Eleem not an action because it is done with noife and pomp; the noblet foul is that which doth great things, and is not moved in the doing them. Fame aflonifheth the ear of him who heareth it; but tranquillity rejoiceth the heart that is poffeffed of it. Attribute not the good actions of another to bad caufes: thou canst not know his heart; but the world will know by this, that thine is full of envy. There is not in hypocrify more vice than folly; to be honest is as easy as to feem fo. Be more ready to acknowledge a benefit than to revenge an injury; fo fhalt thou have more benefits than injuries done unto thee. Be more ready to love than to hate; fo fhalt thou be loved by more than hate thee. Be willing to commend, and be flow to cenfure; fo thall praise be upon thy virtues, and the eye of enmity fhall be blind to thy imperfections. When thou doft good, do it because it is good; not because men efteem it: when thou avoideft evil, fly it because it is evil; not because men speak against it: be honeft for love of honesty, and thou shalt be uniformly fo; he that doth it without principle, is wavering. With rather to be reproved by the wife, thin to be applauded by him who hath no understanding; when they tell thee of a fault, they fuppofe thou canft improve; the other, when he praiseth thee, thinkeft thou like unto himself. Accept not an office for which thou art not qualified, left he who knoweth more of it deipife thee. Intruct not another in that wherein thyfelf art ignorant; when he feeth it, he will upbraid thee. Expect not a friendship with him whe hath injured thee; he who fuffereth the wrong, may forgive it; but he who doth it, never will be well with him. Lay not too great obligations on him thou wifheft thy friend; behold! the fenfe of them will drive him from thee: a little benefit gaineth friendship; a great one maketh an enemy. Nevertheless, ingratitude is not in the nature of man; neither is his anger irreconcileable: he hateth to be put in mind of a debt he cannot pay; he is afhamed in the prefence of him whom he hath injured. Repine not at the good of a ftranger, neither rejoice thou in the evil that befalleth thine enemy: wifheft thou that others fhould do thus to thee?, Wouldst thou enjoy the good-will of all men, let thine own benevolence be univerfal. If thou obtaineft it not by this, no other means could give it thee: and know, though thou haft it not, thou haft the greater pleasure of having merited it. What is the origin of fuperftition? and whence arifeth falfe worship? From our prefuming to reafon about what is above our reach, to comprehend what is incomprehenfible. Limited and weak as our underftandings are, we employ not even their little forces as we ought. We foar not high enough in our approaches to God's greatness; we give not wing enough to our ideas, when we enter into the adoration of divinity. Man who fears to breathe a whisper against his earthly fovereign, trembles not to arraign the difpenfations of his God. he forgetteth his majesty, and rejudgeth his judgments. He who dareth not repeat the name of his prince without honour, yet blusheth not to to call that of his Creator to be witness to ǎ lie. He who would hear the sentence of the magiftrate with filence, yet dareth to plead with the Eternal; he attempteth to footh him with intreaties, to flatter him with promifes, to agree with him upon conditions; nay, to brave and murmur at him if his request is not granted. Why art thou unpunished, O man! in thy impiety, but that this is not thy day of retribution. Be not like unto those who fight with the thunder; neither dare thou to deny thy Creator thy prayers, because he chaf tifeth thee. Thy madness in this is on thine own head; thy impiety hurteth no one but thyfelf. Why boafteth man that he is the favourite of his Maker, yet neglecteth to pay his thanks, and his adorations for it? How fuiteth fuch a life with a belief fo haughty? Man, who is truly but a mote in the wide expanfe, believeth the whole earth and heaven to be created for him: he thinketh the whole frame of nature hath interest in his well-being. As the fool, while the images tremble on the bofom of the water, thinketh that trees, towns, and the wide horifon, are dancing to do him pleasure; fo man, while nature performs her deftined courfe, believes that all her motions are but to entertain his eye. While he courts the rays of the fun to warm him, he fuppofeth it made only to be of ufe to him; while he traceth the moon in her nightly path, he believeth that fhe was created to do him pleasure. Fool to thine own pride! be humble ! know thou art not the cause why the world holdeth its courfe; for thee are not made the viciffitudes