hibited, both in his life and his death, the most illustrious example of forgiveness which the world ever beheld. If we look into the history of mankind, we shall find that, in every age, they who had been refpected as worthy, or admired as great, have been diftinguished for this virtue. Revenge dwells in little minds. A noble and magnanimous fpirit is always fuperior to it. This fpirit fuffers not from the injuries of men those fevere fhocks which others feel. Collected within itself, it ftands unmoved by their impotent affaults; and with generous pity, rather than with anger, looks down on their unworthy conduct. It has been truly faid, that the greatest man on earth can no fooner commit an injury, than a good man can make himself greater by forgiving it.

SECTION IV.

Motives to the Practice of Gentleness.

BLAIR.

To promote the virtue of gentleness, we ought to view our character with an impartial eye; and to learn, from our own failings, to give that indulgence which in our turn we claim. It is pride which fills the world with fo much harfhnefs and feverity. In the fulness of self-estimation, we forget what we are. We claim attentions to which

we are not entitled. We are rigorous to offences, as if we had never offended; unfeeling to diftrefs, as if we knew not what it was to fuffer. From those airy regions of pride and folly, let us defcend to our proper level. Let us furvey the natural equality on which Providence has placed man with man, and reflect on the infirmities common to all. If the reflection on natural equality and mutual offences be infufficient to prompt humanity, let us at leaft remember what we are in the fight of our Creator. Have we none of that forbearance to give one another, which we all fo earneftly entreat from Heaven? Can we look for clemency or gentleness from our Judge, when we are fo backward to fhow it to our own brother?

The

Let us alfo accuftom ourselves to reflect on the fmall moment of those things, which are the ufual incentives to violence and contention. In the ruffled and angry hour, we view every appearance through a falfe medium. moft inconfiderable point of intereft, or honour, fwells into a momentous object; and the flightest attack feems to threaten immediate ruin. But after paffion or pride has fubfided, we look around in vain for the mighty mischiefs

we dreaded. The fabric, which our difturbed imagination had reared, totally difappears. But though the cause of contention has dwindled away, its confequences remain. We have alienated a friend; we have imbittered an enemy; we have fown the feeds of future fufpicion, malevolence, or difguft. Let us fufpend our violence for a moment, when causes of discord occur. Let us anticipate that period of coolness, which, of itself, will foon arrive. Let us reflect how little we have any profpect of gaining by fierce contention; but how much of the true happiness of life we are certain of throwing away. Eafily, and from the smalleft chink, the bitter waters of ftrife are let forth; but their course cannot be foreseen; and he seldom fails of fuffering moft from their poisonous effect, who firft allowed them to flow.

SECTION V.

BLAIR.

A fufpicious Temper the Source of Mifery to its Poffeffor. As a fufpicious fpirit is the fource of many crimes and calamities in the world, fo it is the fpring of certain misery to the perfon who indulges it. His friends will be few; and small will be his comfort in thofe whom he poffeffes. Believing others to be his enemies, he will of course make them fuch. Let his caution be ever fo great, the afperity of his thoughts will often break out in his behaviour; and in return for fufpecting and hating, he will incur fufpicion and hatred. Befides the external evils which he draws upon himself, arifing from alienated friendship, broken confidence, and open enmity, the fufpicious temper itself is one of the worst evils which any man can fuffer. If "in all fear there is torment," how miferable must be his state, who, by living in perpetual jealoufy, lives in perpetual dread! Looking upon himself to be furrounded with fpies, enemies, and defigning men, he is a ftranger to reliance and truft. He knows not to whom to open himself. He dreffes his countenance in forced finiles, while his heart throbs within from apprehenfions of fecret treachery. Hence fretfulness and ill humour, difguft at the world, and all the painful fenfations of an irritated and imbittered mind.

So numerous and great are the evils arifing from a fufpicious difpofition, that, of the two extremes, it is more eligible to expofe ourselves to occafional difadvantage from thinking too well of others, than to fuffer continual mifery by thinking always ill of them. It is better to be

fometimes impofed upon, than never to truft. Safety is purchased at too dear a rate, when, in order to fecure it, we are obliged to be always clad in armour, and to live in perpetual hoftility with our fellows. This is, for the fake of living, to deprive ourselves of the comfort of life. The man of candour enjoys his fituation, whatever it is, with cheerfulness and peace. Prudence directs his intercourse with the world; but no black fufpicions haunt his hours of reft. Accustomed to view the characters of his neighbours in the most favourable light, he is like one who dwells amidst those beautiful scenes of nature, on which the eye refts with pleasure. Whereas the fufpicious man, having his imagination filled with all the fhocking forms of human falfehood, deceit and treachery, resembles the traveller in the wilderness, who difcerns no objects around him but fuch as are either dreary or terrible; caverns that open, ferpents that hiss, and beafts of prey that howl.

