time; and it is owing entirely to a want of
reflection, and of comprehensive views, that any men ever make so great
a mistake, as is here exhibited.

Instead, then, of urging a rule of duty which is at once irrational and
impracticable, there is another course, which commends itself to the
understandings of all. For whatever may be the _practice_, of
intelligent men, they universally concede the _principle_, that our
physical gratifications should always be made subordinate to social,
intellectual, and moral, advantages. And all that is required, for the
advancement of our whole race to the most perfect state of society, is,
simply, that men should act in agreement with this principle. And, if
only a very small portion, of the most intelligent of our race, should
act according to this rule, under the control of Christian benevolence,
the immense supplies, furnished, for the general good, would be far
beyond what any would imagine, who had never made any calculations on
the subject. In this Nation, alone, suppose the one million and more, of
professed followers of Christ, should give a larger portion of their
means, for the social, intellectual, and moral, wants of mankind, than
for the superfluities that minister to taste, convenience, and appetite;
it would be enough to furnish all the schools, colleges, Bibles,
ministers, and missionaries, that the whole world could demand; or, at
least, it would be far more, than properly qualified agents to
administer it, could employ.

But, it may be objected, that, though this view is one, which, in the
abstract, looks plausible and rational, not one in a thousand, can
practically adopt it. How few keep any account, at all, of their current
expenses! How impossible it is, to determine, exactly, what are
necessaries, and what are superfluities! And in regard to women, how few
have the control of an income, so as not to be bound by the wishes of a
parent or a husband!

In reference to these difficulties, the first remark is, that we are
never under obligations to do, what is entirely out of our power, so
that those persons, who have no power to regulate their expenses or
their charities, are under no sort of obligation to attempt it. The
second remark is, that, when a rule of duty is discovered, we are bound
to _aim_ at it, and to fulfil it, just so far as we can. We have no
right to throw it aside, because we shall find some difficult cases,
when we come to apply it. The third r