STUDY IX. 20^ 



Make yoiii' fortune. The effeâ; of this is, we no 

 longer prize any thing but what has fome relation 

 to this appetite. Even natural truths vaniQi out 

 of fight, becaufe we no longer contemplate Na- 

 ture, except in machines or books. 



In order to our believing in GOD, fome perfon 

 of confequence muft aflure us there is one. If 

 Fenelon fays it is fo, we admit it, becaufe Fenelon 

 was preceptor to the Duke of Burgundy^ an Arch- 

 bifliop, a man of quality, and addreffed by the 

 title of My Lord. We are fully convinced of the 

 exiftence of GOD by the arguments of Fenelon, 

 becaufe his credit refleéls fome upon ourfelves. I 

 do not mean to affirm, however, that his virtue 

 contributed nothing to the force of his reafoning : 

 but no farther than as it ftands in connexion with 

 his reputation and his fortune; for were we to meet 

 this fame virtue in a water-porter, it's luftre would 

 fade in our eyes. To no purpofe would fuch a 

 one furnifh proofs of the exiftence of a GOD, 

 more unanfwerable than all the fpeculations of 

 Philofophy, in a life labouring under contempt, 

 hard, poor, laborious, exhibiting uniform probity 

 and fortitude, and pafTed in perfed refignation to 

 the will of the Supreme : thefe teftimonies fo po- 

 fitive are of no confideration at all with us ; we 

 eftimate their importance from the celebrity which 

 they have acquired. Let fome Emperor be dif- 



pofed 



