feffed himself supported under his fufferings, by the recollection of the fyftem he had framed. But what shall we fay of Mr Hume? Did a fimilar confciousness fupport this imitator of Epicurus, this modern foe to fuperftition? He certainly poffeffed it, if he was not without confolation in his last moments. But it could not be. No habit, no prejudice will account for fuch a monftrous fuppofition. For what intolerable conceit, what arrogance not to be endured, muft there have been in the man, who could derive such inward fupport from the reflection that he had treated contemptuously a doctrine held facred, as a revelation of GOD'S will, by the moft confiderate, the most virtuous, the beft efteemed of mankind? The happiness of life then (if fuch there be) is placed in consciousness, consciousness of conducting it by the beft principles, of performing every office, of practifing virtue, of adhering to religion. And here a happiness arifes fuited to all times, every ftation and every age this alfo is capable of furnishing delight equally to youth and to old age: it. will give luftre to a profperous ftation, dignity in adverfity: it is applicable equally to domestic and public life: and will give balm to fleep, chearfulness in travel and retirement. tirement. This is a reward also annexed invariably to moral virtue, and to that alone, a prize not in the power of fortune to beftow indiscriminately. But it is impoffible nevertheless to rest here. The bufinefs of human life is not conducted without labour. To bring the irregular appetites into fubjection, to construct a reasonable plan for the conduct of life, to pursue it through every period, through good and bad fortune, through all stations, through perplexities, diftreffes, obftructions almost irrefiftable: are not performed without painful application, and unwearied affiduity. The husbandman, the mechanic, the artift, have it each in view, that when they have finished the business of the day, the hours of diligence shall be fucceeded by relaxation; and their care bestowed, crowned with an equal recompenfe. But man, (if in this life only he has hope) has the labour without the reft: the mortification, when he has with infinite pains, formed his character to virtuous habits, and fubdued in a great measure the difficulties of his moral tafk: and when now at length, he hopes to find the fair guerdon of his 匪 с C Mylton's Lycidas. labours, labours, and enjoy a tranquil remainder of life in the praise and practice of virtue, the fates rush in, and fnatch the delicious, well earned morfel from him. Epicurus fpake therefore but the language of nature, when he placed the recompenfe of wisdom, of prudence, of virtue, in tranquil peaceful enjoyment. But all nature speaks one language, that life is not the season of this enjoyment, and natural defire points out a future ftate to man, when the fupreme remunerator fhall, in his allotment of his moral creatures, make a just and equal difcrimination between them, according to their moral qualifications. For there is in our natural propensities, an infeparable love of existence, and an abhorrence from the thought of parting with it. Paffions that affect every individual of our fpecies in every ftage of life, when fourscore years have paffed, not lefs, than before he has seen twenty revolutions. The reward of consciousness is not therefore man's ultimate object. It is an earneft of the favour of his maker, a foretaste of future recompenfe. It is a prefent encouragement to do his duty, that though evils attend the practice of d d Cic. de Fin. L. V. §. 11. virtue, virtue, the good man is fatisfied from "himself." Than this fatisfaction no greater inducement to perfeverance can be found, no greater confolation under the preffure of real evils. Such are the intimations, by which the will of our great mafter is naturally discerned and thus are we induced, by the comfort, the admonition, the exhortation of this his voice within us, to perform every office; till it fhall please him to tranflate us from this place to that unknown country, where his providence will still follow us, to recompenfe every man according to his works. f It is this last perfuafion that removes the gloom and every thing difconfolate from the profpect of impending diffolution: this too, renders the paffive virtues of obedience, a practicable, a reasonable, nay a chearful fervice. It was this that made Socrates acquiefce, unmoved, in the divine will, when he was called forward to fet an example. of suffering; and this induced him to think no period of life premature, that was ordained by the fupreme difpofer of all things. The whole result of our inquiries, therefore, is that it is from religion alone Prov. c. 14. V. 14. f Plato. Apol. man |