of fummer and winter. No change would follow if thy whole race exifted not; thou art but one among millions that are bleffed in it. Exalt not thyself to the heavens; for, lo, the angels are above thee: nor difdain thy fellow-inhabitants of the earth, though they are inferior to thee. Are they not the work of the fame hand? Thou who art happy by the mercy of thy Creator, how dareft thou in wantonnefs put others of his creatures to torture? Beware that cruelty return not upon thee. Serve they not all the fame univerfal Mafter with thee? Hath he not appointed unto each its laws? Hath he not care of their preservation and dareft thou to infringe it? Set not thy judgment above that of all the earth; neither condemn as falfehood what agreeth not with thine own apprehenfion. Who gave thee the power of determining for others? or who took from the world the right of choice? How many things have been rejected, which are now received as truths? How many now received as truths, shall in their turn be despised? Of what then can man be certain ? Do the good that thou knoweft, and happinefs fhall be unto thee. Virtue is more thy business here than wisdom. Truth and falfehood, have they not the fame appearance in what we understand not? what then but our prefumption can determine between them? We easily believe what is above our comprehenfion: or we are proud to pretend it, that it may appear we understand it. Is not this folly and arrogance? Who is it that affirms moft boldly; who is it that holds his opinion moft obftinately? Even he who hath most ignorance: for he alfo hath most pride. Every man, when he layeth hold of an opinion, defireth to remain in it; but most of all he who hath most prefumption. He contenteth not himself to betray his own foul; but he will impofe on others to believe in it also. Say not that truth is established by years, or that in a multitude of believers there is certainty. One human propofition hath as much authority as another, if reason maketh not the difference. Of the AFFECTIONS of MAN, which are hurtful to himself and others. 1. COVETOUSNESS. Riches are not worthy a ftrong attention; therefore an earnest care of obtaining them is unjustifiable. The defire of what man calleth good,, the joy he taketh in poffeffing it, is grounded only in opinion. Form not thy opinion from the vulgar; examine the worth of things thyfelf, and thou shalt not be covetous. An immoderate defire of riches is a poifon lodged in the foul. It contaminates and deftroys every thing that was good in t. It is no fooner rooted there, than all virtue, all honesty, all natural affection, fly before the face of it. The covetous would fell his children for gold; his parent might die ere he would open his coffer; nay, he confidereth not himfelf in refpect of it. In the fearch of happiness he maketh himself unhappy. As the man who felleth his house to purchale ornaments for the embellishment of it, even fo is he who giveth up peace in the fearch of riches, in hope that he may be happy in enjoying them. Where covetoufnefs reigneth, know that the foul is poor. Whofo accounteth riches the principal good of man, will throw away all other goods in the purfuit of them. Whofo feareth poverty as the greateft evil of his nature, will purchase to himself all other evils in the avoiding of it. Thou fool, is not virtue more worth than riches? is not guilt more bafe than poverty? Enough for his neceffities is in the power of every man; be content with it, and thy happiness shall smile at the forrows of him who heapeth up more. Nature hath hid gold beneath the earth, as if unworthy to be feen; filver hath fhe placed where thou trampleft it under thy feet. Meaneth the not by this to inform thee, that gold is not worthy thy regard, that filver is beneath thy notice? Covetoufnefs burieth under the ground millions of wretches; thefe dig for their hard mafters what returneth the injury; what maketh them more miferable than their Laves. The earth is barren of good things where the hoardeth up treasure: where gold is in her bowels, there no herb groweth. As the horse findeth not there his grafs, nor the mule his provender: as the fields of corn laugh not on the fides of the hills; as the olive holdeth not forth there her fruits, nor the vine her clusters; even fo no good dwelleth in the breaft of him whofe heart broodeth over his treasure. Riches are fervants to the wife; but they are tyrants over the foul of the fool. The covetous ferveth his gold; it ferveth not him. He poffeffeth his wealth as the fick doth a fever; it burneth and tortareth him, and will not quit him until death, Hath not gold deftroyed the virtue of millions? Did it ever add to the goodLefs