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MORAL PHI L O S O P II Y.
things.-Ru t ir, by (ortune. be meant a moderare Or
competent fh:ue of wcahh, power, or credit . nOI ayer–
gro,""n dcgrces of thcm, \Vh;u (hould hindcr lhe VirtuDtI!
mao fro01 obtaining thal ? H e cannOl crin ce or raw" f it
is true; bUl he C3n be civil and ol>liging a5 well as l he
knave: 20d flJrely, his civility is more alluring, becaure
il has more manlincfs and grace in' ir than lhe mean adu–
htiOD oC lhe otha: he C;lonot cheal a r undcr mine; bl\t
he may be: caulious, provident, w1.lchful of occa(ions,
J lld equfllly pro01pt Wllh lhe rague in improving thera :
he (coros lO proftitute himfclf as a pander lO lhe pa{)ions,
a r as a tool lo'lhe vices oC O1ankind; hUI he may have as
found an underebnding, and as good capacities {or pro–
mooing tbeir real intncn s, as the veriefi eoun·Clave ; and
then, he is more faithful and true to thofe who employ
him . In the common courft! of bulinefs, he has lhe farne
chances with the kna\'e of acquiring a fanune, and rifing
in lhe world. He may have equal abilitics, equal iD–
d wff rYJ cquC\t attention to bulinefs ; aod in other refpeéts
he has gready lhe advantage of him . P eople love better
to dC:ll with him; they can trufl him more; they know
he will nOl impofe on them l nor t:tke :advantagf! ofthem,
and can depend nll>re 00 his ~ord than on the o¡:ult or
HrongeH Cecurilies of others. Whereas what is com·
monly callcd cunoing, which is the off'spring ofignorance,
and conllant eompanion ofkna verYJ is not oDly a meaD·
fpirit ed, but a very fhort.figbted talcnt l and a fundamen–
tal obllacle iD lhe road of buGnefs. It may procure in·
d eed immediate and petty gains; but it is auended wi th
dreadful ahatemenls, which do more than over-balance
them, both as it Cinks a manIs eredit when dircovered J
aDd cramps that largcners oC mind, which ·exteods to
the rematdl as weJl as the nearen interen, and takes in
l he moCl durable equally Wilh l he moCl lr.nfi eDt gains.
lt il thcrefore eafy 10 Cee how much a manos credit and
reputation, and confequently his fuceefs, depeDd 00 his
honefly and vinue.
Wilh regard lOfecu rity and peaee ",ith his neighbours,
it may be thought, perha ps, that the man of a quiet for·
giving tcmper, and a flowing benevolence and courtery,
is mueh expofed tO injury and atTronts from every proud
or peeyifh ,"ortal who ha. lhe power or will lO do mif–
ehief. lfwe fuppofe, indeed, lhis quietnefs and gentle–
DerS of nature accompanied with cowardice or pufillani–
mity, lhis may often be the cafe j bU{ in reality, the
good man is bold a•• lion, and fo much l he bolder for
being lhe calmer . Such a perfon will hardly be a bUle
to mankind. · The ill· n.lured will be lO provoke
him, and lhe goud·natured will not incline to do le.
Bc:fides, true virtue, which is conduéled by reafoD, and
exerted gracefully and WilhoUl parade, is • moCl infinu·
ating and commanding thing; if it cannOt dlfarOl maliee
and rerentment at once, jt will wcar them Out by degrces,
and fubdue lhem 'llenglh . How many haye, by favours,
and prudently yidding, triumphed ove r an enemy who
would have- been inflamed inlO «nfold rage by lhe fiereell
oppofilion? lo fine, goodnefs i. lh< moCl univcrf.lly po–
pular lhine that can be.
