1000000031

M O 11 A L PHI L O S O P H Y.

{vrli,ude, humility, love of virtue, Inve of G od, re–

rognation, and the like. Thefe fUQlime gnods ne, by IVay

of eminenee, goods reeommended and enforeed by the

mol! iotimate aod aw(ul fenfe and eonfeioufnefs of our

oature; goods ,bot eonflitute ,he quinte{[ence of happi–

oefs, ,h.. form and eompleaion nf foul whieh renders us

approveable and lovely io ,h. figh, of God; good•• in

60e, which are the elements of all our future perf.aion

aod (elidty.

Mofl of lhe other goods we hove eonfidered depend

partly ' on nurfelyes, and partly nn aeeidenlS whieh we

can neither CoreCee nor prevent, and re(ult from caufes

whieh we eanoOl inRuenee or aher, The.y are fueh goods

as we m.y po{[efs ln·day and lofe to·morrow, and whieh

require a felicity of contlitution aod talenu to auain Ihero

in full vigour and perf.aion, and a felicilY of eonjune–

tures

fecure ,he poJfc1lion of them . Therefore, did

our harpinefs depend ahogether or ehiefiy on fueh tran–

fitory and preearious po{[d lions, it were itfelf mon pre–

eariou•• aod ,he highen fnlly 'o be anxious abou, it.–

But though creatures. coofiituted as we are, cannot be

¡.different aboút fueh gouds, and mul! fllff.. iD forne

~egree,

and eonfequently have our happinefs inenmple,e

without lhem, ye, they weigh bu, liule in ,he feale when

compared with moral goods. By tbe bene,oleO! eonni

!UtiOD of our nature, ,hefe are pl.ced wi,hin the fphere of

our

¡t'tivity, fo

thu

m.lO

caD be denitute of

them

UD–

I~f.

he is firfl w.anting 'o himfeJf. Sorne of the wifeff

,n4 bel! of mankind have wanted mofl of the former

goods, and all the eXlermtl )(ind, and felt mofl

,he

oppofite ¡lb; yet, by pn{[effing ,he Iatter, baye declar–

ed they were h.ppy, and to the eon,·iétion of ,he mofl

impartial oblene" have appeared happy. The worfl

of meo have .becn furropnded with every oUlward good

.• od advantage of fnrtune, aod haTe po{[e{[ed great parts;

ye', for want of moral

re~tude,

have been nOloriouqy

Bnd exquifitely miG:rable. The exereife of virtue has

rupported iu vOlariQ:S, and made lhem exuh in ,he midfl

tortures almofl iBtolerable; nay, bow of,en has fome

falfe form or fhadow of it fuflained even the greatefl vil:

hin, and bigo" under ,he fame pre{[ures! BUl no exter–

oal good., nn goods of fortune, have becn abl. to .lIeyiate

the agonie., or expel lhe fears of a guilty mind, eonfeious

of the def",ved hatred aod reproaeh of mankind, aDd the

jun difpleafure ofalmigh,y God.

As tbe prefenl eondi,ion of human life is won.der(ully

ehequered wi,h good .nd

iII;

and as no heighl of flation,

no afRu<nce of fortune, can abfolu,e1y infure tbe gnod or

fecure againR lhe ill ; it is eviden" that a great paTl of ,he

eomfort and ferenilY of li(e mo,l lie io h..ing our minds

dulyafi'. aed with

reg.rd

'o both, ; .

rightly attemper–

ed 'o the Inf, of one and lhe fuffera"ee of the o,her.

For it

certaio, thu outward calamitles dcriye.their.chief

maligdily and pre{[ure from lhe inward difpoCotions with

whieh IVe receive lhem. By managing ,hefe right, we

m.y greatly abale lhat malignity and pre{[ure, and eOD–

fequently diminifu the number and IVeaken tbe d,oment

of the ills of life. if we fuould not have i, in our pOIVer

obtain a la(ge fu..e of its good., There are partíeu–

larly three virtues which go 'o ,he forming this righl

teDlper

,owarch ill, and whieh are of fingul.r cfficaey, if

VOL . I1f.

