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RECOMMENDATION 
 
 BY GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
 REV. SIR, Mount-Vermn> July, 3^, 1799. 
 
 Tor your kind compliment-" The IMMORTAL MENTOR,'* 
 I beg you to accept my beft thanks. I have perufed it 
 with firguiar fatisfa&ion ; ar d hefitate not to fay that it 
 IS, in my opinion at leaft* an invaluable Compilation* I cannot 
 but hope that a book whofe contents do fuch credit to its title, 
 will meet a very generous patronage. 
 
 Should that patronage equal my v iilies, you will have no 
 reaibn to regret that you ever printed the Immortal Men 
 tor. 
 
 With rcfpe& I am Rev. Sir, 
 
 Your mod obedient 
 The Rev. MR. WEEMS. Humble Servant, 
 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
 
THE 
 
 IMMORTAL MENTOR: 
 
 O R, 
 
 MJN's UNERRING GUIDE 
 
 T O A 
 
 HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND 
 HAPPY LIFE. 
 
 31 n tijree 
 
 BY 
 
 LEWIS CORNARO, DR. FRANKLIN, ANU 
 DR. SCOTT. 
 
 " Reafon's whole pleafure, all the joys of fenfe, 
 ** Lie in three words health, peace, and competence. 
 " Bleft health confifts with temperance alone, 
 " And peace, O virtue ! peace is all thy own." 
 
 POPE. 
 
 
 P HI LA DELP HI A : 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE REV. MASON L. WE^MS, 
 
 BY FRANCIS AND ROBERT BAJLEY^ 
 
 NO. Il6, HIGH-STREET. 
 
THE GREAT ADDISON, BESTOWS THE 
 
 FOLLOWING EULOGIUM ON THE Au- 
 THOR OF THE FIRST PART' OF THIS 
 WORK. 
 
 " CORNARO was of an infirm con- 
 ftitution till about forty ^ when, by obfti- 
 nately perji/ting in the Rules recommended 
 in this Book, he recovered a perfeft ftate of 
 health^ infomuch^ that at four-fcore he 
 publijhed this Treatife. He lived to give 
 a fourth edition of it^ and after having 
 pa [Jed his hundredth year, died without 
 pain or agony ^ like one who falls afleep. 
 This Book is highly extolled by many emi 
 nent authors^ and is written with fuch a 
 fpirit of cheerfulnefs and good fenfe, as 
 are the natural concomitants of temperance 
 and virtue" 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART L 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 CHAP. L MAWs unerring Guide 
 to a Long and Healthy 
 Life i 
 
 II. The Method of Corre fling 
 
 a Bad Conjlitution . .41 
 
 III. A Letter from Sig. Lewis 
 
 Cornaro, to the Right 
 Rev. Barbara, Patri 
 arch of Aquileia . -52 
 
 IV. Of the Birth and Death of 
 
 Man . 6z 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
IV CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE, 
 
 APPENDIX. Golden Rules of Health , 
 feleEled from Hippocra 
 tes, Plutarch, and f eve - 
 ral other eminent Phyfi- 
 cians and Philofophers . 8 1 
 
 PART II. 
 
 INTRODUCTION 97 
 
 The Way to Wealth . . 107 
 
 Advice to a Toung Tradefman . .126 
 
 PART III. 
 
 CHAP. I. A fure Guide to Happi- 
 
 nefs . 133 
 
 IT, On Social Love . . 234 
 
IMMORTAL MENTOR, &c. 
 
 IT is an unhappinefs into which the 
 people of this age are fallen, that 
 luxury is become fafhonable and too ge 
 nerally preferred to frugality. Prodi 
 gality is now-a-days tricked up in the 
 pompous titles of generofity and gran 
 deur ; whilft bleft frugality is too often 
 branded as the badge of an avaricious 
 and fordid fpirit. 
 
 THIS error has fo far feduced us, as to 
 
 prevail on many to renounce a frugal 
 
 way of living, though taught by nature, 
 
 and to indulge thofe excefles which ferve 
 
 B only 
 
2 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 only to abridge the number of our days. 
 We are grown old before we have been 
 able to tafte the pleafures of being young. 
 And the time which ought to be the 
 fummer of our lives is often the begin 
 ning of their winter. 
 
 OH unhappy Italy ! Doeft thou not 
 fee, that gluttony and excefs rob thee, 
 every year, of more inhabitants than 
 peftilence, war, and famine could have 
 done ? Thy true plagues, are thy nu 
 merous luxuries in which thy deluded ci 
 tizens indulge themfelves to an excefs 
 unworthy of the rational character, and 
 utterly ruinous to their health. Put a 
 flop to this fatal abufe, for God's fake, 
 for there is not, I am certain of it, a 
 vice more abominable in the eyes of the 
 divine Ivlajefty, nor any more deflruc- 
 tive. How many have I feen cut off, in 
 the flower of their days by this unhappy 
 cuftom of high feeding ! How many ex 
 cellent friends has gluttony deprived me 
 
 of, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 3 
 
 of, who, but for this accurfed vice, might 
 have been an ornament to the world, an 
 honour to their country, and have af 
 forded me as much joy in their lives, as 
 I now feel concern at their deaths. 
 
 IN order, therefore, to put a flop to 
 fo great an evil, I have undertaken this lit 
 tle book, and I attempt it the more readi 
 ly, as many young gentlemen have re- 
 queflecl it of me, moved thereto by fee 
 ing their fathers drop off in the flower 
 of their youth, and me fo found and 
 hearty at the age of eighty-one. They 
 begged me to let thenf know by what 
 means I attained to fuch excellent health 
 and fpirits at my time of life. I could 
 not but think their curiofity very laud 
 able, and was willing to gratify them, 
 and at the fame time do fome fervice to 
 my countrymen, by declaring, in the firfl 
 place, what led me to renounce intem 
 perance and lead a temperate life ; fe- 
 condly, by fhewing the rules I obferved ; 
 
 and 
 
4 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 and thirdly, what unfpeakable fatisfac- 
 tion and advantage I derived from it ; 
 whence it may be very clearly feen how 
 eafy a thing it is for a wife man to efcape 
 all the curfes of intemperance, and fecure 
 to himfelf the ineflimable felicities of 
 vigorous health and chearful age. 
 
 THE firft thing that led me to em 
 brace a temperate life, was, the many 
 and fore evils which I fuffered from 
 the contrary courfe of living ; my 
 conftitution was naturally weakly and 
 delicate, which ought in reafon to have 
 made me more regular and prudent, but 
 being like moil young men, too fond of 
 what is ufually called good eating and 
 drinking, I gave the rein to my appetites. 
 In a little time I began to feel the ill ef- 
 fefts of fuch intemperance ; for I had 
 fcarce attained to my thirty-fifth year, be 
 fore I was attacked with a complication 
 of diforders, fuch as, head-achs, a fick 
 ftomach, cholicky uneafinefles, the gout, 
 
 rheumatic 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 5 
 
 rheumatic pains, lingering fevers, and 
 continual thirft ; and though I was then 
 but in the middle of my days, my con- 
 ftitution feemed fo entirely ruined that I 
 could hardly hope for any other termi 
 nation to my fufferings but death. 
 
 THE beft phyficians in Italy employed 
 all their fkill in my behalf, but to no ef- 
 fed. At lafl they told me, very candidly, 
 that there was but one thing that could 
 afford me a fmgle ray of hope, but one 
 medicine that could give a radical cure, 
 <viz. the immediate adoption of a temper 
 ate and regular life. They added more 
 over, that, now, I had no time to lofe, 
 that I muft immediately, either chufe a 
 regimen or death, and that if I deferred 
 their advice much longer, it would be 
 too late for ever to do it. This was 
 a home thruft. I could not bear the 
 thoughts of dying fo foon, and being con 
 vinced of their abilities and experience, 
 I thought the wifeft courfe I could take, 
 B 2 would 
 
6 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 would be to follow their advice, how 
 difagreeable foever it might feem. 
 
 I THEN requefted my phyficians to tell 
 me exaftly after what manner I ought to 
 govern myfelf ? To this they replied, that 
 I fhould always confider myfelf as an in 
 firm perfon; eat nothing but what agreed 
 with me, and that in fmall quantity. I 
 then immediately entered on this new 
 courfe of life, and, with fo determined a 
 refolution, that nothing has been fince 
 able to divert me from it. In a few days 
 I perceived that this new way of living 
 agreed very well with me ; and in lefs 
 than a twelvemonth I had the unfpeak- 
 able happinefs to find that all my late a- 
 larming fymptoms were vanifhed, and 
 that I was perfectly reftored to health. 
 
 No fooner had I began to tafte the 
 fweets of this new refurre&ion, but I 
 made many very pleafmg reflections on 
 the great advantage of temperance, and 
 thought within myielf, " if this virtue has 
 
 " had 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 7 
 
 " had ib divine an efficacy, as to cure me 
 " of fuch grievous diforders, furely it 
 " will help my bad conftitution and con- 
 66 firm my health," I therefore applied 
 myfelf diligently to difcover what kinds 
 of food were propereft for me, and made 
 choice of fuch meats and drinks only as 
 agreed with my conftitution, obferving 
 it as an inviolable law with myfelf, always 
 to rife with an appetite to eat more if I pie af- 
 cd. In a word, I entirely renounced in 
 temperance, and made a vow to continue 
 the remainder of my life under the fame 
 regimen I had obferved : A happy refo- 
 lution this! The keeping of which entire 
 ly cured me of all my infirmities. I ne 
 ver before lived a year together, without 
 falling once, at leaft, into fome violent ill- 
 nefs ; but this never happened to me af 
 terwards ; on the contrary, I have always 
 been healthy ever fmce I was temperate. 
 I MUST not forget here to mention 
 a circumftance of confiderable confe- 
 
 quence. 
 
8 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 quence. I have been telling of a great, 
 and to me, a moft happy change in my 
 way of living. Now all changes, tho' 
 from the worji to the left habits, are, at 
 firft, difagreeable, I found it fo ; for 
 having long accuflomed myfelf to high 
 feeding, I had contracted fuch a fond- 
 nefs for it, that though I was daily de- 
 ftroying myfelf, yet did it, at firft, coft 
 me fome ftruggle to relinquifh it. Na 
 ture, long ufed to hearty meals, expefted 
 them, and was quite diflatisfied with my 
 moderate repafts. To divert my mind 
 from thefe little difTatisfa&ions, I ufed 
 immediately after dinner, to betake my 
 felf to fome innocent amufement or ufe- 
 ful purfuit, fuch as, my devotions, my 
 book, mufic, &c. 
 
 BUT to return. Befides the two fore* 
 going important rules about eating and 
 drinking, that is, not to take of any 
 thing, but as much as my ftomach could 
 cafily digeft, and to ufe thofe things only 
 
 which 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. $ 
 
 which agreed with me. I have very 
 carefully avoided all extremes of heat and 
 cold, exceffive fatigue, interruption of 
 my ufual time of reft, late hours , and too 
 clofe and intenfe thinking. I am likewife 
 greatly indebted for the excellent health 
 I enjoy, to that calm and temperate ftate 
 in which I have been careful to keep 
 my paffions. 
 
