is fo very gradual, that the moft perfect of an inferior fpecies comes very near to the molt imperfect of that which is immediately above it. The exuberant and overflowing goodness of the Supreme Being, whofe mercy extends to all his works, is plainly feen, as I have before hinted, in his having made so very little matter, at least what flls within our knowledge, that does not fwarm with life. Nor is his goodness lefs feen in the diverfity, than in the multitude of living creatures. Had he made but one fpecies of animals, none of the reft would have enjoyed the happiness of existence: he has, therefore, fpecified, in his creation, every degree of life, every capacity of being. The whole chafm of nature, from a plant to a man, is filled up with diverse kinds of creatures, rifing one after another, by an afcent fo gentle and eafy, that the little tranfitions and deviations from one fpecies to another, are almost infenfible. This intermediate space is fo well husbanded and managed, that there is scarcely a degree of perception, which does not appear in fome one part of the world of life. Is the goodness, or the wisdom of the Divine Being, more manifelted in this his proceeding There is a confequence, befides those I have already mentioned, which feems very naturally deducible from the foregoing confiderations. If the fcale of being rifes by fo regular a progrefs, fo high as man, we may, by parity of reafon, fuppofe, that it ftill proceeds gradually through thofe beings which are of a fuperior nature to him; fince there is infinitely greater space and room for different degrees of perfection, between the Supreme Being and man, than between man and the molt despicable infect. In this great fyftem of being, there is no creature fo wonderful in its nature, and which fo much deferves our particular attention, as man; who fills up the middle fpace between the animal and the intellectual nature, the vifible and the invifible world; and who is that link in the chain of being, which forms the connection between both. So that he who, in one refpect, is affociated with angels and archangels, and may look upon a being of infinite perfection as his father, and the highest order of spirits, as his brethren, may, in another refpect, fay to "corruption, thou art my father, and to the worm, thou art my mother and my fifter. ADDISON . SECTION XXI. Truft in the Care of Providence recommended. MAN, confidered in himself, is a very helplefs, and a very wretched being. He is fubject every moment to the greatest calamities and misfortunes. He is befet with dangers on all fides; and may become unhappy, by number. lefs cafualties, which he could not forefee, nor have prevented had he forefeen them. It is our comfort, while we are obnoxious to fo many accidents, that we are under the care of one who directs contingencies, and has in his hands the management of every thing that is capable of annoying or offending us; who knows the affiftance we ftand in need of, and is always ready to bestow it on those who afk it of him.✈ The natural homage, which fuch a creature owes to fo infinitely wife and good a Being, is a firm reliance on him for the bleffings and conveniences of life; and an habitual trust in him, for deliverance out of all fuch dangers and difficulties as may befall us. The man who always lives in this difpofition of mind, has not the fame dark and melancholy views of human nature, as he who confiders himself abftractedly from this relation to the Supreme Being. At the fame time that he reflects upon his own weakness and imperfection, he comforts himself with the contemplation of those divine attributes, which are employed for his safety, and his welfare. He finds his want of forefight made up, by the omniscience of him who is his fupport. He is not fenfible of his own want of strength, when he knows that his helper is Almighty. In fhort, the person who has a firm trust in the Supreme Being is powerful in his power, wife by his wifdom, happy by his happiness. He reaps the benefit of every divine attribute; and lofes his own infufficiency in the fulness of infinite perfection. To make our lives more easy to us, we are commanded to put our truft in him, who is thus able to relieve and fuccour us; the Divine Goodnefs having made fuch a reliance a duty, notwithstanding we fhould have been miferable, had it been forbidden us Among feveral motives, which might be made use of to recommend this duty to us, I fhall only take notice of thofe that follow. The first and strongest is, that we are promised, he will not fail thofe that put their trust in him. But without confidering the fupernatural bleffing, which accompanies this duty, we may obferve, that it has a natural tendency to its own reward; or, in other words, that this firm trust and confidence in the great Difpofer of all things, contribute very much to the getting clear of any affliction, or to the bearing of it manfully A perfon who believes he has his fuccour at hand, and that he acts in the fight of his friend, often exerts himself beyond his abilities; and does wonders, that are not to be matched by one who is not animated with fuch a confidence of fuccefs. Truft in the affiftance of an Almighty Being naturally produces patience, hope, cheerfulnefs, and all other difpofitions of mind, which alleviate thofe calamities that we are not able to remove. The practice of this virtue adminifters great comfort to the mind of man, in times of poverty and affliction ; but most of all, in the hour of death. When the foul is hovering in the last moments of its feparation; when it is just entering on another state of existence, to converse. with fcenes, and objects, and companions, that are altogether new; what can fupport her under fuch tremblings of thought, fuch fear, fuch anxiety, fuch apprehenfions, but the cafting of all her