N°, SI.

not lotally

remove, yel wonderfully

alleviate the

caJamities of life. Thefe are fortilude, or pacience, hu.

miliry, and rcGgnation..

Fortitude is that eal'l1 and fleddy habil of miDd, whiel>

either moderates

09r

(e;us .

a~d

enables us braveJy

en–

Counter (he profpeél of ill, or renders the mind ferene

:md invincible under in immediate pretfure.

líes

equally dillan, (rom raOlnefs and eow.rdiee; .nd 'houih

does

no~

hinder

from feeling

yet

prey. nts

OUT

com ..

plaining or furinl<ing under lhe Itroke.

always inelude.

a generous contempt of, oral

lean

boble

fuperiority to,

thofe precarious goodsof which we can

infilre

neither the

polTeffion nor continuance. The man therefore who

p6{[e{[es lhis virtue in this ample fenfe of it, fI.nds upon.

an eminence, and fces human things below him; the

tempefl indeed m.y reaeh him, bu, he fI.nds feeure .ud

colJeéled againll

upon

lhe

haíis of confcious virtue,

whieh the feverefl florms can feldom Ihake, and never

overthrow.

Humili,y is annther virlue of high rank and dignity,

though of'en miflaken by proud mortals for meannefs

and pufillaninlÍ'Y. 1, is oppefed tn pride, whieh eommonly

incJudes io

a falCe or over. rated dlimation of our own

merit, ao aCcríptioo of it to ourfelves as its ooly

a.nd

original cauCe,

undue comparifon of ourfelves with

o,hers, and, in eonfequeDe< of ,hat fuppofed fuperiori,y,

arrogant preference of ourfelvcs, and a fupercilioU1

eon,empt ofthem. Humility, nn ,he nther

h.nd

, f«msto

denote thilt ruodetl and ir.genuous temper of mind, whicn

arifes from a jufl and equal eflimate ofour o\Vn advaDlages

eompared with thofe o( o,hers,. and from a fenfe of our

deriving all origin.lly'from ,he Author of our being. Its

ordinary

attendants

are

mddn..:{s,

gentl~

f9rhear1Dce,

and an eafy una{[uming humanity with regard to the

imperfeélions and faults of others; virtues rare indeed,

bu, of the f.irefl eompleaion, the proper off'prin: of fo

lovely a parent, the ben ornamento of fueh imperfea

creatures as we are, prccious in che Gght of God, and

which fweetly allure the hearts of

~en,

Refigna,ion is lhal mild and heroie temper of miDd,

whieh arife, from a fenfe

of.an

infinitely wife and good pro–

videnee, and enables one 'o acquiefcc with acordial aífeaioIÍ

in its jufl appointments. Thi, virtue has fomething very

peculiar in ·its nature, atld (ublime in

eAlcacy.. For

teaches us to bear

ill,

not

onfy with

patience,

and

as being

unavoida.ble;

but

transforms, as it

were, ill

ioto good,

by leadiDg us lo eonfider i,) and every 'hing thal has the leaft

appearanee o( ill, as adivine dirpenfation, a wife and bene–

volent temperameotof things, CubCervient to uoiverfal good,

and of eQurfe including ,hat of every individual, efpedally

of fueh'as ealmly floop tn il. In ,his light, the admini–

nration i,felf, n.y, every aa o( i" beeomes an objea of

affeélion, the evil difappears, or is eonverted into a balm

whieh bnth he.l. and nourilh<s ,he mind . For, thnugh

lhe firfl unexpeaed aeeefs of ill m.y furprife lhe

Cod

into grief; yet that grief. whcn the mind calmly

revi(w~

its objeét, changes ioto contcntment, and is

degrees

exahed into veneratíon and

adivine

compo(ure.

Qur

private will is 10ft in tha! of the Almigh'y, and our fe–

eurity againfl ·every re. 1ill refls on the fame boltom

¡l'

lhe lbrone of H im who lires and reisos for ever.

Before