পাতা:তত্ত্ববোধিনী পত্রিকা (পঞ্চম কল্প প্রথম খণ্ড).pdf/২৩

তত্ত্ববোধিনী পত্রিকা &ペつ or satisfaction, while detained in the ignoble pursuits of ensual pleasure or popular applause. The divinity is a boundless ocean of bliss and gldry: Human minds are smaller streams, which, arising at first from this occan, seek still, amid all their wanderin gs, to return to it, and to lose themselves in that immensity or perfection. Whel, checked in this natural course by vice or folly, they become furious and enraged; and, swelling to a torrønt, do then spread horror and devastation on the neighbouring plains. In vain, by pompous phrase and passionate expression, each recommends his own pursuit, and invites the ceilulous hearers to an imitation of his life and manners. The heart belies the coun. tenance, and sensibly feels, even amid the highest success, the unsatisfactory nature of all those pleasures which detain it from its true object. I examine the volultuous man before enjoyment : I measure the vehcinence of his de. sire, and the importance of his object : I find that all his happiness proceeds only from that hurry of thought, which takes him from himself, and turns his view from his guilt and misery. I consider him a moment after : he has nów enjoyed the pleasure, which he fondly saught after. The sense of his guilt and misery returns upon him with double anguish ; his mind tor1mented with four and remorse ; his body depressed with disgust and satioty. But...a more august, at least a more haughty personage, presents himself boldly to our censure; and, assuming the title of philosopher and man of morals, offers to submit to the most rigid examination. He challenges, with a visible, though concealed inpatience, our approbation and applause ; and Heems offended, that we # hesitate a moment before we break out into admiration of his virtue: Steingilis impatience, I hesitate still more ; T begin to examine the motives of his seeining virtue ; But, behold ! ere I can enter upon this inquiry, he flings himself from me ; and addressing his discourse to that crowd of heedless audi tors, fondly amuses them by his magnific: ; pretension. • O, oilosopher thy wisdom is vain, and of virtue unprofitable. Thou seekest : ' ignorant applauses of men, not the solid reflections of thy own con. science, or the more solid approbation of that Being, who, with one regard of his all-seeing eye, penetrates the universe. Thou surely art conscious of the hollowTness of thy protended prwbity ; whilst colling thyself a citizen, a son, a friend, thou forgettest thy higher sovereign, thy true father, thy great- . ost, benefaetor. Where is the adoratioi, due to infinite perfection, whence every thing good and valuabla is derived 2 'here is the gratitude owing to thy (‘reater, who called thce forth, from no. thing, who placed thee in all these 1. lations to thy fellow-creatures, and re. qui ~ing fiiee t , fìilfil t!re duity of each relation, forbids theo to negli ct what thou owest to himself, the most perfect. being, to whom thou art connected by tire closest tie : * * But thou art thyself thy own idol Thost worshippest thy justifio, or's persections : or rather, sensible of thy road imperfections, thou sockest only to de ceive the world, and (" pieast thy iam cy. by multiplying thy ignoru:t admirers. Thus, net "out nt with negleet, ing what is most excellent in the uni. verse. thou desirest to stabstitute in his plat:e what i; uost vile hnd conteinp tibie. Consider all the works of invon's hands. all the invensions of human wit, in whith thou affectest so nice a discern. ment. Thou wilt find, that the most two feel production still proceeds from the most perfect thought, and that it is w1N1) alone which we admire, while we bestow our applause on the growes of a well-proportioned statue, or the symmetry of a noble pile. The statu. ary, the architect, come still in view, and makes us reflect on the beauty of his art, and contrivance, which, from a heap of unformed matter, could extract such expressions and proportions. This superior beauty of thought and intelli gouce thou thyself acknowledgest, while thou invitest us to contemplate, in thy conduct, the harmony of affections, the dignity of Kentiments, , and all those graces of mind which chiefly merit our attention. Hut why stoppost thou short : Seest thou nothing farther that is valuable % amid thy rapturous applauses of beauty and order, art thou still ignorant where is to be found the most consummate beauty, the most perfect order ?