vast stock of modesty not to defire to outshine others when we can, and make a fhow of our beft talents. 73. No vaffalage fo ignoble, no fervitude fo miferable, as that of vice: mines and gallies, mills and dungeons, are words of ease to the service of fin; therefore the bringing finners to repentance, is so noble, so tempting a defign, that it drew even God himself from heaven to prosecute it. 74. A comfortable old age is the reward of a well fpent youth; therefore, instead of its introducing difmal and melancholy profpects of decay, it should give us hopes of an eternal youth, in a better world; but to think of pleasing, when the season of agreeableness is past, is want of discretion; merit of pleafing belongs only to youth. Frequent disappointments of this kind should direct a discreet person to retire in time from the gaieties of life, it being as proper for fuch to do fo, as it is for the young, the brisk, the gay, to produce themselves in the world; men are to be pitied, who are fond of the world when it is weary of them. 75. In court we fee good will is spoken with great warmth, ill will covered with great civility. Men are long in civilities to those they hate, and fhort in expreffions of kindness to those they love. 76. Ignorance is the mother of error, and father of impudence. 77. He that will not hear the admonition of a friend, deferves to feel the correction of an enemy. 78. There is great difference betwixt a life of virtue, and a life of pleasure. C 2 79. We 79. We abufe God's blessings, and turn them into mif chiefs. 80. Death is the fame thing, which way foever it comes, only we are more moved by accidents that we are not used to. 81. A wife and good man is proof against all accidents of fate. 82. A wife man ftands firm in all extremities, and bears the lot of his humanity with a divine temper. 83. He that paffes a sentence haftily, looks as if he did it willingly; and then there is an injuftice in the excefs. 84. There can be no peace in human life, without the contempt of all events. 85. A warm heart requires a cool head. Courage without conduct, is like fancy without judgment, all fail, and no ballaft. 86. A man of virtue is an honour to his country, a glory to humanity, a fatisfaction to himself, and a benefactor to the whole world: he is rich without oppreffion or dishonesty, charitable without oftentation, courteous without deceit, and brave without vice. 87. What madness is it for a man to starve himself to enrich his heir, and fo turn a friend into an enemy! for his joy at your death will be proportioned to what you leave him. 88. The contempt of death makes all the miseries of life eafy to us. 89. Poverty to a wife man is rather a bleffing than a misfortune. 90. It is St Augufline's obfervation of Seneca, that this illuftrious fenator worshipped what he reproved, acted what he difliked, and adored what he condemned. 91. Human happiness is founded upon wisdom and virtue. 92. There can be no happiness without virtue. 93. Philosophy is the guide of life. 94. No felicity like peace of conscience. 95. A good man can never be miferable, nor a wicked man happy. 96. The due contemplation of divine providence is the certain cure of all misfortunes. 97. He that fets up his reft upon contingencies, fhall never be at quiet. 98. A fenfual life is a miferable life. 99. Avarice and ambition are infatiable and reftlefs. 100. The original of all men is the fame; and virtue is the only nobility. 101. The two bleffings of life are, a found body, and a quiet mind. 102. Man is compounded of foul and body, and has naturally a civil war within himself. 103. As the vexations which men receive from their children haften the approach of age, and double the force of years; fo the comforts which they reap from them, are balm to all other forrows, and difappoint the injuries. of time. Parents repeat their lives in their offspring, and their concern for them is fo near, that they feel all fufferings, and taste all enjoyments, as much as if they regarded their own proper perfons. 104. Most men are ambitious to ape, if not excced,. their their superiors in wealth and vanity; they can give them contentedly the preference in virtue, and let them tife it without emulation. prac 105. Lord Chief Juftice Hale obferved that, according to his care in obferving the Lord's day, he commonly profpered in his undertakings the Week following. 106. There is no virtue, the honour whereof gets a man more envy, than that of justice, because it procures great authority among the common people; they only revere the valiant, and admire the wife, while they truly love just men; for in these have they intire truft and confidence, but of the former, they always fear one, and mistrust the other. They look on valour, as a certain natural ferment of the mind, and wisdom as the effect of a fine conftitution; but a man has it in his power to be just, and that is the reason it is so dishonourable to be otherwise, as Waller handfomely expreffes it thus: Of all the virtues Juftice is the best, Pirates and thieves, too oft with courage grac'd, 107. It is not lefs cowardly to fpeak ill of the dead, than it would be to kill an enemy incapable of making his own defence. 108. Pro 108. Pronunciation is the life and foul of eloquence; and it is of fuch peculiar importance, that none can neglect it without abandoning its greatest strength and beauty, and that which contributes fo largely to its force, and composes most of the graces that belong to it. The art of Oratory is never fo great and potent by the things that are said, as by the manner of saying of them; its leading excellence confifts in the delivery, and by this it maintains its empire over the hearts of men. 109. Nobility of foul, and greatness of understanding, are not confin'd to any rank or quality. 110. It is a kind of cowardice not to defend an opinion when we think it juft, but we should modeftly propose our reasons, that they who yield to us may do it undisturbed. III. If you would be free from fin, fly temptation; he that does not endeavour to avoid the one, cannot expect providence to defend him from the other. If the first sparks of ill were quenched, there would be no flame; for how can he kill, who dares not be angry; or be an adulterer in act, that does not tranfgrefs in defire? How can he be perjured, that fears an oath; or he defraud, that does not allow himself to covet? 112. True wit confifts in retrenching all useless difcourse, and in saying a great deal in a few words. 113. Love labour; if you do not want it for food, you may for phyfick. 114. forrow. Inordinate love is the forerunner of exceffive 115. He who spends most of his time in vain fports and |