of any? Is it not moft abundant with the worft of If there be a vice greater than the hoarding up of riches, it is the employing them to useless purposes. He that prodigally lavisheth that which he hath to spare, robbeth the poor of what nature giveth them a right unto. He who fquandereth away his treasure, refufeth the means to do good: he denieth himself the practice of virtues whose reward is in their hand, whofe end is no other than his own happiness. It is more difficult to be well with riches, than to be at eafe under the want of them. Man governeth himself much easier in poverty than in abundance. Poverty requireth but one virtue, patience, to fupport it; the rich, if he have not charity, temperance, prudence, and many more, is guilty. The poor hath only the good of his own ftate committed unto him; the rich is intrufted with the welfare of thousands. He that giveth away his treasure wifely, giveth away his plagues: he that retaineth their increase, heapeth up forrows. Refuse not unto the ftranger that which he wanteth; deny not unto thy brother even that which thou wanteft thyfelf. Know there is more delight in being without what thou haft given, than in poffeffing millions which thou knoweft not the use of. 3. REVENGE. The root of revenge is in the weakness of the foul: the moft abject and timorous are the moft addicted to it. Who torture thofe they hate, but cowards? who murder those they rob but women? The feeling an injury, must be previous to the revenging it; but the noble mind difdaineth to fay, It hurts me. If the injury is not below thy notice, he that doth it unto thee, in that, maketh himself fo: wouldst thou enter the lifts with thine inferior? Difdain the man who attempteth to wrong thee; condemn him who would give thee difquiet. In this thou not only preferveft thine own peace, but thou inflictest all the punifhment of revenge, without stopping to employ it against him. As the tempeft and the thunder affect not the fun or the ftars, but spend their Fury on stones and trees below; "fo injuries afcend not to the fouls of the great, but waste themselves on fuch as are those who offer them. Poornefs of fpirit will actuate revenge; greatness of foul defpifeth the offence: nay, it doth good unto him who intended to have disturbed it. Why feekeft thou vengeance, O man! with what purpofe is it that thou purfueft it? Thinkeit thou to pain thine adversary by it? Know that thyself feeleft its greateft torments. Revenge gnaweth the heart of him who is infected with it, while he against whom it is intended, remaineth easy. It is unjust in the anguish it inflicts; therefore nature intended it not for thee: needeth he who is injured more pain? or ought he to add force to the affliction which another has cast upon him? The man who meditateth revenge is not content with the mischief he hath received; he addeth to his anguifh the punishment due unto another while he whom he feeketh to hurt, goeth his way laughing; he maketh himself merry at this addition to his mifery. Revenge is painful in the intent, and it is dangerous in the execution: feldom doth the axe fall where he who lifted it up intended; and lo, he remembereth not that it muft recoil against him. While the revengeful feeketh his enemy's hurt, he oftentimes procureth his own deftruction: while he aimeth at one of the eyes of his adverfary, lo, he putteth out both his own. If he attain not his end, he lamenteth it; if he fucceed, he repenteth of it: the fear of justice taketh away the peace of his own foul; the care to hide him from it, destroy eth that of his friend. Can the death of thine adversary fatiate thy hatred? can the fetting him at reft reftore thy peace? Wouldit thou make him forry for his offence, tonquer him and fpare him: in death he owneth not thy fuperiority; nor feeleth he more the power of thy wrath. In revenge there fhould be a triumph of the avenger; and he who hath injured him, fhould feel his difpleature; he thould futfer pain from it, and fhould repent him of the caufe. This is the revenge infpired from anger; but that which makes thee great is contempt. Murder for an injury arifeth only from cowardice: he who inflicteth it, feareth that the enemy may live and avenge himself. Death endeth the quarrel; but it reftoreth not the reputation: killing is an act of caution, not of courage; it may be fafe, but it is not honourable. There is nothing fo eafy as to revenge an offence; but nothing is fo honourable as to pardon it. The greatest victory man can obtain, is over himfelf; he that disdaineth to feel an injury, retorteth it upon him who offereth it. When thou meditateft revenge, thou confeffeft that thou feeleft the wrong: when thou