tion, depends on the part they act on their conduct.

Let them be a fupine, indolent race, averfe to rational inquiries to all ferious application-let it be their bufinefs to divert themselves, to give a loose to fancy and appetite-let all their schemes be thofe of felf-indulgence, and their life a round of vanity and fenfuality; fad must be the condition of the nation to which they belong! throughout it must be diforder and confufion-it must have the worst to fear from its more powerful neighbours.

And as, in all countries, they who are diftinguished by their rank or fortune, have their pot, their duty, their talk for the common good-as to discharge this requires many accomplishments, the attainment of which is, matter of much attention and pains, requires an improved understanding, command of paffions, an integrity and refolution, which only can be preferved by an habitual ferioufnefs and reflection-as they Cannot fail in their parts, cannot mifemploy their leifure, and unfit themfelves for, or be negligent in the fervice appointed them, but their country muft fuffer grievously in its moft valuable interefts; the diligence they fhould ufe, the little time they have to trifle away is evident: it is most evident under what obligations they are, not to abandon themfelves to merely animal gratifications, and the pleasures of fenfe-to floth and inactivity.

The populace, indeed, cannot be quite fo diffolute they cannot be fo immersed in floth and fenfuality, as the richer part of a nation, becaufe their circumftances permit it not: their maintenance muft coft them fome care and pains, but they will take as little as they can-they will, as far as is in their power, have their fill of what their betters teach them to be the comforts of life, the enjoyments proper for reasonable creatures-they cannot debauch themfelves in the more elegant and expenfive ways, but they will in those which fuit their education and condition--they cannot be wholly ufelefs, but if they make themselves of any fervice, it fhall only be, because they are paid for it, because they cannot be fupported without it.

And how can we expect that things fhould be otherwife? It is not, upon the lowest computation, one in a hundred who forms his manners upon the principles of reafon. Example, cuftomary practice govern us. And, as they, who are more efpecially dependent upon others, have it taught them, from their very infancy, to refpect thofe on whom they depend-to obferve them-to be directed by them; no wonder that they should be fond of imitating them, as far as their fituation admits; no wonder that they fhould copy their follies, fince that they can do moft eafily, and that most fuits their natural depravity.

That this will be the cafe, is as certain, as experience can make any thing. It has been, and is, every where, found, that where they, who have the wealth, and are therefore fuppofed, though very unreafonably, to have the fenfe of a nation, treat their time as of no account, only think of making it fubfervient to their exceffes, their vanity, or their fports; the fame wrong notions foon fpread among their inferiors.

evil it occafions and how much a greater fufferer he will be from it, than those who are in more plentiful circumftances.

And let it be confidered, by both high and low, rich and poor, that there can be nothing fo becoming them, there can be nothing that will give them fo folid, fo lafting a fatisfaction, as to be employed in ferving mankind-in furthering their happinefs. What thought can we entertain more honourable with refpect to God himfelf, than that "his mercy is over all his "works"-that his goodnefs is continually difplaying itself through the whole extent of being-that the unthankful and the evil he not only forbears, but still feeks to awaken to a due acknowledgment of him-to a juft fenfe of their true intereft,

by perfevering in his kindness towards them, by continuing to them the bleflings they fo ill deferve?

And if the confideration of the univerfal Creator as thus acting be really that which makes him appear molt amiable to uswhich affects us with the most profound veneration of him, and chiefly renders it pleafing to us to contemplate his other perfections; what worth do we evidence, how highly do we recommend ourselves, when employed either in qualifying ourfelves for doing good, or in doing it,when we have the common advantage our conftant purfuit-when we feek for pleafure in making ourselves of use, and feel happiness in the degree in which we communicate it?

III. What employment of our time the relation in which we stand to God fuggefts to us, I am next to fhew.

Every one who reads this, I may juftly fuppofe fenfible that there is a nature fuperior to his own, and even poffeffed of the highest excellencies-that to it we owe our existence, owe the endowments, which place us at the head of all the creatures upon earth, owe whatever can make us defire to have our existence continued to us that by this fuperior nature alone, many of our wants can be fupplied-that on it we entirely depend-that from its favour the whole of our increafing happiness can be expected.

