SLANDER. man. A person feeling, which leads the possessor to meditate on the divine excelThe old writers show no mercy lencies, and lose himself in secret to the envious man and to the slan- communion with the Deity. When derer. Every college boy, who he walks in the field; when he mehas read Dalzel's book, remem- ditates at the midnight hour; when bers, probably, the dying wretch he becomes weary of the world, who was filled with envy because and pants for translation to the pleahe saw his fellow-criminal cruci- sures and employments of heaven; fied on a better cross than his own. a good man is regarded as under This is extravagant. Nor less ex. the influence of the love of God. travagant are the following lines, A complete idea of this kind on one who is represented as hav- of love may be gotten from ing so much more poison than the Augustine's Confessions, from a most poisonous serpent, that the host of diaries, which, with more bite of the serpent was fatal to the or less judgment, have been pourreptile, not to the The ed upon the world. This love thought is bitter enough. may be called contemplative love. It is a passive feeling; it operates A slanderer felt an adder bite his side : most powerfully when a man is What followed from the bite ? the ser- most abstracted from the world. pent died. But there is another species of divine love, a principle, which AFFLICTIONS. though far less glowing, touches AMictions seldom benefit men, and controls all the springs of a during the agonies of the first on good man's conduct. set. The mind is in a whirlwind, feels a deep conviction that the and the whisperings of truth and will of God is the rule of his duty; consolation cannot then be heard. and he resolves in every instance It is said that oil poured upon the to conform to this will. He carries water will smooth the breakers of this determination into the busy the sea. But in a storm the pilot scenes of life; and exercises much boat cannot launch forth to bear self-denial in order to obey the that oil. Thus it is with the mind commands of God. In every quesin affliction; it is for a time in too tion of duty you see this is ħis rule turbulent a state to suffer the oil of of action. This may be called acconsolation to enter it. The time tive love; it is a very latent prinfor moral help is when the mental ciple, considered in itself; but it waves are beginning to abate, and is very powerful, considered as a have not yet ceased to roll. quality of other actions. Now the question is, which of It is the hour Of sorrow's softness, and religion's pow. biguous fountain of virtue ? In these principles is the most unam which of these regions is fancy most THE LOVE OF GOD prone to play her illusions and blend her colourings? The former Is the moving principle of Chris- of these principles is so uncertain, tianity; but is in the present day, that often in sick people, I have I fear, much misunderstood. It is seen it confounded with the influ. too often considered as an emotion ence of opium. We may media which terminates in itself. tate, it is true. Day d meditated The love of God may be consi- and glowed; but to prove ourselves dered as a principle, operating in Christians, we must act. T'he first two ways. It may be regarded as of these principles may be right; a glow of sentiment, a gush of the last cannot be wrong. er. For the Christian Spectator. SOLITUDE. A MOUNTAIN lies along the clear cold west, And yet, mild star, Then why forsake Then tarry where thou art, mild star of eve; CLIPTON. REVIEWS. Lectures on the Philosophy of the gained the unhesitating and univer Human Mind. By the late Tho- sal assent of philosophers themMAS BROWN, M. D. Professor of selves. On this part of the subject Moral Philosophy in the Univer- Dr. Brown with evident propriety sity of Edinburg. In three vo- bestows the first labours of his powlumes. Andover. 1822. erful mind; employing, in the il lustration of it and in arguments for It is our intention in this article to the refutation of theories inconsistcontine our remarks to that part of ent with his own, no fewer than Dr. Brown's course which relates ten lectures; and reserving the reto the science of Ethics. This is maining eighteen for the more contained in his last volume, and practical part of the system. comprises about one fourth part of Much perplexity he supposes to the system. If an apology be de- have attended inquiries into the manded for our selection of a part theory of morals, from distinctions of the system in distinction from which are merely verbal. 