upon Religious .SuhjeEls. 371 tun to. As, on the one hand, it may be SERM railed by a diligent improvement to moral XIV, attainments next to angelical; fo, it is poffible, t # V _? it may degenerate, we do not know how far, even to be like the beaffs that perifh ; nay, and to be in depravity.next to devils. This depends in a great meafure on ourfelves ; and our condition, whether it (hall be good or bad, happy or miferable, is put in our own power. It may be raifed to a high meafure of perfehion and enjoyment by a due im- provement of our faculties ; and it may be depreffed into a deplorable abje&nefs, if we will not confider and Phew ourfelves men, if We will not exert our intelligent and moral capacities. But, particularly, fee how the order of nature is reverfed when men are turned into difpofitions like thofe of dogs and fwine. When a defire to brutal gratifica- tions is become fo impetuous, and the relifh for them fo ffrong, that there is no more tafle for, no fenfe of dignity and excellence in, moral worth ; but it is trampled under foot : when the pallions which were originally de- figned to minifter to the ends of our being, become the Haves of fin, and are only em- ployed to fecure its intereft. Anger was planted in us for our defence againft violence; B b 2 and
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