On DEATH. 55 
That reafon can do. That reafon has often done. Give 
reafon fair play, and as your pafiions become fubfervient to 
it, fear will vanifb as unprofitable. ; whilft hope, ambition, even 
that generous effort of the mind, which I will call pride, will 
help you on. Thus both worlds will be your own. Cherifh a 
confidence in the parental love and mercy of him who made 
you, and you become invincible ! 
But we are commanded to work out our falvation with fear 
and trembling. Fear is here mentioned as a pafiion of the mind 
implanted in our nature to make us watchful for our own pre- 
fervation. The diftindfion is moft obvious. A timid dirilic- 
tion of fpirit leads to defpair : ’tis the reverfe of that mafeuline 
firmnefs which religion demands of us. Cowards will die for 
religion, no matter how abfurd the tenets of it. So far from 
fearing, in the fenfe of a fervile pafiion, the chriflian ought to 
wifh for fome glorious caufe to give up life. Fear is necefiary 
to check our prefumption, and create an awful reverence ; but 
it muft not check our hope nor pious confidence. 
The diftin&ion is the fame as in sorrow. u Not to be sor~ 
° rowful, as men without hope,” is one of the prime admo- 
nitions of chriftianity : and yet that fame chriftianity teaches us 
to be very forrowful for our sins. 
Shall avarice, ambition, love, revenge, tranfport their vo- 
taries to a contempt of death, in the purfuit of their refpedtive 
objedls ? And fhall not hope, religious hope, infpire us with a 
noble disdain of life but as heaven may pleafe to grant it ? 
Without a reconciliation to death, nothing in life can be truly 
great ;; 
