Chapter V

PROBATION INTENDED FOR MORAL DISCIPLINE AND IMPROVEMENT.

Why we should be placed in the condition spoken of in the last chapter, is a question which cannot be answered. It may be that we could not understand, if told. And if we could, it might injure us to know, just now. It certainly is consistent with God’s righteous government.

Religion tells us that we are so placed in order to become qualified for a better state.

This, though a very partial answer to the inquiry _why_ we are so placed, answers an infinitely more important question,--viz.: _What is our business here?_

I. _We are placed in this state of trial, for our improvement in virtue, as the requisite qualification for future security and happiness._

=1.= Every creature is designed for a particular way of life.

1.) Happiness depends on the congruity between a creature’s
nature and its circumstances.

2.) Man’s character might be so changed as to make him
_incapable_ of happiness on earth.

3.) Or he might be placed, without changing his nature, in a
world where he must be wretched, for want of the proper objects
to answer to his desires.

4.) So that without determining what is the future condition of
good men, we know there must be necessary _qualifications_ to
make us capable of enjoying it.

=2.= Human beings are so constituted as to become fit for new and
different conditions.

1.) We not only acquire ideas, but store them up.

2.) We can become more expert in any kind of action.

3.) And can make settled alterations in our tempers.

4.) We can form _habits_--both bodily and mental.

As these operate in producing radical changes in human
character, we will look for a moment at the process.

--Neither perceptions, nor knowledge, are habits; though
necessary to _forming_ them.

--There are habits of perception, however, and habits of
action: the former are passive, the latter active.

--Habits of body are produced by external acts, and habits of
mind by the exertion of principles; _i.e._ carrying them out.

--Resolutions to do well are acts, and may _help_ towards
forming good habits. But _mere_ theorizing, and forming
pictures in the mind, not only do not help, but may harden
the mind to a contrary course.

--Passive impressions, by repetition grow weaker. Thus
familiarity with danger lessens fear.

--Hence active habits may be formed and strengthened, by
acting according to certain motives or excitements, which
grow less sensibly felt and less and less felt, as the habit
strengthens.

· Thus the sight of distress excites the passive emotion
of pity, and the active principle of benevolence. But
inquiring out cases of distress in order to relieve them,
causes diminished sensitiveness at the sight of misery, and
stronger benevolence and aptitude in relieving it.

· So admonition, experience, and example, if acted upon,
produce good; if not, harden.

5.) The formation of a habit may be imperceptible and even
inexplicable, but the thing itself is matter of certain
experience.

6.) A habit once formed, the action becomes easy and often
pleasurable: opposite inclinations grow weaker: difficulties
less: and occasions more frequent.

7.) Thus, a new character, in several respects, is formed.

=3.= We should not have these capacities for improvement and for
the reconstruction of character, if it were not necessary.

1.) They are necessary, even as to this life.

--We are not qualified, at first, for mature life:
understanding and strength come gradually.

--If we had them in full, at birth, we should at first be
distracted and bewildered, and our faculties would be of no
use previous to experience. Ignorant of any employment, we
could not provide for ourselves.

--So that man is an unformed, unfinished creature, even as
to this world, till he _acquire_ knowledge, experience, and
habits.

2.) Provision is made for our acquiring, in youth, the
requisite qualities for manhood.

--Children _learn_, from their very birth,

· The nature and use of objects.

· The subordinations of domestic life.

· The rules of life.

--Some of this learning is acquired so insensibly, as to seem
like instinct, but some requires great care and labor, and
the doing of things we are averse to.

--According as we act during this formative period, is our
character formed; and our capacity for various stations in
society determined.

--Early opportunities lost, cannot be recovered.

3.) Our state of discipline throughout this life, for another,
is exactly of the same kind: and comprehended under one general
law.

--If we could not see how the present discipline fitted us
for a higher life, it would be no objection.

· We do not know how food, sleep, &c. enlarges the
child’s body; nor would we expect such a result, prior to
experience.

· Nor do children understand the need of exercise,
temperance, restraint, &c.

--We thus see a general analogy of Providence indicating that
the present life is preparatory.

=4.= If virtue is a necessary qualification for future happiness,
then we see our need of the moral culture of our present state.

1.) Analogy indicates that our future state will be social.

--Nature furnishes no shadow of unreasonableness in the
Scripture doctrine that this future community will be under
the more immediate government of God.

--Nor the least proof that its members will not require the
exercise of veracity, justice, &c. towards each other; and
that character which _results_ from the practice of such
virtues.

--Certainly the universe is under moral government; and a
virtuous character must, in some way, be a condition of
happiness in that state.

2.) We are deficient, and in danger of deviating from what is
right.

--We have desires for outward objects.

--The times, degrees, &c. of gratifying these desires, are,
of right, subject to the control of the moral principle.

--But that principle neither excites them, nor prevents their
being excited.

--They may exist, when they cannot be lawfully gratified, or
gratified at all.

--When the desire exists, and the gratification is unlawful,
we are tempted.

3.) The only security is the principle within.

--The strengthening of this lessens the danger.

--It may be strengthened, by discipline and exercise.

· Noting examples.

· Attending to the right, and not to preference.

· Considering our true interests.

--When improved, it becomes, in proportion to its strength,
our security from the dangers of natural propensions.

--Virtue, become habitual by discipline, is improved virtue;
and improved virtue must produce increased happiness, if the
government of the world is moral.

