*In the fourth or Vegetable, In the fifth or animal, Strength and Weakness. In the sixth or Intellectual, . . . Knowledge and Ignorance. In the seventh or Moral, . Now, as it is the main design of our implies moral guilt, and had no existauthor here to shew, that notwith-ence prior to the introduction of sin; standing such vicissitudes and contra- but in the last sense, it arises from the rieties did indeed exist from the constitution of the animal nature of an beginning of the creation, or period imbodied spirit, to which no blame when the whole order of this visible can be attached, being analogous to universe was adjusted and set a-going, the obscuration which takes place in yet that these vicissitudes and contra- all the different planets by their rotarieties did not imply at that time the tory motion on their axis. existence of Physical or Moral Evil. For as light and darkness, in the first of the scale, may be produced either by an elongation of the planet's distance from the source of light, or by the chemical opacity of the planet's body; even so in the seventh of the scale, which is the step that harmonizes with the first, there is Moral Illumination, when the eye of the intellect beholds the glory of the "Sun of righteousness;" and Moral Obscuration, when either by an elongation of the distance from God, which is not applicable to a state of innocence, or by the animal nature of an imbodied spirit, it is cast into a passive state, and hence is incapable of active and direct Moral Illumination at the time, as in the sleep of Adam in Paradise. Moral Obscuration in the first signification, In the first or Elemental, . . Noxious Light and Noxious darkness. In the second or Mechanical, Noxious Attraction and Noxious Repulsion. In the third or Chemical, Noxious Composition and Noxious Decomposi *In the fourth or Vegetable, tion. In the same way may attraction and repulsion, composition and decomposi tion, strength and weakness, and all the mechanical, chemical, and vegetable phenomena of nature, with their corresponding phenomena of spirit, be easily conceived as existing in a state analogous to this world in every respect, yet without either physical or moral evil. Such, it is probable, is the condition of every other world in the universe; and such was the condition of our own, anterior to the first transgression. But by the introduction of sin and death into our world, its whole nature underwent a fatal change. Let, therefore, the epithet Noxious be added to the foregoing scale of Vicissitudes and Contrarieties, and the scale of Physical and Moral Evil will be as follows. There is, Noxious Strength and Noxious Weakness. Noxious Action and Noxious Passion. Noxious Knowledge and Noxious Ignorance. In the seventh or Moral, . . . Noxious Moral Illumination and Noxious Moral Obscuration. "These symbols are expressive of the whole compass of Moral and Physical Evil, so that each of them may be conceived to represent a class, or catalogue of evils, sliding into each other by insensible gradation, and resolvable only by approximation. The subject of inquiry is, the mystery of moral and physical evil. Now, evil having been first introduced through the moral faculty of man, we begin with the seventh or last of the scale, and proceed contrary to the natural order to the first. "Evil arises from the inversion of the affections of a moral agent, from the prospect of glory (to which they were at first directed) towards mere intelligence or knowledge, a retrogradation or looking back to the nakedness of nature, devoid of moral virtue. By turning the back upon the prospect of glory, as the Final End in the seventh or moral step of the scale, and looking towards the six preceding steps, the heart is inverted, or perverted, and never can, by any natural means, be rectified." 1. We begin then, with Noxious Moral Illumination, and Noxious Moral Obscuration. The first has for its final end, false glory, or pride, which is the root of all evil. It has for its author, Satan, who seduced mankind by inspiring them with a principle of false glory, and made even the same at tempt on the Son of God himself. | world like the present, among morally Matt. iv. 8, 9. And for its object of depraved agents. What a group of worship or of faith, or of imitation and moral chemists could we here menlove, it has the god of this world, tion, who are all busily employed in generally worshipped under the form the devil's service, in this sort of exof the three-headed monster of lust, ercise! pride, and false glory.-The second consists in the most dark, midnight, | and horrific views, of the great Author of all light, whether physical or moral. Every beam which their darkened minds may behold, and every additional ray of the Noxious Illumination they receive, either by his works of Creation, Providence, or Grace, but fills them with more and more darkness, and dread, and shame, and horror; for what is moral darkness, and dread, and shame, and horror, but the effects of false glory, or disappointed pride, and a will and inclination to take part with all evil, and the author thereof? 