702 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



Moral cordant principle to disturb the harmony of the uni- 

 rhiiosopiiy. verse . Every man has his own centre towards which 

 ""Y"^ he would gravitate, or his own right line in which he 

 would move, were he not drawn from it by some supe- 

 rior force which connects him with the general system 

 of society. In short, the intention of the Almighty, 

 both in the natural and moral world, seems to be to 

 produce regularity and order, out of materials which 

 are naturally inert or perverted ; and so much of the 

 tiiscordia semina rerttm, is still to be seen, both in the 

 elements of nature and in the constitution of human 

 society, as to bespeak a present Deity to regulate and 

 adjust them. 



i, We have already shown, that the moral qualities of 



Kveo moiai . > ' , , ,T . , .. 



evil may be man are improved and exalted by the physical evils 

 productive which he is called to encounter, and the same effect is 

 of good. produced by the moral evils to which he is exposed. 

 The injuries and provocations of the wicked show the 

 odious nature of the principles by which they are ac- 

 tuated, and produce in our minds a natural dislike of 

 those qualities which offend us ; whilst patience, and 

 prudence, and meekness, and forgiveness, are called 

 into exercise, and the mind which improves the lesson, 

 is purified, adorned, and exalted. 



But if any thing farther be wanting, as a compensa- 

 tion for the evils, moral and physical, which are in the 

 world, or as a vindication of the benevolence of the 

 Almighty, we conceive it is abundantly furnished by 

 the promulgation of Christianity, which presents such 

 a view of the divine benevolence and love to the hu- 

 man race, as we could not have formed a conception of, 

 even in a state of paradisaical innocence and happiness. 

 In short, this world, both in its physical and moral as- 

 pect, is exactly as the Almighty intended it should be. 

 Why it is as it is, it would be as useless to inquire as 

 it would be to ask why God has made any thing as it 

 is, or why he has bestowed on man, and the various 

 tribes of animals, the powers and qualities which dis- 

 tinguish them. With regard to animals, we are satis- 

 fied with showing, that their faculties are adapted to 

 their circumstances, and consider this as conclusive as 

 to the goodness of God : and why should we not rest 

 satisfied, and adopt the same conclusion, when we per- 

 ceive that the present state of things is admirably adapt- 

 ed for the improvement of moral beings. Difficulties, 

 indeed, frequently occur ; but they are rendered useful 

 for sharpening our faculties, and extending our know- 

 ledge, and it is impossible to mention an evil, for which 

 the Almighty has not provided an adequate compensa- 

 tion. 



Death not There is no evil which men view with so much hor- 

 an evil. ror as death : exempt them but from this, and every 

 other evil will appear tolerable * ; yet, in so far as re- 

 gards the general economy of nature, death cannot be 

 accounted an evil. One generation passes away ; but 

 the loss is soon repaired ; and the affairs of men go on 

 with renovated vigour, and increased knowledge, from 

 the accumulated wisdom and experience of the ages 

 which are past. 



Of living things, there is not one that does not ar- 



dently desire to enjoy the continued blessing of exist- Moral 

 ence ; but it is not more inconsistent with the decrees Philosophy. 

 of heaven, than with general happiness and usefulness, """"Y "* 

 that this desire should be indulged to any great extent. 

 With regard to the human race, the near approach of 

 death operates as a friendly monitor, in the case of 

 every individual, to repress the extravagance of ambi- 

 tion, to teach sobriety of mind, and to stimulate to the 

 acquisition of qualities which cannot be affected by 

 the dissolution of the body. 



Death, in its moral effects, is not only useful for 

 individual improvement ; but that general destruction 

 which overwhelms successively every thing that lives, 

 is, in fact, conducive to the general happiness and im- 

 provement of the human race. 



Why should the present race of mortals monopolize 

 the blessings of existence ? After they have had their 

 share in the business, the enjoyments, or the miseries 

 of life, is it not reasonable that they should be remov- 

 ed from the stage, to give place to others who may 

 taste the same pleasures t, and exhibit the same cha- 

 racteristic features of conduct, though diversified by 

 various shades of improvement, and occasionally of de- 

 terioration ? In so far as the wisdom and goodness of 

 the Almighty are concerned, these attributes, we may 

 safely affirm, are more conspicuously displayed in his 

 giving life and enjoyment to successive millions of ani- 

 mated beings, than if the blessings of life were con- 

 fined to the existing generation of men and animals. 



As things are, at present, ordered by the wisdom of 

 the Almighty, countless myriads of living creatures ap- 

 pear in succession to taste the blessings of existence ; 

 or to celebrate their maker's praise, either by the voice 

 of intelligence, or by the mute, yet expressive testimo- 

 ny of their actions. Nay, the dispensation of death, 

 which we so generally deplore, furnishes scope for the 

 enjoyment of some of the purest pleasures which man 

 can experience here below. For the constant waste of 

 the species is supplied by children born in our own 

 image, in whose happiness we are deeply interested, 

 whom we view as our representatives to other genera- 

 tions, and in whom our lives are so bound up, that 

 death can scarcely appear even a natural evil, when we 

 have transmitted, as it were, our existence and our 

 comforts to others, whom we love as our own souls. 



Thus, then, viewing that dispensation of the Al- 

 mighty which has doomed all mankind to death, mere- 

 ly as a measure of the divine government, and uncon- 

 nected with our particular feelings, it cannot but ap. 

 pear perfectly consistent with propriety and wisdom. 

 It is useful for bringing a change of actors on the stage 

 of human life, that old vices may be forgotten, that in. 

 veterate habits of wickedness may be destroyed, and 

 that new improvements may be introduced in morals, 

 politics, and religion ; or that a fresh generation may 

 admire and revere the fabric reared by the wisdom of 

 their forefathers, or bequeathed to them by the bounty 

 of heaven. 



Could we view death as unconcerned spectators, we 

 have little doubt that the conclusions which we have 



The inordinate love of life is strongly pictured in the lines which repretetit the feelings of the effeminate Maecenas : 



Debilem faeito manu, 



Debilem pede, coxa, 



Tuber adstrue gibbcrum, 



J .uliricos quate denies ; 



Vita dum supereit, bcnc eit ; 



Hanc mini, vel acuta 



Si silicon: cruce, sustir.e. 

 I.u-isti satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti, 

 TeinjHis dUcedere. 



