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288

MORAL

PH I L O S O P H Y.

Befor. we lioifu tbi. reaion, i. may be 6t to obCerve,

,b•• as .be Deity is .he Cupreme aod inexhauft.d Cource

of good,

whom lhe happioef, of the whóle creatioD

depeod,: as he is the higheU objeél iR oature, aod thé

ooly objell who is fuUy proportiooed to the iotclleélual

aod moral powe" of tloe miod, io whom they uhim.tely

rett and fiod their mon perfell exercife arid comrletion;

he is therefore termed the

chieí good

of ruao

obj dlively

coofidered: Aod virtue, or the proportioned aod vi–

gorous exercife of .he

Cev~ral

pOIVers aod' affeélion. on

.heir refpeélive objeéls, .s above defcribed, i., in .he

fchools, termed the

chieí good í ornJ311y'confidered,

hsfomud

idea,

,being

the inward tcmpt!r aod oarive con·

lIitution of human happinefs .

Fro'm .he de•• il we have gooe .hrough, th. followi og

corol!>ries may be deduced.

J .

It i. evident thu .be happinef. of fucb a pro–

gregrdli,e creature as man

C<lD DCVc.r

be at a

Hand,

caMinue a 6xed invariable rhing. Hls finite nature, Jet

it rife ever fo high, admi" nill hi¡:her degrees ofimprove–

meo' aod perfeélioo: adU his progretlion in improve,

m nt, or virtue, always makes way for a progreffion in

happioefs. So tbat no poffible poio. can be affigoed iD

aoy period_of his exinence io whicb he i. perfeélly hap–

py, that is, fo happy as to exclude.higher degree. of

happioef.. AU his perfeélion is ooly compara.ive.

2 .

'ppears tha. maoy thiogs mutl coofpire to complete the

bappioeCs of fó various a

cre~ture

as mao, fubjeéllo fo

maoy waots, andofufceplible of fuch differeol pleafures.

03- As his capacilies of

pleafur~

eannot be all grali6ed at

,he fame lime, aod mun ofteo iOlerfere wilh each olloer

io fueh a precariou. aod fleeliog nate as human life, or

be frequeotly difappoio'ed, perfeél happioefs,

i .

•.

Ihe

uod.ifiurbed enjoymeo, of Ihe feveral p)eafures' of whielt.

we are eapable, is unatuioable io our pr<fent tlate. 4.

Tbat nate is mon to be fought af,er, io which the fewen

compelitions

and

difappointDlents ca.n

happca, which

leatl, of .11 impai" aay feoCe of pleaCure. aod opeos ao

ioexhauCled fouree of tbe mon te60ed aod laCling eojoy–

meolS. 5. That nate whieh is ..teoded with.11 thofe

advantages is a Hate or

courre

vinue.

6. There(orc,

a Clate of virtue. io wbieb }he moral goods of the Olind

are a"aioed. is Ihe bappieCl Clate.

DUTJES

SOCIETV.

Filial and Fra/ern.l dU/J.

A. we bave follo\\(ed Ihe orderof nature in traeing tbe

hiClory of moo. aod Ihofe ¡¡uties whieb be owes to him–

fdf: il C<ems « afooable

.áke Ihe fame method with

thofe be ow<s to foeiety, which eoollitute the feéoodelars

of hit obr.g.tions.

B i. pareolS are .moog Ibe eorlien objeél. of his atteo–

tioo: he beco

me.

Coonetl :lequainted witb them, repofe.

a peculiar confidence

them, and fecms to regard them

wid, a food .!feélioo• •he earl y progoofties of his CUlure

piety aod gra.itud.. 'Thus do" oatu" diél..e tbe fi rCl

lioe. of·6lial duty. eyeo before a jun feoCe of the eonoee–

tion is formed. But whcn tbc: child 'is grown up, and

has anained

fu ch a dcgrte of undcrfh.nJing as to com.

pr.Lood the moral ti••

¡uJ

be fo.,fible of tire oblig..ion.

be i. under tO bis p.reolS

when he look. back 00 th';.