 THE influence of the paffions on the 
 nerves, and health of our bodies, is fo 
 great, that none can poffibly be ignorant 
 of it. He therefore who ferioufly wifhes 
 to enjoy good health, muft, above all 
 things, learn to conquer his paffions, 
 and keep them in fubjeftion to reafon. 
 For let a man be never fo temperate in 
 diet, or regular in exercife, yet Hill fomc 
 unhappy paffion, if indulged to excefs, 
 will prevail over all his regularity, and 
 prevent the good effefts of his tempe 
 rance ; no words, therefore, can ade 
 quately exprefs the wifdom of guarding 
 
 againft 
 
10 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 againft an influence fo deftru&ive. Fear, 
 anger, grief, envy, hatred, malice, re 
 venge and defpair, are known by eter 
 nal experience, to weaken the nerves, 
 diforder the circulation, impair digef- 
 tion, and often to bring on a long train 
 of hyfterical and hypochondriacal difor- 
 ders ; and extreme fudden fright, has 
 often occafioned immediate death. 
 
 ON the other hand, moderate joy, and 
 all thofe affections of the mind which 
 partake of its nature, as chearfulnefs, 
 contentment, hope, virtuous and mutual 
 love, and courage in doing good, invi 
 gorate the nerves, give a healthy motion 
 to the fluids, promote perfpiration, and 
 affift digeftion; but violent anger (which 
 differs from madnefs only in duration) 
 throws the whole frame into tempefl and 
 convulfion, the countenance blackens, 
 the eyes glare, the mouth foams, and in 
 place of the mod gentle and amiable, it 
 makes ,a man the mod frightful and ter 
 rible 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. II 
 
 rible of all animals. The effefts of this 
 dreadful paflion do not flop here ; it 
 never fails to create bilious, inflamma 
 tory., convulfive, and fometimes apoplec 
 tic disorders, and fuddeii death. 
 
 SOLOMON was thoroughly fenfible of 
 the deftru&ive tendencies of ungovern- 
 ed paffions, and has, in many places, cau 
 tioned us againfl them. He emphati 
 cally ftyles " envy a rottennefs of the 
 " bones ;" and fays, that " wrath flay- 
 " eth the angry man, and envy killeth 
 " the filly one* ;" and, " that the wick- 
 " ed fhali not live out half their days." 
 
 For 
 
 reader will I hope excufe me for relating 
 the following tragical anecdote, to confirm what the 
 benevolent Cornaro has faid on the baneful effects of 
 envy, c. 
 
 IN the city of York in England, there diedfome 
 time ago, a young lady by the name ofD - n. 
 For five years before her death, me appeared to be 
 lingering raid melancholy. Her flefh withered away, 
 her appetite decayed, her ftrength failed, her feet 
 could no longer fuftain her tottering emaciated body, 
 and her diflblution feemcd at hand. One day me 
 called her intimate friends to her bed-fide, and as 
 well as me could, fpoke to the following effect : 
 
12 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 For as violent gales of wind will foon 
 wreck the ftrongeft fhips, fo violent paf- 
 fions of hatred, anger, and forrow, will 
 foon deflroy the belt conflitutions. 
 
 HOWEVER, I muft confefs to my 
 jfhame, that I have not been at all times 
 
 fo 
 
 " I KNOW you all pity me, but alas ! I amnot 
 worthy of your pity ; for all my mifery is entirely ow- 
 ingto the wickednefs of my own heart. I have two 
 filters ; and I have all my life been unhappy, for no 
 other reafon but becaufe of their profperity. When 
 we were young, I could neither eat nor fleep in com 
 fort, if they had either praife or pleafure. As foon 
 as they were grown to be women, they married great 
 ly to their advantage and fatisfaction : this galled me 
 to the heart ; and though I had feveral good offers, 
 yet thinking them rather unequal to my frfters, I re- 
 fufed them, and then was inwardly vexed and di 
 trefled, for fear I mould get no better. I never 
 wanted for any thing, and might have been very 
 happy, but for this wretched temper. My fitters 
 loved me tenderly, for I concealed from them as 
 much as poflible this odious pailion, and yet never 
 did any poor wretch lead fo miferable a life as I have 
 done, for every blefling they enjoyed was a dagger 
 to my heart. 'Tis this Envy, which;' preying on 
 my very vitals, has ruined my health, and is now 
 carrying me down to the grave. Pray for me, that 
 GOD of his infinite mercy may forgive me this hor 
 rid fin ; and with my dying breath I conjure you all, 
 to check the firft rifmgs of a paffion that has proved 
 fo fatal to me." 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 13 
 
 fo much of a philofopher and Chriftian, 
 as entirely to avoid thefe diforders : but 
 I have reaped the benefit of knowing by 
 my own repeated experience, that thefe 
 malignant paffions have in general a far 
 lefs pernicious effeft on bodies that are 
 rendered firm and vigorous by tempe 
 rance, than on thofe that are corrupted 
 and weakened by gluttony and excefs. 
 
 IT was hard for me to avoid every ex 
 treme of heat and cold, and to live above 
 all the occafions of trouble which attend 
 the life of man ; but yet thefe things 
 made no great impreffion on the ftate of 
 my health, though I met with many 
 inftances of perfons who funk under lefs 
 weight both of body and mind. 
 
 THERE was in our family a confider- 
 able law-fuit depending againft fome per 
 fons, whofe might overcame our right. 
 One of my brothers, and fome of my 
 relations, were fo mortified and grieved 
 on account of the Ictfs of this fuit, that 
 c they 
 
14 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 they a&ually died of broken hearts. I 
 was as fenfible as they could be, of the 
 great injuftice done us, but thank GOD, 
 fo far from breaking my heart, it fcarce- 
 ly broke my repofe. And I afcribe their 
 fufferings and my fafety, to the difference 
 of our living. Intemperance and floth 
 had fo weakened their nerves, and bro 
 ken their fpirits, that they eafily funk 
 under the weight of misfortune. While 
 temperance and aftive life had fo invigo 
 rated my conftitution, as to make me 
 happily fuperior to the evils of this mo 
 mentary lif 
 
 AT fevefny years of age, I had another 
 experiment of the ufefulnefs of my regi 
 men. Some bufmefs of confequence 
 calling me into the country, my coach- 
 horfes ran away with me ; I was overfet 
 and dragged a long way before they 
 could ftop the horfes. They took me 
 out of the coach with my head batter 
 ed, a leg and an arm out of joint, and 
 
 truly 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 15 
 
 truly in a very lamentable condition. 
 As foon as they had brought me home, 
 they fent for the phyficians, who did not 
 expeft I could live three days : however, 
 I was foon cured, to the great aftonifh- 
 ment of the phyficians, and of all thofe 
 who know me. 
 
 I BEG leave to relate one more anec 
 dote, as an additional proof what an 
 impenetrable fhield temperance prefents 
 againft the evils of life. 
 
 ABOUT five years ago, I was over-per- 
 fuaded to a thing, which had like to have 
 coft me dear. My relations, whom I love, 
 and who have a real tendernefs for me ; 
 my friends, with whom I was willing to 
 comply in any thing that was reafonable ; 
 laftly, my phyficians, who were looked 
 upon as the oracles of health, did all 
 agree that I eat too little ; that the nou- 
 rifhment I took was not fufficient for one 
 of my years ; that I ought not only to 
 fnpport nature, but likewife to increafe 
 
 th* 
 
l6 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 the vigour of it, by eating a little more 
 than I did. It was in vain for me to re- 
 prefent to them, that nature is content 
 with a little ; that with this little I had 
 enjoyed excellent health fo many years ; 
 that to me the habit of it was become a 
 fecond nature ; and that it was more 
 agreeable to reafon, that as I advanced 
 in years and loft my ftrength, I fhould 
 rather leffen than increafe the quantity of 
 my food, efpecially as the powers of the 
 ftomach muft grow weaker from year to 
 year. To ftrengthen my arguments, I 
 urged thofe two natural and true pro 
 verbs ; one, that he who would eat a 
 great deal muft eat but little ; that is eat* 
 ing little makes a man live long, he mufl 
 eat a great deal. The other proverb was, 
 that what we leave, after making a hear 
 ty meal, does us more good than what 
 we have eaten. But neither my proverbs 
 nor arguments could filence their affec 
 tionate intreaties. Wherefore to pleafe 
 
 perfons 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 17 
 
 perfons who where fo dear to me, I con- 
 fented to increafe the quantity of food, 
 but with too ounces only. So that, as 
 before I had always taken but twelve 
 ounces of folid food in the day, I now 
 increafed it to fourteen, and as before I 
 drank but fourteen ounces of wine in the 
 day, I now increafed it to fixteen. This 
 increafe had in eight days time fuch an 
 effeft on me, that from being remark 
 ably chearful and brifk, I began to be 
 peevifh and melancholy, and was con- 
 ftantly fo flrangely difpofed, that I nei 
 ther knew what to fay to others, nor 
 what to do with myfelf. On the twelfth 
 day I was attacked with a moil violent 
 pain in my fide, which held me twenty- 
 two hours, and was followed by a violent 
 fever which continued thirty-five days, 
 without giving me a moment's refpite. 
 However GOD be praifed, I recovered, 
 though in my feventy-eighth year, and in 
 the coldeft feafon of a very cold winter, 
 c 2 and 
 
1 8 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 and reduced to a mere fkeleton ; and I am 
 pofitive, that, next to GOD, I am moft 
 indebted to temperance, for my recovery. 
 O how great is the evil of intemperance, 
 which could, in a few days bring on me 
 fo fevere an illnefs, and how glorious are 
 the virtues of temperance, which could 
 thus bear me up, and fnatch me from the 
 jaws of death ! Would all men but live 
 regularly and temperately, there would 
 not be a tenth of that ficknefs which now 
 makes fo many melancholy families, nor 
 any occafion for a tenth part of thofe 
 naufeous medicines, which they are now 
 obliged to fwallow in order to carry off 
 thofe bad humours with which they have 
 filled their bodies by over eating and 
 drinking. To fay the truth would every 
 one of us but pay a becoming attention 
 to the quantity and quality of what he 
 eats and drinks, ancTcarefully obferve the 
 effefts it has upon him, lie would foon 
 become his own phyfician ; and indeed 
 
 the 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 19 
 
 the very beft he could poffibly have, for 
 people's conftitutions are as different as 
 their faces ; and it is impoffible, in many 
 very important inftances, for the mod 
 Ikilful phyficians to tell a man of obfer- 
 vation, what would agree with his con- 
 ftitution fo well as he knows himfelf. I 
 am willing to allow that a phyfician may 
 be fometimes neceflary ; and in cafes 
 of danger, the fooner the better. But 
 for the bare purpofe of preferving our- 
 felves in good health, there needs no 
 better phyfic than a temperate and regu 
 lar life. It is a fpecific and natural medi 
 cine, which preferves the man, how ten 
 der foever his conftitution be, and pro 
 longs his life to above a hundred years, 
 fpares him the pain of a violent death, 
 fends him quietly out of the world, 
 when the radical moifture is quite fpent, 
 and which, in fliort, has all the proper 
 ties that are fancied to be in potable 
 
 gold 
 
2O THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 gold, which a great many perfons have 
 fought after in vain. 
 
