Notice will be taken of it; but if you give Way to Anger and Refentment, the very Remembrance of the Word or Action that disturbed you, will give you fresh Uneafiness; whereas if you neither think nor fpeak of it more, the Senfe of it will immediately wear off.

Befides, there is a great Inconvenience in being fo quick to refent every little Thing that is faid or done against us. They that provoke you, being not governed by ftrict Principles of Virtue, will make this Advantage of it, that they will fay and do Things on Purpofe to vex you, and to increase your ill Humour.

V. Condefcend to others. Our Tempers and Inclinations are fo different, and often fo oppofite the one to the other, that it is hard if the Rules of Charity are not frequently tranfgreffed. You muft therefore be upon your Guard, that the most provoking Occafions do not force you from your Charity. Let others be never fo much in the wrong, do not perfevere in maintaining the Debate, fubmit to others; at leaft by your Silence; and if People are of another Mind, never perfift in the Matter: Why fhould you torment yourself about what is impoffible? Which is, to change their Apprehenfion of Things; and if you could fucceed in it, yet you ought not at the Hazard of your E 6 Charity,

Charity, which, in the Sight of God is of great Price.

VI. Be zealous for the Good of your Neighbour. It is but a fmall Inftance of your Charity, if you only relieve those Wants of your Neighbour that relate to his Body, and at the fame Time neglect to help him in the more important Concerns of his Soul. Be ready therefore, upon all Occafions, to affift him with good Counfel and Advice; to reprove him in the fofteft and gentleft Language, and with fuch a Temper of Mind, that he may plainly perceive your Aim at promoting his true Welfare; to comfort him under his Affliction; Endeavour to recover him from the Ways of Sin and Error, by your Example, as well as by your Difcourfe. Let your Converfation excite him to Piety and Devotion; and by your Prayers, and other Chriftian Methods, let it appear, that the Salvation of his Soul is dear to you.

you.

VII. Rejoice when any Good happens to If you loved your Neighbour as you ought, his Profperity would give you a great deal of Pleasure, and you would be touched with a true Concern for his Misfortunes. But moft Men are governed by a contrary Principle, which makes them repine when their Neighbours flourish, and fecretly rejoice when they fall into any confiderable Difafters. This thould put you continually upon your Guard against the first Motions of Envy,

that

that you may not give Way to them; this fhould excite you to teftify your Satisfaction when your Neighbour is pleafed, because it is a Mark of Affection which you owe to him; fympathife with him under Calamity; if it is in your Power, comfort him, and foften his Mifery, but at least let him never want your Compaffion.

VIII. Overcome any Averfion you have entertained. As fome certain Perfons please us by a Sort of Sympathy, we know not why; fo others difplease us by a Sort of Antipathy which we can give no Account of. It is fomewhat difficult entirely to conquer thefe Averfions, because fometimes they proceed from Nature and Conftitution: But we may prevent the outward Appearance of it, by fuppreffing all contemptuous and reproachful Language.

Antipathy thus governed, may be compared to a wild Beaft chained: as long as you keep it confined it is not able to do any Hurt; but if you once let it loofe, it is incredible what Mischief it will do to yourself and every Body elfe. As long as you give no outward Teftimonies of your Averfion, it will be attended with no ill Confequence, provided you do not please yourself with fuch Thoughts, but rather endeavour to fupprefs the irregular Motions they may occafion; but if once you give way to your Antipathy by doing every Thing which that dictates, in a little

a little Time you will contract a great deal of Guilt. Therefore bear with Patience whatever is fhocking to you in other People, and neither by Word or Gefture discover the Averfion and Uneafinefs that they give you, though it may be fometimes a Complaint might be justifiable. But this is a great Inftance of strong Virtue.

CHAP. VI.

FOR TUESDAY.

Humility.

THE great Condefcenfion of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, in taking upon him human Nature, and in fubmitting to all the Frailties and Infirmities of it, Sin only excepted, purely for our Benefit and Advantage, ought to animate and excite us all to the Practice of Chriftian Humility, the Foundation of all other Virtues, very peculiar to the Inftitution of the Religion established by our Saviour, and unknown to the wife Men and Philofophers of the Gentile World, by the Practice of which, we become acceptable,

I. To God. For he hath declared, that his Delight is among the Humble and the Lowly;

Lowly; it is upon them that he bestows his choiceft Favours; and it is their Prayers that find Access and Acceptance with Him: Nothing is more contradictory to his Holy Name: than Pride; upon which Account God takes a particular Pleafure in confounding a Vice, which endeavoured to oppofe his Glory in Heaven, and does its utmost to rob Him of it upon Earth. Nothing is fo effectual to procure the Grace of God, and to preserve the Continuance of it, and even to recover it when it is unhappily loft, as Humility.

But

this Virtue does not only make us acceptable to God; but,

any

II. To Men. What can be more amiable than he who defpifes no Body, who never praises himself, and who makes it his Glory to give way to others? And, on the contrary, what is more hateful than a proud Man? He is odious to every one, no Body can bear him, and every one endeavours to mortify him, in order to bring down his Vanity: If he meets with confiderable Humiliation, no Body grieves to fee his Pride punished. Suppofing a Perfon endowed with all the advantageous Qualities of Body and Mind, adorned with all the Gifts of Nature and Grace, if he grows vain, and prides himself in them, he immediately expofes himself to Contempt. Nothing is more hateful to God and Man than Pride: but Humility farther makes us acceptable and easy.

III. To