man, just coming into life, that all this talk about moral sentiments and moral feelings is a sham, a mere pretence to gull the weak and simple; that it is sordid interest alone that governs all men, the best as well as the worst of them;-and are these the representations that are to form him to high and noble resolves? Or, rather, will they not dispose him to meet the world as it is represented, on its own ground, and on its own principles; or at least produce in him a moral scepticism and heartlessness, that must be fatal to the growth and expansion of the higher virtues? Even if it were true, that there is no such thing as virtue in the world, and that it has no foundations in human nature, still it would be most ruinous to divulge it; for in order to persuade men to assume even the appearance of virtue, we must first convince them of its reality. It may be said of virtue as of God-whoever would come to her, must first believe that SHE IS.

We object, likewise, to the degrading representations of human nature, because we think them likely to destroy in man that self respect, which all must allow to be one of the most important and necessary safeguards of virtue. Could we give but two directions to guide men through life, the first should beStand in awe of thy GOD;-and the second should be "like unto it"-Stand in awe of THYSELF. Indeed, what is it but a regard to this last injunction, that keeps us back from most excesses and immoralities? It is not so much a fear of God, nor of the laws, nor of public opinion, as it is a sense of character, a fear of ourselves, a secret and constant reference to the divinity within, a consciousness that the action would

be unworthy of us, and would degrade us in our own eyes.

We

Clearly, therefore, it should be the object of every enlightened moralist, to heighten this sense of character, this feeling of a superior nature, this consciousness of moral and intellectual dignity. But how is he to do this? Not, we should think, by insisting on the doctrine, that our natures are corrupt, radically and to the very core; leaving us to understand, and, indeed, continually reminding us, that there is nothing so low and vicious, but we may do it without descending; that there is nothing so corrupt and debasing, but we may indulge in it, and yet act in perfect character; in short, that there is nothing of which we should be ashamed, because there is nothing so bad as ourselves. speak not now of the improbability of such a doctrine, but of the generally bad tendency of such representations of human nature; and, if they have any tendency, must it not be bad? Teach a man to think meanly and contemptibly of himself, to cast off all sense of character, and all consciousness of a superior nature, and moral suasion can no more act upon such a man, than if he were dead. A man may be addicted to many vices, and yet there may be a hope of reclaiming him. But the moment he loses all sense of character, and all consciousness of a superior nature, that is, the moment he begins to look upon himself and his vices as worthy of one another, that moment all hope of reclaiming him perishes; for the last ground is surrendered, on which it is possible for his remaining good principles to rally, and make a stand. We have often known men who have retained their self respect, long after they had løst their regard for principle; but never one, who

retained his regard for principle, after he had lost his self respect. Destroy this, and you destroy every thing; for a man who does not respect himself, respects nothing.

Degrading representations of human nature are often made, without doubt, for the laudable purpose of inculcating humility. But we doubt their tendency to do this; nay, we believe their tendency to be the very reverse of this. It should be observed, that in speaking of human nature, we do not mean the human character as it actually exists, but the nature on which that character is formed. We speak of our original capacities and moral constitution. Now we do not perceive how degrading representations of these can possibly humble a man. Suppose a man is made to think meanly of his nature, this is quite a different thing from thinking humbly of himself. Humility in man, results, in general, we believe, from some comparison unfavourable to himself as an individual, or at least as a member of some particular society, sect, or country. No matter how bad we may all be, still this is no occasion for humility, if we are all equally bad, and there is no ground for mortifying comparisons. It is no occasion for humility, that we were born men, and not angels. It is no occasion for humility, that we belong to the human species, though it may be, and indeed it is, of regret, if human nature be as it is sometimes represented. Besides, a man is not humbled so much by considering his actual degradation, as by considering the part which he himself has had in bringing it about; not so much by simply considering how bad he is, as by considering it in comparison with what he might have been. The more, therefore, that

he might have been, the greater must be his humility for what he is. Two men may be equally ignorant, and yet that man will certainly be the most humbled by his ignorance, who is conscious of having had the best natural abilities, and the best opportunities for education. For the same reason, it is equally certain, that, let the depravity of man be what it may, it must humble him the more, the higher and more honourable his conceptions are of his original capacities and moral constitution; or, in other words, the higher and more honourable his conceptions are of his nature and moral condition.

Grant, however, that the doctrine of man's universal and total depravity may humble some; whom will it humble? Not, surely, the vicious and unprincipled; for it certainly cannot humble them to be told, that bad as they may be, still their religious condition and prospects are quite as good as those of the moral and upright. it may, indeed, humble the wise and the good to find, that they have thrown away their desires, and their exertions, and their prayers, upon a nature in itself incapable of exaltation. But, we think, it can hardly be pleaded as a recommendation for any doctrine, that it humbles the good only, and them, too, in proportion as they are good. In fine, we think this subject may be reduced within a very narrow compass. That all men are more or less depraved, is not disputed. Even the degree of actual depravity in the world need not be called in question. The inquiry relates wholly to the origin of this depravity. Which will humble us most-to believe that it originated in our nature, or in a voluntary abuse of our nature; to believe it to be our Maker's work, or our own? This is the

true and only question at issue, and there certainly can be but one answer to it.

Let

It may be said, perhaps, that strong and vivid descriptions of man's natural and total depravity are necessary to rouse men to a sense of their danger. it not be inferred from the tenor of our remarks, that we do not believe mankind to be in any danger, or that they do not need frequent and solemn admonition. We know the treachery of the human heart; the deplorable effects of the human passions when unrestrained or misapplied; the thousands and millions who live and die in a wretched state of moral and intellectual debasement. We know all this, and so far are we from wishing to conceal it, or gloss it over, that we would have it ever present to the minds of men. And, indeed, one of our principal objections, against a habit of decrying human nature is this, that it turns off men's attention from the actual guilt which there is in the world, to consider a sort of mystical and theoretical guilt, the contemplation of which will neither humble them, nor alarm them, nor serve in any way to make them better. We allow, that the great object of every preacher of righteousness should be to rouse men te moral exertion; and this, no doubt, may be often effected by strong and vivid representations of their danger; but never by strong and vivid representations of their helplessness. We should remember, that if men are often made careless and indifferent by having too much confidence in their natural powers, so the same consequence will follow from their having none. First lead a man to believe that he can do nothing whatever to help himself, and after this of what avail can be your alarming representations? He must not only be made