my readers lucubrations on manners and literature, on the improvement of tafte and the encouragement of genius. Thofe, who may incline to co-operate in this undertaking, are cordially invited to contribute their affistance.

Mr. EDITOR,

For the Monthly Anthology.

IF it fhould confift with the defign of your publication, to in

fert reflections on fubjects of morality and religion, I hope that the following obfervations on an extensive principle of hu man action will prove acceptable. It is important that our moral fentiments be clear and juft. By mistaking the character of the principles by which we are influenced, we debafe confcience into the instrument of vice; the light within us becomes darknefs; we feal our own destruction.

If any one paffion has brought all men into bondage, if any one principle of action can serve as a clue to all the varieties of the human character, it is AMBITION, or devotion to our own individual glory. By this fin fell the angels. This fin men have even exalted into virtue, and the worst we hear of it is this, that it is "the infirmity of noble minds." This principle affumes many forms, but under all it proposes felf exaltation as its great laft end. In this point all the defires and pursuits of the ambitious centre.

tor.

It must easily be seen that this devotion to our own glory is directly the reverse of the great law of benevolence. God is love, and in this character alone we reflect the glory of our CreaBenevolence carries us out of ourselves, and diffuses our exiftence by giving us an intereft in other beings. But ambition is narrow and debafing. It leads us to confider all beings as fubfervient to our greatness, and formed to behold and proclaim our glory. Nothing is benevolent, which does not proceed from a fincere difpofition to do good, from a fingle view to the production of happiness. To ferve our country or mankind, that we may acquire the reputation of patriotism or of benevolence, expreffes fimply a regard for the rewards of those virtues, none for the virtues themselves. Ambition is the most refined

form of selfishness, but it is felfifhnefs ftill, and neceffarily excludes from that kingdom of heaven, whofe only law is love.

The pursuit of human applause, from the very nature of man, has a tendency to increafe mifery and delufion. Men are depraved in their moral fentiments. They are more impressed with vaft power and favage energy, than with the mildness of benevolence. Accordingly we find characters, distinguished by barbarous valour, inflexible obftinacy and inhuman fortitude, the objects of general admiration. In all ages men have deified the monsters of the human race, who have convulfed empires in fport to display their spirit and power. From this principle of admiring vast power and exertion, men prefer extravagance of imagination and subtlety of sophistry, to the fimplicity of unaffuming truth. Thus from the very nature of man, ambition in pursuit of its end has filled the earth with ruin and error. The limits of this paper will not permit to record the wars, oppreffions, devaftations, and cruelties into which the ambitious have been driven. But these clearly prove the oppofition of ambition to the great principle of benevolence.

Ambition is a perverfion and prostitution of the highest pow ers of human nature. If we poffefs reason and moral fentiment, we ought to make them our guides and pillars. Thus endowed, does it become us to bend to the standard of an evil world? Adherence to principle in oppofition to pain and contempt, conftitutes the true dignity of man. The consciousness of integrity, of conducting as children of God, of acting from virtuous motives in a virtuous cause, is a confolation and reward fuperior to the applause of worlds. More fervile dependence cannot be conceived than is the lot of him, who lives only in the mouths of other men. The ambitious frequently discover great power. But moral excellence confifts in the right direction of power. A giant building houses of cards, prefents as glorious a spectacle, as an intellectual being formed for immortal progreffion, and capacitated to enjoy his God, enflaving himself to the earth, converting his present greatness into an idol, feigning an immortality in the remembrance of perishing men, and exhaufting himfelf for a monument, which with himself will foon crumble into duft.

There is a base hypocrify in ambition, which an honest mind must despise and abhor. If we wish the world to notice us, if we act in the view of men, that we may draw their attention and applause, let us tell them frankly what we defire. It is vile to pretend that our views are liberal, that we wish to promote the cause of truth, or the civil and religious interests of mankind. It is deteftable fraud thus to cheat men out of applause. The cant of ambition is knavery baser than the tricks of a pick-pocket. It is enough that our fouls are narrow, that we are incapable of acting from generous affection. Let us not add to this the meannefs of falsehood.

