of the self-same persons, whom, at other times, they men tion with expressions of high esteem and affectionate regard. So that a great part of people's ill sayings of one another, are attributable to peevishness or thoughtlessness, and not to malignity alone. Hence the author of the admirable book of Ecclesiasticus observes-"There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart." 4. Even the ill natured remarks of an enemy might be turned to a profitable use, by carefully correcting, in one's self, the fault or foible that occasioned them. It is told of the Prince of Conde, who was the most eminent hero of his day, that his domestics observing with what great attention he was reading a certain pamphlet, one of them said to him, "this must be a very fine piece, since you take so much pleasure in reading it." To which the Prince replied, "it is very true that I read this with great pleasure, because it tells me my faults, which no man dares venture to do."-The pamphlet was in the strain of severe invective upon the errors, faults, and foibles, of the same Prince of Conde.

5. We seldom miss it more than in imagining that all about us take an interest in our ordinary concerns. If we think the world spends much attention about us one way or the other, we have a mistaken notion of our own consequence. For, with a few exceptions, the individuals of the community are very little the subjects of each others' thoughts and conversation; the generality being too busy in thinking of themselves, to employ many of their thoughts elsewhere. Had one, by the help of magic, the power of rendering himself invisible, and should he, in using the privilege of invisibility, go, from house to house, over his whole neighborhood and town, he would probably find himself spoken of by his neighbors and acquaintance, more seldom than he had expected; and, in all probability, too, he would hear the very same persons speak quite differently of him, at different times.

In few words; universal and unqualified approbation it is folly to expect. And although we should by no means be regardless of what others think or say of us, yet the best way, or rather the only good way, is to be more solicitous to deserve esteem than to win it-more

solicitous to do well than to obtain the credit of doing well; and thus, to proceed on in the straight line, without angling for praise, or being too fearful of reproach. Whoso acteth in this manner, and upon pure evangelical principles, enjoys a consciousness of feelings far more delightful, than any thing that can spring from the unmerited applause of ten thousand tongues.

CHAP. LXXXII.

Of the necessity of seasonable precaution.

THAT "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," is an old and true proverb, which is applicable alike to a multitude of cases: the ills we suffer in life being, in a large proportion, either of our own procuring, or such as might have been prevented by timely care and precaution.

It seems to have been a standing custom of the Asiatics, in their epistolary correspondence, to conclude a letter with this sage advice, Take care of your health: a precept which, were it generally put in practice, would save the lives of multitudes in every country. The grave is peopled with myriads, who might still have enjoyed the light of life but for the intemperate manner of their living; and with other myriads whose deaths were occasioned by unnecessarily exposing their health.

The lovely Belinda, falls into a hectic in the flower of her age. The life-spring within her fails; the art of medicine is unavailing; "the worm of death is in her bloom." Yet, what a pound of cure cannot remove, an ounce of prudence might have prevented.

There was a time, and a very long time, when, in the christianized world, it was thought a merit to torment and waste the corporeal part of our nature; when the body was considered as at utter enmity with the soul; when this grovelling inmate was voluntarily subjected to cold and nakedness and to unmerciful scourging, in order to curb and break its rebellious propensities. We live, however, in a more rational age. Blessed be the

day of Martin Luther's birth, and blessed the work achieved by him! He gave the death-blow to this mummery, and brought the body again into favor with its superior in the partnership. But whether it be a relic of the old popish superstition, or to whatever cause it may be attributable, there are said to be ladies at this day, even protestant ladies, who mortify, distress, and consume their own precious bodies, by keeping them in irons! But this by the bye.

It is no uncommon thing to anticipate the stroke of time. Often, very often, the vigorous and robust squander their health and hasten the blow that levels them, while the feeble, by temperance and assiduous care, spin out life to an advanced age.

Many of our misfortunes, as we call them, spring from imprudence or neglect. Through the neglect of a small leak a ship is sunk, and its crew perhaps lost. The neglect of a few feet of fence may destroy a crop, and so may a few days of negligence and sloth in seed time or harvest. Angry law-suits, and heavy pecuniary losses, not unfrequently might have been prevented by a seasonable attention that would have required very, little of time or labor. Some plunge themselves into inextricable embarassment, which might have been avoided had a portion of their leisure been devoted to the devising of a reasonable plan of living; and others again are impoverished by artificial wants, of which they might easily have prevented the intrusion. Indeed, of instances there is no end.