 BUT alas ! mofl menfuffer themfelves 
 to be feduced by the charms of a vo 
 luptuous life. They have not cou 
 rage enough to deny their appetites ; 
 and being over-perfuaded by their incli 
 nations fo far, as to think they cannot 
 give up the gratification of them, with 
 out abridging too much of their plea- 
 fures, they devife arguments to perfuade 
 themfelves, that it is more eligible to live 
 ten years lefs, than to be upon the re- 
 flraint, and deprived of whatever may 
 gratify their appetites. Alas ! they know 
 not the value of ten years of healthy life, 
 in an age when a man may enjoy the 
 full ufe of his reafon, and turn all his 
 wifdom and experience to his own, and 
 the advantage of the world. To in- 
 ftance only in the fciences. 'Tis certain 
 that fome of the mofi valuable books 
 now extant, were written in thofe laft 
 
 ten 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 21 
 
 ten years of their authors lives, which 
 fome men pretend to undervalue ; let 
 fools and villains undervalue life, the 
 world would lofe nothing by them, die 
 when they will. But it is a lofs indeed, 
 when wife and good men drop into the 
 grave ; ten years of life to men of that 
 character, might prove an ineftimable 
 bleffing to their families and country. Is 
 fuch an one a prieft only, in a little time 
 he might become a bifliop, and by living 
 ten years longer, might render the mod 
 important fervices to the world by his 
 attive diflemination of virtue and piety. 
 Is he the aged parent of a family, then 
 though no longer equal to the toils of 
 younger years, yet by his venerable pre- 
 fence and matured counfels,he may con 
 tribute more to the harmony and hap- 
 pinefs of his children, than all their la 
 bours put together. And fo with all 
 others, whether in church or ftate, army 
 or navy, w r ho are advanced in years, 
 
 though 
 
22 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 though not equal to the aftive exercifes 
 of youth, yet in corifequence of their fu- 
 perior wifdom and experiences, their 
 lives may be of more fervice to their 
 country, than the lives of thoufands of 
 citizens. Some, I know, are fo unrea- 
 fonable as to fay that it is impoffible to 
 lead fuch a regular life. To this I an- 
 fwer, Galen, that great phyfician, led 
 fuch a life, and advifed others to it as 
 the beft phyfic. Plato, Cicero., Ifocrates, 
 and a great many famous men of paft 
 and prefent times, have praftifed it, and 
 thereby arrived to an extreme old age. 
 
 You will tell me that Plato, as fober 
 a man as he was, yet affirmed, that it is 
 difficult for a man in public life to live 
 fo temperately, being often in the fer 
 vice of the (late, expofed to the badnefs 
 of weather, to the fatigues of travelling, 
 and to eat whatever he can meet with. 
 This cannot be denied ; but then I main 
 tain, that thefe things will never haflen 
 
 a man's 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 23 
 
 a man's- death, provided he accuftorns 
 himfelf to a frugal way of living. There 
 is no man, in what condition foever but 
 may keep from over-eating ; and there 
 by happily prevent thofe diilempers that 
 are caufed by excefs. They who have 
 the charge of public affairs committed to 
 their truft, are more obliged to it than 
 any others : where there is no glory to 
 be got for their country, they ought not 
 to facrifice themfelves : they fhould pre- 
 ferve themfelves to ferve it ; and if they 
 purfue my method, it is certain they 
 would ward off the diftempers which 
 heat and cold and fatigues might bring 
 upon them ; or fhould they be difturbed 
 with them it would be but very lightly. 
 IT may likewife be obje&ed, that if 
 one who is well, is dieted like one that 
 is fick, he will be at a lofs about the 
 choice of his diet, when any diftemper 
 comes upon him. To this I fay, that 
 nature, ever attentive to the prefervation 
 
 of 
 
24 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 of her children, teaches us how we ought 
 to govern ourfelves in fuch a cafe. She 
 begins by depriving us fo entirely of 
 out appetites, that we can eat little or 
 nothing. At that time, whether the fick 
 perfon has been fober or intemperate, no 
 other food ought to be ufed, but fuch as 
 is proper for his condition ; fuch as 
 broth, jellies, cordials, barley-water, &c. 
 When his recovery will permit him to 
 ufe a more folid nourifhment, he mufl 
 take lefs than he was ufed to before his 
 ficknefs ; and notwithflanding the ea- 
 gernefs of his appetite, he mull take care 
 of his ftomach, till he is perfectly cured. 
 Should he do otherwife, he would over 
 burden nature, and infallibly relapfe in 
 to the danger he had efcaped. But not- 
 withftanding this, I dare aver, that he 
 who leads a fober and regular life, will 
 hardly ever be fick ; or but feldom, and 
 for a Ihort time* This w r ay of living 
 preferves us from thofe bad humours 
 
 which 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 25 
 
 which occafion our infirmities, and by 
 confequence heals us of all thofe diftem- 
 pers which they occafion. I do not pre 
 tend to fay that every body muft eat ex- 
 adtly as little as I do, or abftain from 
 fruit, fifli, and other" things from which 
 I abftain, becaufe fuch difhes difagree 
 with me. They who are not difordered 
 by fuch difhes, are under no obligation 
 to abftain from them. But they are 
 under the greateft obligations to feed 
 moderately, even on the moft innocent 
 food, fince an overloaded ftomach can 
 not digeft. 
 
 IT fignifies nothing to tell me that 
 there are feveral, who, though they live 
 very irregularly, yet enjoy excellent 
 health and fpirits, and to as advanced an 
 age, as thofe who live ever fo foberly. 
 For this argument is founded on fuch 
 uncertainty and hazard, and occurs fo 
 feldom, as to look more like a miracle 
 than the regular work of nature. And 
 D thofe, 
 
26 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 thofe, who, on the credit of their youth 
 and conftitution^ will pay any regard to fo 
 idle an objection, may depend on it, that 
 they are the betrayers and miners of 
 their own health. 
 
 AND I can confidently and truly af 
 firm, that an old man, even of a bad 
 conftitution, who leads a regular and 
 fober life, is furer of a longer one, than 
 a young man of the beft conftitution 
 who lives diforderly. All therefore who 
 have a mind to live long and healthy, 
 and die without ficknefs of body or 
 mind, muft immediately begin to live 
 temperately, for fuch a regularity keeps 
 the humours of the body mild and fweet, 
 and fuffers no grofs fiery vapours to af- 
 cend from the ftomach to the head ; 
 hence the brain of him who lives in that 
 manner enjoys fuch a conftant ferenity, 
 that he is always perfectly mafter of 
 himfelfc Happily freed from the tyran 
 ny of bodily appetites and paffions, he 
 
 eafily 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOPv CLJ 
 
 eafily foars above, to the exalted and 
 delightful contemplation of heavenly 
 objefts ; by this means his mind be 
 comes gradually enlightened with divine 
 truth, and expands itfelf to the glorious 
 enrapturing view of the Power, Wif- 
 dom, and Goodnefs of the Almighty. 
 He then defcends to nature, and ac 
 knowledges her for the fair daughter of 
 GOD, and views her varied charms with 
 fentiments of admiration, joy, and gra 
 titude, becoming the moil favoured of 
 all fublunary beings. He then clearly 
 difcerns, and generoufiy laments the 
 wretched fate of thofe who will not give 
 themfelves the trouble to fubdue their 
 paffions ; and thofe three moft enfnaring 
 1 ufts, the luft of the flefh, the luft of ho 
 nours, and the luft of riches, which all 
 wife and good men have firmly oppof- 
 ed and conquered, when they paffed 
 through this mortal ftate ; for knowing 
 fuch paffions to be inconfiftent with rea- 
 
 fon 
 
28 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 fon and happinefs, they at once nobly 
 broke through their fnares, and applied 
 themfelves to virtue and good works, 
 and fo became men of good and fober 
 lives. And when in procefs of time, and 
 after a long feries of years, they fee the 
 period of their days drawing nigh, they 
 are neither grieved nor alarmed. Full 
 of acknowledgments for the favours al 
 ready received from GOD, they throw 
 themfelves into the arms of his future 
 mercy. They are not afraid of thofe 
 dreadful punifhments, which they deferve 
 who have fhortened their days by guilty 
 intemperance. They die without com 
 plaining, fenfible that they did not come 
 into this world to flay for ever, but are 
 pilgrims and travellers to a far better. 
 Exulting in this faith, and with hopes 
 big with immortality, they go down to 
 the grave in a good old age, enriched 
 with virtues, and laden with honours. 
 
 AND 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 29 
 
 AND they have the greater reafon not 
 to be dejefted at the thought of death, 
 as they know it will not be violent, fever- 
 ifh or painful. Their end is calm, and 
 they expire, like a lamp when the oil 
 is fpent, without convulfion or agony, 
 and fo they pafs gently away, without 
 pain or ficknefs, from this earthly and 
 corruptible to that celeftial and eternal 
 life, whofe happinefs is the reward of 
 the virtuous. 
 
 O HOLY, happy, and thrice bleffed 
 temperance ! how worthy art thou of 
 our highefl efteem ! and how infinitely 
 art thou preferable to an irregular and 
 diforderly life ! Nay, would men but. 
 confider the effects and confequences of 
 both, they would immediately fee, that 
 there is as wide a difference between 
 them, as there is betwixt light and 
 darknefs, heaven and hell. Some there 
 are who tell us that old age is no bleff- 
 ing, that when a man is part feventy, 
 D 2 his 
 
30 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 his life is nothing but weaknefs, infir 
 mity, and mifery. But I can affure 
 thefe gentlemen, they are mightily mif- 
 taken ; and that I find myfelf, old as I 
 am, (which is much beyond what they 
 fpeak of) to be in the moft pleafant and 
 delightful ftage of life. 
 
 To prove that I have reafon for what 
 I fay, they need only enquire how I 
 fpend my time, w r hat are my ufual em 
 ployments ; and to hear the teflimony 
 of all thofe that know me. They una- 
 nimoufly teftify, that the life I lead, is 
 not a dead and languifhing life, but as 
 happy a one as can be wifhed for in this 
 world. 
 
 THEY will tell you, that I am ftill fo 
 ftrong at fourfcore and three, as to 
 mount a horfe without any help or ad 
 vantage of fituation ; that I can not 
 only go up a fingle flight of flairs, but 
 climb a hill from bottom to top, a-foot, 
 and with the greateft eafe j that I am 
 
 always 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 31 
 
 always merry, always pleafed, always in 
 humour ; maintaining a happy peace in 
 my own mind, the fweetnefs and fereni- 
 ty whereof appear at all times in my 
 countenance. 
 
 BESIDES, they know that it is in my 
 power to pafs away the time very plea- 
 fantly ; having nothing to hinder me 
 from tafting all the pleafures of an a- 
 greeable fociety, with feveral perfons 
 of parts and worth. When I am will 
 ing to be alone, I read good books, and 
 fometimes fall to writing ; feeking al 
 ways an occafion of being ufeful to the 
 public, and doing fervice to private per 
 fons, as far as poffible. I do all this 
 without the leafl trouble ; and in fuch 
 times as I fet apart for thefe employ 
 ments* 
 
 I DWELL in a houfe, which, befides 
 its being fituated in the pleafanteft part 
 of Padua^ may be looked on as the moft 
 convenient and agreeable manfion in 
 
 that 
 
32 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 that city. I there make me apartments 
 proper for the winter and fummer, 
 which ferve as a fhelter -to defend me 
 from the extreme heat of the one, and 
 the rigid coldnefs of the other. I walk 
 out in my gardens, along my canals and 
 walks ; where I always meet with fome 
 little thing or other to do, which, at the 
 fame time, employs and amufes me. 
 
 I SPEND the months of April 9 May, 
 September, and Oflober, at my country- 
 houfe, which is the fined fituation ima 
 ginable : the air of it is good, the 
 avenues neat, the gardens magnificent, 
 the waters clear and plentiful ; and this 
 feat may well pafs for an inchanted 
 palace. 
 
 SOMETIMES I take a walk to my 
 Villa, all whofe ftreets terminate at a 
 large fquare ; in the midft of which is a 
 pretty neat church, and large enough 
 for the bignefs of the pariftu 
 
 THROUGH 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 33 
 
 THROUGH this Villa runs a rivulet ; 
 and the country about it is enriched 
 with fruitful and well cultivated fields ; 
 having at prefent a confiderable num 
 ber of inhabitants. This was not fo 
 formerly : It was a marfiiy place, and 
 the air fo unwholforne, that it was more 
 proper for frogs and toads, than for 
 men to dwell in. But on my draining 
 off the waters, the air mended, and peo 
 ple reforted to it fo faft, as to render 
 the place very populous ; fo that I may, 
 with truth, fay, that I have here dedica 
 ted to the LORD, a church^ altars, and 
 hearts to worfhip him ; a circumilance 
 this, which affords me infinite fatisfac- 
 tion as often as I refleft on it. 
 