This devotion to our own glory is the greatest weakness and folly. Let each of us confider himself in comparison with the whole human race, and of how little confequence are we? We The refiftlefs are loft in the general crowd and tumult. Millions have never heard and will never pronounce our names. ftream of time, which overwhelms high and low, muft foon fweep us away. Others will fill our places, the business of the world, the fong and the dance be continued, and like past generations we shall be lefs regarded than the turf which covers us. And does it become fuch beings to fwell with their own importance, and to elevate themselves for the admiration of the world? But let us extend our views and confider man in relation to the univerfe. How do we dwindle and shrink into nothing, when brought into comparison with the majefty of nature ! How fublime the ftyle, how glorious the order of this temple of the Deity! There is a prodigality in the works of nature, which feems defigned to humble the pride and mock the dwarfishness of man; and in this profufion of existence, beauty and majesty, fhall we exalt ourselves to the fummit of creation, confider ourfelves peculiarly deferving notice, and challenge the admiration of mankind? If from the material system we afcend to those intelligent orders which furround the throne of God, and from all derived and dependent existence, rife to the uncreated Parent of heaven and earth, on whom the higheft ranks of angels depend, and by whom the minuteft beings are fupported, in whose fulness and perfection all worlds and systems are less than nothing and vanity, what fhall we think of ourselves, or what terms can we use, fufficiently diminutive to exprefs our littleness and unimportance?

All creation cries, Give glory to God. For this end all things exift. To propose our own glory as our end, is to strive to counteract the defign and agency of the Deity. By seeking to fix attention on our own petty attainments, we call beings to turn from the fun to idolize a glow-worm, to neglect immenfity for a point too fmall for perception. How contemptible is ambition. How low the greatest heights of human glory. In the eyes of fuperior beings, how idle muft appear our contentions for eminence and power. That worms of the dust and children of yesterday should fwell themselves into God, dwell on their narrow powers with rapture, ape the airs of greatness, affect importance, and propose themfelves as objects worthy the applause and homage of the world, this is fuch folly and abfurdity, that we feel disposed to smile at fo ludicrous a spectacle, instead of pitying fuch debasement and depravity.

It is a folemn confideration, which profeffors of the gofpel seem to have overlooked, that this devotion to our own glory is irreconcileable with the whole spirit of Christianity. We find much of this temper in the disciples. With them it was a queftion of debate and dispute, "who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." But hear the answer of Chrift; "Unless ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Chriftianity is a humiliating fyftem. It beats down the strong holds of human pride. It teaches us, that our place is in the duft. It is founded in the ruin and corruption of our race; it is a medicine for a disordered and dying world, A fenfe of guilt and entire unworthiness is neceffary to the cordial reception of the gospel. "Bleffed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Christian hero does not dazzle the world with his arms and exploits. You must look for him on the lowest seat, and there you will behold him smiting his breast, acknowledging his unworthiness, and oppofing nothing to injury and insult, but the panoply of meekness and love. You discover no high pretenfions, no overbearing pride, no infulting fuperiority, no anxiety to draw the gaze of mankind. "He walks by faith and not by fight;" and, as he travels towards heaven, emits a gentle light, to teach the way to others, and guide them to the God of glory.

Thus it appears that ambition is a principle inconsistent with true religion and benevolence, and expreffes the greatest blindnefs and debasement of the foul. It may indeed give us the appearance of many virtues. It may whiten the fepulchre; but within are dead men's bones. By condemning ambition, we But it pronounce sentence on the greatest part of mankind. is not a new fuggeftion, that the whole world lieth in wickednefs. This truth it is important to enforce. Until we feel it, we can never be recovered to moral excellence. Let us not "film over the fore and ulcerous place," but purify and invigorate the foul, by the infufion and exercife of new and generous affection, even by that love which is the sum of excellence and the fulfilment of the law.

FOR THE MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY.

THE GUEST.-No. I.

Que me cumque rapit tempeftas, deferor HOSPES.

HOR.

Potin' es mibi VERUM DICERE?—Nihil facilius.

TERENT. ANDRIA.

EVERY polite guest, who wishes to please his known enter

tainers, will endeavour to fuit his conversation to their prevalent humour. But when he enters an assembly of strangers, whose characters and difpofitions do not readily appear, he has an opportunity for propofing fuch topics, as are most agreeable to his own inclination.

Free from all anxious ambition, and easy in my condition, my favourite pleasures are thofe of fociety and friendship. Whenever I appear in company, which is indeed frequently the cafe, I am commonly welcomed as a good-natured guest, and treated with many charming civilities. In my turn, I endeavour to promote their cheerfulness, or induce fome interefting reflections. Among the numerous families, whom I vifit, I have found one, that has gained my strongest predilection. It confifts of many members, who have attained mature age and improved understanding. Here I efcape that loathfome din of popular politics, which confounds my tranquillity in most other places.