And we find an answer to our anxious inquiry, What are we to do as men placed in the world? "Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."* * Eccles. xii. 13. CHAPTER X. GOOD AND EVIL ESTIMATED, AS BEING IN ACCORDANCE WITH, OR IN OPPOSITION TO, THE WILL OF GOD. NEVERTHELESS (ORDINARILY SPEAKING) WHAT APPEARS GOOD IS GOOD, AND WORTHY OF PURSUIT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. It may be recollected that the inquirer was first moved to the investigation which he has pursued, by considerations of good and evil. He had found out that to give full license to passion was not good, and had then hoped that mere human sagacity would shew him what he wished: but in the progress of his inquiry he has been led on in a manner somewhat different from what he expected, and has been enabled to lay strong foundations of moral and religious truth. His investigation was no improper one: and whatever ideas he might have entertained of its nature, and of the answers likely to be obtained, still his questions have been answered. It is good to obey God, evil to offend Him. Here is a high principle to adduce against antagonist principles, and by which to be governed, Indeed, beyond this we cannot absolutely desire one event rather than another, without presumption, and without making ourselves the judges of all that train of future things which God has concealed from our view: Prudens futuri temporis exitum Caliginosâ nocte premit Deus.* We know not what is most profitable for us, power or weakness, riches or poverty, honour or dishonour, health or sickness, life or death :† Permittas ipsis expendere numinibus quid † New Manual of Devotions. * Hor. Od. III. 29. Juv. x. Even the Fabulist illustrates this matter by his tale of the herdsman, who, missing a heifer, vowed to Jupiter that he would sacrifice a kid if the god would discover to him the thief. By and by, searching everywhere, "he espied the carcase of his heifer, and a lion growling over it and feeding upon it. This sight almost frightened him out of his senses, and falling down upon his knees, 'O Jupiter,' he exclaimed, I promised thee a kid to shew me the thief, but now I promise thee a bull if thou wilt deliver me from his claws.'” Jeremy Taylor gives us a story of an Egyptian robber, who, "sleeping under a rotten wall, was awakened by Serapis, and sent away from the ruin: but being quit from the danger, and seeing the wall to slide, he thought that the demon loved his crime because he had so strangely preserved him from a sudden and violent death. But Serapis told him, 'I saved you from the wall to reserve you for the wheel,' from a short and private death to a painful and disgraceful.” It may be observed, that we have a difficulty in absolutely judging what is good or evil, beyond that which we experienced in determining what was true or false: for events do certainly happen or do not happen, irrespectively of persons; whereas they may be good or evil for one person, and not for another. Thus, for instance, before the battle of Cannæ, Hannibal, in looking to the future, might not only have considered whether it was likely that he should be victorious; but the question might also have occurred, how far even victory would be good. Livy however tells us, "Hannibali nimis læta res est visa, majorque quam ut eam statim capere animo posset." So he delays to march to Rome. Accordingly, "Vincere scis Hannibal; victoriâ uti nescis" is the reproof of the eager Maharbal. Even if we regard more remote events: Exitus ergo quis est? O gloria! Vincitur idem Finem animæ, quæ res humanas miscuit olim Non gladii, non saxa dabunt, non tela; sed ille Juv. X. Contrast with this the conduct and the fortunes of our own great leader after the battle of Waterloo. On the whole, then, we may be warned, that in choosing what appears good, and rejecting what to our limited faculties seems evil, we be not too ardently desirous in our pursuit of the former, nor too anxiously energetic in avoiding the latter. One who knew not Christ prayed thus: Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ, τὰ μὲν ἔσθλα καὶ εὐχομένοις καὶ ἀνευκτοις ̓́Αμμι δίδου· τὰ δὲ λυγρὰ καὶ εὐχομένων ἀπερύκοις. Where we are but passive, let us take heed that we rejoice not overmuch in what is called prosperity, nor grieve in adversity. The remembrance of death taught this wisdom to the poet: Equam memento rebus in arduis Ab insolenti temperatam HOR. Od. II. 3. A Christian philosopher would of course carry the principle much further. "When a sadness lies heavy upon thee (writes Jeremy Taylor), remember that thou art a Christian designed for the inheritance of Jesus. And what dost thou think concerning thy great fortune, thy lot and portion of eternity? Dost thou think thou shalt be saved or damned? Indeed if thou thinkest thou shalt perish, I cannot blame thee to be sad, sad till thy heart-strings crack: but then why art thou troubled at the loss of thy money? What should a damned man do with money, which in so great a sadness it is impossible for him to enjoy? Did ever any man upon |