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vine approbation, and a foretaste of his future favour and reward.

SECTION IV.

Of the means of virtue.

HAV

AVING thus fhown the rank and value of all our paffions and affections, or the regard that is due to each in the conduct of our lives. I fhall give fome practical directions, how to fupprefs what is irregular and vicious, and promote what is right and virtuous in us.

1. If any of our inferior paffions have gained the afcendency in us, fo that a propensity to any fpecies of indulgence is become exceffive, and, in confequence of it, bad habits have been formed, it is

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certainly a man's wifdom, as foon as he begins to fufpect that he is in a wrong course, to weigh in his own mind fuch confiderations as have been mentioned above, respecting the nature and tendency of our paffions; that he may thoroughly convince himself how foolish a part he has chofen for himself, how injurious his conduct is to others, how difpleafing to his maker, and how much it is the cause of shame and remorfe to himself. It is generally through want of timely reflection, that men abandon themselves to irregular indulgences, and contract bad habits; fo that if they would give themselves time to think, and confider deliberately of the nature and confequences of their conduct, they would chufe a wife and virtuous course. For no man is fo infatuated as, that, when no particular temptation is prefent, when he is perfectly master of himself, and cannot but fee what is for his true interest, purposely and knowingly to lay afide all regard to it. All mankind wish to be happy, and no man can voluntarily

Were

voluntarily chufe to be miferable. any man, therefore, truly fenfible, that there is no kind of vice to which he does not facrifice either the health of his body, his reputation with the thinking part of mankind, or even his worldly intereft, fometimes all thefe together, and always the peace and tranquillity of his mind, who would chufe to perfift in it; admitting that a regard to the good of others, and to the known will of God should have no weight among them; though there are few perfons, I believe, who are not more or lefs influenced even by these generous and difinterested confiderations.

2. Particular care fhould be taken on our entrance into the world, that we contract no bad habits; for fuch is the nature of habits, that when once a man has been accustomed to any thing, it may give him the greatest pain to break himself of it, even though he have no pleasure, yea though he be really unhappy in continuing in it. Youth is, on every account, that

time

time of life which requires our greatest attention, for then only is the mind fufceptible of new impreffions, fo as to be capable of changing for the better. When once a man's connections and mode of life have been fettled, which is generally before, or foon after he is arrived at thirty years of age, the bent of his mind is compleatly formed, and it is a thousand to one but that after this there will be no material change in his difpofition or conduct to the end of his life. If his mind be vitiated then, there is little hope of a change, without a total revolution in his connections and affairs; or unless his mind be roused by fome uncommon calamity. In this cafe, entering, as it were, upon life again, with wisdom bought by experience, his old connections being broken, and new ones to be formed, he may chufe a wifer courfe, and in time. may make it familiar and pleafing to him. But ftill there is great danger of his relapfing into his former habits, the first opportunity.

A new

A new fet of principles, new views and expectations may be equivalent to fuch an intire revolution in a man's affairs as was mentioned above. For many persons are fo difpofed that if they had more knowledge they would have more virtue. Thus the doctrines of a resurrection, and of a future ftate of retribution, produced a very great and speedy change in the moral state of the heathen world, at the first promulgation of christianity, affecting the old as well as the young. But when nothing new takes place, with respect either to a man's circumstances, or his knowledge, there is but little probability that his conduct will be materially affected by an attention to truths and facts, to the contemplation of which he has been long accustomed.

3. If bad habits have, unhappily, been formed, and a man thinks he has strength of mind to break through them, he has no other way but refolutely to avoid every affociated circumftance belonging to them, whatever

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