2. Noxious Knowledge and Noxious Ignorance, is descriptive of that state of the mind, in which it is, either puffed up with conceit of mere intellectual endowments, without any regard to moral virtue, or sunk into a state of the most abject degradation through the blindness of the understanding, which is unable to distinguish between the things that differ. 3. Noxious Action and Noxious Passion, are indicative of that state of the moral agent, wherein the passions are allowed to have the ascendency over reason; by means of which the man is reduced to a state of degradation beneath the brute, or is hurried on to perpetuate the actions of an infernal fury. 4. Noxious Strength and Noxious Weakness, in a moral sense, is, either when a kind of supernatural energy is communicated to the mind in its prosecution of evil, by means of the passions or other stimuli; or an abject childishness is superinduced, by means of ignorance or passion, so that it is incapable to distinguish truth from falsehood, but disposed to believe every lie. 5. Noxious Composition and Noxious Decomposition, in the moral sense, is, either to extract all the good out of subjects, and convert them into their opposite evils; or it is, of all the evils of subjects, separated from their good, to compound a palatable draught, such as may have proper currency in a 6. Noxious Attraction and Noxious Repulsion, in a moral sense, is, either when like draws to like, or when the wicked persecute the godly. It is either, when the equilibrium between the centripetal force which binds the moral agent in all its motions to God as its centre of gravity, and the centrifugal, which acts in an opposite direction, is broken and destroyed; so that the moral agent has now no inclination to gravitate towards God as its centre; but being now wholly under the direction of the opposite force, it flies off, unlike every other body in Nature, into space infinite, never to return. 7. Noxious Light and Noxious Darkness, in a moral sense, is either what may be seen with respect to religion and morals in the Heathen world, which has never been visited with the light of the gospel; or it is what we behold in a Christian land, where men dispute against the light, though it be shining all around them; and will not admit the light, but hate it, and will not come to it, lest their deeds should be reproved. (To be continued.) OF SELFISHNESS, AND ENTHUSIASM. IT has been observed, that society may arrive at such a degree of refinement, as to soften down the strength and energies of individual character to a general level of opinion, and one uniform spirit of taste and fashion, by no means favourable to the display of strong and characteristic efforts of mind. We have had only one instance of a nation arriving at this extreme point of civilization in modern times, when, after experiencing the several stages of its progress, power, and luxury, it assumed a cold and atheistical philosophy, which announced the necessity of its fall, or a terrible regeneration of its powers. We allude to the situation of France at the close of the seventeenth century. It was her philosophical system which exercised a powerful influence in the taught themselves to despise exalted feelings and opinions, as the proof of a reasoning and capacious mind. Genius, truth, and beauty, were va direction of the national mind, which is, indeed, a necessary result in all ages and nations, where opinion is widely disseminated. We may be unconscious of its progress and power,lued only according to their degree of but it is universally felt. The growth and increase of a sort of scoffing scepticism is always observable in nations at the period of their decline. immediate utility, display, and application to the interests of life; not for intrinsic excellence in themselves. The philosophical question applied The leading principles of this French to every thing was, Cui bono?—to what philosophy were, a vain disbelief of end or purpose, except vanity and every thing that could not be brought emolument, are the works of nature down to the test of interested calcula- and art displayed? Genuine feeling tion and the senses, a contempt of and enthusiasm became so far extinct, noble or disinterested sentiments, and that nature was considered secondary a devoted attachment to licentious- to fashion and opinion, and witty arness, in imagination, politics, and guments were employed to shew that social life. Novels, histories, and the most sacred truths were incompamanners, proclaimed the same heart- tible with a certain air of politeness less doctrines of irony towards reli- and good society. In fact, the Parisgion, mockery of sensibility, and cal-ian bel esprit, previous to the revoluculations on the expediency of honesty and morals. The events of history have clearly shewn the fallacy of the views of the new philosophy to promote the dignity and happiness of nations, or to exalt the character, and purify the feelings, of individuals and society. tion, treated simplicity of faith and goodness, as well as genius and enthusiasm, like the old man who inquired, if love still existed ? Though this selfish system has received little encouragement among ourselves, we not unfrequently hear the voice of interest and selfishness raised against the dangers of imagination and enthusiasm of disposition. We never, on the other hand, have observed this cautionary doctrine applied to coldness of character and deficiency of