of which it is the evidence. For let any one impartially confider, which of thefe characters he esteems the better; his, who interests himself in the injuries of his friend, and zealously defends him with perfect calmness and ferenity of temper; or his, who purfues the fame conduct under the influence of refentment.

IF anger then is neither ufeful nor commendable, it is certainly the part of wisdom to fupprefs it entirely. We fhould rather confine it, you tell us, within certain bounds. But how fhall we afcertain the limits, to which it may, and beyond which it ought not to pafs? When we receive a manifeft injury, it feems we may refent it, provided we do it with moderation. When we fuffer a worse abufe, our anger, I suppose, may rise somewhat higher. Now as the degrees of injuftice are infinite, if our anger muft always be proportioned to the occafion, it may poffibly proceed to the utmost extravagance. Shall we fet bounds to our refentment while we are yet calm ? how can we be affured, that being once let loose, it will not carry us beyond them? or shall we give paffion the reins, imagining we can refume them at pleasure, or trufting it will tire or ftop itself, as foon as it has run to its proper length? As well might we think of giving laws to a tempeft; as well might we endeavour to run mad by rule and method.

In reality, it is much easier to keep ourselves void of refentment, than to reftrain it from excefs, when it has gained admiffion; for if reafon, while her ftrength is yet entire, is not able to preserve her dominion, what can she do when her enemy has in part prevailed and weakened her force? Toufe the illuftration of an excellent author, we can prevent the beginnings of fome things, whose progress afterwards we cannot hinder. We can forbear to cast ourselves down from

a pre

a precipice, but if once we have taken the fatal leap, we must defcend, whether we will or no. Thus the mind, if duly cautious, may stand firm upon the rock of tranquillity; but if the rafhly forsakes the summit, she can scarce recover herself, but is hurried away downwards by her own paffion, with increafing violence.

Do not fay, that we exhort you to attempt that which is impoffible. Nature has put it in our power to refift the motions of anger. We only plead inability, when we want an excufe for our own negligence. Was a paffionate man to forfeit a hundred pounds, as often as he was angry, or was he fure he muft die the next moment after the firft fally of his paffion, we should find, he had a great command of his temper, whenever he could prevail upon himself to exercife a proper attention about it. And shall we not efteem it worthy of equal attention, worthy of our utmost care and pains, to obtain that immoveable tranquillity of mind, without which we cannot relish either life itself, or any of its enjoy. ments? Upon the whole then, we both may and ought, not merely to reftrain, but extirpate anger. It is impatient of rule; in proportion as it prevails, it will difquiet our minds; it has nothing commendable in itself, nor will it anfwer any valuable purpose in life,

HOLLAND.

I

CHA P. II.

VIRTUE OUR HIGHEST INTEREST.

FIND myself exifting upon a little fpot, furrounded every way by an immenfe unknown expanfion.-Where am I? What fort of place do I inhabit? Is it exactly accommodated, in every infance, to my convenience? Is

there

there no excefs of cold, none of heat, to offend me? Am I never annoyed by animals, either of my own kind, or a dif ferent? Is every thing fubfervient to me, as though I had order'd all myself?-No-nothing like it-the farthest from it poffible-The world appears not then originally made for the private convenience of me alone? It does not.But is it not poffible fo to accommodate it, by my own particular induftry? If to accommodate man and beaft, heaven and earth; if this be beyond me, 'tis not poffible-What confequence then follows? Or can there be any other than this-If I feek an intereft of my own, detached from that of others; I feek an interest which is chimerical, and can never have existence.

How then muft I determine? Have I no intereft at all? -If I have not, I am a fool for ftaying here. 'Tis a fmoaky house, and the fooner out of it the better. -But why no intereft?, -Can I be contented with nonę, but one feparate and detached?Is a focial intereft joined with others fuch an abfurdity, as not to be admitted? The bee, the beaver, and the tribes of herding animals, are enough to convince me, that the thing is, fomewhere at least, poffibie. How then am I affured, that 'tis not equally true of man? --- Admit it; and what follows?If fo, then Honour and Justice are my intereft- then the whole train of Moral Virtues are my intereft; without fome portion of which, not even thieves can maintain fociety.

BUT farther ftill-I ftop not here-I purfue this focial intereft, as far as I can trace my several relations. I pafs from my own ftock, my own neighbourhood, my own nation, to the whole race of mankind, as difperfed throughout the earth. Am I not related to them all, by the mutual aids of commerce; by the general intercourfe of arts and

letters;

letters; by that common nature, of which we all participate? Again I must have food and clothing.Without a proper genial warmth, I inftantly perish.-Am I not related, in this view, to the very earth itself? To the diftant fun, from whofe beams I derive vigour? To that ftupendous courfe and order of the infinite hoft of heaven, by which the times and feafons ever uniformly pass on? Were this order once confounded, I could not probably furvive a moment; fo abfolutely do I depend on this common general welfare.

WHAT then have I to do, but to enlarge Virtue into Piety? Not only honour and justice, and what I owe to man, is my intereft; but gratitude alfo, acquiefcence, refignation, adoration, and all I owe to this great polity, and its greater Governor, our common Parent.

BUT if all thefe moral and divine habits be my intereft, I need not surely feek for a better. I have an intereft compatible with the spot on which I live-I have an intereft which may exift, without altering the plan of Providence; without mending or marring the general order of events.I can bear whatever happens with manlike magnanimity; can be contented, and fully happy in the good which I poffefs; and can pafs through this turbid, this fickle, fleeting period, without bewailings, or envyings, or murmurings, or complaints.

HARRIS,

CHA P. III.

THE

SAME SUBJECT.

A

LL men pursue Good, and would be happy, if they knew how; not happy for minutes, and miferable for

hours,

hours, but happy, if poffible, through every part of their existence. Either therefore there is a good of this fteady durable kind, or there is none. If none, then all good must be tranfient and uncertain; and if so, an object of lowest value, which can little deferve either our attention, or inquiry. But if there be a better good, fuch a good as we are feeking; like every other thing, it must be derived from fome caufe; and that caufe muft be either external, internal, or mixed, in as much as except these three, there is no other poffible. Now a fteady, durable good, cannot be derived from an external cause, by reafon all derived from externals muft fluctuate, as they fluctuate. By the fame rule, not from a mixture of the two; because the part which is external will proportionally deftroy its effence. What then remains but the caufe internal; the very cause which we have fuppofed, when we place the Sovereign Good in Mind-in Reftitude of Conduct?

HARRIS.

A

CHA P. IV.

ON THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.

MONG other excellent arguments for the immortality

of the Soul, there is one drawn from the perpetual progrefs of the foul to its perfection, without a poffibility of ever arriving at it; which is a hint that I do not remember to have feen opened and improved by others who have written on this fubject, though it seems to me to carry a great weight with it. How can it enter into the thoughts of man, that the foul, which is capable of fuch immenfe perfections, and of receiving new improvements to all eternity, shall fall away into nothing almost as soon as it is created! Are fuch

abilities