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ing to complete the moral fyftem; fome means for redreffing fuch wrongs, and for preventing the reiteration of them. To accomplish these important ends, there are added to the moral fyftem, laws relative to rewards and punishments, and to reparation; of which in their order.

Many animals are qualified for fociety by inftinct merely; fuch as beavers, fheep, monkeys, bees, rooks. But men are feldom led by inftinct: their actions are commonly prompted by paffions; of which there is an endless variety, focial and selfish, benevolent and malevolent. And were every paffion equally entitled to gratification, man would be utterly unqualified for fociety: he would be a fhip without a rudder, obedient to every wind, and moving at random without any ultimate destination. The faculty of reafon would make no oppofition; for were there no fenfe of wrong, it would be reasonable to gratify every defire that harms not ourfelves and to talk of punishment would be abfurd; for punishment, in its very idea, implies fome wrong that ought to be redreffed. Hence the neceffity of the moral fenfe, to qualify us for fociety: by in

ftructing

ftructing us in our duty, it renders us accountable for our conduct, and makes us fufceptible of rewards and punishments. The moral fenfe fulfils another valuable purpose it erects in man an unerring standard for the application and measure of rewards and punishments.

To complete the fyftem of rewards and punishments, it is neceffary that a provifion be made, both of power and of willingness to reward and punish. The author of our nature hath provided amply for the former, by entitling every man to reward and punish as his native privilege. And he has provided for the latter, by a noted principle in our nature, prompting us to exercise the power. Impelled by that principle, we reward the virtuous with approbation and esteem, and punish the vicious with disapprobation and contempt. And there is an additional motive for exercifing that principle, which is, that we have great fatisfaction in rewarding, and no lefs in punishing.

As to punishment in particular, an action done intentionally to produce mifchief, is criminal, and merits punishment. Such an action, being difagree

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able, raises my refentment, even where I have no connection with the perfon injured; and the principle mentioned impells me to chastise the delinquent with indignation and hatred. An injury done to myself raises my refentment to a higher tone: I am not fatisfied with fo flight a punishment as indignation and hatred: the author must by my hand fuffer mischief, as great as he has made me fuffer.

Even the most secret crime escapes not punishment. The delinquent is tortured with remorfe: he even defires to be punifhed, fometimes fo ardently as to punish himself *. There cannot be imagined

* Mr John Kello, minister of Spot in Eaft Lothian, had an extraordinary talent for preaching, and was universally held a man of fingular piety. His wife was handsome, chearful, tender-hearted, and in a word poffeffed all the qualities that can endear a woman to her husband. A pious and rich widow in the neighbourhood tempted his avarice. She clung to him as a spiritual guide; and but for his little wife, he had no doubt of obtaining her in marriage. He turned gradually peevish and discontented. His change of behaviour made a deep impreffion on his wife, for fhe loved him dearly; and yet she was anxious to conceal her treatment from

a

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a contrivance more effectual to deter one from vice, than remorfe, which itself is a grievous punishment. Self-punishment goes ftill farther: every criminal, fenfible that he ought to be punished, dreads punishment from others; and this dread,

the world. Her meeknefs, her fubmiffion, her patience, tended but to increase his fullennefs. Upon a Sunday morning when on her knees fhe was offering up her devotions, he came foftly behind her, put a rope about her neck, and hung her up to the ceiling. He bolted his gate, creeped out at a window, walked demurely to church, and charmed his hearers with a moft pathetic fermon. After divine fervice, he invited two or three of his neighbours to pafs the evening, at his houfe, telling them that his wife was indifpofed, and of late inclined to melancholy; but that she would be glad to fee them. It furprised them to find the gate bolted and none to answer: much more when, upon its being forc'd open, they found her in the posture mentioned. The husband feemed to be ftruck dumb; and counterfeited forrow fo much to the life, that his guests, forgetting the deceased, were wholly interested about the living. His feign'd tears however became real: his foul was oppreffed with the weight of his guilt. Finding no relief. from agonizing remorfe and from the image of his murdered wife conftantly haunting him, he about fix weeks after the horrid deed went to Edinburgh and delivered himfelf up to juftice. He was condemned upon his own confeffion, and executed 4th October 1570.

however

however fmothered during profperity, breaks out in adverfity, or in depreffion of mind: his crime stares him in the face, and every accidental misfortune is in his disturbed imagination interpreted to be a punishment:" And they faid one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish

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of his foul, when he befought us; and

we would not hear: therefore is this "diftrefs come upon us. And Reuben "anfwered them, faying, Spake I not

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unto you, faying, Do not fin against "the child; and ye would not hear? "therefore behold alfo his blood is required (a)" *

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(a) Genefis, xlii. 21.

No

John Duke of Britany, commonly termed the Good Duke, illuftrious for generofity, clemency, and piety, reigned forty-three years, wholly employ'd about the good of his fubjects. He was fucceeded by his eldeft fon Francis, a prince weak and fufpicious, and confequently liable to be mifled by favourites. Arthur of Montauban, in love with the wife of Gilles, brother to the Duke, perfuaded the Duke that his brother was laying plots to dethrone him. Gilles being imprisoned, the Duke's best friends conjured him to pity his unhappy brother, who might be imprudent, but affuredly was inno,

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