Chap. V.] CULTIVATION OF PERSONAL RELIGION.

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he has given minute details, in the curious and instructive auto-biography which he has left behind him. It is well known, thatin early life he “conceived the bold and arduous project,” as hewell calls it, of arriving at moral perfection ; he wished “ to livewithout committing any fault at any time, and to conquer all thateither natural inclination, custom, or company might lead himinto.” He did not exclude religion from his scheme, (in truth,it acknowledges “ God as the fountain of wisdom,” and containshis religious creed, and a form of prayer for the divine assistanceand guidance,) but it contained no distinguishing tenets of any par-ticular sect; as he was persuaded, he says, that it might be service-able to people of all religions, and he was unwilling to have it con-tain any thing which might prejudice any one of any sect againstit. He gives a very full and candid account of the means andeffects which he used to attain his end. He admits, that he wasnot entirely successful, but says, it contributed very much to theimprovement of his morals.* As one of the means of attaininghis end, he made a list of the virtues which he wished perfectlyto acquire, on which he carefully and frequently examined him-self. Under the circumstances, his list and arrangement of thevirtues is, in some respects, instructive. The plan is commend-able and worthy of imitation, and, on the basis of sound views ofChristianity, and a deep sense of personal religion, could notfail to be generally and very highly useful.

Many of the virtues respect others chiefly, rather than our-selves ; — these are not personal virtues, as I make use of thephrase. Justice, for instance, respects the rights of others chief-ly. Of the virtues, more especially personal, Dr. Franklin enu-merates temperance, order, frugality, industry, moderation, clean-liness, tranquillity, chastity, and humility. This enumeration isvery incomplete;—it admits of many additions, among whichindependence of mind, dignity, self-respect, firmness, consist-ency, evenness, cheerfulness, and sociability of temper, must,upon the slightest reflection, occur to every one.

Temperance, as Dr. Franklin well observes, tends to procurethat coolness and clearness of head, which are so necessary,

* Franklin’s Works, Vol. I. pp. 88 - 98.