complaineft, thou acknowledg eft thyfelf hurt by it; meanelt thou to add this triumph to the pride of thine enemy? That cannot be an injury which is not felt; how then can he who defpifeth it revenge it? If thou think it difhonourable to bear an offence, more is in thy power; thou mayest conquer it. Good offices will make a man afhamed to be thine enemy: greatnefs of foul will terrify him from the thought of hurting thee. The greater the wrong, the more glory there is in pardoning it; and by how much more juflifiable would be revenge, by fo much the more honour is in cle tions remaineth for ever; and the love of the world attendeth him. 4 CRUELTY, HATRED, and ENVY. Revenge is deteftable: what then is cruelty? Lo, it poffeffeth the mifchiefs of the other; but it wanteth even the pretence of its provocations. Men difown it as not of their nature; they are afhamed of it as a ftranger to their hearts: do they not call it inhumanity? Whence then is her origin? unto what that is human oweth fhe her existence? Her father is Fear; and behold Dismay, is it not her mother ? The hero lifteth his fword against the enemy that refifteth; but no fooner doth he fubmit, than he is satisfied. It is not in honour to trample on the object that feareth; it is not in virtue to infult what is beneath it: fubdue the infolent, and fpare the humble; and thou art at the height of victory. He who wanteth virtue to arrive at this end, he who hath not courage to afcend thus into it; lo, he fupplieth the place of conquet by murder, of fovereignty by flaughter. He who feareth all, ftriketh at all: why are tirants cruel, but because they live in terror? Civil wars are the most bloody, becaufe thefe who fight in them are cowards: con fpirators are murderers, because in death there is filence. Is it not fear that telleth them they may be betrayed? The cur will tear the carcafe, though he dared not look it in the face while living: the hound that hunteth it to the death, mangleth it not afterwards. That thou mayeft not be cruel, fet thyfelf too high for hatred; that thou mayeft not be inhuman, place thyfelf above the reach of envy. Every man may be viewed in two lights; in one he will be troublesome, in the other lefs offenfive: chufe to fee him in that in which he leaft hurteth thee; then fhalt thou Lot do hurt unto him. What is there that a man may not turn unto his good? In that which offendeth us moft, there is more ground for complaint than hatred. Man would be reconciled to him of whom he complaineth: whom murdereth he, but him whom he hateth? If thou art prevented of a benefit, fly not into rage: the lofs of thy reafon is the want of a greater. Because thou art robbed of thy cloak, wouldst thou ftrip thyfelf of thy coat alfo? When thou envieft the man who poffeffeth honours; when his titles and his greatness raife thy indignation; feek to know whence they came unto him; enquire by what means he was poffeffed of them, and thine envy will be turned into pity. If the fame fortune were offered unto thee at the fame price, be affured, if thou wert wife, thou wouldst refufe it. What is the pay for titles, but Aattery? how doth man purchase power, but by being a flave to him who giveth it? Wouldst thou lofe thine own liberty, to be able to take away that of another? or canft thou envy him who doth fo? Man purchaseth nothing of his fuperiors but for a price; and that price is it not more than the value? Wouldst thou pervert the customs of the world? wouldst thou have the purchafe and the price alfo? As thou canst not envy what thou wouldst not accept, difdain this caufe of hatred; and drive from thy foul this occafion of the parent of cruelty. If thou poffeffeft honour, canft thou envy that which is obtained at the expence of it? If thou knoweft the value of virtue, pitiest thou not those who have bartered it fo meanly? When thou haft taught thyself to bear the feeming good of men without repining, thou wilt hear of their real happiness with pleasure. If thou feeft good things fall to one who deferveth them, thou wilt rejoice in it: for virtue is happy in the profperity of the vir tuous. He who rejoiceth in the happiness of another, increaseth by it his own. 5. HEAVINESS of HEART. The foul of the cheerful forceth a smile upon the face of affliction; but the defpondence of the fad deadeneth even the brightnefs of joy. What is the fource of fadness, but a feebleness of the foul? what giveth it power but the want of fpirit? Roufe thyfelf to the combat, and the quitteth the field before thou ftrikest. Sadness is an enemy to thy race, therefore drive her from thy heart; fhe poifoneth the fweets of thy life, therefore suffer her not to enter thy dwelling. 0 3 She |
