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without or perhaps against all the World befides, and to behave our felves in that manner as if we car'd for Nobody; whereas God hath put us under such Circumstances, that we do and must often Itand in need of one another, and we may fall into fuch a Condition, wherein the Advantages we have had will ftand us in little ftead, but we must be beholden to the Good-will and Charity of our Neighbours.

Which fhall be fufficient to be spoken of the Good-natur'd Virtues, thofe of the fecond jort, by which Friendship and general Goodwill are procured; and where fuch Affection takes place, it is hard to imagine that there fhould be any place for Will to hurt. A Man is competently fafe from being molefted by that Man by whom he is truly loved. I proceed

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III. To the Virtues of the Third fort, thofe that Strike an Awe into Men, and command Approbation and Efteem, Indeed the fecond fort of Virtues I have mention'd do in a great meafure gain Reverence to that Perfon that is endued with them; but because there are other Virtues that have a more peculiar Tendency to procure Reverence and Efteem, I fhall fpeak of them more diftinctly. And now to be fure a Man is still farther from harming that Perfon, whom he not only loves, but alfo etteems and

venerates.

The

The Virtues of the Third fort, which are more particularly fitted for this End, of ma king Men highly regarded and efteemed, are thefe:

1. A Steddy Government of the Paffions. 22. A Temperate Ufe of Pleasures.

{ 3. A Sincere Piety towards God, appear ing by all proper Expreffions of it. And, i 24. A Prudent Courage and Unfhaken Sted faftness, in owning and appearing for Truth and Righteoufnefs upon all Occafions.

1. A Steady Government of the Paffions, efpecially of Anger, in not fuffering it to exceed the Caufe, or the Ufe of it. When a Man can speak vehemently, not to vent Wrath and Choler, but 'because a manifeft reafon requires it; when he can hold his Tongue, not because he is choak'd with Spite, or because he is grown fullen, but because it is Decent and Prudent fo to do; when it is feen that he is not hurried away by Paffion in his Purposes, and the Execution of his Purposes, but that his Paffions ferve only to lend him Spirit and Vigour in the doing of Things that ought to be done, and in the Purfuance of Ends that ought to be purfued; Men will not be forward to make him an Enemy, they will value him, they will be afraid to moleft him, they will foon be fenfible that it is likely to be a vain, if not a dangerous Attempt, to attack a Man that is under fo fure a Guard. He

that

that is able to rule his own Spirit, will eafily be too hard for his Adverfary, and it gives him fuch Advantage and Maftery, that it is easy for another to feel it, who has any Defign upon him.

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2. A Temperate Ufe of Pleafures gains Efteem and Reverence to a Man in whom it is obferved, when he does not eat for Gluttony, nor drink for Drunkenness, nor fleep for Slothfulness, nor divert himself to get rid of his Time, but all this, as a wife and religious Man fhould do, and abítains wholly from all unlawful Senfualities; that Man has the fecret Approbation and Praise of Libertines themselves; they know that this is Manly and Reasonable, and they are afham'd of themselves when they confider his Example. What else can any Man make of their Pains to perfuade themselves and others, that the Abftinence and Moderation of Religious Men is only in Appear ance, and that all Men are alike, and use the fame Liberties, but with this difference only, that fome do it boldly, others in Corners, that an unftained Reputation is not owing to more Chastity, but to better Wit or Fortune? For thus fome People would make the World believe. But why should they trouble themfelves in this manner to impofe a Conclufion, which they know they can never prove, but that they are fenfible of the Honour that belongs to Vic

tue,

tue, which becaufe they cannot pretend to themselves, they deny to be any where practifed, to level all others with themfelves? But why should not they who live by Rules of Duty and Temperance, be acknowledg'd to do what they do? This would be own'd without all question, if it were not evident to the Licentious themfelves, that they who govern their Appetites by a Confcience of Duty, are the more excellent Perfons, and can by no Artifice be robb'd of their Glory, but by that of infinuating that they are but Hypocrites. Let therefore a Man's Moderation and Temperance be conftant and uniform, and by that Means undeniable, and he fhall purchase an univerfal Efteem; and when that is once well understood, the very worst Men had rather chufe any other Perfon to vent their Anger upon, than to do it upon fuch a Man, whofe Example is likely to fhame them, and does always ftrike an Awe upon their Spirits.

eg. A Sincere Piety towards God, expressing 3. it felf by all the proper Signs and Tokens of Devotion and Reverence in his Worship, and likewife by Impartiality of Virtue, and in all Righteousness and Charity towards Men, mut likewife be generally approv'd and reverd. No People were ever fo barbarous as to be altogether without either Religion, or the Senfe of Sin and Duty, of Right and Wrong; and

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and therefore if any Degree of Goodness can make a Man be look'd upon with an awful Regard, it is when Virtue and the Performance of all Moral Duties is founded upon the Sense of Duty to God, and of our Obli gations to ferve and worship him, and when the Worship of God leads to the doing of all good Works in our Conversation with Men, that is, when a Man is impartially and thoroughly good, and turn him every way, and look upon him on every fide, he is every where the fame, and confiftent with himself, one that feareth God and worketh Righteousness. And therefore,

4. A Prudent Courage and Unfhaken Sted faftnefs in owning Truth and Righteousness, and in appearing for every good Cause, when there is a just Occafion to interpofe, this, I fay, fhall also infallibly gain to a Man great Authority, and win him Refpect. For we commend the good Actions of a Man, juft as we believe they argue the inward Worth of the Perfon; and therefore that fhall make a Man highly efteem'd, which fhews a firm Temper of Mind, and a fettled Habit of Virtue, which is done by nothing more, than by appearing conftantly and upon all Occafions the Same Person, the Same Follower of Truth and Righteousness, even when he is likely to meet with the greatest Oppofition.

Now

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