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النشر الإلكتروني

THE

DIGNITY

OF

HUMAN NATURE.

BOOK I.

OF PRUDENCE.

INTRODUCTION.

To show what is truly great, ornamental, or useful, in

life; to call the attention of mankind to objects worthy of their regard, as rational and immortal beings; to give a brief, but comprehensive account of the certain and established means for attaining the true end of our existence, happiness in the present and future states; is the design of the following essay.

The motives which engaged the author to attempt a task, confessedly too arduous for any single hand, were such as to him seemed sufficient to justify his aspiring, where even a failure, if not too shameful, must deserve praise; as encouragements from persons, for whom he joins with all mankind in having the most profound regard and veneration; the candor he has, in some more inconsiderable attempts, met with from the public; the hope of receiving improvement to himself from digesting and compiling such a work, and from the opinion of the judicious upon it: these several considerations had deservedly their respective influence. But what rendered the attempt mere C

proper and necessary, was a direct view to the advantage of some young persons, in other parts of the world, as well as England, with whom his connexions are such, as to give them a right to the fruit of his best abilities in the literary kind; and who will not probably fail to pay a peculiar regard to whatever comes from him.

To exhibit a comprehensive idea of the true Dignity of Human Nature, it will be necessary to consider what is fit for a being, who at present inhabits a perishing body, itself an immortal spirit; for a creature capable of action, of making himself and others happy in this world, and of being rewarded and punished hereafter according to his conduct; for a nature fitted for social virtue, and brought into existence to be prepared for glory and happiness.

It is necessary, in order to a man's filling properly his place in society, that he regulate his conduct by the laws of prudence and virtue. To answer the Divine intention in furnishing him with rational faculties, it is evidently proper, that he labour to improve those faculties with knowledge. And in order to his gaining the favour of the supreme Governor of the world, upon which alone the happiness of all created beings depends, it is plain, that obedience to his laws is indispensably necessary, which comprehends religion, natural and revealed. The Dignity of Human Nature may then be exhibited under the four following heads, viz.

L. PRUDENCE, or such a conduct with respect to secular affairs, as is proper in itself, and suitable to respective circumstances, and naturally tends to make a man happy in himself, and useful in society. II. KNOWLEDGE, or the improvement and enlargement of the faculties of the mind, as understanding, memory, and imagination.

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III. VIRTUE, or a conformity of disposition and tice to rectitude in all respects, as to ourselves, our fellow-creatures, and our Maker. IV. REVEALED RELIGION, or a due inquiry into, and proper regard to, any express revelation, which the Supreme Being may have given to mankind.

The business of life is serious, not ludicrous. No order of beings (especially of rationals) was brought into existence wholly for pleasure and amusement; but to fill some useful place, and answer some important end in the extensive scheme of the beneficent Creator. It is therefore evidently the interest, the wisdom, and the perfection of every rational creature to look to it, that he perform properly the duty of his appointed station: and in that he will in the end find his glory and his happiness.

To give a brief view of what is principally necessary to the dignity of human nature, it seems most methodical to address the following directions chiefly to those readers, who have not yet gone far in life, but are at the same time arrived at an age capable of improving by proper helps, and a due attention to their own interest, when faithfully pointed out to them. Proceeding, from the first setting out in manly life, to the subjects of marriage and education of children, and to the conduct of more advanced age; all the stages of life may be taken in, and the true dignity of each pointed out.

That in the following essay there will of course be wanting a number of particulars, more or less conducive to the dignity of our nature, is no more than may be expected in a design so extensive. If it be found, that whoever conforms to these directions, and frames his character according to the following plan, will have attained the most considerable part of the perfection of human life; it will be acknowledged by the candid and ingenuous, that the throwing together into one view, such a number of particulars of principal importance, was attempting a service useful to the public.

As young people have a prospect (though a precarious one) of living to old age, it is of consequence, that they be early put upon such courses, as will be likely to render their passage through life, whether longer or shorter, easy and comfortable. A person's setting out with proper dignity, is of great importance toward his future prosperity; as, on the contrary, one false step at the first entrance into life may prove irretrievable. Mankind fix their attention upon the behaviour of a person just setting out, and according to the prudence or want of judgment,

they observe in the first steps he takes, pronounce (too precipitately indeed) upon the whole of his future conduct. Men, in active stations especially, ought to consider, that, at their first entrance into life, they will have the ill-will and envy of many rivals and competitors to encounter; and ought to remember, that it will require no ordinary degree of sagacity to defeat the designs of those, who think themselves interested to make a bad use of every miscarriage.

To this end there is nothing so indispensably necessary as prudence, or a turn of mind, which puts a person upon looking forward, and enables him to judge rightly of the consequences of his behaviour; so as to avoid the misfortunes into which rashness precipitates many, and to gain the ends which a wise and a virtuous man ought to pursue.

It is evident to the meanest understanding, that there is a fitness or unfitness, a suitableness or unsuitableness of things to one another, which is not to be changed, without some change pre-supposed in the things, or their circumstances. Prudence is the knowledge and observance of this propriety of behaviour to times and circumstances, and probable consequences, according to their several

varieties.

A turn to prudence is, like all the other endowments of the mind, a natural gift, bestowed more or less liberally upon different persons. Some give promises of sagacity and coolness of judgment almost from their infancy; and others never arrive at the mature exercise of foresight or reflection, but, in spite of the experience of many years, seem children to the last. At the same time, this faculty, is capable of great improvements in almost the weakest heads; could they but be brought to bestow a little thought and attention, and to listen to reason, more than to passion.

Imprudent conduct may be owing to a person's want of opportunity for knowing the propriety of behaviour, which is the case of young and unexperienced persons, who have not been long enough in the world to know it; and of rustics, academics, and recluses, who, though they have lived long enough, have not lived among mankind, so as to ac quire a due knowledge of them.

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