From what we thus know of God and ourfelves, there mult arife certain duties towards him, the performance of which will have its demand on our time. His perfections require our highest veneration; this cannot be exercifed or preferved without our serious attention to and recollection of them. His mercies demand our most humble and grateful acknowledgments; proper acts of thankfgiving are therefore what we fhould be blameable to omit; they daily become us, and should be made with all the folemnity and fervor, that fuit the kindness vouchfafed us, and the majefty of him to whom we addrefs ourselves. * A

due fenfe of our weakness and wants is a conftant admonition to us to look up tơ that Being whofe power and goodness are infinite, and to cherish fuch difpofitions as are most likely to recommend us to him: hence it is evident what ftrefs we should lay upon thofe awful invocations of the divine interpofition in our favour, and upon that devout confeffion of our unworthiness of it, which have a natural tendency to keep the Deity prefent to our remembrance, and to purify our hearts.

Public acknowledgments of the goodnefs of God, and application for his bleffings, contribute to give a whole community fuitable apprehenfions of him; and thefe, if it be my duty to entertain, it is equally my duty to propagate; both as the regard I pay the divine excellencies is hereby fitly expreffed, and as the fame advantage, that I receive from fuch apprehenfions, will be received by all whom they affect in the fame manner with me. Hence it is clearly our duty to join in the public worship-to promote by our regular attendance upon it, a like regularity im others.

Thefe obfervations will, I hope, be thought fufficient proofs, that, from the relation we bear to God, a certain portion of our time is his claim-ought to be fet apart for meditation upon him, for prayer to him, and for fuch other exercife of our' reafon as more immediately refpects him, and fuits our obligations towards him.

Dean Bolton.

§ 150. On the Employment of Time.

ESSAY THE THIRD.

Since all things are uncertain, favour yourfelf.' Where have I met with it? Whofefoever the advice is, it proceeds upon a fuppofition abfolutely falfe, That there is an uncertainty in all things: and were the fuppofition true, the inference would be wrong; did we allow, that there was fuch an uncertainty in all things, it would be wrongly concluded from thence, that we fhould favour ourselves.

First, there is not the uncertainty here fuppofed. With regard to thofe things, which call us to thoughts very different from that of favouring ourselves-which fhould withdraw our attention from our own will, our own liking-which fuggeft. us quite other confiderations than of taking our cafe, and indulging our appetites -which fhould make the animal life the leaft of our concern-which should render us only folicitous to purify ourselves, and be useful to our fellow-creatures; with regard to these things, I fay, we have either abfolute certainty, or the highest degree of probability.

To have produced fo much beauty and order, as every where difcover themselves, intelligence was not only requifite, but great wisdom and power. The beneficial effects naturally refulting from the things thus beautifully formed and orderly difpofed, demonftrate the goodnefs, as well as the wisdom and power of their author.

That the benefits he defigned, should conftantly take place, must, as he is a good being, be agreeable to his will; aad whatever hinders their taking effect, must be dijagreeable to it.

We cannot have a furer mark of what pleafes him, than its being productive of happiness; and whatever has mifery accompanying it, carries with it the clearest preef of its difpleafing him.

A virtuous practice greatly furthering the happinefs of mankind, must be pleasing to their Maker; a vicious one must difpleafe bim, as it neceffarily obftructs their happinefs.

If from any accidental indifpofition of things, as from the number of the criainal, virtue fhould here mifs its reward, there is great likelihood that it will elsewhere receive it; and, if vice, by a like accident, fhould, in particular inftances, not carry with it thofe marks of its offending the Governor of the world, which it in moft cafes bears, there is the highest probability that it will have its punishment in fome future ftate. There is that probability in favour of virtue, not only from what our reafonings on the juftice and goodness of God induce us to think it has to expect from him, but alfo from the visible manner in which he fignifies his approbation of . He has impreffed a fenfe of its worth on the minds of all mankind—he has made fatisfaction infeparable from a conformity 10-he has appointed many advantages,

in the ordinary course of things, its attendants; which feem concurring affurances, that to whatfoever difadvantages it may now, occafionally expofe us, they will be at length fully recompenfed. And there is the probability I have mentioned, that the guilty will not be always without a punishment adequate to their crimes, not only from the apprehenfions we may fitly entertain of a just Governor of the universe; but, alfo, from the manner in which he, to the notice of all men, expreffes his abhorrence of vice: annexing to many crimes immediate inconveniencies-giving others a very fhort refpite from the fevereft diftrefs, the painfulleft difeafes-allowing none to have our reason and confcience on their fide, to be approved by us in our hours of seriousness and calm reflection.

Virtue is, evidently, preferved and promoted by frequent confideration-by diligence and application-by the denial of our appetites by the reftraint of our inclinations-by a conftant watchfulness over our paffions-by cherishing in ourfelves fentiments of humanity and benevolence. Vice is, as manifeftly, produced, and confirmed by inattention-by fupinenefs and careleffnefs-by favouring our appetites-by confulting rather what we are difpofed to, than what is beft for us, rather what inclination, than what reafon fuggefts-by an attachment to the fatisfaction of the prefent moment, to our immediate profit or convenience-by adopting narrow, felfish principles.

