time, he must necessarily conceive himself as accountable to his fellow creatures, be|fore he can form any idea of the Deity, or of the rules by which that Divine Be|ing will judge of his conduct. A child surely conceives itself as accountable to its parents, and is elevated or cast down by the thought of their merited approbation or disapprobation, long before it forms any idea of its accountableness to the Dei|ty, or of the rules by which that Divine Being will judge of its conduct.
Our first ideas of personal beauty and deformity, are drawn from the shape and appearance of others, not from our own. We soon become sensible however, that others exercise the same criticism upon us. We are pleased when they approve of our figure, and are disobliged when they seem to be disgusted. We become anxious to know how far our appearance deserves ei|ther their blame or approbation. We exa|mine our own persons limb by limb, and by placing ourselves before a looking-glass▪ or by some such expedient, endeavour, a•• much as possible, to view ourselves at th•• distance and with the eyes of other people▪ If after this examination we are satisfie••
