of coolness, which of itself, will soon arrive. Let us reflect how little we have any prospects of gaining by fierce contention; but how much of the true happiness of life we are certain of throwing away. 8. Easily, and from the smallest chink, the bitter waters of strife* are let forth but their course cannot be foreseen; and he seldom fails of suffering most from their poisonous9 effect, who first allowed them to flow. 8 Prospect, & object of view. • Strife, & con tention, contest discord. 9 Poisonous,a -venomous, the qualities of poi -son. A suspicious temper a source of Misery to its Possessor. 1. As a suspiciousf spirit is the -cause of many crimes and calami. tics in the world, so it is the spring of certain misery to the person who indulges it. His friends will be few; and small will be his comforts in those whom he possesses. -Believing others to be his enemies,2 he will of course make them such. 2. Let his caution be ever so great the asperity 3 of his thoughts will often break out in his behavior,4 and in return for suspecting and hating, he will incar5 suspicion and hatred. 3. Besides the external evils which he draws upon himself, arising from alienated friendship, broken confidence, and open enmity,6 the suspicious temper itself is one of the worst evils which any man can suffer. 4 If in all fear there is torment,' how miserable must be his state, who, by living in perpetual7 jealousy, lives in perpetual dread! Looking upon himself to be surroundeds with spies,9 enemies, and designing. men, he is a stranger to reliance and trust. 5 He knows not to whom to open himself. He dresses his countenance in forced smiles, while his heart throbs within, from apprehensions2 of secret treachery. Hence fretfulness and ill humor, disgust at the world and all the painful sensations of an irritated3 and embittered mind. 6 So numerous and great are the evils arising from a suspicious disposition,4 that, of the two extremes, it is more eligible5 to expose ourselves to occasional disadvantage from thinking too well of others, than to suffer continual6 misery by thinking always ill of them. It is better to be sometimes imposed upon, than never to trust. 7. Safety is purchased at too dear a rate, when, in order to se 6 Enmity, ill will, malice. 7 Perpetual, a continual 8 Surrounded, part. encompas sed. ons of others. 2 Apprehen sion, s concep tion, suspicion. 3 Irritated, part exaspera. ted. 4 Disposition, s method, tein per 5 Eligible,a fit to be chosen. 6 Continual, a unceasing. care it, we are obliged to be always clad in armor,7 and to live in perpetual hostility with our fellows. 8. This is for the sake of diving, to deprive ourselves of the comforts of life. The man of candor* enjoys his situation, whatever it is, with cheerfulness and peace. dence directs his intercourse with the world; but no black suspicions haunt his hours of rest. Pru 9. Accustomed8 to view the characters of his neighbors in the most favorable light, he is like one who dwells amidst those beautiful9 scenes of nature, on which the eye rests with pleasure. Whereas the suspicious man having his imaginationf filled with all the shocking forms of human falsehood, deceit and treachery, resembles the traveller in the wilderness, who discerns no objects around him but such as are either dreary or terrible; caverns2 that open, serpents that hiss, and beasts of prey that howl. 7 Armor, a de. fensive aims, to cover the body. • Candor, s openness, hon. esty, sincerity. 8 Accustomed part. inured to, habituated. 9 Beautiful, a fair. +Imagination, s contrivance, fancy. 2 Caverns, s hollow place in the ground. Diffidence of our Abilities, a mark of Wisdom. 1. It is a sure indicationt of good sense, to be diffident of it. We then and not till then, are growing wise, # Indication,☞ a 'mark, a sign. when we begin to discern how weak and unwise2 we are. An absolutes perfection4 of understanding, is impossible; he makes the nearest approaches5 to it, who has the sense to discern, and the humility to acknowledge its imperfections.6 2 Unwise, a defective in wisdom. unconditional, 4 Perfection, s 5 Approach, s act of drawing near. 6 Imperfections, s defects, faults. brightness; re 7 Lustre, s 2 Modesty always sits gracefully upon youth; it covers a multitude of faults, and doubles the lustre7 of every virtue which it seems to hide: the perfections of men being like those flowers which appear more beautiful when their leaves are lit-nown. tie, contracted and folded up than when they are full blown, and displays themselves, without any reserve, to the view. 8 Display, ta spread wide, to describe. 9 Science, s knowledge, deep learning, 3 We are some of us very fond of knowledge, and apt to value ourselves upon any proficiency in the sciences: one science,9 however, there is, worth more than all the rest, and that is, the science of liv. ing well; which shall remain, when tongues shall cease, and knowledge shali vanish away.' As to new notions and now doctrines, of which disappear. this age is very fruitful, the time will come when we shall have no pleasure in them: nay, the time shall come when they shall be exploded,2 and would have been forgotten, if they had not been preserved those excellent3 books, which art. Vanish, v to be lost, to 2 Exploded, part. reported; decreed. 3 Excellent, lb. of great value. contain a confutation3 of them; like insects preserved for ages in amber,4 which otherwise would soon have returned to the common mass of things. 4 But a firm belief of christianity and a practice suitable to it, will support and invigorate5 the mind to the last; and most of all at last, at that important hour, which must decide our hopes and apprehenaions:6 and the wisdom, which, like our Saviour, cometh from above, will, through his merits, bring us thither, 5 All our other studies and pursuits, however different, ought to be subservient to, and centre in this grand point, the pursuit7 of eternal happiness, by being good in our..scives and useful to the world. On the importance of Order in the distribution of our Time. 1 Time we ought to consider as a sacred trust committed to us by God; of which we are now the depositariest and are to render account at the last. That portion of it which he has allotted2 us, is intended, partly for the concerns of † Depositaries, s places where things are kept. 2Allotted, part granted, |