DISC. "I will go back, and walk no more with VII. "the author of such a religion as this.” Reflections like these will but too naturally arife in the uninftructed or the ill-instructed mind, when paffages are read from the Gospel (and many fuch paffages there are) of a fimilar import with that which has been selected for the subject of our prefent meditations. "To imagine (says a late philosopher) that the gratifying any of "the fenfes, or the indulging any delicacy "in meats, drinks, or apparel, is of itself a "vice, can never enter into a head that is "not disordered by the frenzies of a fanati"cal enthusiasm." And we have seen the pen of a celebrated historian employed in representing the primitive Chriftians as a set of poor, moping, melancholy, miferable fanatics, because they obferved the self-denying precepts of their Saviour, instead of adopting the "elegant mythology of the Greeks," and the no less elegant manners of the Ro mans. The VII. The matter, therefore, deferves a ferious DISC. and diligent enquiry. The goodness of God forbids us to fuppofe that he would willingly grieve or afflict the children of men. Indeed, he himself affures us, that he never doth fo. And he who has bestowed on man the faculty of reason, can iffue no commands whic are not founded on the highest and moft perfect reafon-" He who formed the eye, shall he not fee ?" It fhall therefore be the defign of the following discourse to evince, that the divine wisdom shines not forth more confpicuously in any one precept of the Gospel, than in this, whereby a man is enjoined to DENY HIMSELF. The point shall be argued from the nature of man; from the nature of religion; from the influence exerted by the body upon the foul; from the many inftances of self-denial practised by the men of the world; and from the rewards annexed to the practice of it among Christians. In the first place, then, be it affumed as a K 3 DISC. principle, that human nature is in a state VII. of depravity and corruption. Man is not upright. His paffions and affections do not naturally move in fubordination to the higher principle within him, but are dif posed to rebellion. There are in his conftitution certain irregular defires, and evil propenfities, which are continually breaking forth into action. In the multitude of newfpapers daily published among us, there is not one but contains abundant evidence to fatisfy the most sceptical mind in this particular. For this reafon it is, that self-denial is become, as it were, the form and fubftance of every virtue; for fo far as we deny our natural corrupt tempers, fo far we seem to advance in virtue. We are fo far humble, for instance, as we deny ourselves in the instances of pride; fo far heavenly minded, as we deny our earthly inclinations; fo far charitable, as we deny our tempers of selflove and envy; so far temperate and pure, as we deny thofe appetites, which, if indulged, dulged, would render us otherwife; and DISC. thus every virtue feems to have it's chief VII. foundation in the denial of the denial of fome corrupt temper of our nature. The matter lies in a parrow compass. Were we upright and perfect, virtue would confift in following our inclinations, because those inclinations would tend only to good; as we are fallen and depraved, virtue confifts in denying our inclinations, because thofe inclinations tend often to evil. Upon this principle it is, and because the depravity of our nature begins to fhew itfelf very early in operation, that children, as they cannot be made to understand the neceffity of denying themselves, unless we would fee them fpoiled and ruined, must be denied by others, who ate about them, their parents, or governors. Syftems of education, however differing in other refpects, all centered here, till, fome years ago, upon the continent, arofe a genius brilliant as a comet, but, like that, eccentric and portentous! who furprised the world by advanc VII. DISC. ing, in substance and effect, the following propofitions" That no kind of habits ought to be impreffed on children: that 66 you ought never to teach them obedience, "as a duty: that you fhould leave them to "the natural confequences of their own "actions and that, when reafon comes to "exert itself in a maturer ftate, all will be right."-Should the experiment ever be tried in England, the event will only verify what has been predicted, in a beautiful apostrophe to the pupil of this new philofopher, by an elegant writer of our own"EMILIUS! How I tremble for thee, "while I fee thee expofed to the care of "thy too ingenious tutor! Fortunate wilt thou be, if thou reacheft the end of thy fifth year! Nay rather, fortunate "wilt thou be, if those accidents which "must inevitably attend thy fituation, de prive thee of a life destined to future mi fery from the ills of body and of mind, " contracted through this early and conti"nued indulgence of thy infant caprices! -I fee thee wilful to thy parents, domi"" neering 46 |