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confcious of frailties and crimes, confider forgiveness as a debt which they owe to others. Common failings are the ftrongest leflon of mutual forbearance. Were this virtue unknown among men, order and comfort, peace and repofe, would be strangers to human life. Injuries retaliated according to the exorbitant measure which paffion prefcribes, would exci.fentment in return. The injured perfon would become the injurer; and thus wrongs, retaliations, and freth injuries, would circulate in endless fucceffion, till the world was rendered a field of blood. Of all the paffions which invade the human breast, revenge is the molt direful. When allowed to reign with full dominion, it is more than fufficient to poifon the few pleasures which remain to man in his prefent state. How much foever a perfon may fuffer from injuftice, he is always in hazard of fuffering more from the profecution of revenge. The violence of an enemy cannot inflict what is equal to the torment he creates to himfelf, by means of the fierce and defperate paffions which he allows to rage in his foul.

Thofe evil fpirits who inhabit the regions of misery, are reprefented as delighting in revenge and cruelty. But all that is great and good in the univerfe, is on the fide of clemency and mercy. The almighty Ruler of the world, though for ages offended by the unrighteoufnefs, and infulted by the impiety of men, is "long fuffering and flow to anger." His Son, when he appeared in our nature, exhibited, both in his life and his death, the most illustrious example of forgiveness which the world ever beheld. If we look into the hiftory of mankind, we shall find that, in every age, they who have 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. It fuffers not from the injuries of men thofe fevere fhocks which others feel. Collected within itself, it stands 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.

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BLAIR.

SECTION IV.

MOTIVES TO THE PRACTICE OF GENTLENESS.

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 harshnefs 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 thofe 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 least remember what we are in the fight of our Creator. Have we none of that forbearance to give one another, which we all fo earnestly intreat from heaven? Can we look for clemency or gentlenefs from our Judge, when we are fo backward to fhow it to our own brethren?

Let us alfo accuftom ourselves, to reflect on the small 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. The most inconfiderable point of intereft, or honour, fwells into a momentous object; and the flighteft attack seems 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 disturbed imagination had reared, totally difappears. But though the caufe 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 difcord occur. Let us anticipate that period of coolnefs, 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

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course cannot be foreseen; and he seldom fails of suffering moft from their poisonous effect, who first allowed them to flow.

SECTION V.

BLAIR.

A SUSPICIOUS TEMPER THE SOURCE OF MISERY TO ITS POSSESSOR.

As a fufpicious fpirit is the fource of many crimes and calamities in the world, fo it is the fpring of certain mifery to the person who indulgesit. His friends will be few; and fmall will be his comfort in those 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 spies, 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 fmiles, 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 arising from a suspicious 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 purchafed 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 intercourte with the world; but no black fufpicions haunt his hours of rest. Accustomed to view the characters of his neigh

bours in the most favourable light, he is like one who dwells amidst those beautiful fcenes 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, refembles the traveller in the wilderness, who difcerns no objects around him but fuch as are either dreary or terrible; caverns that open, ferpents that hifs, 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 pleafures of that fmiling 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 refource can this world afford them? It presents a dark and dreary wafte, through which there does not iffue a fingle ray of comfort. Every delufive) prospect 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 fondly dreamt of, has rendered the heart almoft inacceffible to new friendfhips. The principal fources of activity are taken away, when thofe for whom we labour are cut off from us; those who animated, and thofe who fweetened all the toils of life. Where then can the foul find refuge, but in the bosom of Religion? There he is admitted to thofe prospects of Providence and futurity, which alone can warm and fill the heart. 1 fpeak here of fuch as retain the feelings of hu-, manity; whom misfortunes have foftened, and perhaps. rendered more delicately fenfible; not of fuch as poffs that ftupid infenfibility, which fome are picafed 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 reft of mankind; and not endeavour to deprive them of what habit, at feaft, if they will not allow it to be nature, has made

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neceffary to their morals, and to their happinefs. 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 thofe truths, in which they were moft deeply interested; but it can convey real good and happiness to no one individual.

SECTION VII.

DIFFIDENCE OF OUR ABILITIES, A MARK OF WISDOM.

GREGORY.

Ir is a fure indication of good fenfe, to be diffident of it. We then, and not till then, are growing wife, when we beAn abfolute gin to difcern how weak and unwife we are. perfection of understanding, is impoffible: he makes the nearest approaches to it, who has the fenfe to difcern, and the humility to acknowledge, its imperfections. Modefty 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 difplay themfelves, without any referve, to the view.

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We are fome of us very fond of knowledge, and apt to value ourselves upon any proficiency in the iciences fcience, however, there is, worth more than all the rest, and that is, the science of living well; which fhall remain, when "tongues fhall ceafe," and, "knowledge fhall vanith away. As to new notions, and new doctrines, of which this age is very fruitful, the time will come, when we fhall have no pleafure 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 mafs of things. But a firm belief of Chriftianity, and a practice fuitable to it, will fupport and invigorate the mind to the last; and most of all,

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