6 What the rest, we have only to say that is it that constitutes an action viituthis is that part which especially ous ? What is it which consticlaims our notice, as avowed guar- tutes the moral obligation to perdians of Christian morality; and form certain actions ? What is it that the influence which it is ob- which constitutes the merit of him taining in forming the sentiments who performs certain actions ? of the thinking classes in the com These have been considered quesmunity, and particularly of the tions essentially distinct; and beyoung, by the very just celebrity cause philosophers have been perof its author, and the almost unri- plexed in attempting to give differvalled charms of the work itself, ent answers to them, and have still has imposed on us an obligation thrught that different answers were of expressing our views in regardnecessary, they have wondered at to it, which it is time that we had difficulties which themselves have discharged. created, and struggling to discover Virtue is an object of such high im- what could not be discovered, have port, and such universal concern, as often, from this very circumstance, to have engaged the earnest inqui- been led into a skepticism which ries of enlightened men in all peri- otherwise they might have avoidods of the world. Not satisfied ed." This difference of phraseolowith merely establishing rules of gy he conceives to be founded chief. moral conduct, they have inquired ly in the difference of time in relaconcerning our obligation to ob- tion to which an action is contems serve those rules. With becoming plated. To be virtuous is to act in zeal they have asked, “What is this manner: to have merit is to virtue ?" 66 What is the foundation have acted in this manner: and to on which it rests ?” “In what be under obligation differs only as consists our obligation to practise the action contemplated is future. it?" These inquiries have been Accordingly, the answer wbich he the subject of laborious investiga- gives to these questions is the tion, and of numerous and conflict- same, viz. “that it is impossible ing discussions; and, after all, no for us to consider the action withsolution of them has been so com- out feeling that, by acting in this pletely established as to have way, we should look upon our. 66 selves, and others would look upon by which, in certain circumstances, us, with approving regard; and that we are susceptible of moral emoif we were to act in a different tions, we must always come in estiway, we should look upon our- mating virtue, whatever analyselves, and others would look upon ses we may make, or may think us, with abhorrence, or at least with that we have made." disapprobation.” (pp. 139, 140.) “ It is indeed easy,” he remarks, By “approving regard” thé au* to go a single step or two back, thor intends in these remarks, if and to say that we approve of the we do not misunderstand him, the action as meritorious, because it is same thing which theological wrian action which tends to the good of ters mean by the approving testithe world; or because it is the infer- mony of conscience; and by the red will of heaven that we should " approvableness of an action" act in a certain manner; but it is he means that which, to adopt a very obvious that an answer of this phrase of Paul, “commends it to kind does nothing more than go the conscience.” To be virtuous back a step or two, where the same then, is to act according to the dicquestions press with equal force. tates of conscience: to be meritoWhy is it virtue, obligation, merit, rious is to have acted in this manto do that which is for the good of ner: and to be under obligation is the world, and which heaven seems to be in such circumstances in reto us to indicate as fit to be done? lation to a future action, that, in We have here the same answer, contemplating it, we are urged by and only the same answer, to give, our consciences to perform it. Viras in the former case, when we tue, merit, obligation, are only the had not gone back this step. It ap- relation wbich certain actions bear pears to us virtue, obligation, me- to the testimony of conscience conrit, because the very contemplation cerning them. To this view of of the action incites in us a certain morality it may be objected that it feeling of vivid approval. It is this supposes virtue to be variable. irresistible approvableness, if I may Actions do not bear the same relaase such a word to express briefly tion to the testimony of conscience the relation of virtuous actions to in every mind. What one man apto the emotion that is instantly ex- proves another condemns; and, incited by them, which constitutes to deed, the same person may at one us the virtue of the action, the me- moment approve the action which rit of him who performed it, and at another he condemns. Or, in the moral obligation on him to have the language of the author, “ it must performed it.” (pp. 127, 128.) be admitted that all mankind do not "To say that an action excites in us feel at every moment precisely the this feeling, and to say that it appears same emotions on contemplating to us right or virtuous, or conform- actions, which are precisely the able to duty, are to say precisely the same." This difference, however, same thing; and an action which be ascribes to causes which are not does not excite in us this feeling, only