THE DIGNITY OF HUMAN BOOK I. Of PRUDENCE. INTRODUCTION. O fhew what is truly great, ornamental, or ufeful, To in life; to call the attention of mankind to objects worthy of their regard, as rational and immortal beings; to give a brief but comprehenfive account of the certain and established means for attaining the true end of our existence, happiness in the prefent and future ftates; is the defign of the following effay. The motives which engaged the author to attempt. a tafk, confeffedly too arduous for any fingle hand, were fuch as to him feemed fufficient to juftify his afpiring, where even a failure, if not too fhameful, muft deferve praife; as, encouragements from perfons, for whom he joins with all mankind in having the moit profound regard and veneration; the candor he has, in fome more inconfiderable attempts, met with from the public; the hope of receiving improvement to himself from digeting and compiling fuch a work, and from the opinion of the judicious upon it: These several confiderations had defervedly their refpective influence. But what rendered the attempt more proper and neceffary, was a direct view to the advantage of fome young perfons, in other parts of the world, as well as England, with whom his connexions are fuch, as to give them a right to the fruit of his beft abilities in the literary kind; and B and who will not probably fail to pay a peculiar regard to whatever comes from him. To exhibit a comprehenfive idea of the true Dignity of Human Nature, it will be neceffary to confider what is fit for a being, who at present inhabits a perishing body, itself an immortal fpirit; for a creature capable of action, of making himself and others happy in this world, and of being rewarded and punished hereafter according to his conduct; for a nature fitted for focial virtue, and brought into exiftence to be prepared for glory and happiness. It is neceffary, in order to a man's filling properly his place in fociety, that he regulate his conduct by the laws of prudence and virtue. To answer the Divine intention in furnishing him with rational faculties, it is evidently proper, that he labour to improve thofe faculties with knowledge. And in order to his gaining the favour of the fupreme Governor of the world, upon which alone the happiness of all created beings depends, it is plain, that obedience to his laws is indifpenfably neceffary, which comprehends religion, natural and revealed. The Dignity of Human Nature may then be exhibited under the four following heads, viz. I. PRUDENCE, or fuch a conduct with refpect to fecular affairs, as is proper in itself, and fuitable to refpective circumftances, and naturally tends to make a man happy in himself, and useful in fociety. II. KNOWLEDGE, or the improvement and enlargement of the faculties of the mind, as underftanding, memory, and imagination. III. VIRTUE, or a conformity of difpofition and practice to rectitude, in all respects, as to ourselves, our fellow-creatures, and our Maker. IV. REVEALED RELIGION, or a due inquiry into, and proper regard to, any exprefs revelation, which the fupreme Being may have given to mankind. The business of life is serious, not ludicrous. No order of beings (especially of rationals) was brought into existence wholly for pleasure and amufement; but to fill fome useful place, and answer fome important end in the extenfive fcheme of the beneficent Creator. It is therefore evidently the intereft, the wildom, and the perfection of every rational creature to look to it, that he perform properly the duty of his appointed station; and in that he will in the end find his glory and his happinefs. To give a brief view of what is principally neceffary to the dignity of human nature, it seems moft methodical to address the following directions chiefly to those readers, who have not yet gone far in life, but are at the fame time arrived at an age capable of improving by proper helps, and a due attention to their own intereft, when faithfully pointed out to them. Proceeding, from the first fetting out in manly life, to the fubjects of marriage and education of children, and to the conduct of more advanced age; all the flages of life may be taken in, and the true dignity of each pointed out. That in the following effay there will of course be wanting a number of particulars, more or lefs conducive to the dignity of our nature, is no more than may be expected in a defign fo extenfive. If it be found, that whoever conforms to thefe directions, and frames his character according to the following plan, will have attained the moft confiderable part of the. perfection of human life; it will be acknowledged by the candid and ingenuous, that the throwing together into one view, fuch a number of particulars of principal importance, was attempting a fervice ufeful to the public. As young people have a profpect (though a precarious. one) of living to old age, it is of confequence, that they be early put upon fuch courfes, as will be likely to ren der their paffage through life, whether longer or fhorter, eafy and comfortable. A perfon's fetting out with proper dignity, is of great importance toward his future profperity; as, on the contrary, one falfe flep at the first entrance into life may prove irretrievable. Mankind fix their attention upon the behaviour of a perfon juft fetting out, and according to the prudence, or want of judgment, they obferve in the firft fteps he takes, pro above applying his understanding to find cut, and his attention to purfue any scheme of life, it is as little to be expected, that he fhould acquire the fortune of the thriving citizen, as that the plain fhopkeeper, who never applied his mind to learning, fhould equal him in fcience. There is no natural incompatibility between wit, or learning, and prudence. Nor is the man of learning or genius, who is void of common prudence, to be confidered in any other character, than that of a wrong-headed pedant, or of a man of narrow and defective abilities. PART I. Of PRUDENCE in CONVERSATION, SECT. I. Of treating the Characters of abfent Perfons. PRU RUDENCE may, in general, be divided into two parts: First, that which regards converfation. And, fecondly, that which ferves to regulate action. As to our words, we are to confider, first, whether what we are going to fay had better be spoke, or kept in. And the only time for confidering this is, before we fpeak for it may be too late afterwards. Whatever may prove to the difadvantage of the fpeaker, the hearers, or of any abfent perfon, is in prudence carefully to be fuppreffed. Of the first fort, is whatever may prejudice the fpeaker, as by expofing him to profecution, by difcovering his fecrets, or by getting him illwill. Of the fecond, is whatever may tend to debauch the virtue of the hearers, or, by affronting, work them up to anger and misbehaviour. And of the third, whatever tends to derogate from the character of any abfent perfon. To treat of these without regard to order; There is no imprudence more common or univerfal, than that of detraction. I fpeak of it at prefent only as an an imprudence, referving the immorality of that practice to another occafion. And what can be more imprudent, than upon the mention of an abfent perfon, with whom I am no way concerned, to break out into invectives and feverities, which may bring me into difputes and trouble, but can answer no good end? Did men but confider what opinion the judicious form of those they fee delight in detraction, they would, for their own fakes, avoid a practice which expofes them to the contempt of all humane and confiderate people. He who takes pleasure in speaking to the disadvantage of others, muft appear to all wife men either in the light of an envious perfon, who can brook nothing eminent in another; of one whofe mean abilities and improvements will furnish no better entertainment for thofe he converses with, than difadvantageous representations of others; or of one who partakes of the temper of an evil fpirit, and delights in mifchief for mifchief's fake. And no man can think it will tend to the forwarding of his interest among his neighbours, to procure himfelf any of these characters. The mischiefs a perfon may bring upon himself, by evil-speaking, either by expoling himfelf to legal penalties, or to private resentment, and general hatred, are fo great, that prudence will direct to fpeak of every man, as one would do, if he knew the perfon, whofe character is mentioned, was in the next room, overhearing all that paffed. For one can never be sure that he fhall not be called upon to fay the fame things before the perfon's face, which he has taken the liberty of faying behind his back. And who would be put to the trouble of proving, or to the confufion of recanting his words? Nor is it enough that what we fay to an abfent perfon's disadvantage, be but trifling, or of no great confequence in itself; fince what is faid in converfation lies wholly at the mercy of the hearers, to reprefent it as they please; and the mere repetition of what has been faid without thought or defign, makes it appear of confequence. It is evident therefore, that in touching upon what is fo extremely delicate, as the characters of others, there B 4 |