PHILOSOPHY, MORAL. 



diffidence is not unfrequently the cause 

 of vanity; for the mind then feels the 

 more eager desire to be well in the esti- 

 mation of others, and, when their good 

 opinion is obtained, fosters it with too 

 great pleasure. Still however the fre- 

 quent mortifications it meets with tends 

 to lower it in its own estimation, unless 

 by degrees it learns to set a value upon 

 its own requisition, independently of the 

 captious applause of others ; and then it 

 deviates into the opposite extreme of 

 self-sufficiency and pride. Here a strong 

 mind, not under religious culture, will 

 rest ; a weak one will probably be again 

 driven to that support, on which it original- 

 ly rested its self-approbation. If it do not 

 return to its former state, the attentions 

 which vanity received as a favour, pride 

 claims as its right : and in both cases end- 

 less inquietude, envy, and resentment, 

 are the almost necessary attendants. 



51. The workings of vanity ought not 

 to be viewed with too suspicious an eye 

 in the early stages of intellectual and mo- 

 ral culture. Self-diffidence is almost ne- 

 cessary for that culture, and vanity we 

 have seen is frequently the offspring of 

 self-diffidence. Care however should be 

 taken to prevent the love of praise from 

 becoming a necessary stimulus to exer- 

 tion. The stimulus should be lessened 

 by degrees : and if done gradually, the 

 habit which it was intended to generate 

 will be formed, and the exercise of it 

 continued, without this stimulus. Praise 

 is probably employed in education more 

 than is desirable, because more than is 

 necessary ; perhaps the simple expres- 

 sions of sympathy in successful exertions 

 would answer every purpose. The em- 

 ployment of them may however be varied 

 by circumstances ; but it should always 

 be kept in view, that praise should be lit- 

 tle employed in the culture of moral 

 worth; to that, approbation should be 

 given indirectly, and when bestowed up- 

 on intellectual acquirements, it should be 

 distinctly seen that these are not held in 

 the same rank with the performance of 

 duty. The young should frequently be 

 led, if self-diffidence do not make this a 

 bar to exertion, to contemplate those 

 who have made greater attainments than 

 themselves, and seldom to refer to those 

 who are below them ; in this, however, 

 such cases should be adduced as will pre- 

 vent, or rather avoid, the excitement of 

 envy ; and where emulation gives birth 

 to envy, this should be carefully avoided. 

 But, above all, they should be taught to 

 be discriminate in their desire of appro- 



bation, and be led by degrees to seek for 

 that approbation, which alone is certain, 

 and which alone is independently valua- 

 ble. The eager desire of the praise of 

 men debases the motives, weakens the 

 mental powers, and produces corroding 

 inquietude ; the ardent pursuit of the 

 former will supply motives to action con- 

 tinually increasing in purity, will strength- 

 en the mind for valuable exertion, and 

 prepare it for permanent happiness. 



Cultivation of Humility. 



52. In order to cultivate the tender 

 plant of humility, we must clear away the 

 high ideas we have of our own excellen- 

 cies. All thoughts which please are apt 

 to recur frequently, and their contraries 

 to be kept out of sight; hence, by dwell- 

 ing upon these excellencies, they will be 

 magnified ; by keeping our imperfections 

 out of view, they are diminished ; and the 

 same causes too frequently lead to keep 

 in view the defects of others, and neglect 

 the consideration of their excellencies : 

 and thus pride, that is, too high an opini- 

 on of ourselves, and too low an opinion of 

 others, must be generated. Now the on- 

 ly way to obtain a just opinion of our- 

 selves is, to reverse this operation, and by 

 express acts of volition dwell upon the 

 excellencies of others and our own de- 

 fects, and to pass by with little notice the 

 defects of others and our own excellen- 

 cies. To cultivate humility, we must 

 learn not to seek the applause of the 

 world, but to acquiesce in the respect it 

 pays us, however disproportioned this 

 may be to the merit of the action under 

 consideration. We should remember, 

 that however beautiful the productions of 

 nature and art which pass under our no- 

 tice, it would be absurd to stay till long 

 experience and accurate examination jus- 

 tified it, that they are unequalled in their 

 kind : much less should we suppose this 

 of those sources of honour which happen 

 to be our lot, which are certainly magni- 

 fied beyond the truth in our own eyes, 

 from the interest we take in ourselves. 

 Humility will further be cultivated by 

 receiving with readiness the censures 

 and shame which we have deserved ; by 

 acquiescing under them, where we 

 think we have not deserved them ; and in 

 this last case always to suspect our own 

 judgment. The frequent recollection, 

 that all our valued qualities proceed from 

 God ; that we have nothing which we did 

 not receive from him ; and that there 

 could be no reason in ourselves why he 