 IT is with great fatisfaftion that I fee 
 the end of a work of fuch importance 
 to this STATE, I mean that of draining 
 and improving fo many large tra&s of 
 uncultivated ground, a work which I ne 
 ver expe&ed to have feen completed ; 
 
 but, 
 
34 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 but, thank GOD, I have lived to fee it, 
 and was even in perfon in thefe marfhy 
 places, along with the cornmifiaries, for 
 
 two months together, during the heats 
 of fummer, without ever finding myfelf 
 
 the worfe for the fatigues I underwent. 
 Of fuch wonderful efficacy is that tem 
 perate life which I conftantly obferve. 
 
 IF in difcourfmg on fo important a 
 fubjet as this, it be allowable to fpeak 
 of trifles, I might tell you, that at the 
 age of fourfcore and three, a tempe 
 rate life had preferred me in that fpright- 
 linefs of thought, and gaiety of hu 
 mour, as to be able to compofe a very 
 entertaining comedy, highly moral and 
 inftrutive, without (hocking or difguft- 
 ing the audience; an evil too gene 
 rally attending our comedies, and which 
 it is the duty, and will be the eternal 
 honor of the magiftracy to difcounte- 
 nance and fupprefs, fince nothing has a 
 more fatal tendency to corrupt the mo 
 rals 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 35 
 
 rals of youth, than fuch plays as abound 
 with wanton allufions, and wicked fneers 
 and feoffs on religion and matrimony. 
 
 As an addition to my happinefs, I fee 
 inyfelf imniortalized as it were, by the 
 great number of my defcendants. I meet 
 with, on my return home, not only two 
 or three, but eleven grand-children, all 
 bled with high health, fweet difpontions, 
 bright parts, and of promifing hopes. 
 I take a delight in playing with the little 
 pratlers ; thofe who are older I often 
 fet to fmg and play for me on inftru- 
 inents of mufic. Call you this an in 
 firm crazy old age, as they pretend, who 
 fay, that a man is but half alive after 
 he is feventy ? They may believe me 
 if they pleafe, but really I would not 
 exchange my ferene chearful old age, 
 w r ith any one of thofe young men, even 
 of the beft conflitution, who give the 
 loofe to their appetites ; knowing as I 
 do, that they are thereby fubjeciing 
 
 themfelves 
 
36 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 themfelves every moment to difeafe and 
 death. 
 
 I REMEMBER all the follies of which 
 I was guilty in my younger days, and 
 am perfectly fenfible of the many and 
 great dangers they expofed me to. I 
 know with what violence young perfons 
 are carried away by the heat of their 
 blood. They prefume on their ftrength, 
 juft as if they had taken a fure leafe of 
 their lives : and mufl gratify their appe 
 tites whatever it coft them, without con- 
 fidering that they thereby feed thofe ill 
 humours, which do moft afluredly haften 
 the approach ofjfcknefi and death ; two 
 evils, which of all others are the moft 
 unwelcome and terrible to the wicked. 
 The firft of thefe, ficknefs^ is highly un 
 welcome, becaufe it effectually flops 
 their career after this world's bufmefs 
 and pleafures, which being their iole de- 
 lirfit and happinefs, muft be inexpref- 
 fibly fad and mortifying. And the impa 
 tience 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 37 
 tience and gloom of ficknefs is rendered 
 tenfold more infupportable to them, be- 
 caufe it finds them utterly deftitute of 
 thofe pious affections, 'which alone can 
 foothe the feverity of ficknefs and charm 
 the pangs of pain. They had never 
 cultivated an acquaintance with GOD, 
 nor accuftomed themfelves to look up 
 to him as to a merciful Father, who fends 
 affliction to wean us from this fcene of 
 vanity. They had never, by prayers 
 and good works, endeavoured to fecure 
 his friendship, or cherilh that love which 
 would make his difpenfations welcome. 
 So that unbleft with thefe divine confo- 
 lations, the feafon of ficknefs muft be 
 dark and melancholy indeed ; and be- 
 fides all this, their hearts often fink 
 within them at the profpet of DEATH, 
 that ghaftly king of terrors, who comes 
 to cut them off from all their dear de 
 lights in this world, and fend their un 
 willing fouls to fuffer the punifhment 
 E which 
 
3& THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 which their own guilty confcience tells 
 them is due to their wicked lives. 
 
 BUT from thefe two evils, fo dreadful 
 to many, blefled be GOD, I have but 
 little to fear ; for, as for death, I have 
 a joyful hope that that change, come 
 when it may, will be glorioufly for the 
 better; and befides, I truft, that HE 
 whofe divine voice I have fo long obey 
 ed, will gracioufly fupport and comfort 
 his aged fervant in that trying hour. 
 And as forjicknefs, I feel but little ap- 
 prehenfion on that account, fmce by 
 my divine medicine TEMPERANCE, I 
 have removed all the caufes of illnefs ; 
 fo that I am pretty fure I ihall never be 
 fick, except it be from fome intent of 
 Divine mercy, and then I hope I Ihall 
 bear it without a murmur, and find it 
 for my good. Nay I have reafon to 
 think that my foul has fo agreeable a 
 dwelling in my body, finding nothing 
 in it but peace and harmony between 
 
 my 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 39 
 
 my reafon and fenfes, that fhe is very 
 well pleafed with her prefent fituation ; 
 fo that I truft I have flill a great many 
 years to live in health and in fpirits, and 
 enjoy this beautiful world, which is in 
 deed beautiful to thofe who know how 
 to make it fo, as I have done, and like- 
 wife expeft (with GOD'S affiftance) to 
 be able to do in the next. 
 
 Now fince a regular life is fo happy, 
 and its bleffings fo permament and great, 
 all I have flill left to do, (fince I cannot 
 accomplifh my wifhes by force) is to 
 befeech every man of found under- 
 ftanding to embrace, with open arms, 
 this moft valuable treafure of a long 
 and healthy life ; a treafure, which, as 
 it far exceeds all the riches of this 
 world, fo it deferves above all things to 
 be diligently fought after, and carefully 
 preferved. This is that divine fobriety, 
 fo agreeable to the Deity, the friend of 
 nature, the daughter of reafon, and the 
 
 fitter 
 
40 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 filler of all the virtues. From her, as 
 from their proper root, fpring life, 
 health, chearfulnefs, induftry, learning, 
 and all thofe employments worthy of 
 noble and generous minds. She is the 
 bed friend and fafeft guardian of life ; 
 as well of the rich as of the poor ; of 
 the old as of the young. She teaches 
 the rich modefty ; the poor frugality j 
 jnen continence ; women chaflity ; the 
 old, how to ward off the attacks of 
 death \ and beftows on youth, firmer 
 and fecurer hopes of life. She pre- 
 Jerves the fenfes clear, the body light, 
 the underftanding lively, the foul brifk, 
 the memory tenacious, our motions free, 
 ,and all our faculties in a pleafmg and 
 agreeable harmony. 
 
 O MOST innocent and divine fobriety ! 
 the fole refrefhment of nature, the 
 nurfing mother of life, the true phyfic 
 of foul as well as of body. How ought 
 men to praife thee for thy princely gifts, 
 
 for 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 4! 
 
 for thy incomparible bleffmgs ! But as 
 no man is able to write a fufficient pane 
 gyric on this rare and excellent virtue, 
 I fliall put an end to this difcourfe, 
 left I fhould be charged with excefs 
 in dwelling fo long on fo pleafing a 
 fubjeft. Yet as number lefs things may 
 ftill be faid of it, I leave off with an in 
 tention to fet forth the reft of its praifes 
 at a more convenient opportunity. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 THE METHOD OF CORRECTING A BAD 
 CONSTITUTION. 
 
 WAS born with a very choleric, hafty 
 difpofition; flew into a paffion for the 
 leaft trifle, huffed every body about me, 
 and was fo intolerably difagreeable, that 
 many perfons of gentle manners abfo- 
 E 2 lately 
 
42 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 lutely fhunned my company. On dif- 
 covering how great an injury I was do 
 ing myfelf, I at once refolved to make 
 this vile temper give w r ay to reafon. I 
 confidered that a man overcome by paf- 
 fion, mufl at times, be no better than a 
 madman, and that the only difference 
 between a paffionate and a madman, is, 
 that the one has loft his reafon for ever, 
 and the other is deprived of it by fits 
 only ; but that in one of thefe, though 
 never fo Ihort, he may do fome deed of 
 cruelty or death, that will ruin his cha- 
 rafter, and deftroy his peace for ever. 
 A fober life, by cooling the fever of the 
 blood, contributed much to cure me of 
 this frenzy ; and I am now become fo 
 moderate, and fo much a mafter of my 
 paffion, that no body could perceive that 
 it was born with me. 
 
 IT is true indeed, the nioft temperate 
 may fometinies be indifpofed, but then 
 they have the pleafure to think that it 
 
 is 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 43 
 
 is not the effeQ: of their own vices ; 
 that it will be but moderate in its degree, 
 and of fhort continuance. 
 
 MANY have faid to me, " How can 
 
 you, when at a table covered with a dozen 
 
 delicious dijhes content yourfelf with one 
 
 di/Jj, and that the flaineft too at the table ? 
 
 It muft furely be a great mortification to you, 
 
 to fee fo many ^ charming things before you, 
 
 and yet fcarcely tafte them." This quef- 
 
 tion has frequently been put to me, and 
 
 with an air of furprize. I confefs it has 
 
 often made me unhappy ; for it proves 
 
 that fuch perfons are got to fuch a pafs, 
 
 as to look on the gratification of their 
 
 appetites as the higheft happinefs, not 
 
 confidering that the mind is properly 
 
 the man, and that it is in the affeftions 
 
 of a virtuous and pious mind, a man is 
 
 to look for his truefl and higheft happi- 
 
 nefs. When I fit down, with my eleven 
 
 grand-children, to a table covered with 
 
 various dainties, of which, for the fake 
 
 of 
 
44 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 of a light eafy ftomach, I may not, at 
 times, chufe to partake, yet, this is no 
 mortificaton to me ; on the contrary, 
 I often find myfelf moil happy at thefe 
 times. How can it otherwife than give 
 me great delight when I think of that 
 goodnefs of GOD, which blefles the 
 earth with fuch immenfe (lores of good 
 things for the ufe of mankind ; and 
 which, over and above all this goodnefs, 
 has put me into the way of getting fuch 
 an abundance of them for my dear 
 grand-children ; and, befides muft it not 
 make me very happy to think that I 
 have gotten fuch a maftery over myfelf 
 as never to abufe any of thofe good 
 things, but am perfe&ly contented with 
 fuch a portion of them as keeps me al 
 ways in good health. O what a tri 
 umph of joy is this to my heart ! What 
 a fad thing it is that young people will 
 not take inftruftion, nor get .benefit 
 from thofe who are older and wifer than 
 
 "themfelves! 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 45 
 
 themfelves ! I may ufe, in this matter, 
 the words of the wife man, " I have 
 feen all things that are done under the 
 fun/' I know the pleafures of eating, 
 and I know the joys of a virtuous mind, 
 and can fay from long experience, that; 
 the one excelleth the other as far as 
 light excelleth darknefs ; the one are 
 the pleafures of a mere animal, the 
 other thofe of an angel. 
 
