"that a man's life confifteth not in the abundance "of the things which he poffeffes;" and again, xxi. 34. "Take heed to yourselves left at any "time your hearts be overcharged with furfeiting "and drunkennefs," and "cares of this life,” and he advifes us to lay up "treasure in heaven, "rather than upon earth," Matt. vi. 19. The apostle Paul has many earneft exhortations upon this fubject. Heb. xiii. 5. "Let your converfation "be without covetoufnefs, and be content with "fuch things as ye have." 1 Tim. vi. 6. “ God"linefs with contentment is great gain: For we "brought nothing into this world, and it is cer"tain we can carry nothing out. And having "food and raiment, let us be therewith content. "But they that will be rich fall into temptation, ❝and a fnare, and into many foolish and hurtful lufts, which drown men in destruction and per"dition. For the love of money is the root of all " evil, &c." Laftly, he gives a beautiful description of the temper of his own mind in this respect, Phil. iv. 11. "I have learned in whatsoever ftate "I am, therewith to be content. I know both "how to be abafed, and I know how to abound : every where, and in all things I am inftructed, "both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to fuffer need." It may feem extraordinary to some persons, that nothing should be faid in the scriptures about the criminality of what we ufually call felf-murder; but fince all those wrong difpofitions of mind, which lead to it, are fufficiently cenfured, there was no great reafon for noticing this particular ac... tion, which takes its rife and its character from them. The voluntary death of Achitophel, and indeed of Sampfon, in the Old Teftament, and that of Judas Iscariot, in the New, are mentioned in the course of the history, together with the circumftances which led to them, but without any particular cenfure; and Sampfon was even affifted fupernaturally to put an end to his own life, together with that of his enemies. Jofephus, in the speech which he made, to diffuade his countrymen from laying violent hands upon themselves (which great numbers of the Jews about that time did) De Bello Judaico, lib. iii. cap. 7. makes not use of one argument drawn from the fcriptures, but only from reafon, or the principles of the heathen philofophy; speaking of the separate state of the foul, of transmigration, and of Tartarus. It seems to be fufficient to say, that there is no example in the fcriptures of any person of diftinguished virtue putting an end to his own life, and that a voluntary death is never mentioned with ap. probation; and the most eminent perfonages, efpe : L 2 cially cially Jefus Chrift, are recorded to have borne pain and torture to the last; without ever thinking of relieving themselves by a voluntary death. We also know that none of the apoftles, or primitive christians, ever took this method to avoid torture, even when they could have no hope of life; and we cannot but feel that we should have thought meanly of them if they had done so; thinking such a degree of impatience and cowardice, as that conduct would have argued, a confiderable flaw in their characters. I do not see much force in the argument against a voluntary death, from the confideration of life being the gift of God, and a trust, which we ought not to refign without his orders, because every bleffing of life comes under the same description, and yet many of these we think ourselves fufficiently authorised to relinquifh, according to our own prudence and difcretion. But to throw away life is, in another view, a very different thing from relinquishing wealth, rank, or ease, &c. for it is putting an end to the whole period of trial and difcipline, and throwing away the opportunity which adverfity, as a part of it, might afford, to improve us, and fit us for fomething greater hereafter; and, with refpect to other perfons, there certainly is not a nobler, or more improving fpectacle in the world, than that of a good man ftrug gling with undeserved fufferings, without a complaint. But though, on these accounts, I should, in all cafes, condemn a man for withdrawing himself from the public theatre of life, I would not bring this action under the denomination of murder, because they are by no means things of the fame nature; for, certainly, the temper of mind with which a man destroys himself, and that with which he kills another, are very different; and the latter is much more malignant, and deferving of punishment, than the former. Despair, or fear, are reprehenfible; but malice is certainly of a much more atrocious nature. Neither can there be any thing peculiarly hazardous in fuicide, confidered as the last crime of which a man is guilty, and of which he has no opportunity of repenting, because it is not a fingle action, the firft, the middle, or the laft of a man's life, that ought, in equity, to determine his character in a future ftate, but the whole of his character and conduct, taken together. SECTION IV. Of the means of virtue. THE facred writings not only contain the moft powerful diffuafives from all kinds of vice, and the most effectual exhortations to a life of univerfal virtue, but likewife a variety of obfervations and advices relating to the manner in which vicious, or virtuous habits, are formed, and the methods by which inordinate affections may be reprefsed, and proper ones promoted. For this purpose, they propofe conftant watchfulness, frequent meditation on the works and word of God, a careful choice of good company, and great refolution and felf-denial, whenever bad habits are become predominant. They, moreover, advise all perfons to watch over one another, and to do every thing to mutual edification: David fays, Pf. cxli. 3. "Set a watch, O "Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my "lips." Our Lord advifes his difciples, Matt. xxvi. 41. "To watch and pray, that they enter "not into temptation;" and Mark iv. 18. "To "take heed, left when they hear the word, the "cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of "riches, and the luft of other things, entering in, choke the word, and make it become un "fruit |