feeling, when an overcalculating and selfish spirit manifests itself in the dispositions of the young. Though this pernicious system is now well nigh exploded, owing to the introduction of a nobler and better philosophy; yet as it pretended to be grounded upon experience, deduced from the metaphysics of Hobbes and Locke, it still retains its influence over the minds of those who suppose there exist no truth and beauty beyond the limits of demonstration and com- The affected fears displayed by older mon sense. With us, however, this people upon this subject, are likewise false theory was never put into prac-often meant in the way of derision of tice, as in France, where enthusiasm, those sentiments, whose glow and tengenius, and the best feelings of the derness they can no longer feel. With heart, were exposed to its ironical them, an enthusiastic disposition of attacks, and the shafts of wit level-mind is synonymous with folly and led at the most sacred things. imprudence, deficient in strength and In obedience to the new social com-judgment, and liable to be led into a pact, all were expected to join in the laugh, while a serious countenance, or a tear, were subject to derision, and made treason to philosophical taste. National selfishness, and individual egotism, became the ruling principles of politics and conversation. Goodness was considered as allied to weakness, and the admiration expressed for grandeur or beauty, a fair opportunity for the exercise of raillery and scorn. Even young people were ambitious of appearing free from the shackles of authority, from all enthusiasm and sentiment. They thousand dangers and extravagancies. They tell us that sensibility is more to be dreaded than desired-that it will involve us in disappointments and affliction, more keen and bitter than the cold and calculating egotists ever fear to encounter in the world. That to the real calamities of life will be added imaginary sufferings, more difficult to be alleviated, and more hopeless of cure. To cultivate generosity and delicacy of mind, is similar, they maintain, to offering a premium for duplicity, violence, and wrong-it is dressing a victim for the altar, or ordering a soldier unarmed into the battle; that life, only tolerable at best, will be converted, by sensibility and enthusiasm, into a prison house and a purgatory. To this we would reply, that a firm and noble constancy is often found united to characters of high enthusiasm and exquisite delicacy of thought and feeling. Fine and gentle dispositions are often mixed with the elements of strength and resolution. Enthusiasm does not necessarily include the faults of imprudence, weakness, or stormy passions. Although the liberal and disinterested mind rejects the pleasures of self-love, it is only because it is animated by nobler pursuits. While engaged in the discharge of duties, it is capable of as great exertions, as characters of a colder and more calculating cast-but it scorns like them to be chained down to so common and very rational an existence. Something proud and noble naturally bears it above the mean desires, and ascendency of vanity, and selfishness, which it views around. There is an intellectual and moral dignity which it aspires after, and prizes beyond the power of circumstances to alter or destroy; and it values its own approbation and good intentions beyond the world's favour and respect. transitory and inconsistent quality of mind, and dangerous to be indulged; are objections which might be advanced, with equal plausibility, against all passions and feelings of the human mind. We know that reason, truth, and even virtue itself, are liable to be carried to excess, abused, and misdirected, when unaccompanied by prudence and religion, though we should be surprised to hear them reprobated on this ground. Why is the gift of life itself considered valuable? -Why do we love, or hope, or fear, if the danger and disappointments which these may possibly give rise to, are considered sufficient cause for resigning them?-Death may at any moment deprive us of those we love; unforeseen events may shatter our wisest efforts, and clouds overshadow, ere their noon, our fondest prospects; but must we therefore cease to hope and to love, or introduce a saving and wretched economy in employing the noblest sentiments of the soul? The faculties entrusted to us for expansion and improvement should not be allowed to lie dormant, for fear of misapplication—we should rather be eager to devote them, if possible, to a noble and useful pursuit, and ready to sacrifice self-enjoyments at the voice of our friends or of our country. We ought to despise the pitiful argument which maintains the expediency of narrowing the sphere of our feelings, and deadening our faculties, in order to become more insensible to the dominion of pain and sor If the influence of enthusiasm is favourable to the feelings and the heart, it will be found to produce still more powerful effects in literature and the arts. It may indeed be called the soul of artists and of poets. It is the quality which gives life and vivid-row. ness to the conceptions of genius and mental power. It pictures forth the forms of an imaginary world, and inspires strength and animation to delineate and exhibit them to view. Even in learned