 SOME are fo thoughtlefs as to fay, 
 that they had rather be affiifted twice 
 or thrice a year with the gout, and o- 
 ther diftempers, than deny themfelves 
 the pleafure of eating and drinking to 
 the full of fuch things as they like ; that 
 for their part they had rather eat and 
 drink as they like, though it Ihould 
 fhorten their lives, that is, " give them 
 a fhort life and a merry one/' It is 
 really a furprifing and fad thing, to fee 
 reafonable creatures, fo ready to fwal- 
 low the moft dangerous abfurdities. For 
 
 how 
 
46 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 how, in the name of common fenfe, can 
 the life of a glutton or a lot be a merry 
 one ? If men could eat to excefs, drink 
 to fillinefs, and ruft in floth, and after 
 all, fuffer no other harm than the a- 
 bridgement of ten or a dozen years of 
 life, they might have feme little excufe 
 for calling it a merry life, though furely 
 it could appear fo to none but perfons 
 of a fadly vitiated tafte. But fince an 
 intemperate life will affuredly fow in 
 our bodies the feeds of fuch difeafes as 
 will, after a few fhort years of feverifh 
 pleafure, make life a burthen to us, 
 with what face can any reasonable be 
 ing call this a merry life ? 
 
 O SACRED and mofl bountiful Tem 
 perance ! how greatly am I indebted to 
 thee for refcuing me from fuch fatal de- 
 lufions ; and for bringing me, through 
 the divine benedidion, to the enjoy 
 ment of fo many felicities, and which, 1 
 over and above all thefe favours confer 
 red 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 47 
 
 red on thine old man, haft fo ftrehgth- 
 en^d his ftomach, that he has now a 
 better reliih for his dry bread than he 
 had formerly for the moft exquifite 
 dainties, fo that, by eating little, my fto 
 mach is often craving after the manna, 
 which I fometimes feaft on with fo 
 much pleafure, that I fhould think I 
 trefpaffed on the duty of temperance, did 
 I not know that one muft eat to fupport 
 life ; and that one cannot ufe a plainer 
 or more natural diet. 
 
 MY fpirits are not injured by what I 
 cat, they are only revived and fupported 
 by it. I can, immediately on rifmg 
 from table, fet myfelf to write or ftudy, 
 and never find that this application, 
 though fo hurtful to hearty feeders, 
 does me any harm ; and, befides, I 
 never find myfelf drowfey after dinner, 
 as a great many do ; the reafon is, I 
 feed fo temperately, as never to load 
 my flomach nor opprefs my nerves, fo 
 
 that 
 
48 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 that I am always as light, a&ive, and 
 chearful after meals as before. 
 
 O THOU vile wicked intemperance, 
 my fworn enemy, who art good for no 
 thing but to murder thofe who follow 
 thee ; how many of my deareft friends 
 haft thou robbed me of, in confequence 
 of their not believing me ! But thou 
 haft not been able to deftroy me accord 
 ing to thy wicked intent and purpofe. 
 I am Hill alive in fpite of thee, and have 
 attained to fuch an age, as to fee around 
 me eleven dear grand-children, all of 
 fine underftandings, and amiable difpo- 
 fitions, all given to learning and virtue ; 
 all beautiful in their perfons and lovely 
 in their manners, whom, had I not aban 
 doned thee thou infamous fource of cor 
 ruption, I fhould never have had the 
 pleafure to behold. Nor fhould I enjoy 
 thofe beautiful and convenient apart 
 ments which I have built from the 
 ground, with fuch highly improved gar 
 dens, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 49 
 
 dens, as required no fmall time to attain 
 their prefent perfection. No, thou ac- 
 curfed hag, thy nature is to impoverifh 
 and deftroy thofe who follow thee. How 
 many wretched orphans have I feen 
 embracing dunghills ; how many mifer- 
 able mothers, with their helplefs in 
 fants, crying for bread, while their de 
 luded fathers, Haves to thy devouring 
 lufls, were wafting their fubftance in 
 rioting and drunkennefs ! 
 
 BUT thou art not content with con- 
 fuming the fubftance, thou wouldeft 
 deftroy the very families of thofe who 
 are fo mad as to obey thee. The tem 
 perate poor man who labours hard all 
 day, can boaft a numerous family of 
 rofy cheeked children, while thy pam 
 pered flaves, funk in eafe and luxury, 
 often languifh without an heir to their 
 ample fortunes. But fmce thou art fo 
 peftilential a vice, as to poifon and de 
 ftroy the greateft part of mankind, I 
 F am 
 
50 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 am determined to ufe my utmoft endea 
 vours to extirpate thee, at leafl in part. 
 And I promife myfelf, that my dear grand 
 children will declare eternal war againfl 
 thee, and following my example, will 
 kt the world fee the bleffednefs of a 
 temperate life, and fo expofe thee, O 
 cruel intemperance ! for what thou real 
 ly art, a moft wicked, defperate, and 
 mortal enemy of the children of men. 
 
 IT is really a very furprifmg and fad 
 thing to fee perfons grown to men's 
 cftate, and of fine wit, yet unable to 
 govern their appetites, but tamely fub- 
 mitting to be dragged by them into fuch 
 cxcefles of eating and drinking, as not 
 only to ruin the bed conftitutions, and 
 ILorten their lives, but eclipfe the luftrc 
 of the brightefl parts, and bury them- 
 felves in utter contempt and ufeleffnefs. 
 O what promiffing hopes .have been {hip- 
 wrecked, what immortal honours have 
 been facrificed at the flirine of low fen- 
 
 fuality ; 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 5! 
 
 fuality ; Happy, thrice happy, thofe who 
 have early been inured to habits of 
 felf-denial, and taught to confider the 
 gratification of their appetites as the un 
 failing fource of difeafes and death. Ye 
 generous parents who long to fee your 
 children adorned with virtue, and be 
 loved as the benefa&ors of their kind ; 
 O teach them the unfpeakable worth 
 of felf government, Unfupported by 
 this, every advantage of education and 
 opportunity will avail them but little : 
 though the hiftory of ancient worthies, 
 and the recital of their illuftrious deeds, 
 may at times kindle up in their bofoms 
 a flame of glorious emulation, yet alas ! 
 this glow of coveted virtue, this flufh 
 of promifed honor, is tranfient as a gleam 
 of winter funfhine; foon overfpread and 
 obfcured by the dark clouds of fenfuality. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
52 THE IMMORTAL MENTOH. 
 
 CHAP. HI. 
 
 A LETTER FROM SIGNIOR LEWIS COR- 
 NARO TO THE RIGHT REVEREND 
 BARBARO, PATRIARCH OF AQUI- 
 LEIA. 
 
 MY LORD, 
 
 WHAT thanks do we not owe to 
 the divine goodnefs, for this 
 wonderful invention of wanting, whereby 
 we can eafily communicate to cur abfent 
 friends, whatever may afford them plea- 
 fure or improvement ! By means of this 
 moft welcome contrivance, I fhall now 
 endeavour to entertain you with matters 
 of the greateft moment. It is true in 
 deed, that what I have to tell you is no 
 news, but I never told it ,you at the 
 age of ninety-one. Is it not a charming 
 thing, that I am able to tell you, that my 
 health and ftrength are in fo excellent a 
 
 ftate, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 53 
 
 ftate, that, inflead of diminifhing with 
 my age, they feem to increafe as I grow 
 old ? All nly acquaintance are furprifed 
 at it ; but I, who know the caufe of this 
 fingular happinefs, do every where de 
 clare it. I endeavour, as much as in 
 me lies, to convince all mankind, that a 
 man may enjoy a paradife on earth even 
 after the age of four-fcore. 
 
 Now my Lord, I muft tell you, that 
 within thefe few days paft, feveral learned 
 Doctors of this Univerfity came to be 
 informed by me, of the method I take 
 in my diet, having underftood that I 
 am full healthful and ftrong ; that I 
 have my fenfes perfect ; that my me 
 mory, my heart, my judgment, the tone 
 of my voice, and my teeth, are all as 
 found as in my youth ; that I write feven 
 or eight hours a day, and fpend the reft 
 of the day in walking out a-foot, and in 
 taking all the innocent pleafures that are 
 
 allowed 
 
 F 2 
 
54 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 allowed to a virtuous man ; even mu- 
 fic itfelf in which I bear my part. 
 
 AH, Sir ! how fweet a voice would 
 you perceive mine to be, w r ere you to hear 
 me, like another David, chant forth the 
 praifes of GOD to the found of my 
 Lyre ! You would certainly be furprifed 
 and charmed with the harmony which I 
 make. Thofe gentlemen particularly 
 admired, with what eafmefs I write on 
 fubjefts that require both judgment and 
 fpirit. 
 
 THEY told me, that I ought not to be 
 looked on as an old man, fince all my 
 employments were fuch as were proper 
 for a youth, and did by no means refem- 
 ble the works of men advanced in years ; 
 who are capable of doing nothing after 
 fourfcore, but loaded with infirmities and 
 diftempers, are perpetually languifhing 
 in pain, not half f6 chearful, pleafant 
 and happy as I am, 
 
 SEVERAL 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 55 
 
 SEVERAL phyficians were fo good as 
 to prognofticate to me, ten years ago, 
 that it was impoffible for me to hold out 
 three years longer : however, I ftill find 
 myfelf lefs weak than ever, and am 
 ftronger this year than any that went be 
 fore. This fort of miracle, and the ma 
 ny favours which I received from GOD, 
 obliged them to tell me, that I brought 
 along with me at my birth, an extraor 
 dinary and fpecial gift of nature ; and 
 for the proof their opinion, they em 
 ployed all their rhetoric, and made feve- 
 ral elegant fpeeches on that head. It 
 mufl be acknowledged, my Lord, that 
 eloquence has a charming force on the 
 mind of man, fince it often perfuades 
 him to believe that which never was, 
 and never could be. I was very much 
 pleafed to hear them difcourfe j and 
 could it be helped, fince they were 
 men of parts who harangued at that 
 rate ? But that which delighted me moft, 
 
 was 
 
56 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 was to refleft, that age and experience 
 may render a man wifer than all the col 
 leges in the world can. And it was in 
 truth by their help, that I -knew the er 
 ror of that notion. To undeceive thofe 
 gentlemen, and at the fame time fet 
 them right, I replied, that their way of 
 arguing was not juft : that the favour I 
 received was no fpecial, but a general 
 and univerfal one : that I was but a 
 man as well as others : that we have all 
 judgment and reafon, which the Creator 
 has beftowed on us to preferve our lives : 
 that man, when young, being more fubjeft 
 to fenfe than reafon, is too apt to give 
 himfelf up to pleafure ; and that when 
 arrived to thirty or forty years of age, 
 he ought to confider, that, if he has 
 been fo imprudent as to lead, till that 
 time, a diforderly life, it is now high time 
 for him to take up and live temperately ; 
 for he ought to remember, that though he 
 has hitherto been held up by the vigour of 
 
 youth 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 57 
 
 youth and a good constitution, yet he is 
 now at the noon of life, and muft bethink 
 himfelf of going down towards the grave, 
 with a heavy weight of years on his back, 
 of which his frequent pains and infirmities 
 are certain forerunners ; and that there 
 fore, if he has not been fo happy as to 
 do it already, he ought now, immedi 
 ately to change his courfe of life. 
 