SECTION VI.

Comforts of Religion.

BLAIR

THERE are many who have paffed the age of youth and beauty; who have refigned the pleasures of that smiling feafon; who begin to decline into the vale of years, impaired in their health, depreffed in their fortunes, ftript of their friends, their children, and perhaps ftill more tender connections. What resource can this world afford them ? It presents a dark and dreary wafte, through which there does not iffue a fingle ray of comfort. Every delusive profpect of ambition is now at an end; long experience of mankind, an experience very different from what the open and generous foul of youth had formerly dreamt of, has rendered the heart almoft inacceffible to new friendships. The principal fources of activity are taken away, when they for whom we labour are cut off from us; they who animated, and who fweetened all the toils of life. Where then can the foul find refuge, but in the bofom of Religion? There fhe is admitted to thofe prospects of Providence and futurity, which alone can warm and fill the heart. I fpeak here of fuch as retain the feelings of humanity; whom misfortunes have foftened, and perhaps rendered more delicately fenfible; not of fuch as poffefs that ftupid infenfibility, which fome are pleased to dignify with the name of Philofophy.

It might therefore be expected, that thofe philofophers, who think they ftand in no need themselves of the affiftance of religion to fupport their virtue, and who never feel the want of its confolations, would yet have the humanity to confider the very different fituation of the rest of mankind; and not endeavour to deprive them of what habit, at leaft, if they will not allow it to be nature, has made neceffary to their morals, and to their happiness. It might be expected, that humanity would prevent them from breaking into the laft retreat of the unfortunate, who can no longer be objects of their envy or refentment ; and tearing from them their only remaining comfort. The attempt to ridicule religion may be agreeable to fome, by relieving them from reftraint upon their pleasures; and may render others very miferable, by making them doubt those truths, in which they were moft deeply interested; but it can convey real good and happiness to no one individual.

SECTION VII.

GREGORY.

Diffidence of our Abilities, a Mark of Wisdom.

It is a fure indication of good fenfe, to be diffident of it. We then, and not till then, are growing wife, when we begir to discern how weak and unwife we are. An abfolute perfection of understanding is impoffible: he makes the nearest approaches to it, who has the fenfe to discern, and the humility to acknowledge, its imperfections. Modelly always fits gracefully upon youth, it covers a multitude of faults, and doubles the luftre of every virtue which it feems to hide the perfections of men being like those flowers which appear more beautiful, when their leaves are a little contracted and folded up, than when they are full blown, and display themselves, without any referve, to the view.

:

We are fome of us very fond of knowledge, and apt to value ourselves upon any proficiency in the fciences: one fcience, however, there is, worth more than all the rest, and that is, the science of living well; which fhall remain, when 66 tongues fhall cease," and "knowledge fhall vanifh away." As to new notions, and new doctrines, of which this age is very fruitful, the time will come, when we fhall have no pleasure in them: nay, the time fhall come, when they fhall be exploded, and would have been forgotten, if they had not been preferved in thofe excellent

books, which contain a confutation of them; like infects preferved for ages in amber, which otherwife would foon have returned to the common mass of things. But a firm belief of Christianity, and a practice suitable to it, will fupport and invigorate the mind to the laft; and most of all, at laft, at that important hour, which must decide our hopes and apprehenfions: and the wifdom, which, like our Saviour, cometh from above, will, through his merits, bring us thither. All our other studies and pursuits, however different, ought to be fubfervient to, and centre in, this grand point, the pursuit of eternal happiness, by being good in ourselves, and useful to the world.

SECTION VIII.

SEED.

On the Importance of Order in the Diftribution of our Time. TIME we ought to confider as a facred truft committed us by God; of which we are now the depofitaries, and re to render an account at the laft. That portion of it which he has allotted to us, is intended partly for the concerns of this world, partly for thofe of the next. Let each of these occupy, in the diftribution of our time, that fpace which properly belongs to it. Let not the hours of hofpitality and pleafure interfere with the discharge of our neceffary affairs; and let not what we call neceffary affairs encroach upon the time which is due to devotion.

To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven. If we delay till to-morrow what ought to be done to-day, we overcharge the morrow with a burden which belongs not to it. We load the wheels of time, and prevent them from carrying us along fmoothly. He who every morning plans the tranfactions of the day, and follows out that plan, carries on a thread which will guide him through the labyrinth of the most bufy life. The orderly arrangement of his time is like a ray of light, which darts itself through all his affairs. But, where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is furrendered merely to the chance of incidents, all things lie huddled together in one chaos, which admits neither of diftribution nor review.

The first requifite for introducing order into the management of time, is, to be impreffed with a juft fense of its value. Let us confider well how much depends upon it, and how fast it flies away. The bulk of men are in nothing more capricious and inconfiftent, than in their appre

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