No man knows what is good for him—what incidents or events may finally minister to his happiness. We cannot doubt but that it is a wise appointment of heaven, that it should be so, whatever of gloom such a view of life may appear to carry with it.

The foundation of our ignorance of what is, on the whole, best for us, is laid in the imperfection of human nature, in those weak and limited capacities, which are given for our guidance. We have some knowledge of surrounding objects, which fall under the observation of our senses; we receive additional information from our fellow men and from history. We are not wholly ignorant of the present and the past. Yet our knowledge even of these is necessarily very imperfect, and in numerous instances combine with doubt, uncertainty, and error. The future is wholly unknown. We cannot look into it far enough to discover the least of the incidents, which may occur to us in life. We form our conjectures; but these conjectures appear idle, when we call to mind the occasions on which nothing of what was expected happens, and what was wholly unlooked for takes place.

But it is not so much an ignorance of events as of their consequences, of incidents as of the effects which may follow them, that constitutes our ignorance of our own good. We cannot look forward to the end of life, to ascertain what influence the particular situations in which we are at any time placed, may finally have on our happiness. We cannot tell in what way the attitude into which our affairs are thrown, may affect our fortune and enjoyment during the several steps of our pilgrimage on earth, and our prospects beyond it. A bad posture of things may be soon followed by a better,

or it may call forth virtues in us, which will more than compensate for the evils that attend our lot.

Our happiness depends less on the incidents which may happen to us, than upon the temper and feelings which we constantly carry with us. A perfect indifference to what is taking place around us, is stoicism, neither to be expected nor wished for. Still it is true, that every wise and every virtuous man has a happiness in some measure independent of any thing without himself-a -a happiness arising from disposition, from a proper state of the feelings, affections, views, tastes, and habits.

The incidents, that occur to us, derive their importance chiefly from the effect they may have on the understanding, temper, and life. That situation is on the whole best for us, which, all circumstances taken into view, is adapted to make us the best men-to cause us always to think and feel as we ought, to lead lives of the greatest usefulness-adapted to call forth and strengthen the greatest number of the best qualities-in a word, that which tends most to refine and elevate our weak and imperfect natures. We are too ignorant of ourselves to determine what condition will most effectually answer this end. We are incapable of judging well of the force of temptation and strength of motives and excitements. Had we the power of choosing, we might place ourselves in scenes, which might be fatal to our virtue and peace.

We would have ease, fortune, preferment, the friendship of the world. But are we certain that we may not be better without them? Are we sure that they might not corrupt us? Do we know that we should withstand the temptations they bring with them? Is

there no danger that our virtue might be too infirm to resist their power? Might not our passions be inflamed? our circumspection and reserve be lost? Is it not possible that we might become elated and careless, indolent, forgetful of God, immoderately attached to the world, negligent of our temper and lives? Are we certain that we do not need the restraints which more limited means, the necessity of industry, and our want of the patronage and kindness of those by whom we are surrounded place upon us? May not these restraints assist our moral principles, and contribute to the support and security of our virtue? May they not be necessary to preserve us from an offensive pride, to impose some check upon our passions, to keep us within bounds of moderation? He who imagines that he stands fast, that he can never be shaken or seduced by the temptations and facilities of indulgence, which wealth, prosperity, and power present-that he has firmness and principle, which will prompt and enable him to have the same regard to temper and habits, whether his situation have a strong tendency to render him negligent or the opposite, knows little of the weakness and treachery of the human heart. Prosperity has occasioned the destruction of thousands, What they have viewed as their greatest happiness has proved the bane of enjoyment. What they have regarded as the highest good fortune has been in reality the heaviest calamity, which could have overtaken them. They have had success or enjoyed greatness; they have listened to flattery and received the caresses of the world, and thought themselves for a time happy; but that in which they most delighted, has occasioned

degradation of mind, diseased or gross tastes, intem-1 perate indulgence, and final grief and melancholy.

We would shun adversity; we would be free from hardship, from the necessity of labour and care, from sickness, disappointment, and sorrow. But can we look forward far enough to be certain that they may not be attended with the happiest consequences? Are we sure that they may not be necessary to a healthy state of moral feeling? Do we not want them to chasten our pride, to cure our thoughtlessness; to disenchant us from the world, to teach us where to seek our happiness, to make us perceive the full value of the joys, the consolations and hopes of virtue, and the real vanity and emptiness of worldly pleasures and pursuits? May not the employments, to which our situation calls us, and the dispositions and train of thought it is fitted to produce, contribute to render us more wise and virtuous, more truly friends to ourselves, and greater benefactors to others, than we should be without them? May not our temper be mended, our desires rectified, our moral tastes formed, so that the evils of our condition may be, on the whole, outweighed by the good produced by them?

Misfortune often instructs us more effectually than any thing else. Affliction and adversity are the soil of virtue. They bring down our pride to the dust; they make the heart tender; they cause us to remember our mortality and weakness, and to apply our thoughts to wisdom. They almost necessarily have the effect of pruning off our vices, and adding to the number and richness of our virtues. They are stern monitors, but not sterner than are needed to deter or recall us from folly.

A situation attended with hardship, solicitude, and a weight of responsibility, by leading us to make extraordinary exertions, may be the occasion of producing in us extraordinary merit. Weak minds may despond and sink, but the more firm and better attempered will rise. New capacities will be developed, and the pros. pect gradually brighten. A recollection of the obstacles which have been removed, of the difficulties which have been surmounted, and important effects produced, will be afterwards a source of the sweetest reflections.

We need some evils, or the fear of them, as an antidote to our moral infirmities and weakness. We are so averse to looking into ourselves, so apt to become occupied exclusively by objects without and around us, so fond of ease and indulgence, that were it not for the healing power of adversity and strong stimulus of necessity, we might often live all our days in carelessness of what ought to awaken in us the greatest solicitude. We might fail of excellence because not driven to make exertions for it. Human nature is not so perfect, that we have need only of gentle motives and refined suggestions of the understanding. These are not always sufficient to overcome sluggishness and throw off vice. After all, the hardships, privations, and evils of life perform an important office by the power they have over the mind. They compel us to summon up all our energies they force us from beds of lethargy and easethey lessen the facilities of vicious indulgence-they throw us upon our own resources-they often perform what nothing else can. Multitudes live to be convinced, that what appeared at the moment calamitous, hard, or distasteful, was, in fact, the occasion of procuring them the most solid and lasting enjoyment.