ceived against him, I ought to turn upon myself.* Again, 2. Did I not provoke him to it, when I knew his temper? The fault is still my own. I did, or might know the pride, passion, or perverseness of his nature; why then did I exasperate him? A man that would needlessly rouse a lion, must not expect always to come off so favourably as the hero of La Mancha. But, 3. Suppose I were not the aggressor; yet, how came I into his company? Who led me into the temptation? He hath acted according to his nature in what he hath done; but I have not acted according to my reason, in laying myself so open to him. I knew him: why did I not shun him, as I would any other dangerous animal that does mischief by instinct? If I must needs put my finger into a wasp's nest, why should I blame them for stinging me? Or, 4. If I could not avoid his company, why did I not arm myself? Why did I venture defenceless into so much danger? Or, 5. Suppose he hath done me a real and undeserved injury, without my fault or provocation; yet does not my discontent aggravate it? Does it not appear greater to me, than it does to any body else? Or than it will to me, after the present ferment is over? and lastly, after all, must I never forgive? How shall I be able to repeat the Lord's prayer, or read our Saviour's comment upon it, Matt. vi.

*For every trifle scorn to take offence;

That always shews great pride, or little sense.
Good nature and good sense must always join:
To err is human, to forgive divine.

РОРЕ.

14, 15, with an unforgiving temper? Do I not hope to be forgiven ten thousand talents; and cannot I forgive my fellow servant thirty pence ? when I know not but he hath repented and GOD hath forgiven him, whose forgiveness I want infinitely more than my greatest enemy does mine.*

Such considerations are of great use to soften our prejudices against persons; and at once to discover the true spring, and prevent the bad effects of them. And happy would it be for a christian, could he but call to mind and apply to his relief, half the good things which that excellent heathen emperor and philosopher

* A man despises me; what then? Did he know me more, he would, perhaps, despise me more. But know myself better than he can know me; and therefore despise myself more. And though his contempt in this instance may be groundless, yet in others it would be but too well founded. I will therefore not only bear with, but forgive it. Scorn should be scorned, saith Seneca. But such retorted scorn is more becoming the character of a stoic than a christian.

It has been reckoned a wise and witty answer which one of the philosophers returned to his friend, who advised him to revenge an injury that had been done him: "What," says he, "if an ass kicks me, must I needs kick him again?" and perhaps there is more wit than wisdom in that reply. It seems indeed to carry in it something of a true greatness of mind; but does it not at the same time discover a kind of haughty and contemptuous spirit? "The truth is," as a judicious writer observes upon it, "it is at best but a lame and misshapen charity; it has more of pride than goodness. We should learn of the holy Jesus, who was not only meek but lowly. We should contemn the injury, and pity the weakness; but should not disdain or despise the persons of our enemies. Charity vaunteth not herself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly." See Scongal's Duty of loving our Enemies.

Marcus Antoninus could say upon this subject. Some of which I have, for the benefit of the English reader, extracted, and thrown into the margin.*

* In the morning remember to say to thyself, This day perhaps I may meet with some impertinent, ungrateful, peevish, tricking, envious, churlish fellow. Now all these ill qualities in them proceed from their ignorance of good and evil. And since I am so happy as to understand the natural beauty of a good action, and the deformity of an ill one, and since the person that disobliges me is of near kin to me; and though not just of the same blood and family, yet of the same divine extract as to his mind; and finally, since I am convinced that no one can do me a real injury, because he cannot force me to do a dishonest thing; for these reasons I cannot find in my heart to hate him, or so much as to be angry with him. Marc. Anton. Medit. Book 2. S. 1.

You are just taking leave of the world; and have you not yet learned to be friends with every body? And that to be an honest man, is the only way to be a wise one? Id. Book 4. S. 37.

To expect an impossibility is madness; now it is impossible for ill men not to do ill things. Id. Book 5. S. 17.

It is the privilege of human nature above brutes to love those that offend us; in order to this, consider 1. That the offending party is of kin to you; 2. That he acts thus, because he knows no better; 3. He may have no design to offend you; 4. You will both of you quickly be in your graves; but above all, 5. You have received no harm from him for your mind or reason is the same it was before, Id. Book 7. S. 22.

Think upon your last hour, and do not trouble yourself about other people's faults, but leave them there where they must be answered for. Id. Book 7. S. 29.

Do not return the temper of ill natured people upon themselves, nor treat them as they do the rest of mankind. Id. Book 7. S. 55.

Though the gods are immortal, yet they not only patiently bear with a wicked world through so many ages; but what is more, liberally provide for it: and are you who are just going off the stage, weary with bearing, though you are one of those unhappy mortals yourself? Id. Book 7. S. 70.

3. The mind is apt to be prejudiced against or in favour of certain things and actions, as well as certain sentiments and persons.

Do you not sometimes find dull, disagreeable ideas annexed to certain places, seasons, or em. ployments, which give you a secret aversion to them? These arise from the remembrance of

Never disturb yourself; for men will do the same untoward actions over again, though you burst with spleen. Id. Book 8. S. 4.

Reform an injurious person if you can; if not, remember your patience was given you to bear with him. That the gods patiently bear with such men, and sometimes bestow upon them health, and fame, and fortune. Id. Book 9. S. 11.

When people treat you ill, and show their spite, and slander you, enter into their little souls, go to the bottom of them, search their understandings; and you will soon see, that nothing they may think or say of you need give you one troublesome thought Id. Book 9. S. 27.

That is the best thing for a man which God sends him and that is the best time when he sends it. Id. Book 10. S. 2. It is sometimes a hard matter to be certain, when you have received ill usage or not; for men's actions oftentimes look worse than they are; and one must be thoroughly informed of a great many things, before he can rightly judge. Id. Book 11. S. 18.

Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved. Id. Book 11. S. 18.

When you fancy any one hath transgressed, say thus to yourself: "how do I know it is a fault? But admit it is, it may be his conscience hath corrected him; and then he hath received his punishment from himself." Id. Book 12. S. 16. To these I shall add two more quotations out of the sacred writings, of incomparably greater weight and dignity than any of the forementioned. Prov. xix. 11. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. Rom. xii. 20, 21. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

some unpleasing incidents you have heretvor met with, and which you apprehend may again befal you on such occasions. But they are nothing more than the mere misrepresenta. tions of fancy; and ought to be repelled, because they will be apt to lead you to neglect the duties of your character.

If therefore you find in yourself a secret disinclination to any particular action or duty, and the mind begins to cast about for excuses and reasons to justify the neglect of it, consider the matter well go to the bottom of that reluctance; and search out what it is that gives the mind this aversion to it. Whether it be the thing, or action itself, or some discouraging cir. cumstances that may attend it; or some disagreeable consequences that may possibly flow from it; or your supposed unfitness for it at present. Why, all these things may be only imaginary. And to neglect a plain and positive duty upon such considerations, shows that you are governed by appearances more than realities, by fancy more than reason, and by inclination more than conscience.

But let fancy muster up all the discouraging circumstances, and set them in the most formidable light, to bar your way to a supposed duty; for instance, "It is very difficult; I want capacity, at least am so indisposed to it at present, that I shall make nothing of it; and then it will be attended with danger to my person, reputation, or peace; and the opposition I am like to meet with is great, &c." But after all,