of this does he want to be folicited, but his generous Heart is always ready, and ftrongly difpofed for beneficent Designs and Actions. You cannot lay a greater Obligation upon him, than by propofing Ways in which he may be useful, or enlarge his Sphere of Ufefulness; for this is the Point in which all his Views, all his Satisfactions center.

Add to this, that he is inclin❜d to abate of his Right, when infifting too strictly upon it may have the Appearance of Harfhnefs and Severity; and has fuch a ftrong Senfe of Benevolence, fuch an exalted Spirit of Humanity and Compaffion, that no Confiderations of private Intereft, no Difference of Nation or religious Profeffion, can reftrain; and which the greatest Inju ries cannot bear down and extinguish. He aims that his Goodness may be as diffufive as poffible, and as much like that of the univerfal Parent, the eternal Fountain of Good, who fupports, enlivens, and recreates the whole Creation; and therefore, as he is generous in all his Defigns, he is very fearful of difobliging any, either by Word or Action; and endeavours in his whole Conduct, to be agreeable as well as useful to all: Being candid in his Cenfures, practifing to his Inferiors the most endearing Condefcenfion, and carefully avoiding Moroseness, and every thing that has the Appearance of Infolence or Contempt. Finally, to conclude the Sketch of this moft beautiful and honourable Character, the good Man is unwearied in his Endeavours to promote the Happiness of others; the Ardor of his Benevolence is not cool'd, tho' he meets with ungrateful Returns; the Trouble and Expence of the Service do not difcourage him; nay, he is ready to give up all private Confiderations for the fake of the public Welfare, and even to facrifice Life itself, when the Good of the World requires it.

LESSON

LESSON VIII.

The Duty of endeavouring to obtain WISDOM, and the Ufe and Importance of it.

W

ISDOM is of itself delectable and fatisfactory. It is like Light, pleasant to behold, cafting a sprightly Luftre, and diffufing a benign Influence all about; difplaying Objects in their due Shapes, Poftures, Magnitudes and Colours; difpelling the Darknefs of Ignorance, scattering the Mifts of Doubt, and driving away the Spectres of delufive Fancy; difcovering Obftacles, fecuring the Progrefs, and making the Paffages of Life clear, open and pleafant. Wifdom begets in us a Hope of Succefs in our Actions, and is ufually attended therewith. Now what is more delicious than Hope? What more fatisfactory than Succefs? And he that aims at a good End, and knows he ufes proper Means to attain it, why fhould he defpair of Succefs, fince Effects naturally follow their Caufes, and the Divine Providence is wont to afford its Concurrence to fuch Proceedings? Wifdom makes all the Troubles, Griefs, and Pains incident to Life, whether cafual Adverfities, or natural Afflictions, eafy and fupportable; by rightly valuing the Importance, and moderating the Influences of them. It fuffers not busy Fancy to alter the Nature, amplify the Degree, or extend the Duration of them, by reprefenting them more fad, heavy, and remedilefs than they truly are. fides that it confers a Facility and Dexterity in Action, which is a very pleafant and commodious Quality. To do things with Difficulty and Struggling, difheartens a Man, quells his Courage, blunts the Edge of his Refolution, renders him fluggish and averfe from Bufinefs, tho' apprehended never fo neceffary and of great Moment. Thefe Obftructions Wisdom removes, facilitating Operations, by directing the Intention to Ends poffible and attainable, by fuggefting fit Means and Inftruments to work by, by contriving right Methods and Courses of Procefs; the Mind by it being ftor'd with Variety of good Principles, fure Rules, and happy Expedients, repofed in the Memory, and ready upon all Occafions to be produced and employed in Practice. Wisdom begets a found, healthful and harmonious Complexion of the Soul, difpofing us with Judgment to diftinguifh, and with

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Pleasure

Pleasure to relish savory and wholfome things, but to naufeate and reject fuch as are ungrateful and noxious to us; whence to the Soul proceeds all that Comfort, Joy and Vigour, which refults to the Body from a good Conftitution and perfect Health. Wisdom acquaints us with ourselves, our own Temper and Conftitution, our Propenfions and Paffions, our Habitudes and Capacities; a thing not only of mighty Advantage, but of infinite Pleafure and Content to us. No Man in the World lefs knows a Fool than himself. He hath wonderful Conceits of his own Qualities and Faculties; he affects Commendations incompetent to him, and foars at Employments furpaffing his Ability to manage. No Comedy can represent a Mistake more odd and ridiculous than his; for what he wanders, ftares and hunts after, but never can find or discern, is himself. Wisdom procures and preferves a conftant Favour and fair Refpect of Men, purchafes a good Name, and upholds Reputation in the World: which things are naturally defireable, and commodious in Life. The composed Frame of Mind, uniform and comely Demeanour, compliant and inoffenfive Conversation, fair and punctual Dealing, confiderate Motions and dextrous Addreffes of wife Men, naturally beget Efteem and Affection in those that observe them: Whereas Folly is freakish and humorous, impertinent and obftreperous, inconftant and inconfiftent, peevish and exceptious, and confequently troublefome to Society, and productive of Averfion and Difrespect. Wisdom inftructs us to examine, compare, and rightly to value the Objects that court our Affections, and challenge our Care; and thereby regulates our Paffions, and moderates our Endeavours, which begets a pleasant Serenity, and peaceful Tranquility of Mind. For when, being deluded with falfe Shews, and relying upon ill-grounded Prefumptions, we highly efteem and eagerly purfue things of little Worth in themselves, as we proftitute our Affections, mis-spend our Time, and lofe oar Labour; fo the Event not answering our Expectation, our Minds thereby are confounded, difturbed and diftempered. Wisdom difcovers our Relations, Duties, and Concernments, in refpect of others with whom we converfe; diftinguishes the Circumftances, limits the Meafures, determines the Modes, appoints the fit Seafon of Action; thus preferving Decorum and Order, the Parents of Peace; and preventing Confufion, the Mother of Iniquity, Strife and Difquiet. In fine, Wisdom acquaints us with the Nature and Reafon of true Religion, and perfuades us to the Practice of it; teaches us wherein it confifts, and what

