the hatred and ill offices of others. The malevolent man arms all mankind against him.

Anger is, indeed, in fome cafes, reafonable; as when it is directed against the vicious, and injurious, who are the pefts of fociety; fo that being enemies to fuch perfons is being friends to mankind at large. But here great caution should be used, left this paffion of anger should, as it is very capable of doing, degenerate into pure ill will towards those who are the objects of it. Nay, we should never indulge to anger fo far as to cease to have the real good and welfare of the offender at heart, but be ready even to do our greatest perfonal enemies any kind office in our power, provided that the confequence of it would not be injurious to fociety. This, indeed, is what the law of univerfal benevolence plainly requires, as it ftrictly forbids the doing any unnecessary evil; and that evil is unnecessary, which the good and happiness of others does not require. If, therefore, we would appear

to

to act upon this principle, we must be careful fo to conduct our refentment, that it may be manifeft, as that it is with reluctance that we entertain fentiments of enmity.

.

If it be our duty to bear good will even to our enemies, much more fhould we exercife it to our real friends, and use our endeavours to make the most ample return for any kindness that they do to us. Indeed there is no virtue which has a ftronger testimony in the confciences of all men, than gratitude, and no vice is univerfally fo hateful as ingratitude.

If the good of fociety be our object, there can be no question, but that veracity, with refpect to all our declarations, and fidelity, with respect to all our engagements, is one of the most important of all focial duties. All the purposes of fociety would be defeated, if falsehood were as common as truth among mankind; and in thofe circumstances all beneficial intercourfe would foon cease among them; and notwithstanding temporary inconveniences may fometimes arise VOL. I. from

I

from a rigid adherence to truth, they are infinitely overbalanced by the many fuperior advantages that arife from our depending upon the regard to it being inviolable.

Since an oath, or an appeal to the divine being, is the most deliberate, and the most folemn of all the modes of affeveration, it ought to be the moft fcrupuloufly obferved. There is not, in the nature of things, any ftronger guard againit impofition and deceit, and therefore a perfon who has once perjured himself, deferves not only to be detefted, and shunned, as the bane of fociety, but to be expelled out of it.

$5. Of the relative duties.

As we stand in a variety of relations to one another, and have much more opportunity of doing kind offices to fome than to others, we cannot fuppofe that the divine being intended that our benevolence should be like his own, univerfal and impartial. He ftands in the fame relation to all his creatures, and he is capable of attending to

the

the wants of them all; whereas our beneficence is neceffarily limited, and therefore fhould flow the most freely towards those whom we can moft conveniently and effectually ferve. Befides the good of the whole will be best provided for by every perfon making this a rule to himself; whereas, if every perfon, without any particular regard to his own limited province, fhould extend his care to the wants of mankind in general, very little good would, in fact, be done by any.

The domeftic relations of life are the foundation of the ftrongeft claim upon our benevolence and kindness. The interefts of hufband and wife are the fame, and infeparable, and they must neceffarily pass a very great part of their time together. In these circumstances, to be mutually happy, their affection must be ftrong and undivided. The welfare of their offspring, likewife, requires this, that they may give their united care and attention to form their bodies and minds, in order to fit them for the bufinefs

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bufinefs of life, and to introduce them with advantage into, the world.

As nature makes children the charge of their parents in younger life, fo it lays an equal obligation on children to provide for their parents, when they are old and infirm, and unable to provide for themfelves.

Mafters and fervants are under a variety of mutual obligations; and if that connection be happy, and mutually advantageous, there must be justice, humanity, and liberality on the one hand, requited with fidelity, reasonable fubmiffion, and affection on the other.

Our own country, likewise, claims a particular preference. We ought to give more attention to its welfare than to that of any other country, and its magiftrates are intitled to our particular reverence and respect.

It is for the good of the whole that we proportion our regards and benevolent at

tention