cares upon HIM, who first gave her being; who has conducted her through one ftage of it; and who will be always prefent, to guide and comfort her in her progrefs through eternity? SECTION XXII. Piety and Gratitude enliven Profperity. ADDISON. PIETY and gratitude to God contribute, in a high degree, to enliven profperity. Gratitude is a pleafing emotion. The fenfe of being distinguished by the kindness of another gladdens the heart, warms it with reciprocal affection, and gives to any poffeffion which is agreeable in itfelf, a double relish, from its being the gift of a friend. Favours conferred by men, I acknowledge, may prove burdenfome. For human virtue is never perfect; and fometimes unreasonable expectations on the one fide, fometimes a mortifying fenfe of dependence on the other, corrode in fecret the pleasures of benefits, and convert the obligations of friendship into grounds of jealousy. But nothing of this kind can affect the intercourfe of gratitude with Heaven. Its favours are wholly difinterested; and with a gratitude the most cordial and unsuspicious, a good man looks up to that Almighty Benefactor, who aims at no end but the happiness of those whom he bieffes, and who defires no return from them, but a devout and thankful heart. While others can trace their profperity to, no higher fource than a concurrence of worldly causes; and, often, of ean or trifling incidents, which occafionally favoured their defigns; with what fuperior fatisfaction does the fervant of God remark the hand of that gracious power, which hath raifed him up, which hath happily conducted him through the various steps of life, and crowned him with the most favourable distinction beyond his equals ! Let us farther confider, that not only gratitude for the past, but a cheering fenfe of divine favour at the prefent, enters into the pious emotion. They are only the virtuous, who in their profperous days hear this voice addreffed to them, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart; for God now accepteth thy works.” He who is the author of their prosperity gives them a title to enjoy, with complacency, his own gift. While bad men fnatch the pleasures of the world as by ftealth, without countenance from the great Proprietor of the world, the righteous fit openly down to the feast of life, under the smile of approving Heaven. No guilty fears damp their joys. The bleffing of God refts upon all that they poffefs; his protection furrounds them; and hence, "n the habitations of the righteous is found the voice of rejoicing and falvation" A luftre unknown to others invests, in their fight, the whole face of nature. Their piety reflects a funfhine from heaven upon the profperity of the world; unites in one point of view, the fmiling afpect, both of the powers above,and of the objects below. Not only have they as full a relish as others, of the innocent pleasures of life, but moreover, in thefe they hold communion with their divine Benefactor. In all that is good or fair, they trace his hand. From the beauties of nature, from the improvements of art, from the enjoyments of focial life, they raife their affection to the fource of all the happiness which furrounds them; and thus widen the fphere of their pleasures, by adding intellectual, and fpiritual, to earthly joys For illuftration of what I have faid on this head, remark that cheerful enjoyment of a profperons ftate, which king David had when he wrote the twenty third pfalm; and com pare the highest pleasures of the riotous finner, with the happy and fatisfied fpirit which breathes throughout that pfalm. In the midst of the splendour of royalty, with what amiable fimplicity of gratitude does he look up to the Lord as "his Shepherd;" happier in afcribing all his fuccefs to divine favour, than to the policy of his councils, or to the force of his arms! How many inftances of divine goodness arofe before him in pleasing remembrance, when with fuch relish he speaks of the "green pastures and still waters," befide which God had led him; of his cup which he had made to overflow; and of the table which he had prepared for him in the prefence of his enemies! With what perfect tranquillity does he look forward to the time of his paffing through the valley of the fhadow of death;" unappalled by that fpectre, whose most diftant appearance blafts the profperity of finners! He fears no evil, as long as "the rod. and the staff" of his Divine Shepherd are with hin and through all the unknown periods of this and of future exiftence, commits himself to his guidance with fecure, and triumphant hope: "Surely goodnefs and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; and I fhall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." What a purified, fentimental enjoyment of profperity is here exhibited! How different from that grofs relith of worldly pleasures, which belongs to those who behold only the terreftrial fide of things; who raise their views to no higher objects than the fucceffion of human contingencies, and the weak efforts of human ability; who have no protector or patron in the heavens, to enliven their profperity, or to warm their hearts with gratitude and truft! SECTION XXIII. BLAIR. Virtue, when deeply rooted, is not fubject to the Influence of Fortune He THE city of Sidon having surrendered to Alexander, he ordered Hephæftion to bestow the crown on him whom the Sidonians fhould think most worthy of that honour. phæftion being at that time refident with two young men of diftinction, offered them the kingdom; but they refufed it, telling him that it was contrary to the laws of their country to admit any one to that honour, who was not of the royal family. He then having expreffed his admiration of their difinterested spirit, defired them to name one of the royal race, who might remember that he had received the crown |