Thus it will appear, that there is by no means an uncertainty in all things. Moft certain it is from whence virtue has its fecurity and improvement. Equally certain is it how we become bad, and how we are made worfe. Virtue has, in the nature of things, a reward of which it cannot be deprived, and vice as fure a punishment. All thofe accidents which obftruct either the advantages fuiting a virtuous practice, or the fufferings that a vicious one ought to feel, may fitly carry our thoughts to fome future ftate, when each will have its full defert from that Being, who has fo clearly expreffed as well his approbation of virtue, as his abhorrence of vice; and whofe goodness, wifdom and power, as they admit of demonftration, so they cannot but be believed to concur in bellowing thofe rewards and punishments, which will be moft for the

M 3

welfare

welfare of the nobleft part of the creation, the intelligent part of it.

But if there were the uncertainty that is not; the right confequence would not be, Favour yourself: it would be, Secure yourfelf: Provide against the worst. Let your prefent enjoyments be directed by the influence they may have on your future happiness confider the whole poffible extent of your exiftence, aud forego the fatisfaction of a few moments, rather than hazard the loss of a good that may continue for endless ages.

Such feem the proper inferences in this cafe; and the fecurity of ourfelves is very unlikely to be effected by favouring ourfelves: the refult of this, in a remoter period, may, with the highest degree of probability, be conjectured from what is, every day, experienced.

Bear and forbear, is the leffon for him who merely feeks to give his prefent life all the comfort in his power. Great inconveniences we cannot even here avoid, but by fubmitting to leffer.

Freedom from pain is the price of the enjoyments we deny ourselves; and ftrength of body purchased by the exercise that fo feverely fatigues it.

To what fleepless nights would he be condemned, whofe eafe throughout the day was to have no interruption? How little relifh fhould we have of our food, were we to know nothing of the difquiet of hunger? 'The man who would moft taite the gratifications of fenfe, must be the moft sparing in his application to them; thence it is they not only are heightened, but continued to It feems the condition of our being, that we should have no pleasure gratis that we should pay for each, before or af ter its enjoyment. To decline whatever we could be lefs pleafed with, is the fureft way to increase both the number of our fufferings, and their weight.

us.

What can be more precarious than the continuance of human life? Who in his twentieth year acknowledges not, how uncertain it is whether he hall fee his fortieth? Yet no one of common prudence feeks barely to crowd as much fatisfaction into his life, as can confift with his reaching that period: there is no prudent man but denies himself many things, in hopes of attaining a much longer term.

We must unufually fail in the love of our children, if we would not purfue their welfare, in the fame way by which we judge

our own best confulted. But where is the advocate for "Favour yourself, fince all

things are uncertain," who, if difcretion makes any part of his character, governs himfelf by that principle in their education-who does not reftrain them in a thousand inftances? while yet the uneafinefs it gives, and the tears it cofts them, may probably never find that very small recompence, which must be the utmost he can propofe from it. I fay, this recompence may, probably, never be found; a late eminent mathematician having, upon an exact calculation, obferved, that one half of thofe that are born, are dead in feventeen years time.

Some claim to a public fpirit, to a love of their country, we find made by the generality of us, even in this very profligate age. But from him, whofe rule it is to favour himself, the public can have nothing to expect. Were this the prevailing principle among us, 'tis obvious' how little regard would be fhewn to the common welfare.

All of the learned profeffions would regulate their application, by its fubferviency to their maintenance, and think they had nothing fo much to ftudy, as how to make their fortune.

Soldier and failor would have no notion of any honour distinct from their advantage of any obligation they could be under, when their pay might be fafe, to endanger their perfons.

The people would judge none fo fit to reprefent them, as they who had been at the greatest expence in corrupting them: and the reprefentatives of the people would fee no reafon why the whole of what was to be gained fhould go to their conflituents.

In thort, nothing but fupinenefs and floth-an attachment to their eafe, and the gratification of their fenfes-low, unmanly views purfuits throughout the most felfifh and fordid could prevail, among all orders and degrees of men, in any country, where the received doctrine was, favour yourself.

Hence certainly is it, that not only the better conftituted governments, but even the nations of a lefs refined policy, have encouraged fo much an indifference to the fcanty portion of life here allotted us-to the continuance, the eafe, the conveniences of it; exciting, by various methods, each member of the community, to have chiefly at heart the public intereft-to be ever di