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Jophical indeed-but one equally inexorable DISC. and irresistible.

Confider the vigils and the abftinence of the gamester. To discharge with propriety the duties of his profeffion, it is expedient that he keep his habit cool, and his head clear. His diet is therefore almost as spare as that of St. John in the wilderness, and he drinks neither wine, nor ftrong drink; left, instead of his cheating his friend, his friend fhould cheat him.

Confider the toil and the fatigue willingly undergone by one, whofe delight is placed in the fports of the field, and the pleasures of the chase. How early does he rife! How late is he abroad! "In hunger and thirst, "in faftings often, in cold and rain. None "of these things move him, neither counts

he his life dear unto himself," being well content often to put it to the extremest hazard.

Look at the afpirant to power: He wears a countenance always fuited to the present occafion.

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VII.

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DISC. occafion. No fymptom of inward uneafiness is suffered to appear in it. He holds his paffions in the most abfolute fubjection. "Hitherto (fays he to every one of them) "halt thou come, but no farther." He takes patiently and cheerfully affronts and infults. He bears and forbears. Can the Stoic, can the inhabitant of le Trappe do more? Exemplary inftances of mortifica tion and felf-denial are not confined to the defart, or to the cloifter. They may be found in a court.

How often does the candidate for literary fame purfue his propofition; or this pro blem, or his system, regardless of food and reft, till his eyes fail, his nerves are shattered, his fpirits are exhaufted, and his health is gone! But greater things than thefe are still behind.

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At the call of honour, a young man of family and fortune, accustomed to the gratifications of the table, and a life of eafe and voluptuoufnefs, quits every valuable and ten

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VII.

der connection at home, and fubmits at once DISC. to all the painful duties and hard fare of a camp, in an enemy's country. He travels through dreary swamps, and inhospitable forefts, guided only by the track of savages. He traverses mountains, he paffes and repaffes rivers, and marches several hundred miles, with scarcely bread to eat, or change of raiment to put on. When night comes, he fleeps on the ground, or perhaps sleeps not at all; and at the dawn of day resumes his labour. At length, he is so fortunate as to find his enemy. He braves death, amid all the horrors of the field. He fees his companions fall around him-he is wounded, and carried into a tent, or laid in a waggon; where he is left to fuffer pain and anguish, with the noise of deftruction founding in his ears. After fome weeks, he recovers, and enters afresh upon duty. And does the Captain of thy falvation, O thou who ftyleft thyself the foldier and fervant of Jefus Chrift does He require any thing like this, at thy hands? Or canft thou deem him an auftere Mafter, because thou art enjoined

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DISC. enjoined to live in fobriety and purity, to VII. fubdue a turbulent paffion, to watch an

hour fometimes unto prayer, or to miss a meal now and then, during the season of repentance and humiliation? Bluth for fhame, and hide thy face in the duft.

More ftrange and inexcufable still will this conduct of the Chriftian appear, when we confider, in the

Fifth and last place, the rewards annexed to the practice of felf-denial,

Many and great are it's advantages in the prefent life. The lightnefs of fpirits, the cheerfulness of heart, the ferenity of temper, the alacrity of mind, the vigour of understanding, the obedience of the will, the freedom from bad defires, and the propensity to good ones, produced by a prudent and judicious abftinence, are inconceivable by thofe who have never experienced them, and fully justify to those who have experienced them the highest

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VII.

encomiums pronounced by the ancient fa- DISC. thers of the church on this evangelical precept, and the bleffednefs of observing it. For think not that the felicity, any more than the virtue, of man confifts in gratifying at all times his own humour, and following his own will; fince his humour is perverse, and his will depraved. We are, in very deed, the oldest of us, children, wayward children; and unless we would be miferable, as well as vicious, we must treat ourselves as we do our children. Now " compare the "child that is taught fubmiffion and obe"dience, with him that is humoured in

every thing. How rational, cheerful, "agreeable, and happy is the one! How "ridiculous, peevish, disagreeable, and un

happy is the other! The smallest favour "done the firft, is received and acknowleged "as a particular obligation: the greatest "kindness done to the other, is either rejected with difdain, or received with thanklefs ill manners. The more you "strive to please him, the more difficult he is to be pleased; till at length nothing " will

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