In the wide fcale of human condition, there is not perhaps one of its manifold diversities, which does not bear upon the defign here fuggefted. Virtue is infinitely various. There is no fituation in which a rational being is placed, from that of the best instructed Christian, down to the condition of the rudeft barbarian, which affords not room for moral agency; for the acquifition, exercife, and difplay of voluntary qualities, good and bad. Health and fickness, enjoyment and fuffering, riches and poverty, knowledge, and ignorance, power and subjection, liberty and bondage, civilization and barbarity, have all their offices and duties, all serve for the formation of character: for, when we speak of a state of trial, it must be remembered, that characters are not only tried, or proved, or detected, but that they are generated alfo, and formed, by circumftances. The best difpofitions may fubfift under the moft depreffed, the most afflicted fortunes. A Weft Indian flave, who, amidft his wrongs, retains his benevolence, I, for my part, look upon, as amongst the foremost of human candidates for the rewards of virtue. The kind mafter of fuch a flave, that is, he, who, in the exercife of an inordinate authority, polpones,

in any degree, his own intereft to his flave's comfort, is likewife a meritorious character; but ftill he is inferior to his flave. however which I contend for, is, that these

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deftinies, oppofite as they may be in every other view, are both trials; and equally fuch.

The obfervation may be applied to every other condition; to the whole range of the fcale, not excepting even its lowest extremity. Savages appear to us all alike, but it is owing to the distance at which we view favage life, that we perceive in it no difcrimination of character. I make no doubt, but that moral qualities, both good and bad, are called into action as much, and that they fubfift in as great variety, in these inartificial focieties, as they are, or do, in polished life. Certain at least it is, that the good and ill treatment, which each individual meets with, depends more upon the choice and voluntary conduct of those about him, than it does, or ought to do, under regular civil inftitutions, and the coercion of public laws. So again, to turn our eyes to the other end of the scale, namely, that part of it, which is occupied by mankind, enjoying the benefits of learning together with the lights of revelation, there also, the advan

tage is all along probationary. Chriftianity itself, I mean, the revelation of Christianity, is not only a bleffing but a trial. It is one of the diverfified means by which the character is exercised; and they who require of Chriftianity, that the revelation of it should be univerfal, may poffibly be found to require, that one fpecies of probation fhould be adopted, if not to the exclufion of others, at least to the narrowing of that variety which the wisdom of the Deity hath appointed to this part of his moral economy

Now if this fuppofition be well founded; that is, if it be true, that our ultimate, or our moft permanent happiness, will depend, not upon the tempora, y condition into which we are caft, but upon our behaviour in it; then is it a much more fit fubject of chance than we

The reader will obferve, that I fpeak of the reve Jation of Christianity as diftin&t from Christianity itself. The difpenfation may already be univerfal. That part of mankind which never heard of Chrifl's name, may nevertheless be redeemed, that is, be placed in a better condition with refpect to their future ftate, by his intervention; be the objects of his benignity and interceffion, as well as of the propitiatory virtue of his paffion. But this is not "natural Theology," therefore I will not dwell longer upon ita

usually

ufually allow or apprehend it to be, in what manner, the variety of external circumstances, which fubfift in the human world, is diftributed amongst the individuals of the fpecies. "This life being a state of probation, it is immaterial," fays Rouffeau, "what kind of trials we experience in it, provided they produce their effects." Of two agents, who ftand indifferent to the moral Governor of the universe, one may be exercifed by riches, the other by poverty. The treatment of thefe two fhall appear to be very oppofite, whilft in truth it is the fame: for, though in many refpects, there be great disparity between the conditions affigned, in one main article there may be none, viz. in that they are alike trials; have both their duties and temptations, not lefs arduous or lefs dangerous, in one cafe than the other: fo that, if the final award follow the character, the original diftribution of the circumstances under which that character is formed, may be defended upon principles not only of justice but equality. What hinders, therefore, but that mankind may draw lots for their condition? They take their portion of faculties and opportunities, as any unknown cause, or concourse of causes, or as causes acting for other purposes,

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purposes, may happen to fet them out, but the event is governed by that which depends upon themselves, the application of what they have received. In dividing the talents, no rule was obferved; none was neceffary: in rewarding the use of them, that of the moft correct justice, The chief difference at laft appears to be, that the right use of more talents, i. e, of a greater truft, will be more highly rewarded, than the right ufe of fewer talents, i. e. of a lefs truft, And fince, for other purpoles, it is expedient, that there be an inequality of concredited talents here, as well, probably, as an inequality of conditions hereafter, though all remuneratory, can any rule, adapted to that inequality, be more agreeable even to our apprehenfions of diftributive juftice, than this is?

We have faid, that the appearance of cafualty, which attends the occurrences and events of life, not only does not interfere with its uses, as a state of probation, but that it promotes these uses.

Paffive virtues, of all others the fevereft and the moft fublime; of all others, perhaps, the most acceptable to the Deity; would, it is evident, be excluded from a conftitution, in which happiness and mifery regularly followed virtue

and