consistent with the principle cannot appear to us right, virtuous, he asserts, but which involve the conformable to duty, any more than truth of it. The principle is this, an object can be couuted by us that there is in the constitution of brilliant, which uniformly appears the human mind a susceptibility of to us obscure, or obscure, which certain emotions, in view of certain appears to us uniformly brilliant. actions, by which their moral chaTo this ultimate fact in the consti- racter is pe ceived; and that these tution of our natures, the principle emotions, therefore, except as they or original tendency of the mind, are counteracted by other causes, are universally the same. If moral ate evidence of the intention, we may differences are not correctly per pauze in estiinating actions, which we should not fail to have approved instantceived, it is not because there is not in our minds a natural suscep ly, or disapproved instantly, if we had known the intention of the agent, or tibility of the emotions by which could have inferred it more easily from they are perceived, but because, a simpler result; or, by fixing our atby opposing circumstances, they tention chiefly on one part of the comare prevented. The susceptibility plex result that was perhaps not the itself is as truly essential to our part which the agent had in view, we mental constitution as the capacity may condemn what was praiseworthy, of sensation, memory, or or applaud what deserved our condemThere are, however, causes by thus have different moral sentiments, reason. nation. If the same individual may which, notwithstanding this, the according to the different parts of judgment is perverted. These are, the coinplex result on which his attirst, extreme passions. tention may have been fixed, it is sure ly not wonderful, that different individ “ The moral emotion has not arisen, uals, in regarding the same action, because the whole soul was occupied should sometimes approve, in like manwith a different species of feeling. The ner, and disapprove variously, not bemoral distinctions, however, or general cause the principle of moral emotion, tendencies of actions to excite this as an original tendency of the mind, is emotion, are not on this account less absolutely capricious, but because the certain; or we must say, that the action considered, though apparently truths of arithmetic, and all other the same, is really different as an oba truths, are uncertain, since the mind, in ject of conception in different minds, a state of passion, would be equally in- according to the parts of the mixed recapable of distinguishing these. He sult which attract the chief attention. who has lived for years in the hope of “Such partial views, it is evident; revenge, and who has at length laid his may become the views of a whole nafoe at his feet, may, indeed, while he tion, from the peculiar circumstances pulls out his dagger from the heart that in which the nation may be placed as is quivering beneath it, be incapable of to other nations, or from peculiarity of feeling the crime which he has com- general institutions. The legal permitted ; but would he at that moment mission of theft in Sparta, for example, be abler to tell the square of four, or may seem to us with our pacific habits, the cube of two? All in his mind, at and security of police, an exception to that moment, is one wild state of agi- that moral principle of disapprobation tation, which allows nothing to be felt for which I contend. But there can but the agitation itself.” p. 144. be no doubt, that theft, as mere theft, or, in other words, as a mere producAnother more important cause tion of a certain quantity of evil by Consists in the complex nature of one individual to another individual, moral actions. if it never had been considered in rela tion to any political object, would in * Anaction, when it is the object of our Sparta, have excited disapprobation as moral approbation or disapprobation, is, with us. As a mode of inuring to haas I have already said, the agent himself bits of vigilance a warlike people, howacting with certain views. These views, ever, it might be considered in a very that is to say, the intentions of the agent, different light; the evil of the loss of are necessary to be taken into account, property, though in itself an evil to the OT, rather, are the great moral circum- individual, even in a country in wbich stances to be considered ; and the in- differences of property were so slight, tention is not visible to us like the ex- being nothing in this estimate, when ternal changes produced by it, but is, compared with the more important nain inany cases, to be inferred from the tional accession of military virtue; apparent results. When these results, and, indeed, the reason of the perinis. therefore, are too obscure, or too com- sion seems to be sufficiently marked, in plicated, to furnisb cloar and immedi- the limitation of the impunity to cases, |