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Some Confiderations in Relation to the Prac tice of Chriftian Virtues, which is the

END OF RELIGION.

BE not furprised that I recommend to you but one particular Virtue for every Day in the Week. It is certain we ought daily to practise all Virtues, according to thofe Opportunities and Circumftances which the Providence of God presents to us for the Exercise of them: But my Defign in this Method is, to make you acquainted, by Degrees, thoroughly with each confiderable Chriftian Vir

tue,

tue, and with the Way and Manner of practifing it; and to put you upon a peculiar Care of exercifing each Day the particular Virtue that is recommended.

But in order that you may receive greater Profit and Advantage from what I fhall fuggeft to you, I defire that you would with me make fome Reflections upon the Chriftian Virtues in general.

First, Let us confider the Neceffity of them. All the Means of Religion are useful in their Kind, and acceptable to God when performed with a right Intention, and after a due Manner. Our Prayers and our Sacraments, our hearing Sermons, and all other Exercifes. of Piety, more or less advance our Chriftian Perfection, as they tend to recover the Image of God in our Souls, and to work in us all Chrif tian Virtues; this being the Rule and Meafure of our Chriftian Perfection: fo that it is not he that says the moft Prayers, and comes the moft frequently to the Altar, that is the moft holy and fanctified Perfon; but he that is moft like to God, and abounds most with the Fruits of the Spirit. An evident Proof of this, is our own Experience: How few Perfons do we meet with that are folidly and fubftantially good; and yet how many frequent the public Solemnities of divine Worhip, and tie themselves up to a Rote and Form of Devotion in their own Clofets! The Temper of our Minds must be changed, our Hearts

Hearts renewed, our inward Affections purified and fanctified, in order to make our outward Actions pleafing in God's Sight. Our Prayers and Devotions, and all outward Exerciles of Piety must be offered with ardent Love, and profound Humility, and with all thofe other noble Virtues which give a Value to our most inconfiderable Actions, and are the likelieft Means we can use to conduct us to Chriftian Perfection. Let us therefore immediately fet about this neceffary. Work of improving in folid Virtue, and endeavour every Day to make fome Progrefs in it.

Is it not a Shame that you have made fuch finall Advances in this important Business, after fo many Prayers and Examinations, after fo many Confeffions and Sacraments, after having heard fo many Sermons, and after having read fo many fpiritual Books; after fo many Examples and Means that have been ufed to make you perfect? Alas! may not I fay, after thirty or forty Years employed in all thefe Exercises, you have not yet tho roughly learned that one Point of Humility.. You are fo fenfible of Honour and Reputa tion, that the leaft injurious Reflection; a little inconfiderable Contempt, a fmall Difappointment, is capable of putting you into a Flame, of making you break out into violent. Paffion and injurious Works, of provoking. Murmur and Difcontent, fufficient to convince you, that all this while you have made little

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Proficiency in the School of Chrift. The fame Obfervation might be made in reference to the other Virtues of Chriftianity; but I pafs over a large Induction of Particulars, to come to farther Confiderations of Chriftian Virtues in general.

Secondly, Let us confider their dependance upon one another. All Chriftian Virtues have fo great a Connection one with another, that it is impoffible to be Mafter of one in Perfection, without poffeffing at the faine Time feveral others. I have propofed to you only the Practice of seven Virtues; but as they are the most important, so it is not to be doubted, but that if you attain them in any confiderable Degree, you can be no Stranger to the other Parts of your Duty. I fatisfy myself in pro pofing this fmall Number to you, that I may not diftract you by a great Multitude, and that I may make you diftinguifh thofe which are the principal ones; to the End, that you may never be deceived, as fome are, who, inftead: of applying themselves to the Study of fome folid and important Virtue, ftop always át fuch as are lefs confiderable, and by Confequence never arrive at the Perfection of thofe that are moft fubftantial..

Thirdly, Let us confider those Methods which are propereft, for attaining any Virtue, that fo we may not be at a Lofs in employing: our Endeavours to the beft Purpose, and in fucceeding in our Attempts..

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Hearts renewed, our inward Affections purified and fanctified, in order to make our outward Actions pleafing in God's Sight. Our Prayers and Devotions, and all outward Exercises of Piety must be offered with ardent Love, and profound Humility, and with all those other poble Virtues which give a Value to our most inconfiderable Actions, and are the likelieft Means we can use to conduct us to Chriftian Perfection. Let us therefore immediately fet about this neceffary. Work of improving in folid Virtue, and endeavour every Day to make fome Progrefs in it.

Is it not a Shame that you have made fuch finall Advances in this important Bufinefs, after fo many Prayers and Examinations, after fo many Confeffions and Sacraments, after having heard fo many Sermons, and after having read fo many fpiritual Books; after fo many Examples and Means that have been ufed to make you perfect? Alas! may not I fay, after thirty or forty Years employed in all thefe Exercises, you have not yet tho roughly learned that one Point of Humility.. You are fo fenfible of Honour and Reputa tion, that the leaft injurious Reflection, a little inconfiderable Contempt, a fmall Difappointment, is capable of putting you into a Flame, of making you break out into violent. Paffion and injurious Works, of provoking. Murmur and Difcontent, fufficient to convince you, that all this while you have made little

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