verted them ?--What have I been doing ⚫ fince I came into the world? What is the world or myself the better for my living 6 . fo many years in it?-What is my allowed 'courfe of actions? Am I fure it will bear the future teft ?-Am I now in that state I fhall wifh to die in? And, O my foul, think, and think again what it is to die.-Do not put that most awful event far from thee; nor pass it by with a fuperficial thought.-Canft thou be too well fortified against the terrors of that day! And art thou fure that the props, which fupport thee now, will not fail thee then? -What hopes haft thou for eternity! • Haft thou indeed that godly temper, which 6 alone can fit thee for the enjoyment of • GOD ?---Which world art thou moft concerned for? What things do moft deeply • affect thee ?--- O my foul, remember thy dignity think how foon the scene will 'fhift. Why should thou forget that thou ⚫ art immortal ?' 6 6 (2.) This felf-excitation and scrutiny must be frequently made. They who have much important business on their hands fhould often look over their accounts, and frequently adjust them; left they fall back ward, ward, and not know it. Cuftom will foon take off the difficulty of this duty, and make it delightful. In our morning retreat, it will be proper to remember, that we cannot preserve throughout the day that calm and even temper we may then be in: that we shall very probably meet with fome things to ruffle us; fome attack on our weak fide: place a guard there now. Or however, if no incidents happen to difcompose us, our tempers will vary; our thoughts will flow like our blood; and the dispositions of the mind will probably be governed by the motions of the animal fpirits: our fouls will be ferene or cloudy, our tempers volatile or flegmatic, and our inclinations fober or irregular, according to the celerity or fluggifhnefs of the circulation of our animal fluids, whatever may be the natural and immediate caufe; and therefore we must refolve to avoid all occafions that may raise any dangerous ferments there; for, when once raised, they will excite in us very different thoughts and difpofitions from those we now have; which, together with the force of a fair opportunity and urgent temptation, may overset our reafon and refolution, and betray us into thofe finful indulgences which R 3 will Part III. will wound the confcience, ftain the foul, and create bitter remorfe in our cooler reflections. Pious thoughts and purposes in the morning will fet a guard upon the foul, and fortify it under all the temptations of the day. But fuch felf-inspection fhould not fail to make part of our evening devotions. When we fhould review and examine the feveral actions of the day, the various tempers and difpofitions we have been in, and the occafions that excited them. It is an advice worthy of a Chriftian, tho' it first droped from a heathen pen, that before we betake ourselves to reft, we review and examine all the paffages of the day, that we may enjoy the comfort of what we have done aright, correct what we find to have been amifs; and make the fhipwrecks of one day be as marks to direct our courfe on another. A practice which hath been inforced by many of the heathen moralifts of the greatest reputation, as Plutarch, Epictetus, Marcus Antoninus; and particularly by Pythagoras, in his golden verfes; wherein he advifes his fcholars every night to recollect the paffages of the day, and afk themselves these questions; • Wherein 187 • Wherein have I tranfgreffed this day? • What have I done? What have I omitted, &c (h) ?' Seneca recommends the fame practice. • Sectius (faith he) did this; at the close of the day, before he betook himself to reft, he addreffed his ⚫ foul in the following manner: What evil of thine haft thou cured this day? What vice withflood? In what refpect art thou better? Paffion will ceafe, or become more cool, • when it knows every day it is to be thus • called to account. What can be more advantageous than this conftant custom of searching thro' the day? And the fame 'courfe (2) Μηδ υπνον μαλακοισιν επ όμμασι προσδε Πρίν των ημερινων έργων τρις εκαςον επελθειν } • course (faith Seneca) I take myself; and every day fit in judgment on myself; and at even, when all is hufh and ftill, ' I make a fcrutiny into the day; look over my words and actions, and hide nothing from myself; conceal none of my mistakes through fear; for why should I? When I have it in my power to say • thus; This once I forgive thee; but fee • thou do fo no more. In fuch a difpute I was too keen; do not for the future contend with ignorant men; they will not be convinced, because they are unwilling to fhow their ignorance. Such a one I reproved • with too much freedom; whereby I have not reformed, but exafperated him; remember hereafter to be more mild in your cenfures; and confider not only whether what you fay be true, but whether the perfon you fay • it to can bear to hear the truth (i):’– Thus far that excellent moralift. Let us take a few other fpecimens of a more pious and chriftian turn, from a judicious and devout writer (k). • This (i) Vid. Seneca de Irâ, lib. 3. cap. 36. (k) Mr. Bennet. See his Chrift. Orator. pag. 584. |