 I MUST confefs, it was not without 
 great reluftance that I abandoned my 
 luxurious way of living. I began with 
 praying to GOD, that he would grant me 
 the gift of Temperance, well knowing 
 that he always hears our prayers with de 
 light. Then, confidering, that when a 
 man Js about to undertake any thing of 
 importance, he may greatly ftrengthen 
 himfelf in it, by often looking forward 
 to the great pleafures and advantages 
 that he is to derive from it, Juil as the 
 hufbandman takes comfort under his 
 toils, by reflecting on the fweets of abun 
 dance j 
 
58 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 dance ; and as the good chriftian glad 
 dens in the fervice of GOD, when he 
 thinks on the glory of that fervice, and 
 the eternal joys that await him ; fo I, in 
 like manner, by ferioufiy reflecting on the 
 innumerable pleafures and bleffings of 
 health, andbefeeching GOD to ftrengthen 
 me in my good resolutions, immediately 
 entered on a courfe of temperance and re 
 gularity. And though it was at firft highly 
 difagreeable, yet I can truly fay, that in 
 a very little time, the difagreeablenefs 
 vanifhed, and I came to find great de 
 light in it. 
 
 Now on hearing my arguments, they 
 all agreed that I had faid nothing but 
 what was reafonable ; nay, the youngefl 
 among them, told me, that he was will 
 ing to allow that thefe advantages might 
 be common to all men, but w T as afraid, 
 they were feldom attained ; and that I 
 muft be fingularly favoured of Heaven 
 to get above the delights of an eafy life, 
 
 and 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 59 
 
 and embrace one quite contrary to it ; 
 that he did not look on it to be impof- 
 fible, fince my practice convinced him of 
 the contrary, but however, it feemed to 
 him to be very difficult. 
 
 I REPLIED, that it was a fhame to re- 
 linquiih a good undertaking on account 
 of the difficulties that might attend it, 
 and that the greater the difficulty, the 
 more glory fliould we acquire : that it 
 is the will of the Creator, that every one 
 fhould attain to a long life, becaufe in 
 his old age, he might be freed from the 
 bitter fruits that were produced by fenfe, 
 and might enjoy the good effects of .his 
 reafon ; that when he fhakes hands with 
 his vices, he is no longer a flave to the 
 devil, and finds himfelf in a better con 
 dition of providing for the falvation of 
 his foul : that GOD, whofe goodnefs is 
 infinite, has ordained that the man who 
 comes to the end of his race, fliould end 
 his life without any diftemper, and fo 
 
 pafs, 
 
60 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 pafs, by a fweet and eafy death, to a 
 life of immortality and glory, which I 
 expeft. I hope (faid I to him) to die 
 finging the praifes of my Creator. The 
 fad reflection, that we muft one day 
 ceafe to live, is no dlfturbance to me, 
 though I eafily preceive, that at my age, 
 that day cannot be far off; nor am I 
 afraid of the terrors of hell, becaufe, 
 blefled be GOD, I have long ago fhaken 
 hands with my fins, and put my truft 
 in the mercy and merits of the blood of 
 Jefus Chrift. 
 
 To this my young antagonifl had no 
 thing to fay, only that he was refolved 
 to lead a fober life, that he might live 
 and die as happily as I hoped to do ; 
 and that though hitherto he had wifhed 
 to be young a long time, yet now he 
 defired to be quickly old, that he might 
 enjoy the pleafures of fuch an admir 
 able age. 
 
 SOME 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 6l 
 
 SOME fenfual perfons give out, that 
 I have troubled myfelf to no purpofe, 
 in compofmg a treatife concerning tern- 
 perance, and that I have loft my time in 
 endeavouring to perfuade men to the 
 practice of that which is impoffible. 
 Now this furprifes me the more, as 
 thefe gentlemen muft fee that I had led 
 a temperate life many years before I 
 compofed this treatife, and that I never 
 fhould have put myfelf to the trouble of 
 compofmg it, had not long experience 
 convinced me, that it is a life which 
 any man may eafily lead, who really 
 wifhes to be healthy and happy. And, 
 befides the evidence of my own experi 
 ence, I have the fatisfaclion to hear, 
 that numbers on feeing my treatife have 
 embraced fuch a life, and enjoyed from 
 it the very fame bleffings which I enjoy. 
 Hence, I conclude, that no man of good 
 fenfe will pay any regard to fo frivolous 
 an objection. The truth is, thofe gen- 
 G tlemen 
 
62 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 tlemen who make this obje&ion, are fo 
 unhappily wedded to the poor pleafure 
 of eating and drinking, that they can 
 not think of moderating it, and as an 
 excufe for themfelves, they choofe to 
 talk at this extravagant rate. How 
 ever, I pity thefe gentlemen with all my 
 heart, though they deferve for their in 
 temperance, to be tormented with a 
 complication of diftempers, and to be 
 the victims of their paffions a whole 
 eternity. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 OF THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF MAN. 
 
 THAT I may not be deficient in that 
 duty of charity, which all men 
 owe to one another, or lofe one moment 
 of that pleafure which confcious ufeful- 
 
 nefs 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 63 
 
 nefs affords ; I again take up my pen. 
 What I am going to fay will be looked 
 on as impoffible, or incredible ; but no 
 thing is more certain, nor more worthily 
 to be admired by all poflerity. 1 am now 
 ninety-five years of age, and find myfelf 
 as healthy and brifk, as if I were but 
 twenty-five. 
 
 WHAT ingratitude fhould I be guilty 
 of, did I not return thanks to the divine 
 Goodnefs, for all his favors conferred up 
 on me ? Moft of your old men have fcarce 
 arrived to fixty, but they find themfelves 
 loaded with infirmities : they are melan 
 choly, unhealthful ; always full of the 
 frightful apprehenfions of dying : they 
 tremble day and night for fear of being 
 within one foot of their graves ; and are 
 fo ftrongly poffeffed with the dread of it, 
 that it is a hard matter to divert them 
 from that doleful thought. Blefled be 
 GOD, I am free from their ills and ter 
 rors. It is my opinion, that I ought 
 
 not 
 
64 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 not to abandon myfelf to that vain fear : 
 this I will make appear by the fequel. 
 
 SOME there are, who bring along 
 with them a flrong conftitution into the 
 world, and live to old age : but it is ge 
 nerally (as already obferved) an old age 
 of ficknefs and forrow ; for which they 
 are to thank themfelves ; becaufe they 
 moft imreafonably prefume on the ftrength 
 of their conftitution ; and will not on 
 any account, abate of that hearty feed 
 ing which they indulged in their young 
 er days. Juft as if they were to be as 
 vigorous at foun r core as in the flower of 
 their youth ; nay, they go about to juf- 
 tify this their imprudence, pretending 
 that as we lofe our health and vigor by 
 growing old, we fhould endeavour to 
 repair the lofs, by increafmg the quanti 
 ty of our food, fmce it is by fuftenance 
 that man is preferved. 
 
 BUT in this they are dangeroufly mif- 
 . taken ; for as the natural heat and 
 
 ftrength 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 65 
 
 ftrength of the flomach leffens as a man 
 grows in years, he fliould diminifh the 
 quantity of his meat and drink, com 
 mon prudence requiring that a man 
 fhould proportion his diet to his digeflive 
 powers. 
 
 THIS is a certain truth, that fliarp 
 four humours on the flomach, proceed 
 from a flow imperfect digeflion ; and that 
 but little good chyle can be made, when 
 the flomach is filled with frefh food be 
 fore it has carried off the former meal. 
 It cannot therefore be too frequently, 
 nor too earneflly recommended, that as 
 the natural heat decays by age, a man 
 ought to abate the quantity of what he 
 eats and drinks ; nature requiring but 
 very little for the healthy fupport of the 
 life of man, efpecially that of an old man. 
 Would my aged friends but attend to 
 this fingle precept which has been fo fig. 
 nally ferviceable to me, they would not 
 be troubled with one twentieth of thofe 
 G 2 infirmities 
 
66 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 infirmities which now harrafs and make 
 their lives fo miferable. They would be 
 light, aftive, and chearful like me, who 
 am now near my hundredth year. And 
 thofe of them who were born with good 
 conftitutions, might live to the age of one 
 hundred and twenty. Had I been bleft 
 with a robuft conflitution, I fhould in 
 all probability, attain the fame age. But 
 as I was born with feeble ftamina, I fhall 
 not perhaps outlive an hundred. And 
 this moral certainty of living to a great 
 age is to be fure, a mofl pleafmg and de- 
 firable attainment, and it is the preroga 
 tive of none but the temperate. For all 
 thofe who (by immoderate eating and 
 drinking) fill their bodies with grofs hu 
 mours, can have no reafonable aflurance 
 of living a fingle day longer : opprefled 
 with food and fwoln with fuperfluous hu 
 mours, they are in continual danger of 
 violent fits of the cholic, deadly ftrokes 
 of the apoplexy, fatal attacks of the 
 
 cholera 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 6j 
 
 cholera morbus, burning fevers, and 
 many fuch acute and violent difeafes, 
 whereby thoufands are carried to their 
 graves, who a few hours before looked 
 very hale and hearty. And this moral 
 certainty of long life is built on fuch 
 good grounds as feldom ever fail. For, 
 generally fpeaking, Almighty GOD feems 
 to have fettled his works on the fure 
 grounds of natural caufes, and tempe 
 rance is (by divine appointment) the na 
 tural caufe of health and long life. Hence 
 it is next to impoffible, that he who leads 
 a ftridly temperate life, fhould breed any 
 ficknefs or die of an unnatural death, 
 before he attains to the years to which 
 the natural ftrength of his conftitution 
 was to arrive. I know fome perfons are 
 fo weak as to excufe their wicked intem 
 perance, by faying, that " the race is not 
 always to the fwift, nor the battle to the 
 ftrong," and that therefore, let them 
 eat and drink as they pleafe, they fhall 
 
 not 
 
68 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 not die till their time comes. How fcan- 
 daloufly do thefe men mifunderfland So 
 lomon and abufe truth ! How would it 
 ftartle us to hear our friends fay, " that 
 let them fleep and play, as they pleafe, 
 they fhall not be beggars till their time 
 comes/* 
 
 SOLOMON does indeed fay, that "the 
 race is not always to the fwift, nor the 
 battle to the ftrong ;" but he muftbe no 
 better than a madman, who thence in 
 fers, that it is not generally fo. For the 
 invariable and eternal experience of man 
 kind clemonftrates, that ninety-nine times 
 in an hundred, the race is to the fwift, 
 and the battle to the ftrong, bread to 
 the induftrious, and health to the tempe 
 rate. 
 
 BUT it is a matter of fad, and not to be 
 denied, that, though temperance has the 
 divine efficacy to fecure us from violent 
 difeafe and unnatural death, yet it is not to 
 be fuppofed to make a man immortal. It 
 
 is 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 69 
 
 isimpoffible but that time, which effaces 
 all things, fhould likewife deftroy that 
 mod curious workmanfmp of GOD, the 
 human body : but it is man's privilege to 
 end his clays by a natural death, that is, 
 without pain and agony, as they will fee 
 me, when the heat and flrength of na 
 ture is quite exhaufted. But I promifc 
 myfelf, that clay is a pretty comfortable 
 diftance off yet, and I fancy I am not 
 miflaken, becaufe I am ftill healthy, and 
 briik, relifli all I eat, fleep quietly, and 
 find no defeft in any of my fenfes. Be- 
 fides, all the faculties of my mind are in 
 the highefl perfe&ion ; my underfland- 
 ing clear and bright as ever ; my judg 
 ment found ; my memory tenacious j 
 my fpirits good ; and my voice, the firfl 
 thing that fails others, ftill fo ftrong and 
 fonorous, that every morning and even 
 ing, with my dear grand-children around 
 me, I can addrefs my prayers and chant 
 the praifes of the Almighty. O, how 
 
 glorious 
 
70 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 glorious this life of mine is like to be, 
 replete with all the felicities which man 
 can enjoy on this fide of the grave ; and 
 exempt from that fenfual brutality which 
 age has enabled my better reafon to ba- 
 nifh, and therewith all its bitter fruits, 
 the extravagant paffions and diftrefsful 
 perturbations of mind. Nor yet can 
 the fears of death find room in my mind 
 as I have no licenfed fins, to cherifh fuch 
 gloomy thoughts : neither can the death 
 of relations and friends give me any o- 
 ther grief than that of the firfl move 
 ment of nature, which cannot be avoid 
 ed, but is of no long continuance. Still 
 lefs am I liable to be caft down by the 
 lofs of wordly goods. I look on thefe 
 things as the property of heaven ; I can 
 thank him for the loan of fo many com 
 forts, and when his wifdom fees fit to 
 withdraw them, I can look on their de 
 parture without murmuring. This is 
 the happinefs of thofe only, who grow 
 
 old 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 7* 
 
 old in the ways of temperance and vir 
 tue ; a happinefs which feldom attends 
 the mod flourifhing youth who live in 
 vice. Such are all fubjedt to a thoufand 
 diforders, both of body and mind, from 
 which I am entirely free : on the contra 
 ry, I enjoy a thoufand pleafures, which 
 are as pure as they are calm. 
 