what it requires, the Miftake of which produceth daily fo many Mischiefs in the World. It fhews that it confifteth not in fair Profeffions, but in real Practice; not in a pertinacious Adherence to any Sect or Party, but in a fincere Love of Goodness, and Diflike of Naughtinefs, wherever discovering itself; not in harsh Censuring and virulently Inveighing against others, but in carefully Amending our own Ways; not in a vain Oftentation of outward Performances, but in an inward Goodness of Mind, exerting itself in Works of true Devotion and Charity; not in a nice Orthodoxy, or politic Subjection of our Judgments to the peremptory Dictates of Men, but in a fincere Love of Truth, in a hearty Approbation of Compliance with Doctrines fundamentally good, and neceffary to be believed.

A View of the different Climes and Regions of the

Earth.

OW oblique and faintly looks the Sun on yonder Climates, far removed from him! How tedious are the Winters there! How deep the Horrors of the Night, and how uncomfortable even the Light of the Day! The freezing Winds employ their fierceft Breath, yet are not spent with blowing. The Sea, which elsewhere is scarce confined within its Limits, lies here immur'd in Walls of Crystal. The Snow covers the Hills, and almost fills the lowest Vallies. How wide and deep it lies, incumbent over the Plains, hiding the fluggish Rivers, the Shrubs and Trees, the Dens of Beafts, and Manfions of diftrefs'd and feeble Men!-See! where they lie confined, hardly fecure against the raging Cold, or the Attacks of the wild Beafts, now Masters of the wafted Field, and forc'd by Hunger out of the naked Woods.-Yet not difhearten'd (fuch is the Force of human Breafts) but thus provided for by Art and Prudence, the kind compenfating Gifts of Heaven, Men and their Herds may wait for a Release. For at length the Sun approaching, melts the Snow, fets longing Men at Liberty, and affords them Means and Time to make Provision against the next Return of Cold. It breaks the icy Fetters of the Main, where the vaft Sea-Monsters pierce thro' floating Islands,

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with Arms which can withstand the cryftal Rock: whilft others, who of themfelves feem great as Islands, are by their Bulk alone arm'd against all but Man, whofe Superiority over Creatures of fuch ftupendous Size and Force, fhould make him mindful of his Privilege of Reason, and force him humbly to adore the great Composer of thefe wonderous Frames, and Author of his own fuperior Wisdom.

But leaving thefe dull Climates, fo little favoured by the Sun, for thofe happier Regions, on which he looks moft kindly, making perpetual Summer; how great an Alteration do we find! His purer Light confounds weak-fighted Mortals; pierced by his fcorching Beams, fcarce can they tread the glowing Ground. The Air they breathe cannot enough abate the Fire which burns within their panting Breafts. Their Bodies melt; overcome and fainting, they seek the Shade, and wait the cool Refreshments of the Night. Yet oft the bounteous Creator beftows other Refreshments; he cafts a Veil of Clouds before them, and raifes gentle Gales; favoured by which, the Men and Beafts purfue their Labours; and Plants refreshed by Dews and Showers, can gladly bear the warmest Sun-beams.

And here the varying Scene opens to new Wonders. We fce a Country rich with Gems, but richer with the fragrant Spices it affords. How gravely move the largest of LandCreatures on the Banks of this fair River! How ponderous are their Arms, and vaft their Strength, with Courage, and a Senfe fuperior to the other Beafts! yet are they tamed by Mankind, and brought even to fight their Battles, rather as Allies and Confederates, than as Slaves. But let us turn our Eyes towards thefe fmaller and more curious Objects, the numerous and devouring Infects on the Trees in these wide Plains How fhining, ftrong and lafting are the fubtle Threads spun from their artful Mouths! Who befide the All-wife has taught them to compofe the beautiful foft Shells, in which reclufe and buried, yet ftill alive, they undergo fuch a furprifing Change, when not deftroyed by Men, who cloath and adorn themselves with the Labours and Lives of these weak Creatures, and are proud of wearing fuch inglorious Spoils? How fumptuoufly apparelled, gay, and fplendid, are all the various Infects which feed on the other Plants of this warm Region! How beautiful the Plants themfelves in all their various Growths,. from the triumphant Palm, down to the humble Mofs!

Now may we fee that happy Country where precious Gems and Balfams flow from Trees, and Nature yields her

moft