teoder aod difinterened a!f.(lioo, their ioeetraot eares and

I.bours in nurfiog.

ed~ea.ing

.od providiog for .bim du–

riog Ihat

n.te

io whieh he had oei,her prudeoc< nor

Clreogth to eare aod provide for himCelf; he mun be con–

(eious that he owes

them

(here

peculiar

dUlies.

l . To reverence and honDur lhem as the infirumenu of

nature in introducing him to

tire,

and to that {tate of

eomfon .od h.ppioefs whi.b he eojoy.; aod Iherefore

to elleem aod imitate Iheir good qualities. to alleviate

aod bear with, aod fpread as much as poffible a deeeot

veil over their fauh. aod weakoetr<s.

To be higbly grateful 10 Ihem for tbofe favoun

whieh it eao h.rdly ever be io hi. power fully 10 repay;

to lhew tbis gratitude

(tria

atteDtion to their wanu,.

aod • folicitous care 10 fupply them; by a fubmiffive de–

fereoee to their .uthorilY and .dviee: by yieldiog too ra–

Iher than peeviO,I)' eoot·eodio!:. with tbeir humou..,

as–

rememberiog bow oft they

h.ve

beeo perCeeuted by bis;.

.od io 60e, by foothiog ,heir eare.. ligbteoiog their

forrows, fupportiog the infirmitie. of age. aod makiog

Ihe remainder of Ibeir life as comfortable aod joyful

as poffible.

As his brethreo .od finer••re tbe ne"t wilh wbora

tha: creaLUre forms a Cocial. and moral contlcétiOA, to thcm

be owes a frateroal regard; .od with them ought he to

eoter ioto a tlriél league of frieodfuip. mutual tjll'lpatby,

advi«. affiClaoee, .od. generous iOlereourCe of kiod of–

fices, remcmberiDg their relatioo to commOD. parenrl,

aod that brotherhood of nature whieh uniles lbem in(o

a'clofer eommuDi.y of i"erell .od affeétiOD_

Conc~rl1ing Marriag~.

WHEN

man anives to a cenaio age,

he\beeomcs (c'n–

tibIe of a peculiar Cymp.thy aod tenderoeCs lowards lbe

othcr fex; the charms of beauty engage his altcnlÍon,

aod ,,11 forth oew aod

fof.er

diCpoú.ioos .bao be bas yet

felt. The maoy .miable qual"ies

exhibi.ed

by a faír

outúde, or by the ,mild .tluremont of fem'le maooers,

or wbieh tbe prejadieed Cpe(lator without mueh rearoniog

fuppoíe. lhoCe

ioelude. Wilb fever.l o.her eireuOlttao–

ces, poiot

hi,

view and affcélion to a particular objetl,

.od of eourCe

eootr.éI

Ihal geoeral rambliog regard,

which was Ion aod

~felefs

amoog .he unditlinguifued

croud, ¡otO a pecul\ar.,Pnd permanent auachmcnt to

CDe

woman, which ordinarily terminates in the

man

impar.

Uot,. veoerable, aod delightfuJ eoooe(lion iD life.

The nate of the'brute-creatioDis very differeol froni

th.t of humaD ereatures. The former are·e1oathed aad

geoerally armed by their nruélure. e. úly 60d what

ne–

eetrary to lheir fubfi!!eoee, aod Cooo attain .heir.

vlgo~r

.od maturi•

.y;

fo th.t .hey oecd .he care and aid oftbetr

parenlS bUI for a fuort while ; aod Iherefore \Ve fee lha..

naturt has affigoed

them vagraot aod traofient amouu_

The eonoeélioo beiog purely o.tur. l. aod formed merel.y

for propagatiAg aod rearing their offsprinl!; no fooner .,

that end anfwcrcd, tllao the conneétioll diÍlolves of courfe.

Bu. the human race are of a Olore teoder aod. defeoeeleC,

conflitutlon; their infancy and non-age continue

lo~gtr;

they . dv.nce tlowly to tl rength uf body, aod lI'l3tun.y of

reafon; they oeeJ eooflaot alteotlOo, aod a loog feries of

cares