網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

er, to enforce obedience to the laws dictated by the moral sense.

The author of our nature leaves none of his works imperfect. In order to render us obfequious to the moral fenfe as our guide, he hath implanted in our nature the principles of duty, of benevolence, of rewards and punishments, and of reparation. It may poffibly be thought, that rewards and punishments, of which afterward, are fufficient of themselves to enforce the laws of nature, without neceffity of any other principle. Human laws, it is true, are enforced by these means; because no higher fanction is under command of a terreftrial legiflator. But the celestial legislator, with power power that knows no control, and bevolence that knows no bounds, hath enforced his laws by means no lefs remarkable for mildnefs than for efficacy: he employs no external compulfion; but, in order to engage our will on the right fide, hath in the breaft of individuals established the principles of duty and of benevolence, which efficaciously excite them to obey the dictates of the moral fense.

The reftraining and active duties being both of them effential to fociety, our Maker has wifely ordered, that the principle which enforces thefe duties, fhould be the most cogent of all that belong to our nature. Other principles may folicit, allure, or terrify; but the principle of duty affumes authority, commands, and infifts to be obey, ed, without giving ear to any oppofing motive.

As one great purpofe of fociety, is to furnish opportunities of mutual aid and fupport; nature feconding that purpose, hath provided the principle of benevolence, which excites us to be kindly, beneficent, and generous. Nor ought it to escape obfervation, that the author of nature, attentive to our wants and to our well-being, hath endued us

U 2

with

with a liberal portion of that principle. It excites us to be kind, not only to those we are connected with, but to our neighbours, and even to those we are barely acquainted with. Providence is peculiarly attentive to objects in diftrefs, who require immediate aid and relief. To the principle of benevolence, it hath fuperadded the paffion of pity, which in every feeling heart is irrefiftible.To make benevolence more extenfive, would be fruitless; because here are objects in plenty to fill the most capacious mind. It would not be fruitlefs only, but hurtful to fociety: I fay hurtful; because frequent difappointments in attempting to gratify our benevolence, would render it a troublesome guest, and make us cling rather to selfishnefs, which we can always gratify. At the fame time, tho' there is not room for a more extenfive lift of particular objects, yet the faculty we have of uniting numberlefs individuals into one complex object, enlarges greatly the fphere of benevolence. By that faculty our country, our government, our religion, become objects of public fpirit, and of a lively affection. The individuals that compose the group, confidered apart, may be too minute, or too diftant, for our benevolence: but when united into one whole, accumulation. makes them great, greatnefs makes them confpicuous; and affection, preferved entire and undivided, is bestowed upon an abstract object, as upon one that is fingle and vifible; but with energy proportioned to its greater dignity and importance. Thus the principle of benevolence is not too fparingly scattered among men. men. It is indeed made fubordinate to felf intereft, which is wifely ordered, as will afterward be made evident (a); ́ but its power and extent are nicely proportioned to the limited capacity of man, and to his fitua

(a) Sect. 7.

tion

tion in this world; fo as better to fulfil its deftination, than if it were an overmatch for felf-intereft, and for every other principle.

SECT.

V.

Laws refpecting Rewards and Punishments.

REFLECTING on the moral branch of our nature qualifying us for fociety in a manner fuited to our capacity, we cannot overlook the hand of our Maker; for means fo finely adjusted to an important end, never happen by chance. It must however be acknowledged, that in many individuals, the principle of duty has not vigour nor authority fufficient to ftem every tide of unruly paffion by the vigilance of fome paffions, we are taken unguarded; deluded by the fly infinuations of others; or overwhelmed with the ftormy impetuofity of a third fort. Moral evil is thus introduced, and much wrong is done. This new.

fcene fuggefts to us, that there must be fome article ftill wanting to complete the moral fyftem; fome means for redreffing fuch wrongs, and for preventing the reiteration of them. To accomplish thefe importent ends, there are added to the moral fyftem, laws relative to rewards and punishments, and to reparation; of which in their order.

