obliged to do any thing that gives its fellowcreatures pain, even when it is neceffary, or for their good. 'Tis only practice that enables the furgeon to go through an amputation, or make ufe of the knife or lancet in the operations of his profeffion, without a tremor upon his nerves, arifing from a fear of giving pain to his patient. Even the executioners, that are chofen from a clafs of people the most obdurate, go about the firft offices of their function with a degree of reluctance and regret; owing to the remains of compassion and Benevolence, that cannot be all at once eraThis is even vifible dicated from the mind. in most children, who cry as heartily at the correction of others, as for the pain they feel themselves; a difpofition, which, if cultivated; would, as reafon advanced, grow up into univerfal Benevolence towards the whole fpecies, and branch itself out into all focial and friendly affections that fweeten life, and heighten the joys of rational fociety; and without fome degree of which, man would be the moft malignant and unhappy animal of the whole creation: for as the first and grand principle of his action is felflove, if the felfifh affection had not been tempered by Benevolence towards the reft of his fpecies, man would have been a mere favage, unfociable animal, and more cruel than the moft fierce and rapacious wild beafts.

But

But the wife Author of our being, that defignedus for fociety, and created us with a mutual dependency on each other, has implanted in us this divine affection, and breathed into us, with the breath of life, this pure emanation of his own divine nature; which muft influence all our actions, unless we ftifle its dictates, by yielding ourselves flaves to the tumultuous and unfocial paffions of anger, envy, hatred, and malice.

Benevolence takes its rife in the foul from a pleasure we take in viewing every thing that refembles ourselves, and brings back to our memory the confcious pleasure of our existence; for it is as natural for a man to love his own likeness, as to be pleased with himself. This is the fource of that fympathy we feel for every man we fee, when we confider him only as a man, without any other acquaintance or connection with him. This is the fource of that focial affection which is extended to the inhabitants of all the distant corners of the habitable globe.

This is the foundation of univerfal Benevolence, which the foul difcovers on the firft dawnings of reafon, and is actuated by it almost intuitively. But when affifted by reason, and by the confideration of its own nature, its own wants and neceffities, and the recourse it is

obliged

obliged to have to his follow-creatures, in order to obtain and purfue its own happiness, then the focial flame gathers, ftrength, and diffufeth itself over all its faculties; and a foul not under the dominion of fome of the narrow fenfual paffions and appetites, and actuated by unprejudiced reafon, nourishes the God-like affection, as the only means of procuring real felicity, and as the highest gratification of felf-love: for here we lay up a fund of fatisfaction, independent of all other paffions; a fource of pleasure we can arrive at in all circumstances, in all places, and of which it is impoffible to rob us by any accident that can happen in life.

We here find a charm to calm the ftorms that are raised in the mind by the tumultuous paffions; and joy, peace, and tranquillity, are diffused over the whole mind, as often as we reflect upon the happiness of the fpecies in general, or the pleafure communicated to any individual.

How different is this from envy! The envious man fwells with indignation, and pines with inward grief, when he fees his neighbour happy, and can relish no enjoyment 'till he has robbed him of the envied good, or done him fome mifchief that may four his felicity; while the benevolent man exults with joy at the prosperity even of a stranger, does all in his power to increase his fatisfac

fatisfaction, and perhaps feels more pleasure far furpaffing that of fimple poffeffion; for to a mind, thus wedded to the love of mankind, the mere enjoyment of all the goods of fortune, of all the dignities and honours on earth, can give no real fatisfaction. Thefe are only valuable, as they enable him to do good; they are only bleffings, that become fuch by putting it in his power to blefs all around him: yet, if his neighbour is happy, it is of no real confequence to the benevolent man, whether he was made fo by him, or by any other means.

But though charity and liberality are fomtimes the effects of his benevolent difpofition, yet those acts are not neceffary to discover it, and are perhaps the fmalleft and meaneft effects of this amiable affection; for, if they were, then none but the rich could be benevolent, and none but the wealthy could be poffeffed of humanity, and a difinterested love of mankind: whereas experience teaches us, that true compaffion, founded upon benevolent, focial principles, is very rarely to be met with amongst that clafs of mankind. But 'tis not the power, but the habit and inclination of doing good, that conftitute the moral character of any agent. The poorest man on earth may be as benevolent as the greatest Mo

narch,

narch, his breft may glow with a focial love and friendship for the whole human race; he may enjoy the moft ravishing delight, in withing well to his fpecies, and in contemplating the happiness of his fellow-creatures, and yet may not have it in his power to contribute a mite to their felicity. But there are none fo poor, but may difplay this amiable difpofition, in refraining from the mischief that is in their power; for he is wretched indeed, beyond imagination, who can neither do good nor evil; he may reftrain his tongue from flander and backbiting, the common fruit of a mind replete with malice and envy; he may judge charitably of the actions of his neighbours, bear patiently with their failings, and put the mildeft and beft conftruction upon actions that are dubious either in their nature or motive, he may promote peace and unity amongst thofe he converfes with, and treats their perfon with tendernefs and humanity. When he does this, and all the good his circumftances permit him, he is truly benevolent, and has brought human nature to the highest perfection 'tis capable of. Such a man is in fome degree poffeffed of the greatest and most amiable attribute of divinity; for man never arrives fo near the nature of the Deity, as when he is withing well to, and communicaing any degree of happinefs to his fellow-creatures.

LIBERTY.