4.) Even creatures made upright may fall.

--The fall of an upright being, is not accounted for by the
nature of liberty; for that would only be saying that an
event happened because it might happen.

--But from the very nature of propensions.

--A finitely perfect being would have propensions
corresponding to its surroundings; its understanding; and its
moral sense; and all these in due proportions.

--Such a being would have propensions, though the object
might not be present, or the indulgence might be contrary to
its moral sense; and this would have some tendency, however
small, to induce gratification.

--The tendency would be increased by the frequency of
occasions; and yet more by the least indulgence, even in
thought; till, under peculiar conjunctures, it would become
effect.

--The first transgression might so utterly disorder the
constitution, and change the proportions of forces, as to
lead to a repetition of irregularities; and hence to the
construction of bad habits, and a depraved character.

5.) On the contrary, a finitely perfect being may attain higher
virtue, and more security, by obeying the moral principle.

--For the danger would lessen, by the increased
submissiveness of propensions.

--The moral principle would gain force by exercise.

6.) Thus vice is not only criminal, but degrading; and virtue
is not only right, but improving.

--The degree of improvement may be such that the danger of
sinning may be almost infinitely lessened.

--Yet the security may always be the habits formed in a
state of discipline; making such a state altogether fit and
necessary.

7.) This course of reasoning is vastly stronger when applied to
fallen and corrupt creatures.

--The upright need improvement; the fallen must be renewed.

--Discipline is expedient for the one; necessary for the
other; and of a severer sort.

II. _The present world is peculiarly fit for such discipline as we need._

=1.= Surrounding evils tend to produce moderation, practical
knowledge, &c. very different from a mere speculative knowledge
of our liability to vice and misery.

=2.= Our experience in this world, with right views and practice,
may leave eternal impressions for good.

=3.= Every act of self-government in the exercise of virtue,
must, from the very make of our nature, form habits of virtue,
and a more intense virtuous principle.

=4.= Resolute and persevering resistance to particular and
violent temptations, is a _continued_ act of virtue, and that in
a _higher degree_ than if the seduction were transient and weak.

=5.= Self-denial is not essential to virtue, but is almost
essential to discipline and improvement.

1.) Because actions materially virtuous, which have no
difficulty, but agree with our inclinations, may be done merely
from inclination, and so not be _really_ virtuous.

2.) But when they are done in face of danger and difficulty,
virtuousness is increased, and confirmed into a habit.

_Objec._ 1. As our intellectual or physical powers may be
overtasked, so may our moral.

_Ans._ This may be so in exceptional cases, but it does not
confute the argument. In general, it holds good. All that is
intended to be proved is, that this world is _intended_ to be a
state of improvement, and is _fitted_ for it.

1.) Some sciences which of themselves are highly improving,
require a trying measure of attention, which some will not
submit to.

2.) It is admitted that this world disciplines many to vice:
but this viciousness of many is the very thing which makes
the world a virtuous discipline to good men. The _whole end_
in placing mankind as they are we know not; but these things
are evident--the virtues of some are exercised:--and so
exercised as to be improved: and improved beyond what they
would be in a perfectly virtuous community.

3.) That all, or even the generality, do not improve, is no
proof that their improvement was not _intended_. Of seeds and
animals not one in a million comes to perfection; yet such
as do, evidently answer an end for which they were designed.
The _appearance of waste_ in regard to seeds, &c. is just as
unaccountable, as the ruin of moral agents.

_Objec._ 2. Rectitude arising from hope and fear, is only the
discipline of self-love.

_Ans._ Obedience _is_ obedience, though prompted by hope or
fear: and a _course_ of such obedience, forms a habit of
it: and distinct habits of various virtues, by repressing
inclination whenever justice, veracity, &c. require.

Beside, veracity, justice, regard to God’s authority, and
self-interest, are coincident; and each, separately, a just
principle. To begin a good life from either of them, and
persist, produces that very character which corresponds to our
relations to God, and secures happiness.

_Objec._ 3. The virtues requisite for a state of afflictions,
and produced by it, are not wanted to qualify us for a state of
happiness.

_Ans._ Such is not the verdict of experience. Passive
submission is essential to right character. Prosperity itself
begets extravagant desires; and imagination may produce as much
discontent as actual condition. Hence, though we may not need
_patience_ in heaven, we shall need that _temper_ which is
formed by patience.

Self-love would always coincide with God’s commands, when
our interest was rightly understood; but it is liable to
error. Therefore, HABITS of resignation are necessary, for
_all_ creatures; and the proper discipline for resignation is
affliction.

_Objec._ 4. The trouble and danger of such discipline, might have
been avoided by making us at once, what we are intended to become.

_Ans._ What we are to be, is the effect of what we are to
do. God’s natural government is arranged not to save us from
trouble or danger, but to enable and incline us to go through
them. It is as natural for us to seek means to obtain things,
as it is to seek the things; and in worldly things we are left
to our choice, whether to improve our powers and so better our
condition, or to neglect improvement and so go without the
advantage.

Analogy, therefore, makes the same arrangement credible, as to
a future state.

III. _This state of discipline may be necessary for the display of character._

=1.= Not to the all-knowing Being, but to his creation, or part
of it, and in many ways which we know not.

=2.= It may be a _means_ in disposing of men according to
character.

=3.= And of showing creation that they are so disposed of.

=4.= Such display of character certainly contributes, largely, to
the general course of things considered in this chapter.