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I have not, perhaps, been positively out of humour: but have I guarded my disposition against every failing? Have I not indulged a nice fancy, in taking some disgust at any of those that I converse with; which, trifling as it seems at present, may, in time, quite alienate our minds from one another? A disagreeable look or manner too often gives a prejudice against persons who are really deserving. -Let me be upon my guard against such prejudices: let me overlook all trifling infirmities in others; but let me spare them the pain and difficulty of having many such to overlook in me: let me observe, in every thing, a perfect cleanliness and neatness; for nothing is so disgustful as the contrary: let me be mild and civil, moderate and discreet in all my ways of speaking: let my behaviour always be easy and obliging, natural and unaffected : let me always preserve, as much as I can, even under severe trials, a cheerful pleasing countenance: and, among other things, let me try to avoid, as much as possible, falling into those little foolish tricks and peculiarities, which every body is so apt to acquire, without even perceiving it: I cannot help seeing in others how disagreeable they are, though in them I ought as little as possible to attend to it. But let me watch myself a little, and discover, in order to reform whatever I may have in me that makes me less agreeable, and therefore less useful, in society.

WEDNESDAY.

On the humble and religious Enjoyment of the Blessings of Life.

" AND God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

Such was the face of things at the creation : every view that could be taken, was a view of order and beauty, of happiness and pleasure. Too soon, by the frailty and by the guilt of man, this happy state was changed; and through sin, death and misery entered into the world: every part of our world was affected by the general disorder: the earth produced thorns and thistles: the seasons became unfavourable: the beasts grew wild and savage and hence sprung a necessity of labour and self-defence. Toil and weariness must be its natural consequence to bodies now become mortal and corruptible: pain and sickness, the infirmities of old age, the fear of death, and sufferings both for ourselves and our friends, with all that variety of evils that burthen human life;-all are the sad effects of sin. The disorder of our minds, the vehemence of our passions, the dimness of our understandings, those tendencies to evil, which even

the best people, at some times, must feel strongly working in their bosoms, are the bitter fruits of the original corruption of human nature in the first of men, our common parent. Hence, surely, we should draw the strongest motives of humility, and throw ourselves down, in the deepest abasement of soul, before that God of holiness, in whose "sight the heavens are not pure, and who chargeth his angels with folly." "How much more man, which is a worm, and the son of man, which is a worm ?" Unassisted human nature could not be in a more perfect state than our first parents were created; infinitely superior, certainly, to whatever we can imagine of good or excellent among ourselves: if they were such frail, such wretched creatures, and so soon forfeited their very beings-Good God! then what is the very best of us? "Let our confusion be ever before us:" "Let the shame of our face cover us.";

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Strange it may seem, after these considerations, to mention a happy and cheerful enjoyment of our being, as a serious and important duty. Many good persons, who have deeply dwelt on this dark view of our mortal state, have represented it as utterly. unfit and sinful for such creatures, in such a world, to think of any thing but suffering and mourning : but as sure as our heavenly Father is good to all, and peculiarly so to us, his helpless new-adopted children, so surely they are widely mistaken. The blessed promise of our redemption was uttered in the same moment with the doom of our mortality, and from that moment all was good again: pain,

and suffering, and sorrow, became remedies to cure our corrupted nature; temptations, but a purifying fire to prove and to refine our virtue; and death, a kind release from toil, a happy admission into à better paradise. Through our blessed Saviour, we have obtained the grace of God to guide us in all our ways, and to support us under all our distresses: through him, in him, we have every thing that can make us happy, unless we wilfully destroy ourselves. "Rejoice then in the Lord, all ye righteous; be thankful, all ye who are true of heart."

Serious and careful, indeed, we ought to be, watchful and diligent, humble and submissive; reflecting deeply on the frailty and vileness of our nature, and the important, the eternal interest, that depends on this our short, and very uncertain time of trial here: in this sense we ought to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling," and even to "rejoice before the Lord with reverence." But while we "keep innocence, and take heed to the thing that is right," let our cheerful hearts and looks confess the goodness of our gracious Master, who "gives us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness;" of him, who has made every thing good and pleasant; who has the tenderest consideration for all our infirmities, and has provided every support and every relief that can make our passage through this world tolerable and comfortable to us. With joyful gratitude, let us accept and improve these his mercies and indulgences; let us make this world as happy as we can to ourselves

and one another: to do this, we need only be good Christians. Our wills being perfectly resigned, will acquiesce, without pain, in whatever disposals Providence may see fit to make of us and ours; and taking "no thought for to-morrow," we shall neither be tormented with vain schemes nor anxious fears our desires being moderate, we shall pass easily and quietly through life; and no unruly pas- ́ sions or vehement wishes will discompose our peace being free from private interests and selfish views, we shall have no rivalries nor contests with our neighbours: being in perfect charity with all men, we shall with all be easy, cheerful, friendly; in every thing studying to promote their good and happiness; and, in our turn, receiving from many of them offices of kindness; and from such as are ungrateful, receiving the greatest benefit of all, a noble opportunity to exercise those duties on which God's forgiveness of ourselves depends. With pleasure and complacence-our heavenly Father looks down on every society of his children united in brotherly affection, and gives his blessing to every set of friends, and neighbours, and relations, that perform their mutual relative duties as they ought, and love and delight in one another. Every innocent entertainment, that keeps up the cheerfulness and kindness of society, he approves : "The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous." Our health can alone be preserved by temperance, calmness, and industry. Industry too, makes the world look beautiful around us: it turns the barren wilderness into a fertile pleasant land; and for thorns and thistles, plants the rose-tree

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