Many animals are qualified for fociety by instinct merely; fuch as beavers, sheep, monkeys, bees, rooks. But men are feldom led by inftinct: their

actions

actions are commonly prompted by paffions; of which there is an endless variety, focial and selfish, benevolent and malevolent. And were every paffion equally entitled to gratification, man would be utterly unqualified for fociety: he would be a ship without a rudder, obedient to every wind, and moving at random without any ultimate deftinati-, on. The faculty of reason would make no oppofition; for were there no fenfe of wrong, it would be reasonable to gratify every defire that harms not ourselves and to talk of punishment would be abfurd; for punishment, in its very idea, implies fome wrong that ought to be redreffed.Hence the neceffity of the moral fenfe, to qualify us for fociety by inftructing us in our duty, it renders us accountable for our conduct, and makes us fufceptible of rewards and punishments. The moral fenfe fulfils another valuable purpose it erects in man an unerring ftandard for the application and measure of rewards and punishments.

To complete the fyftem of rewards and punishments, it is neceffary that a provifion be made, both of power and of willingness to reward and punish. The author of our nature hath provided amply for the former, by entitling every man to reward and punifh as his native privilege. And he has provided for the latter, by a noted principle in our nature, prompting us to exercife the power. Impelied by that principle, we reward the virtuous with approbation and efteem, and punish the vicious with difapprobation and contempt. And there is an additional motive for exercifing that principle, which is, that we have great fatisfaction in rewarding, and no lefs in pu nishing.

As to punishment in particular, an action done intentionally to produce mifchief, is criminal, and

[blocks in formation]

merits punishment. Such an action, being difagreeable, raises my refentment, even where I have `no connection with the perfon injured; and the principle mentioned impels me to chastise the delinquent with indignation and hatred. An injury done to myself raifes my refentment to a higher tone: I am not fatisfied with fo flight a punishment as indignation and hatred: the author must by my hand fuffer mischief, as great as he has made me fuffer.

Even the most fecret crime efcapes not punishment. The delinquent is tortured with remorse: he even defires to be punished, sometimes fo ardently as to punish himself *. There cannot be imagined a contrivance more effectual to deter one from vice, than remorfe, which itfelf is a grievous punishment. Self-punishment goes ftill farther: e

very

* Mr. John Kello, minister of Spot in East Lothian, had an extraordinary talent for preaching, and was universally held a man of fingular piety.— His wife was handsome, chearful, tender-hearted, and in a word poffeffed all the qualities that can endear woman to her husband, A pious and rich widow in the neighbourhood tempted his avarice. She clung to him as a fpiritual guide; and but for his little wife, he had no doubt of obtaining her in marriage. He turned gradually peevish and difcontented. His change of behaviour made a deep impreffion on his wife, for the loved him dearly: and yet she was anxious to conceal her treatment from the world. Her meekness, her fubmiffion, her patience, tended to increase his fullenness. Upon a Sunday morning when on her knees she was offering up her devotions, he came softly behind her, put a rope about her neck, and hung her up to the cieling. He bolted his gate, creeped out at a window, walked demurely to church, and charmed his hearers with a most pathetic fermon. After divine fervice, he invited two or three of his neighbours to pass the evening, at his houfe, telling them that his wife was indifpofed, and of late inclined to melancholy; but that the would be glad to fee them. It furprised them to find the gate bolted and none to answer: much more when, upon its being forced open, they found her in the pofture mentioned. The husband feemed to be ftruck dumb; and counterfeited forrow fo much to the life, that his guests forgetting the deceased, were wholly interested about the living. His feigned tears however became real: his foul was oppreffed with the weight of his guilt. Finding no relief from agonizing remorfe and from the image of his murdered wife conftantly haunting him, he about fix weeks after the horrid 'deed went to Edinburgh and delivered himself up to justice.He was condemned upon his own confeffion, and executed 4th October 1570,

« 上一頁繼續 »