any important affair, either of private or pub. lic concern, without going to the Capitol in order to implore the affistance of Jupiter. Balbus the Stoic, in the dialogue on the nature of the gods, exprefly declares for a particular providence: and Cicero himself, in one of his orations, imputes that fuperior glory which attended the Roman nation, fingly to this animating perfuafion. But none of the antients seem to have had a stronger impression of this truth upon their minds, than the immortal Homer. Every page in the works of that divine poet will furnish proofs of this observation. I cannot however for

bear mentioning one or two remarkable inftances, which just now occur to me. When the Grecian chiefs caft lots which of them should accept the challenge of Hector, the poet defcribes the army as lifting up their eyes and hands to heaven, and imploring the gods that they would direct the lot to fall on one of their most diftinguished heroes:

Λαοι

a

θεοισι δε χειράς ανέσκον, Ώδε τις είπεσκεν, ιδων εις ερανον ευρυν Ζευ πάτερ, η Αιανα λάχειν, η Τυδέος μον. * Η αυτον Βασιλιά πολυχρυσοιο Μυκήνης So likewise Antenor propofes to the Trojans the reftitution of Helen, as having no hopes, he tells them, that any thing would fucceed with them after they had broken the faith of treaties:

νυν όρκια τις α Ψευσαμενοι μαχομεπα τα 8 ν τι κέρδιον ήμιν Ελπομαι εκλελέεσθαι

The people pray with lifted eyes and hands,

And vows like thefe afcend from all the bands:

Grant, thou Almighty, in whofe hand is fate,
A worthy champion for the Grecian flate:
This talk let Ajax or Tydides prove,

Or he, the king of kings, belov'd of Jove. POPE.

The ties of faith, the fworn alliance broke,

Our impious battles the juft gods provoke.

POPE.

And

And indeed Homer hardly ever makes his heroes fucceed (as his excellent translator justly obferves) unless they have first offered a prayer to heaven. " He is perpetually, fays Mr. Pope, acknowledging the hand of God in all events, and af cribing to that alone all the victories, tri"umphs, rewards, or punishments of men. "The grand moral laid down at the en* trance of his poem, Διος δ' ετελείετο βέλη, "The will of God was fulfilled, runs through "his whole work, and is, with a most remarkable care and conduct, put into the "mouths of his greateft and wifeft perfons σε on every occafion."

Ꭺ

10

UPON the whole, Clytander, we may fafely affert, that the belief of a particular providence is founded upon fuch probable reasons as may well juftify our affent. It would fcarce therefore be wife to renounce an opinion, which affords so firm a fupport to the foul in those feafons wherein the ftands moft in need of affiftance, merely because it is not poffible, in queftions of this kind, to folve every difficulty which attends them. If it be highly confonant to our general notions

of the benevolence of the Deity (as high ly confonant it surely is) that he should not leave fo impotent à creature as man, to the fingle guidance of his own precarious faculties; who would abandon a belief fo full of the most enlivening confolation, in compliance with those metaphyfical reasonings which are ufually calculated rather to filence, than to fatisfy, an humble inquirer after truth? Who indeed would wish to be convinced, that he ftands unguarded by that heavenly fhield, which can protect him against all the affaults of an injurious and malevolent world? The truth is, the belief of a particular providence is the most animating perfuafion that the mind of man can embrace: it gives ftrength to our hopes, and firmness to our refolutions; it fubdues the infolence of profperity, and draws out the fting of affliction. In a word, it is like the golden branch to which Virgil's hero was directed, and affords the only fecure paffport thro the regions of darkness and sorrow. I am, &c.

LET