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weak, than to be staggered in your opinion by every trifle that may fall in your way.

Accuftom yourself to think the greatest part of your life already paft; to contract your views and schemes, and fet light by a vain and tranfitory state, and all its vain enjoyments.

To feel old age coming on, will fo little mortify a wife man, that he can think of it with pleafure; as the decay of nature fhews him that the happy change of state, for which he has been all his life preparing himself, is drawing nearer. And furely it must be desirable, to find himself draw nearer to the end and the reward of his labours. The cafe of an old man, who has no comfortable profpect for futurity, and finds the fatal hour approaching, which is to deprive him of all his happinefs; is too deplorable for any words to reprefent.

It is easy to live well among good people. But fhew me the man, who can preserve his temper, his wisdom, and his virtue, in spite of strong temptation and universal example.

It is hardly credible what acquifitions in knowledge one may make, by carefully husbanding and properly applying every fpare moment.

Are you content to be for ever undone, if you fhould happen not to live till the time you have fet for repentance? If fo, put it off a little longer, and take your chance.

It is a fhame, if any perfon poorer than you is more contented than you.

Strive to excel in what is truly noble. Mediocrity is contemptible.

Judge of books, as of men. There is none wholly faultlefs, or perfect. That production may be faid to be a valuable one, by the perufal of which a judicious reader may be the wiser and better; and is not to be defpiied for a few deficiencies, or inconfiftencies.

Do not think of lying for the truth, or working the works of the Devil for God's fake.

Honefty fometimes fails: But it is because diligence or abilities are wanting. Otherwise it is naturally by far an over-match for cunning.

A bad reputation will lye a ftumbling-block in your way to rifing in life, and will disable you from doing good to others.

If ever you was dangerously ill, what fault or folly lay heaviest upon your mind? Take care to root it out, without delay, and without mercy.

An unjuft acquifition is like a barbed arrow, that must be drawn backward with horrible anguifh; elfe it will be your deftruction.

To excel greatly in mufic, drawing, dancing, the pedantic parts of learning, play, and other accomplishments rather ornamental than useful, is beneath a gentleman, and fhews, that to acquire fuch perfection in trifles, he must have employed himself in a way unworthy the dignity of his ftation. The peculiar accomplishments, in which a man of rank ought to fhine, are knowledge of the world, acquired by history, travel,

conversation,

converfation, and business; of the constitution, intereft, and laws of his country; and of morals and religion; without excluding fuch a competent understanding of other fubjects, as may be confiftent with a perfet maftery of the accomplishments which make the gentleman's proper calling.

The meaneft spirit may bear a flight affliction. And in bearning a great calamity, there is great glory, and a great reward.

A wife man will improve by ftudying his own paft follies. For every flip will discover some weakness ftill uncorrected, which occafioned his mifbehaviour; and will fet him upon effectually redreffing every failure.

There is fomewhat arch in the Roman catholics putting their carnivals before Lent. Mirth is generally the prelude of repentance.

To be drawn into a fault fhews human frailty. To be habitually guilty of folly fhews a corrupt mind. To love vice in others is the fpirit of a devil, rather than a man; being the pure, difinterefted love of vice, for its own fake. Yet there are fuch characters.

Remember, your bottle-companions will not bear you company at your death; nor lighten your fentence at the dreadful day of judgment. Let the vicious therefore go alone at prefent; fince their company may heighten, but will not abate your punishment.

Proofs

Proofs of genuine repentance are, abstaining from all temptations to the fame vice; thorough reformation; and all poffible repara

tion.

Take care of thofe vices which refemble vir

tues.

To abuse the poor for his poverty is to infult God's providence.

Seek virtue rather than riches. You may be fure to acquire the firft; but cannot promife for the latter. No one can rob you of the first without your confent; you may be deprived of the latter a hundred ways. The first will gain you the esteem of all good and wife men; the latter will get you flatterers enough; but not one real friend. The first will abide by you ever; the latter will leave you at death, to shift, as you can, for eternity.

for

Moral truths are as certain as mathematical. It is as certain, that good is not evil, nor evil good, as that a part is lefs than the whole, or that a circle is not a triangle.

What matter what you know, if you do not know yourself?

It is pity that most people overdo either the active or contemplative part of life. To be contually immersed in business, is the way to become forgetful of every thing truly noble and liberal. To be wholly engaged in ftudy, is to lofe a great part of the usefulness of a focial nature. How much better would it be, if people

would

would temper action with contemplation, and ufe action as a relief to study?

You may eafily know, whether you are in earnest about reforming, and living virtuously. If you be, you will fly from every temptation to vice, and carefully purfue every help to virtue. As you may know whether you love money, by obferving, whether you carefully pursue the means for getting and cautiously avoid occafions of expence or loss.

Never force nature. When ftudy becomes a burden, give it over for that time. You will not improve by it, if it goes against the grain.

Preferve, if you can, the esteem of the wife and good. But more especially your own. Confider how deplorable a condition of mind you will be in, when your confcience tells you, you are a villain.

It is not eating a great quantity of food, that nourishes most: Nor devouring of books, that gives folid knowledge. It is what you digest, that feeds both body and mind. Have your learning in your head; and not in your library.

You had better find out one of your own weakneffes, than ten of your neighbour's.

There is only one fingle object you ought to purfue at all adventures: That is virtue: All other things are to be fought conditionally. What fort of man must he be, who refolves to be rich, or great, at any rate?

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