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language of fettled fpleen, the exclamation which was uttered by Job under the ftrong preffure of accumulated afflictions, "I loath it; I would not live always."

The fplenetic mifanthrope must be difcontented. All nature wears to him the dark hue of his own gloomy ideas. For want of worthy objects on which to exercife his benevolent and focial feelings, his mind muft unavoidably prey upon itfelf. Difappointed in all the delightful expectations from the world, which in happier moments of honeft confidence and eager hope he had entertained, and not perceiving that the fault is not fo much in the world as in himself, he rafhly and peevishly concludes that there is nothing in life worth living for, and drags on a heavy and restlefs exiftence full of difquietude and vexation.

It will be well if fuch notions and fuch feelings do not finally terminate in deliberate diffatisfaction with the present or der of nature, and in impious complaints

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and cenfures of the ways of Providence: for upon what principle can the man, who thinks the generality of mankind wicked and wretched, affure himself that they are under the government of a wife and good Being, who intends them to be virtuous and happy? Believing that mankind are univerfally corrupt in principle and vicious in practice, he must conclude it to be the design of the Almighty Ruler that it should be fo; and will not, therefore, easily discern, in the present conftitution of the world, proofs of a wife and righteous moral government, or indications of a gradual correction and melioration, which will finally iffue in univerfal happiness; the confummation which every benevolent heart muft devoutly with, and towards which every one, who views the world with a candid and enlightened mind, may look with confident expectation.

A fettled difpofition to think ill of mankind is, then, not a mere error of judgment, or idle fancy, which may be innocently

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cently and fafely indulged: it is an unjust and malignant cenfure upon a whole race of fellow-creatures contradictory to fact and experience: it is a perverse humour, productive in the mind which indulges it of uneafy and restless paffions, and tending, in the general state of fociety, to overturn the grand pillars of human happiness, focial confidence, and religious hope. It is therefore the interest of every man to guard the avenues of his mind. with the utmost vigilance against the intrufion of this troublesome and dangerous gueft. Though we may be difposed to excuse, in ourselves or others, those casual ebullitions of fpleen and uncharitableness which arife from fome temporary cause of vexation-from the inconftancy and treachery, for example, of a friend, on whom we have bestowed affectionate efteem and unlimited confidence, we fhould induftriously and refolutely avoid every approach towards a habit of general and indifcriminate cenfure. Harsh reflections,

flections, and even unkind thoughts of individuals, are blameable, not only on account of the immediate injuftice which they imply, but on account of their baneful influence on the judgment we form of our fpecies. Speculative fyftems, which have a tendency to generate mifanthropy, should be carefully examined before they are embraced; for it is not very probable that any tenet is true which would lead men to hate one another. In fine, every thing in human nature and human life is capable of being viewed under two afpects, the bright and the gloomy; and it is our wisdom always to prefer the former to the latter. To think as well of one another and of all mankind as we fairly and honeftly can, is prudent for ourselves, is equitable to our brethren, and is an act of piety to the great Author of our being.

VOL. I.

K

Inattention

Inattention to the Concerns of others reproved.

GENESIS iv. 9.

Am I my brother's keeper?

THESE were the words of the firft murderer; and the language, or at least the fentiment, has been adopted by every villain and knave, by every tyrant and oppreffor, by every churlish and selfish fpirit, from the beginning of the world to this day.

When the haughty defpot iffues forth his mandates to bend the will of a whole empire to the will of one man, and makes his own ambition, refentment, or caprice, the only measures of his tyranny; what

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