the thought, that innumerable multitudes around him are bleft and happy. When he fees the labours of men appearing to profper, and views a country flourishing in wealth and industry; when he beholds the fpring coming forth in its beauty, and reviving the decayed face of nature; or in autumn beholds the fields loaded with plenty, and the year crowned with all its fruits; he lifts his affections with gratitude to the great Father of all, and rejoices in the general felicity and joy.

It may indeed be objected, that the fame fenfibility lays open the heart to be pierced with many wounds, from the diftrefses which abound in the world; expofes us to frequent fuffering from the participation which it communicates of the forrows, as well as of the joys, of friendship. But let it be confidered, `that the tender melancholy of fympathy, is accompanied with a fenfation, which they who feel it would not exchange for the gratifications of the selfish. When the heart is ftrongly moved by any of the kind affec tions, even when it pours itself forth in virtuous forrow, a fecret attractive charm mingles with the painful emotion; there is a joy in the midft of grief. Let it be farther confidered, that the griefs which fenfibility introduces, are counterbalanced by pleasures which flow from the fame fource. Senfibility heightens in general the human powers, and is connected with acuteness in all our feelings. If it makes us more alive to fome painful fenfations, in return, it renders the pleafing ones more vivid and animated. The selfish man languishes in his narrow circle of pleafures. They are confined to what affects. his own intereft. He is obliged to repeat the fame gratifi

cations, till they become infipid. But the man of virtuous fenfibility moves in a wider fphere of felicity. His powers are much more frequently called forth into occupations of pleafing activity. Numberless occafions open to him of indulging his favourite taste, by conveying fatisfaction to others. Often it is in his power, in one way or other, to footh the afflicted heart t; to carry fome confolation into the house of woe. In the scenes of ordinary life, in the domeftic and focial intercourfes of men, the cordiality of his affections cheers and gladdens him. Every appear. ance, every defcription of innocent happiness, is enjoyed by him. Every native exprefsion of kindness and affection among others, is felt by him, even though he be not the object of it. Among a circle of friends, enjoying one another, he is as happy as the happiest. In a word, he lives in a different fort of world from what the felfish man inhabits. He possesses a new fense that enables him to behold objects which the felfish cannot fee. At the fame time, his enjoyments are not of that kind which remain merely on the furface of the mind. They penetrate the heart. They enlarge and elevate, they refine and ennoble it. To all the pleafing emotions of affection, they add the dignified confcioufnefs of virtue.-Children of men! men formed by nature to live and to feel as brethren! how long will ye continue to eftrange yourselves from one another by competitions and jealoufies, when in cordial union ye might be so much more bleft? How long will ye feek your happiness in felfish gratifications alone, neglecting those purer and better fources of joy, which flow from the affections and the heart?

BLAIR

SECTION XII.

On the true Honour of Man.

THE proper honour of man arifes not from fome of thofe fplendid actions and abilities, which excite high admiration. Courage and prowess, military renown, fignal victories and conquefts, may render the name of a man. famous, without rendering his cha racter truly honourable. Το many brave men, to many heroes renowned in ftory, we look up with wonder. Their exploits are recorded. Their praifes are fung. They ftand as on an eminence above the reft of mankind. Their eminence, nevertheless, may not be of that fort, before which we bow with inward efteem and refpect. Something more is wanted for that purpose, than the conquering arm, and the intrepid mind. The laurels of the warrior must at all times be dyed in blood, and bedewed with the tears of the widow and the orphan. But if they have been ftained by rapine and inhumanity; if fordid avarice has marked his character; or low and grofs fenfuality has degraded his life; the great hero finks into a little man. What at a distance, or on a fuperficial view, we admired, becomes mean, perhaps odious, when we examine it more closely. It is like the Colofsal ftatue, whofe immenfe fize ftruck the fpectator afar off with aftonishment; but when nearly viewed, it appears difproportioned, unshapely, and rude.

Obfervations of the fame kind may be applied to all the reputation derived from civil accomplishments; from the refined politics of the statesman; or the lite

rary efforts of genius and erudition. These bestow, and, within certain bounds, ought to bestow, eminence and distinction on men. They discover talents which in themselves are fhining; and which become highly valuable, when employed in advancing the good of mankind. Hence, they frequently give rife

0

to fame. But a diftinction is to be made between fame and true honour. The ftatesman, the orator, or the poet, may be famous; while yet the man him→ felf is far from being honoured. We envy his abi lities. We wish to rival them. But we would not choose to be clafsed with him who pofsefsed them. Inftances of this fort are too often found in every record of ancient or modern hiftory.

From all this it follows, that, in order to discern where man's true honour lies, we must look, not to any adventitious circumstance of fortune; not to any fingle fparkling quality; but to the whole of what forms a man; what entitles him, as such, to rank high among that clafs of beings to which he belongs; in a word, we must look to the mind and the foul.-A mind fuperior to fear, to selfish intereft and corruption; a mind governed by the principles of uniform rectitude and integrity; the fame in profperity and adverfity; which no bribe can feduce, nor terror overawe; neither by pleafure melted into effeminacy, nor by diftrefs funk into dejection: fuch is the mind which forms the diftinction and eminence of man.-One, who, in no fituation of life, is either afhamed or afraid of discharging his duty, and acting his proper part with firmness and conftancy; true to the God whom he worships, and true to the faith in which he professes to believe; full of affection to his brethren of man

kind; faithful to his friends, generous to his enemies, warm with compaffion to the unfortunate; felf-denying to little private interests and pleafures, but zealous for public intereft and happiness; magnanimous, without being proud; humble, without being mean; juft, without being harth; fimple in his manners, but manly in his feelings; on whofe word we can entirely, rely; whofe countenance never deceives us; whofe profefsions of kindnefs are the effufions of his heart: one, in fine, whom, independent of any views of advantage, we would choofe for a fuperior, could trust in as a friend, and could love as a brother :-This is the man, whom in our heart, above all others, we do, we must, honour.

BLAIR.

SECTION XIII.

The Influence of Devotion on the Happiness of Life.

WHATEVER promotes and ftrengthens virtue, whatever calms and regulates the temper, is a fource of happiness. Devotion produces thofe effects in a remarkable degree. It infpires compofure of fpirit, mildnefs, and benignity; weakens the painful, and cherishes the pleafing emotions; and, by these means, carries on the life of a pious man in a fmooth and placid tenour.

Befides exerting this habitual influence on the mind, devotion opens a field of enjoyments, to which the vicious are entire ftrangers; enjoyments the more valuable, as they peculiarly belong to retirement, when the world leaves us; and to adverfity, when it