 THE firft of thefe is to do fervice to 
 my country. O ! what a glorious a- 
 mufement, in which I find infinite de 
 light, in fhewing my countrymen how 
 to fortify this our dear city of Venice^ 
 in fo excellent a manner, as to make her 
 a famous republic, a rich and matchlefs 
 city. Another amufement of mine is, 
 that of fhewing this maid and queen of 
 cities, in what manner fhe may always 
 abound with provifions, by manuring 
 untilled lands, draining marfhes, and 
 laying under water, and thereby fatten 
 ing fields, which had all along been 
 barren for want of moifture. My third 
 
 amufement 
 
72 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 amufement is in fliewmg my native city, 
 how, though already Pirong, fne may 
 be rendered much ftronger ; and, tho* 
 extremely beautiful, may fcill increafe 
 in beauty ; though rich, may acquire 
 more wealth, and may be made to en 
 joy better air, though her air is excel 
 lent. Thefe three amufements, all arif- 
 ing from the idea of public utility, I 
 enjoy in the higheft degree. Another 
 very great comfort I enjoy is, that hav 
 ing been defrauded when young, of a 
 confiderable eftate, I have made ample 
 amends for that lofs, by dint of thought 
 and induftry, and without the leaft 
 wrong done to any perfon, have doubled 
 my income, fo that I am able not only 
 to provide for my dear grand-children, 
 but to educate and affift many poor 
 youth to begin the world. And I can 
 not help faying, I reflect with more plea- 
 fure on what I lay out in that way, than 
 in any other. 
 
 ANOTHER 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 73 
 
 ANOTHER very confiderable addition 
 to my happinefs is, that what I have 
 written from my own experience, in or 
 der to recommend temperance^ has been 
 of great life to numbers, who loudly 
 proclaim their obligations to me for that 
 work, feveral of them having fent me 
 word from foreign parts, that, under 
 GOD, they are indebted to me for their 
 lives. But that which makes me look 
 on myfelf as one of the happiefl of men, 
 is, that I enjoy as it were, two forts of 
 lives ; the one terreftrial, which I pof- 
 fefs in fact ; the other celeftial, which I 
 poflefs in thought ; and this thought is 
 attended with unutterable delight, being 
 founded on fuch glorious objects, which 
 I am morally fure of obtaining, through 
 the infinite goodnefs and mercy of GOD. 
 Thus I enjoy this terreftrial life, partly 
 through the beneficent influences of tem 
 perance and fobriety, virtues fo pleafing 
 to heaven ; and I enjoy, through cordi- l 
 H al 
 
74 THE IMMORTAL MENTOfc. 
 
 al love of the fame divine Majefly, the 
 celeflial life, by contemplating fo often 
 on the happinefs thereof, that I can 
 hardly think of any thing elfe. And 
 I hold, that dying in the manner I ex* 
 peft, is not really death, but a paflage 
 of the foul from this earthly life, to a 
 celeftial, immortal, and infinitely per- 
 fel exiftence. And I am fo far charm 
 ed with the glorious elevation to which 
 I think my foul is defigned, that I can 
 no longer ftoop to thofe trifles, which, 
 alas ! charm and infatuate too great a 
 part of mankind. The profpecl of part 
 ing with my favourite enjoyments of this 
 life, gives me but little concern ; on the 
 contrary, I thank GOD, I often think 
 of it with fecret joy, fince by that lofs 
 I am to gain a life incomparably more 
 happy, 
 
 O ! WHO then would be troubled, 
 were he in my place ? what good man, 
 but muft inftantly throw off his load of 
 
 wordly 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 75 
 
 worldly forrow, and addrefs his grateful 
 homage to the Author of all this happi- 
 nefs ? However, there is not a man on 
 earth, who may not hope for the like 
 happinefs, if he would but live as I do. 
 For indeed I am no angel, but only a 
 man, a fervant of GOD, to whom a 
 good and temperate life is fo pleafing, 
 that even in this world he greatly re 
 wards thofe who pra&ife it. 
 
 AND whereas many embrace a holy 
 and contemplative life, teaching and 
 preaching the great truths of religion, 
 which is highly commendable, the chief 
 employment of fuch being to lead men 
 to the knowledge and worfliip of GOD* 
 O that- they would likewife betake them- 
 felves entirely to a regular aad temperate 
 life ! They would then be confidered 
 as faints indeed upon earth, as thofe pri 
 mitive chriftians were, who obferved fo 
 conftant a temperance, and lived fo long. 
 By living like them, to the age of one 
 
 hundred 
 
76 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 hundred and twenty, they might make 
 fuch a proficiency in holinefs, and be 
 come fo dear to GOD, as to do the great- 
 efl honour and fervice to the world \ and 
 they would befides, enjoy conftant health 
 and fpirits, and be always happy with 
 in themfelves ; whereas they are now 
 too often infirm and melancholy. If in 
 deed they are melancholy, becaufe they 
 fee GOD, (after all his goodnefs) fo un 
 gratefully requitted ; or becaufe they 
 fee men (notwithstanding their in 
 numerable obligations to love) yet hat- 
 , ing and grieving each other : fuch me 
 lancholy is truly amiable and divine. 
 
 BUT to be melancholy on any other 
 account, is, to fpeak the truth, quite 
 unnatural to good chriftians ; fuch per- 
 fons being the fervants of GOD and heirs 
 of immortality ; and it is flill more un 
 becoming the minifters of religion, who 
 ought to confider themfelves, as of all 
 
 others. 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. JJ 
 
 others, in the moft important, fervice- 
 able, and delightful employment. 
 
 I KNOW, many of thefe gentlemen 
 think that GOD does purpofely bring 
 thefe occafions of melancholy on them 
 that they may in this life do penance for 
 their former fins ; but therein, as I 
 think, they are much miftaken. I can 
 not conceive, how GOD, who loves 
 mankind, can be delighted with their 
 fufferings. He defires that mankind 
 fhould be happy, both in this world and 
 the next ; he tells us fo in a thoufand 
 places in his word, and we actually find 
 that there is not a man on earth, who 
 does not feel the good Spirit of GOD, 
 forbidding and condemning thofe wick 
 ed courfes, which would rob him of 
 that happinefs. No ; it is the devil and 
 fin which bring all the evils we fuffer, on 
 our heads, and not GOD, who is our 
 Creator and Father, and defires our hap 
 pinefs : his commands tend to no other 
 H 3 purpofe. 
 
78 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 purpofe. And temperance would not be 
 a virtue, if the benefit it does us by 
 preferving us from diflempers, were re 
 pugnant to the defigns of GOD in our 
 old age. 
 
 IN fhort, if all religious people were 
 ftriftly temperate and holy, how beauti 
 ful, how glorious a fcene (hould we 
 then behold ! Such numbers of vener 
 able old men as would create furprife. 
 How many wife and r holy teachers to 
 edify the people by their wholefome 
 preaching and good examples ! How 
 many finners might receive benefit by 
 their fervent interceffions ! How many 
 bleffings might they fhower upon the 
 earth ! and not as now, eating and 
 drinking fo in temperately, as to inflame 
 the blood and excite worldly paffions, 
 pride, ambition, and concupifcence, 
 foiling the purity of their minds, check 
 ing their growth in holinefs, and in 
 fome unguarded moment, betraying 
 
 them 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 79 
 
 them into fins difgraceful to religion, 
 and ruinous to their peace for life.- 
 Would they but feed temperately, and 
 that chiefly on vegetable food, they 
 would as I do, foon find it the moft 
 agreeable, (by the cool temperate hu 
 mours it affords) the bed friend to vir 
 tuous improvement, begetting gentle 
 manners, mild afteftions, purity of 
 thought, heavenly rnindednefs, quick 
 relifh of virtue, and delight in GOD. 
 This was the life led by the holy fathers 
 of old, who fubfifted entirely on vege 
 tables, drinking nothing but pure water, 
 and yet lived to an extreme old age, in 
 good health and fpirits, and always 
 happy within themfelves. And fo may 
 all in our days live, provided they 
 would but mortify the lufts of a corrup 
 tible body, and devote themfelves en 
 tirely to the exalted fervice of GOD ; 
 for this is indeed the privilege of every 
 faithful chriftian as Jefus Chrift left it, 
 
 when 
 
8o THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 when he came down upon earth to flied 
 his precious blood, in order to deliver 
 us from the tyrannical fervitude of the 
 devil ; and all through his immenfe 
 goodnefs. 
 
 To conclude, fmce length of days 
 abounds with fo many bleffings, and I 
 am fo happy as to have arrived at that 
 ftate, I find myfelf bound (in charity) to 
 give teftimony in favour of it, and fo- 
 lemnly affure all mankind, that I really 
 enjoy a great deal more than what I 
 now mention ; and that I have no other 
 motive in writing on this fubjeft, than 
 to engage them to praftife, all their 
 lives, thofe excellent virtues of tempe 
 rance and fobriety, which will bring 
 them, like me, to a happy old age. And 
 therefore I never ceafe to raife my voice, 
 crying out to you, my friends, may 
 your days be many, that you may long 
 ferve GOD, and be fitter for the glo 
 ry which he prepares for his children ! 
 
 APPEN- 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 GOLDEN RULES 
 
 HEALTH, 
 
 SELECTED FROM HlPPOCRATES, 
 TARCH, AND SEVERAL OTHER 
 EMINENT PHYSICIANS AND 
 PHILOSOPHERS. 
 