and philosophical men, it is a valuable instrument for the acquisition of knowledge and of truth. Far from misleading, it only exhorts them to patience and to toil. Their labours are then dedicated to the cause of humanity and truth. They love science for its own sake, rather than for a desire of distinguishing themselves and acquiring a name. We think then, the cautious reasoning advanced against the tendency of enthusiasm both weak and unfounded. That it produces an aversion to the ordinary pursuits of life-that it is a It would be more wise to argue, that we should attempt to reduce our lives to as small a portion of existence as is compatible with mere animal propensity and enjoyments. But would it not be rather irksome to a man, even of the most rational disposition, to reconcile himself to this system of quietism, and to these forbidding doctrines, which permit no relish and participation of delights, but what the world and the common course of events may afford? If forsaken by fortune, and the pleasures of the world he loved, what will then be left to console him in the confined and lonely sphere of his existence ?- Incapable of feeling the beauties of nature, or the charms of literature and art, though virtuous and just, he must still feel a void in his existence, and a weariness and heaviness of the heart. But warmth and enthusiasm of feelings, with a cultivated taste, would save him from the fate he dreads, and he would feel himself but too happy, could he fix and retain the beautiful emotions which sensibility and genius inspire. But these are often transitory, in proportion as they are sweet. We should the more endeavour to infuse the animation and kindness of such feelings into our conduct and manners; and, lest they should be dissipated or destroyed, treasure up the aspirings after those truths of natural and moral beauty, whose dim light seems to visit us from a world unknown. An admiration of fine sentiments and heroic deeds, combined with a love of poetry and the fine arts, are the means of awakening a sense of happiness, which, when mingled with devotion, seems to remind us of some illustrious origin, and higher powers, which man has unfortunately lost. The indulgence of a sentiment, and a hope of something more beautiful and noble than life affords, removes a load from the heart, and that unquiet satiety of existence, which beholds no harmony in nature, and no manifestations of divinity and love. We may conclude, then, that an enthusiastic tone of mind is more favourable to happiness than coldness and indifference of disposition, and that while it alleviates the sense of sorrow and of pain, it adds a double charm to the energies and to the joys of life. R. T. DISPUTATION. WHEN Isaac Casaubon was first shewn the college of the Sorbonne, and told that it was above four hundred years since disputes were first held in that place, he said, "And pray in so long a period what point has been cleared up?" once took it into his head to hear the Latin disputes of Doctors at a University. He was uncommonly attentive to the seene before him; and his countenance indicated the satisfaction which he felt: Being asked what pleasure he could have in such combats, when he was ignorant of the language in which they were carried on, he said, "For the matter of that, I am not such a fool, but I can see who is the first that puts the other in a passion, and then I know which has the best of it." Jason Magnus and Bartholomew Socerius, two eminent lawyers of Pisa, in the sixteenth century, held frequent disputations on legal subjects. One day, Jason, finding himself driven hard by his adversary, cited a law that he had that moment forged, which turned the scale to his side. Socerius, not less quick and ingenious, served him the same trick; and Jason, who had never heard of the law which he quoted, called upon him for the proof: "It stands in the same page with that you just mentioned," replied Socerius. STEAM ENGINES. ABOUT two centuries ago, the application of Steam as a moving power was totally unknown. Its agency was first employed by Brancas, an ingenious philosopher of Rome, simply to move the valves of a wheel. But mark its present state of perfection! It has been calculated that there are at least ten thousand Steam Engines at this time at work in Great Britain; performing a labour more than equal to that of two hundred thousand horses, which, if fed in the ordinary way, would require above one million acres of land for subsistence: this land is capable of supplying the necessariess of life to more than fifteen hundred thousand human beings. Being invited afterwards to witness One of the largest engines yet cona contest in the same place, the dis- structed, is now in action at the Uniputants argued at great length, and ted Mine, in Cornwall, being equal to with considerable vehemence, for the the power of two hundred and fifty purpose of shewing their superior skill horses; it raises eighty thousand before so learned a visitor; who, on pounds, one hundred feet in height, retiring, said, he had never in his life per minute: and to effect this enorheard so much Latin without under-mous labour, it only requires about standing it. thirty pounds of coal for the same A clown, says Lord Shaftesbury, period of time... |
