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miferies which arife from wayward accidents and hof tile elements? Why, therefore, open a door for our ef cape from thofe evils of which others have their fhare; to whom, however, it must remain for ever fhut?

In truth, the existence of all animals depends entirely on their inviolable attachment to felf-prefervation. Their attention to all poffible means of felf-defence and fuftenance, is accordingly the obvious and common condition of all their natures. By this great and operative principle nature has chiefly confulted her own fafety. Our philo fophers notions are fo extremely hoftile to her most ef fential institutions, that fhe could not poffibly furvive a general conviction of them. And, in fpite of all the fophiftry he is master of, the question here will eternally recur, whether wisdom of nature, or the philofophy of our author, deferves the preference.

(4) This apology for the commiffion, arifing from man's infignificance in the moral world, from the reci procation of focial duty being diffolved, or from the bene fit refulting from the voluntary difmiffion of being, is contrary to the foundest principles of jurifprudence, to the condition of human nature, and to the general eftablishment of things.

That a man who retires from life ad libitum, does no harm to fociety, is a propofition peculiarly abfurd and erroneous. What is lawful for one, may be lawful for all, and no fociety can fubfift in the conviction of a principle thus hoftile to its being.

It seems to be a maxim in human existence, that no creature has a right to decide peremptorily on the importance, utility or neceffity of his own being. There are an infinite variety of fecret connexions and affociations in the vaft fyftem of things, which the eye of created wisdom cannot explore.

Man is hot, perhaps, fo ignorant of any thing, or. any creature, as of himself. His own fyftem, after all the art and inquifition of human ingenuity, is ftill to him the profoundest mystery in nature. His knowledge and faculties are adequate to the fphere of his duty. Be yond this, his refearches are impertinent, and all his acquifitions useless. He has no adequate notions what the laws of the univerfe are with refpect to any species of existence whatever. A cloud refts on the complicated movements of this great machine, which baffles all the penetration of mortals: and it will for ever remain im poflible for man, from the most complete analysis of his prefent fituation, to judge, with any degree of precision, of his own confequence, either as a citizen of the world at large, or as a member of any particular fociety.

Final caufes form a fyftem of knowledge too wonderful for man. It is the prerogative of nature alone to decide upon them. In the fulness of time, her creative hand brought him into existence; and it belongs to her alone, in confequence of an arrangement equally wonderful and myfterious, to dismiss him from his present mode of being. This is an authority with which fhe alone is invested, and which, according to our apprehenfions, it is impoffible for her to delegate. Diffolution, as well as creation, is hers, and he who would attempt to infringe her fovereignty in this inftance, would ufurp a prero gative which does not belong to him, and become a traitor to the laws of his being. Nay, on this extravagant and licentious hypothefis, the right of affuming and relinquifhing existence is made reciprocal. For he who arrogates the liberty of deftroying himself, were he poffeffed of the power, might also be his own creator; his imaginary infignificance to fociety being as inconclufive in the one cafe, as any chimerical advantage that may accidentally ftrike him can be in the other. It is a strange

doctrine, which cannot be eftablished but at the obvious expense of what feem the plaineft dictates of common fenfe.

Indeed, the abfurdities of this daring and paradoxical doctrine are endlefs and infinite. When we come to pronounce on the condition of human infancy, and to feparate childhood, or non-age, from a ftate of maturity, we can scarce trace one useful or falutary confe quence it is calculated to produce in fociety. In this view children feem lefs adapted to ferve any special or important end, than even beetles, gnats, or flies. Experience, however, has long convinced the world of their prefent ineftimable value from their future deftination. And were a legiflator, from the plaufible pretext of their being a burden to the ftate, to exterminate the race of mankind in the infignificant ftage of infancy, his decree, like that of a certain monfter recorded in the gospel, would shock the fentiments of every nation under heaven, in whom there remained only the dregs of humanity.

It is not only impoffible for a man to decide, in any given period, of the progress of his existence, or what utility or confequence he may be to fociety; but without the faculty of prefcience, it is ftill more impracticable for him to divine what purposes he may be intended to ferve in the many myfterious revelations of futurity. How far his mortal may be connected with his immortal life, muft reft with him who has the fole difpofal of it. But who told him that his load of mifery was too much to bear, that he was not able to fuftain it? or that his merciful Father would not proportionate his sufferings to his abilities? How does he know how fhort-lived the preffure of incumbent forrow may prove? It becomes not him to prefcribe to his Maker, or because his evils are enormous, to conclude they must be permanent. Rafh man thy heart is in the hand of heaven, and he who tempers the

wind to the shorn lamb, may either lighten the bur den that oppreffes thee, or blunt the edge of that fenGibility, from which it derives the greatest poignancy. What medicine is to the wounds of the body, that refignation is to thofe of the foul. Be not deficient in this virtue, and life will never prefcribe a duty you cannot perform, or inflict a pang which you cannot bear. Refignation changes the grizzly aspect of affliction, turns fickness into health, and converts the gloomy forebodings. of defpair into the grateful prefentiments of hope. Befides, the most infignificant inftruments are, fometimes, in the hands of eternal Providence, employed in bringing about the most general and beneficent revolutions. It is by making weakness thus fubfervient to power, evil to good, and pain to pleasure, that he who governs the world illuftrates his fovereignty and omnipotence. Till, then, thou art able to comprehend the whole myfterious fyftem of every poffible exiftence, till thou art certain that thy life is totally infignificant, till thou art convinced it is not in the might of infinite Power to render thee ferviceable either to thyfelf or others, counteract not the benignity of providence by fuicide; nor, in this manner, by the blackeft of all treafons, betray thy truft, and wage at fearful odds, hoftility against the very means and author of thy being.

One very obvious confequence arifing from fuicide, which none of its advocates appear to have foreseen, and which places it in a light exceedingly grofs and fhocking, is, that it fuppofes every man capable, not only of def troying himself, but of delegating the power of com mitting murder to another. That which he may do himself, he may commiffion any one to do for him. On this fuppofition, no law human or divine, could impeach the fhedding of innocent blood. And on what principle, of right or expediency, admit that which produces fuck

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a train of the most horrid and deteftable confequen. ces ?

(5) The preceding note is, perhaps, the most audacious part in the whole of this very extraordinary performance. In our holy religion it is exprefsly declared, that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him; that murderers fhall in no wife inherit the kingdom of God, and that it is the prerogative of heaven alone to kill and make alive. It is a fundamental doctrine in the gospel, that, except ye repent, ye fhall all likewife perish. And how are they to perform their duty, who, in the instant of dying, contract a guilt, which renders it indispen fible. But this horrid fuppofition is repugnant to the whole genius of revelation, which inculcates every virtue that can poffibly administer to our present and future wel fare. It inforces obedience and refignation to the righ teous government of God. It infpires and produces those very difpofitions which it recommends. All its doctrines, exhortations, and duties, are formed to elevate the mind, to raise the affections, to regulate the paffions, and to purge the heart of whatever is hoftile to happiness in this or another life. This impious flander on the christian faith is the obvious confequence of the groffeft inattention to its nature and tendency. It is calculated chiefly to make us happy. And what happy man was ever yet chargeable with fuicide? In fhort, we may as well fay, that, because the phyfician does not expressly prohibit certain diseases in his prescriptions, the very diseases are authenticated by the remedies devised, on purpose to counteract them.

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