To condude, the good man may llave fom e e"emies,
bUl he \ViII have more frie nd.: and haying eiven fo many
m atks of private friendfhip or publie vinue, he caD haru·
Jy oc dcflitulc of a patron 10 proteél, or tl fanfluary lO
' in 111m . o r to entCltain or pruletl his C"hildtcn whrn
he: is gone. Though he rhould h ave liulc die te Jea __c
thenl, he bCqU(,dlhs thcm Ihe (;tiren, :uld gcn~rally Ihe
mofl uncnviNI , inhcritance or a good name ; \l/nich , Jike
p,ood feeo [own in (he ficld or flHurit YJ will oft~n ri\ife.
up unCoJicitc::d frin·eclsJ o¡¡J yiclcl a bc::nc90lem huvdl of
unexpeél.cr1 eharilies. Hut rhould Ihe fragrance of the
parcnt's virtue provc off~nfivc 10 a pervcrle or en ... iou ..
aóe, or even draw pcrrecution on lhe fdendlefs orphans,
there is One in hcaven, \Vho wiJl be more than a. father
to Ihcm, and recompc::ncc. theír p.uent's virtues by 01Owcr·
ing down hleOings on l hern.
Jl10livfJ lo Virluf from th( BE 1 NG anu PROVI o ENCU
O¡G o D.
BE SI DES the inte·refiing motive mentioned in the lal1::
(e~'ljon, there are l WO greal moti ...es 10 virt~e. Orifll y
connetled with humAn Jife, and refulting fl om lhe very
cDnClilulion of lhe human mind. The 6ríl is lhe heing'
and provldence oC God; lhe fecond is lhe immort:lllty oí
lhe fOIlI, with [uture rewards and punirhments.
11 appears Irom whal has been raid, thae man, by the
conflitution of his na,ureJ is defigned ti.) be a reli2ious
cre;:uur~ . Heis intiOlateJy cOl1oeéted with the Deity, and
necelTariJy dependent on him . Frl>n1 thac eonnc.é\ion and
needlary dependence rc[ult varíous obJigations and du '
lies; WilhoUl fu lfilling whieh, fome of his fubl itlleCl pow–
erl anel .ffeaions would be ineomplele and abortive. If
he be likewife an ¡mmortal creature, and ir his pre[ent
cond"a fhall a!fea his futu re happinefs in anolher /tate
as weIJ as in the prerent; it is evident, lhat we take only a
partíal view oC the creature ir wc Icave out this important
property of his nalure, and make a partial eClimale of
human life if 'JIe (lrike out oC lhe aceounl, or over-Iook.
that part of his duratíon which runs out into eternity.
It is evident, tAae (f to have a refpeA to the D eÍtyio our
tcmper and conduél J to , enerate and love his chanaer,
lO adore hi. gooanef., 10 depcnd upon and refign ourfelyes
to his providence, t O reek his app robatioD1 and aa UD·
dcr a reofe of his authoríty, isa fundamentAl p:trt of mo–
ral vinue, and lhe complelion of lhe higheCl deHinalion
of our ní\tu re.H
UUl as piety is an .ffenlial part oCyirtue. fo likewife it
is a great fu ppo" and e.foreement to lhe praaice of it .
To cODlcmplate and admi re a being of fuch lranfeendent
digni ty and perfcélion as God, mull nalurally .nd neeef–
farily open 8nd elllarge the milld J give a freedom and am–
plc:nefs to its powers, and a grandcur and elevadon to itl
aims . F or, 't, Ihe gre:atnefs of an objeét, and the excel.
leney of lhe a.e¡ of any a~cnt aboul a tranfcendant obje&,
doth mightily tend 10 lhe enlargement and improvement
or his faculties." Little obje~s, mean company, mean
cares, and mean buline[s, cramp the mind, cont raét. itl
views, and givc it a crt."eping ai r aad deportmcne. Rut
when it foars above mortal eares and mortal purfuíu in–
to lhe regions of divinity, and confcrfc.:s with the G :eatell
and BeCl of Beings, il ilfelf inlo a Wlder compafs,
takes higher flighlS in reafon and goodncfs. and becomes
Godlike in its ni r and manncrs. Virtue is. if one may
f ay fo, both the clfe{t anJ eaufe of largenefs of mind . It
re'luires