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SPECIAL PUBLIC EVILS.

[Part VI.

son of men with each other, is often an unwelcome sentimentforced upon the mind, which may rather embitter the temper thansoften it ; — that, which devotion impresses, is soothing and de-lightful. The devout man loves to humble himself at the foot-stool of his Creator, because it is there that he attains the mostlively perceptions of the Divine excellence, and the most tranquilconfidence in the Divine favor. In so august a presence, hesees all distinctions lost, and all beings reduced to the same level.He looks at his superiors without envy, and at his inferiors with-out contempt ; and, when from this elevation he descends to mixin society, the conviction of superiority, which must in many in-stances be felt, is a calm inference of the understanding, and nolonger a restless, importunate, and absorbing passion.

Again, ferocity and inhumanity of character were enumeratedas another effect of skeptical impiety. As it has already beenshown, that vanity and its accompanying kindred passions hardenthe heart, and that religion (humility) is the only effectual antidote,the connexion between irreligion and inhumanity is, in this view,obvious. But there is another light, in which this part of thesubject may be viewed, in my judgment, much more important,though seldom adverted to. The belief, that man is a moral andaccountable being, destined to survive the stroke of death, and tolive in a future world in a never-ending state of happiness ormisery, makes him a creature of incomparably more consequence ,than the opposite belief. When we consider him as placed hereby an Almighty Ruler in a state of probation, and that the pres-ent life is his period of trial, the first link in a vast and intermin-able chain which stretches into eternity, he assumes a characterof dignity in our eyes. Every thing which relates to him be-comes interesting ; and to trifle with his happiness is felt to bethe most unpardonable levity. If such be the destination of man,it is manifest, that in the qualities which fit him for it, his princi-pal dignity consists ; — his moral greatness is his true greatness.Let the skeptical principles be admitted, which represent him, onthe contrary, as the offspring of chance, connected with no supe-rior power, and sinking into annihilation at death, and he is acontemptible creature, whose existence and happiness are alike