GOODNESS OF THE DEIT^. 33f» 



labor, must still loirn the mass of the community ; other 

 wise the necessary labor of life could not be carried on — the 

 work could not be done which the wants of mankind in a 

 state of civilization, and still more in a state of refinement, 

 require to be done. 



It appears to be also true, that the exigencies of social 

 life call not only for an original diversity of external circum- 

 stances, but for a mixture of different faculties, tastes, and 

 tempers. Activity and contemplation, restlessness and quiet, 

 courage and timidity, ambition and contentedness, not to 

 ?ay even indolence and dulness, are all wanted in the world, 

 all conduce to the well going on of human affairs ; just as 

 the rudder, the sails, and the ballast of a ship all perform 

 their part in the navigation. Now, since these characters 

 require for their foundation different original talents, different 

 dispositions, perhaps also different bodily constitutions ; and 

 since, likewise, it is apparently expedient that they be pro- 

 miscuously scattered among the different classes of society ; 

 can the distribution of talents, dispositions, and the consti- 

 tutions upon which they depend, be better made than by 

 chance ? 



The opi^osites of apparent chance are constancy and sen- 

 sible interposition ; every degree oi secret direction being con- 

 sistent with it. Now, of constancy, or of fixed and known 

 rules, we have seen in some cases the inapplicability ; and 

 inconveniences which we do not see, might attend their ap- 

 plication in other cases. 



Of sensible interposition we may be permitted to remark, 

 that a providence, always and certainly distinguishable, 

 would be neither more nor less than miracles rendered fre- 

 quent and common. It is difficult to judge of the state into 

 which this would throw us. It is enough to say, that it 

 would cast us upon a quite different dispensation from that 

 under which we live. It would be a total and radical 

 change. And the change would deeply affect, or perhaps 

 subvert, the whole conduct of human affairs. I can readily 



