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appetites since, -yet 'tis a laudable pride, and a true greatness of mind to cherish a belief, that there is so much of that glorious image still left upon it, as shall restrain him from base and disgraceful actions; to answer which end, what thought can be more conducive than that, of our being made in the likeness of the greatest and best of Beings? This is a plain consequence. And the confideration of it should have in some measure been a protection to human nature, from the rough usage she has met with from the satirical pens of so many of the French writers, as well as of our own country, who, with more wit than well-meaning, have desperately fallen foul upon the whole species, as a set of creatures incapable either of private friendship or public spirit, but just as the case suited their own interest and advantage.

That there is selfishness, and meanness enough in the fouls of one part of the world, to hurt the credit of the other part of it, is what I shall not dispute against; but to judge of the whole, from this bad sample, and because one man is plotting and artful in his nature;-or, a second openly makes his pleasure

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or his profit the fole centre of all his designs ;or because a third strait-hearted wretch fits confined within himself, feels no misfortunes but those which touch himself; to involve the whole race without mercy under fuch detefted characters, is a conclufion as false as it is pernicious; and was it in general to gain credit, could serve no end, but the rooting out of our nature all that is generous, and planting in the stead of it fuch an aversion to each other, as must untie the bands of fociety, and rob us of one of the greatest pleasures of it, the mutual communications of kind offices; and by poisoning the fountain, render every thing fufpected that flows through it.

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To the honour of human nature, the scripture teaches us, that God made man upright, -and though he has fince found out many inventions, which have much difhonoured this noble structure, yet the foundation of it stands as it was, the whole frame and design of it carried on upon social virtue and public spirit, and every member of us so evidently supported by this strong cement, that we may fay with the apoftle, that no man liveth to bimSelf. In whatsoever light we view him, we VOL. I.

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shall see evidently, that there is no station or condition of his life, -no office, or relation, or circumstance, but there arises from it so many ties, so many indispensible claims upon him, as must perpetually carry him beyond any felfish confideration, and shew plainly, that was a man foolishly wicked enough to design to live to himself alone, he would either find it impracticable, or he would lose, at least, the very thing which made life itself defirable. We know that our Creator, like an all-wife contriver in this, as in all other of his works, has implanted in mankind such appetites and inclinations as were fuitable for their state; that is, such as would naturally lead him to the love of society and friendship, without which he would have been found in a worfe condition than the very beasts of the field. No one, therefore, who lives in society, can be said to live to himself, he lives to his God, to his king, and his country. - He lives to his family, to his friends, to all under his trust; and, in a word, he lives to the whole race of mankind: whatsoever has the character of man, and wears the same image of God that he does, is truly his brother, and has a just claim to his kindness. That this is the cafe in fact, as well

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as in theory, may be made plain to any one, who has made any observations upon human life. When we have traced it through all its connections-viewed it under the several obligations which succeed each other in a perpetual rotation through the different stages of a hasty pilgrimage, we shall find that these do operate so strongly upon it, and lay us justly under so many restraints, that we are every hour sacrificing something to society, in return for the benefits we receive from it.

To illustrate this, let us take a short survey of the life of any one man (not liable to great exceptions, but such a life as is common to moft); let us examine it merely to this point, and try how far it will answer such a representation.

If we begin with him in that early age, wherein the strongest marks of undisguised tenderness and disinterested compaffion shew themselves,-I might previously observe, with what impressions he is come out of the hand of God, with the very bias upon his nature which prepares him for the character which he was designed to fulfil. But let us pass by the years which denote childhood,

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hood, as no lawful evidence, you'll say, in this dispute; let us follow him to the period when he is just got loose from tutors and governors, when his actions may be argued upon with less exception. If you observe you will find, that one of the first and leading propensities of his nature, is that which discovers itself in the desire of society, and the spontaneous love towards those of his kind. And though the natural wants and exigencies of his condition are, no doubt, one reason of this amiable impulse, God having founded that in him, as a provisional security to make him social;-yet though it is a reason in nature-'tis a reason, to him yet undiscovered.

Youth is not apt to philofophife so deeplybut follows, -as it feels itself prompted by the inward workings of benevolence--withoutview to itself, or previous calculation either of the loss or profit which may accrue. Agreeably to this, observe how warmly, how heartily he entersinto friendships, -how disinterested, and unfufpicious in the choice of them, how generous and open in his professions!-how fincere and honeft in making them good! - When his friend is in distress, what lengths he will go, -what

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