But that which is of the most importance by many degrees, is yet behind. There are means preventional of moral, as well of natural evil. Most of the vices that infest society, and bring utter ruin upon individuals, are more easy of prevention than of cure: and it is to be hoped that the time is coming when civil governments, blending christian morals with state policy, will employ their power and influence fully as much to prevent crime as to punish it. That would be an era more happy than language can describe. But passing over what is remote and contingent, I will mention, and but mention, the actual and practical powers of two kinds of government-Domestic and Personal.

Inconsiderate parents are apt to think, that time will cure the faults of their children. This is a sad and fatal mistake. Not but that time perchance may cure the minor follies and errors of the juvenile mind; such follies and errors as are peculiarly incidental to the inexperience, the imbecile judgment, and the eager vivacity, of childhood and immature youth; but immoral propensities are strengthened, rather than cured, by time, which matures them into fixed habits. The bias to lying, profaneness, defrauding, or whatever immorality else, is not so very hard to cure when it first appears in the child; but if it be neglected then, it grows into an inveterate habit in the man. It is of importance, however, to premise, that the inceptive immorality of childhood is to be cured chiefly by moral means; by example; by exhibiting to the view its odious nature and direful consequences; by cogent and convincingappeals to the understanding, and affectionate appeals to the heart-and not altogether, or chiefly, by the infliction of punishments.

One of the most important objects of domestic government, is so to train up children that they may have a due government of themselves. This is a point, on which the worth or worthlessness of character greatly depends; for discreet and well regulated self-government, is the surest prevention of the deplorable excesses of passion and appetite, since it keeps upon them a stronger and a more steady rein than any other human government does, or can do. Neither is the science of self-government so hard to learn, nor the practice of it so very difficult, provided it be commenced as well in good season, as in good earnest. But the longer it is neglected, the greater is the difficulty; till at last it becomes next to impossible for one to rule his passions or restrain his appetites. Immoral habits, which might have been easily prevented by timely discipline, attain gigantic strength by long indulgence.

It is out of our power to alter the structure of our bodies: we must take them as they are, for better or for worse. We cannot change our complexions or fashion our own features. We cannot add to our stature, or make even a single hair of our heads white or black.

1

But it is not altogether so with the mind.

We

may,

with the divine helps afforded us, improve and meliorate that. We may keep our passions and our appetites in subordination to our reason. And in this necessary and noble exercise should every one be employed, day by day, who wishes to be wise, or hopes to be happy.

CHAP. LXXXIII.

Of our proneness to go from one extreme to another.

Ir often happens, that when we set ourselves to straighten a crook, instead of making it quite straight, we crook it the contrary way, or carry things from one extreme to the other.

A youth of an ingenuous, liberal temper, is apt to be not regardful enough of his own interest. He esteems money as trash, and scorns to employ his care about it. As it comes to him easily, it goes from him freely. He gives, he spends, he squanders, till at length experiencing embarrassment, he resolves to become frugal and provident. But such a youth seldom stops at the true point, but leaps at once, far beyond it. Heartily sick of extravagance, he makes a covenant with avarice, and changes to unfeeling, illiberal, and miserly.

The extreme of confidence often runs into the extreme of jealousy. Of those who live to a considerable age, very few perhaps leave the world with as good an opinion of mankind as they had begun it. To the eye of the ingenuous but inexperienced youth, the world appears bright and charming. He looks to meet with justice, candor and honor, in his intercourse with his fellow-beings. Fancy gilds the objects of his hopes, and whatever is promised him by hope, he regards as sure and certain. Presently, however, the illusion begins to vanish. He meets with disappointment: he experiences cold-blooded selfishness, deceit, fraud and erdy; his confidence in men turns to suspicion; the world, he concludes, is a cheat; he hastily says in his heart, that all men are rogues and liars; and he becomes