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Show PURPO S"E ANil GENERAL CONDITI01f Thu~ it is that the innocence of the party suffering for the faults of a parent. or of any other. person or set of persons, i:3 evidently a considet·ation quite apart from that suffering. . It is clear, moreover, from the whole scope of the 11atu rallaws, that the individual, as far as the present sphere of being is concerned, is to the Author of Nature a consideration of inferior moment. Everywhere we see the arrangements for the spe~ies p~rfect; ~he individual is left as it were to take his chance amidst the m2tee of the' various la~s affecting him. If he be found inferiorly endowed, or ill befalls him, there was a.t least no partiality against him. The system ?as the fauness of a lottery, in which every one has the hke chance of draw-ing a pdze. . Yet it is also to be observed that few evils are alto-gether unmixed. God, contemplating app~rently the unbending action of his ~reat law3, has established ~thers which appear to be de~Igned to have a compen.sahng, a repairin()' and a consoling effect. Suppose, for Instance, that, fro0~ a defect in the power of development in a mother her offspring is ushered into the world destitute of som~ of the most useful members, or blind, or deaf, or of imperfect intellect, there is ever to be found in the parents and other relatives, and in the surrounding public, a sympathy with the sufferer, ·which tends to make up for the deficiency, so that he is in the long run not much the loser. Indeed, the benevolence implanted in our nature seems to be an arrangement having for one of its principal objects to cause 11s, by sympathy and active aid, to remedy the evils unavoidably suffered by our fellowcreatures in the course of the operation of the other nat ural laws. And even in the sufferer himself, it is often found that a defect in one point is made up for by an ex· tra power in another. The blind come to have a sense of touch much more acute than those who see. Persong born without hands have been known to acquire a power of using their feet for a number of the principal offices usually served by that mernber. I need hardly say how remarkably fatuity is compensated by the more th~n usual rso·ard paid to the children born with it by thetr parents,0and the zeal which others usually feel to protect and succor such persons. In short, v-t.e never ~ee evil of any kind take place where there IS not som·c ..... OF THE ANIMATE!J CREA llC I<. 19~ remedy or compensating principle ready to interfere for its alleviation. And the ·e can be no doubt that in this manner suffering of all kinds is very much relieved. 1Ve may) then, regard the globes of space as theatres desig·ned for th~ resi~ence of ~.ni1nated sentient beings, placed there wtth this as their first and most obvious purpose-namely, to be sensible of enjoyments from the exercise of their faculties in relation to external things. The faculties of the various species are very different, but the happiness of each depends on the ·harmony there may be between its particular faculties and its particular circumstances. For instance, place the small-brained sheep or ox in a good pasture, and it fully enjoys this harmony of relation ; but man, having many mvre facul~ ties, cannot be thus contented. Besides having a sufficiency of food and bodily comfort, he must have entertainment for his intellect, whatever be its grade, objects for the domestic and social affections, objects for the sentiments. He is also a progressive being, and what pleases him to-day may not please him to-morrow; but in each case he demands a sphere of appropriate conditions in order to be happy. By virtue of his superior organization, his enjoyments are much higher and more varied than those of any of the lower animals; but the very complexity of circumstances affecting him renders it at the same time unavoidable that hi~ nature should be often inharmoniously placed and disagreeably affected, a1_1d that he should t.her~fore be unhappy. Still, unhapptness among manlnnd Is the exception from the rule of their ?ond.ition? a~1d a.n except~on which i~ capable of alnlost Infinite dtminuhon, by v1rtue of the Improving reason of man, and the experience which he acquires ir1 working out the problems of society. To secure the immediate means of happiness, it would seem to be necessary for men first to study with all care lhe constitution of nature, and, secondly, to accommodate themselves to that constitutior., so as to obtain all the realizCl:ble ad.vantage~ from acting conformahly to it, and to avotd all hl~ely evils from disregarding it. It will be of no use ~o stt down and expect that things are to operate of theu own accord, or throu()'h the direction of a partial Deity, for our benefit; equally so were jt to expose ourselves to ·palpable dangers, under the notion that we shall. for some reason, have a dispensation or exemp |