302 ON THE HUMAN FACULTIES, 



him to make great personal sacrifices, and even 

 to incur bodily risk, to save an individual to whom 

 he is otherwise indifferent, or even a poor animal 

 from destruction! With what assiduity does he 

 not attend, arid how many acts of kindness be- 

 stow, upon his friend or neighbour on the bed of 

 sickness, or when mental affection stands in need 

 of his assistance and consolation ? With what 

 submission and respect does he not bend to those 

 laws, though often interfering with his best inte- 

 rests, which the welfare of society has rendered 

 necessary ; and what a tone has his moral educa- 

 tion given to his manners and social habits, pro- 

 ducing urbanity and dignified courtesy in the 

 one instance, and hospitality and good-will to 

 his neighbour in the other ! 



These are but few of the moral attributes which 

 belong exclusively to man, and which bring him 

 as near to the Divinity, as, in our humble state 

 and ignorance, we dare to place him. And 

 though they be the result of education and expe- 

 rience, acting upon the susceptibilities of his 

 nature, and increased no doubt and rendered per- 

 manent by the reflection peculiar to the mind of 

 man ; yet they do not the less indicate that divine 

 influence, from which the best of human actions 

 derive their tone ; and without whose agency, 

 morality would be as fluctuating and as variable 

 as the passions, which the practice of it, is calcu- 

 lated to controul. 



We are now arrived at the last subject for con- 