 OF all the people on the face of the 
 earth, the Americans are under 
 the greatefl obligations to live temperat- 
 ly. Formed for commerce, our coun 
 try abounds with bays, rivers and creeks, 
 the exhalations from which, give the air 
 a dampnefs unfriendly to the fprings of 
 life. To counteract this infelicity of cli 
 
 mate, 
 
8:2 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 mate, reafon teaches us to adopt every 
 meafure that may give tone and vigor to 
 the conftitution. This precaution, at 
 all times neceflkry, is peculiarly fo in au 
 tumn, for then the body is relaxed by 
 the intenfe heat of the dog-days, the air 
 is filled with noxious vapours from pu 
 trid vegetables ; Nature herfelf wears a 
 fickly, drooping afpecc ; the moft ro* 
 buft feel a difagreeable wearinefs and 
 forenefs of their flefh, a heavinefs and 
 fluggifhnefs in motion, quick feverifh 
 flufhings, and fudden chills darting 
 along their nerves, (all plain proofs of a 
 fickly atmofphere, and tottering health). 
 Now, if ever, we need the aid of all- 
 invigorating temperance, now keep the 
 ftoniach light and vigorous by moderate 
 feeding, the veins well flored with heal 
 thy blood, and the nerves full braced by 
 manly exercife and comely chearfulnefs. 
 Be choice of your diet, fruit perfectly 
 ripe, vegetables thoroughly done, and 
 
 meats 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 83 
 
 meats of. the eafieft digeftion, with aglafs 
 or two of generous wine at each meal, 
 and all taken in fuch prudent modera 
 tion, as not to load but ftrengthen the 
 conftitution. For at this critical junc 
 ture, a fmgle aft of intemperance, which 
 would fcarcely be felt in the wholefome 
 frofts of winter, often turns the fcalc a- 
 gainfl nature, and brings on obftinatc 
 indigeftion, load at ftomach, lofs of a- 
 petite, a furred tongue, yellownefs of 
 eyes, bitter tafte in the mouth in the 
 morning, bilious vomitings, agues, fe 
 vers, &c. which in fpite of the beft me 
 dicines, often wear a man away to a 
 ghoib If bleffed with a good conftituti 
 on, he may perhaps crawl on to winter^ 
 and get braced up again by her friendly 
 frofts ; but if old or infirm, it is likely 
 death will overtake him, before he can 
 reach that city of refuge. 
 
 " THE giddy practice of throwing a- 
 fide our winter clothes too early in the 
 
 fpring, 
 
84 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 fpring, and that of expofing our bodies, 
 when overheated, to fudden cold, has 
 deftroyed more, people, than famine, 
 peftilence and fword."*Sydenham. 
 
 THOSE who, by any accident, have 
 loft a meal, (fuppofe their dinner) ought 
 not to eat a plentiful fupper ; for it will 
 lie heavy on their ftomach, and they 
 will have a more reftlefs night than if 
 they had both dined and fupped heartily. 
 He therefore, who has miffed his dinner, 
 
 fnould 
 
 * I SAW (fays an American officer) thirteen gre 
 nadiers lying dead by a fpring, in confequence of 
 drinking too freely of the cold water, while dripping 
 with fweat in a hard day's march, in fummer. And 
 many a charming girl, worthy of a tenderer hufoand, 
 has funk into the icy embraces of death, by fuddenly 
 expofing her delicate frame, warm from the ball 
 room, to the cold air. And fmce " the univerfal 
 caufe acts not by partial, but by general law?/' many 
 a good foul, with more piety thyri prudence, turning 
 out quite warm from a crowded preaching into the 
 cold air without cloak or furtout, has gone off in a 
 galloping confumption to that happy world, where 
 pain and ficknefs are unknowu. What a melan 
 choly thing it is, that people cannot take care of 
 their fouls, without neglecting their . bodies, nor 
 feek their falvation without ruining their health ! 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 85 
 
 Iliould make a light fupper of fpoon vic 
 tuals, rather than of any ftrong foliJ 
 food." Hippocrates, 
 
 HE who has taken a larger quantity of 
 food than ufual, and feels it heavy and 
 troublefome on his ftomach ? will, if he is 
 a wife man, go out and puke it up im 
 mediately*. Hippocrates. 
 
 AND here I cannot omit mentioning a 
 a very ruinous error into which too 
 many are fond of running, I mean, the 
 frequent ufe of ftrong vomits and purga 
 tives. A man every now and then feeds 
 too freely on fome favourite difli ; 
 fuch excefs the ftomach is weakened, the 
 I body 
 
 * The wife fen of Sirach confirms this precept, 
 and fays, Ecclef. xxxi. 21. " If thou haft been 
 forced to eat, arife, go forth and puke, and thou 
 (halt have reft." And moft certain it is, (adds an 
 ingenious phyfician) that hundreds and thoufands 
 have brought ficknefs and death on themfelves, by 
 their ignorance or neglect of this rule. But at the 
 fame time people fhould carefully avoid a repetition 
 of that excefs, which renders fuch an evacuation i-.e- 
 cefTary, for frequent vomitings do greatly tend to 
 weaken and deftroy the tone of the ftoxnacbn 
 
86 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 body filled with fuperfluous humours, 
 and he prefently finds himfelf much out 
 of forts. The only medicine in this cafe, 
 is moderate exercife, innocent amufe- 
 rnent, and a little abftinence, this is na 
 ture's own prefcription, as appears by her 
 taking away his appetite. But having 
 long placed his happinefs in eating and 
 drinking, he cannot think of relinquifh- 
 ing a gratification fo dear to him, and fo 
 lets himfelf to force an appetite by drams, 
 flings, elixir of vitriol, wine and bitters, 
 pickles, fauces, &c. and on the credit of 
 this artificial appetite, feeds again as if 
 he poifeffed the mofl vigorous health. 
 He now finds himfef entirely difordered, 
 general heavinefs and wearinefs of body, 
 flatulent uneafinefs, frequent eruftations, 
 lofs of appetite, difturbed flumbers, 
 frightful dreams, bitter tafte in the 
 mouth, &c. He now complains of a foul 
 ftomach, or (in his own words) that his 
 ftomach is full of bile ; and immediately 
 
 takes 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 87 
 
 takes a dofe of tartar emetic or a ftro-ng 
 purgative, to cleanfe out his ftomach, 
 and fo prepare for another courfe of high 
 living. Of all the Apollyons or deftroy- 
 ers of nerves, health and life, this is the 
 greateft \ and I have no fort of doubt on 
 piy own mind but it has broken down 
 more conftitutions, brought on more 
 diftempers, and fent more people to an 
 early grave, than all the vices of this 
 bedlam world put together. How much 
 wifer would it be in this cafe to follow the 
 advice of the celebrated Bcerhaave, i. 
 e. to ufe a little abftinence, take mode 
 rate xercife, and thereby help nature to 
 carry off her crudities and recover her 
 fprings. I have been often told by a lady 
 of quality, whofe circumftances obliged 
 her to be a good ceconomift, and whofe 
 prudence and temperance preferved her 
 health and fenfes unimpaired to a great 
 age, that fhe had kept herfelf out of the 
 hands of the phyficians many years by 
 
88 THU IMMORTAL MJENTOR. 
 
 this fimple reigmen. People in health 
 ihould never force themfelves to eat when 
 they have no appetite j Nature, the beft 
 judge in thefe matters, will never fail to 
 let- us know the proper time of refreih- 
 ment. To at contrary to this rule, will 
 affuredly weaken the powers of digeftion, 
 impair health and fliorten life. Plutarch. 
 
 " LET us beware of fuch food as 
 tempts us to eat when we are not hun 
 gry, and of fuch liquors as entice us to 
 drink when we are not thirfty." So- 
 crates. 
 
 IT is really furprifmg (fays Plutarch) 
 what benefit men of letters would re 
 ceive from reading aloud every day ; we 
 ought therefore to make that exercife 
 familiar to us 5 but it Ihould not be done 
 immediately after dinner, nor fatigue, 
 for that error -has proved hurtful to 
 many. But though loud reading is a 
 very healthy exercife, violent vocifera- 
 lion is highly dangerous ; it has in thou- 
 
 fands 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 8$ 
 
 fands of inflances burft the tender blood 
 jvefiels of the lungs, and brought on in 
 curable confumptions*. 
 
 46 THE world has long made a jufb 
 diftinftion betwixt men of learning, and 
 wife men. Men of learning are oft- 
 times the weakeft of men : they read 
 and meditate inceffantly, without -al 
 lowing proper relaxation or refreshment 
 to the body ; and think that a frail .ma 
 chine can bear fatigue as well as an im- 
 i 2 mortal 
 
 * Would to God, all minifters of religion (I 
 mention them becaufe they arc generally moft want* 
 ing in this great article of prudence) would but at 
 tend to the advice of this eminent Philofopher. 
 They would, many of them, liv<* much longer, -and 
 eonfequently (land a good chance to be more ufeful 
 men here on earth, and brighter faints in heaven . 
 What can give greater pain to a man who has the 
 profperity of religion at heart, than to fee an amiable^ 
 pious young divine, ( who promifed great fervices to 
 the world) fpitting up his lungs, and dying of a 
 consumption brought on by preaching ten times lou 
 der than he had need ! Since the world began, "no 
 man ever fpoke with halffot energy which the inte- 
 reds of eternal fouls deferve, but there is a wide 
 difference betwixt an mjlruffi-ve, moving, milling e/o- 
 qucnce, and a loud, unmeaning monotony* 
 
9O THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 mortal fpirit. This puts me in mind of 
 what happened to the camel in the fa 
 ble ; which, refufing though often pre- 
 moniihed, to eafe the ox in due time of 
 a part of his load, was forced at laft to 
 carry not only the ox's whole load, but 
 the ox himfelf alfo, when he died under 
 his burden. Thus it happens to the 
 mind which has no compaffion on the 
 body, and will not liften to its com 
 plaints, nor give it any reft, until fome 
 fad diftemper compels the mind to lay 
 ftudy and contemplation afide ; and to 
 Jie down, with the afflifted body, upon 
 the bed of languifhing and pain. Moft 
 wifely, therefore, does Plato admonifh 
 us to take the fame care of our bodies 
 as of our minds ; that like a well 
 matched pair of horfes to a chariot, each 
 may draw his equal fhare of weight. 
 And when the mind is moft intent upon 
 virtue and ufefulnefs, the body fhould 
 then be moft cherifhed by prudence 
 
 and 
 
THE IMMORTAL MHNTOR. 9* 
 
 and temperence, that fo it may be fully 
 equal to fuch arduous and noble pur- 
 fuits." Plutarch. 
 
 NOTHING is more injurous to health 
 than hard ftudy at night ; it is invert 
 ing the order of nature, and ruining 
 the conftitution. 
 
 BUT moft of all, it is improper to lie 
 reading in bed by candle light ; for it 
 not only partakes of the ufual inconve 
 niences of night ftudy, fuch as {training 
 the eyes, weakening the fight, fatiguing 
 the mind, and wearing away the confti 
 tution, but is oft-times the caufe of the 
 faddeA calamities ; thoufands of elegant 
 houfes, with all their coftly furniture, 
 have been reduced to afhes by this very 
 imprudent practice. 
 
 BUT how can giddy youth, hurried 
 on by ftrong paffions and appetites, be 
 prevented from running into thofe ex- 
 cefles, which may cut them off in the 
 prime of their days, or at leaft hoard up 
 
 difeafes 
 
92 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 difeafes and remorfe for old age ? 
 Why, their pafnons and appetites muft 
 early be reflrained by proper difcipline 
 and example. This important office 
 muft be done by their parents, whofe 
 firft and greateft care fliould be " to 
 train up their children in the way they 
 fiiould go, that when they are old they 
 may not depart from it." 
 
 ic O THAT parents (fays the excellent 
 Mr. Locke) would carefully inftil into 
 their children that great principle of all 
 virtue and worth, viz. nobly to deny 
 themfelves every wrong defire, and 
 fteadily follow what reafon dictates as 
 beft, though the appetite fliould lean the 
 Other way. We often fee parents by 
 humouring them when little, corrupt 
 the principles of virtue in their children ; 
 and wonder afterwards to tafte the bit 
 ter waters of their undutifulnefs or 
 wickednefs, when they themfelves have 
 contributed thereto. Why fliould we 
 
 wonder 
 
THli IMMORTAL MENTOR. 93 
 
 wonder that he who has been accuftomed 
 to have his will in every thing, when he 
 was in coats P fhould defire and contend 
 for it when he is in breeches ? Youth is 
 the golden feafon to inure the mind to the 
 practice of virtue, on which their future 
 health and refpe lability depend, and 
 without which it will be impofiible to de 
 liver their confutations, unbroken, to 
 manhood and old age. Vice is utterly 
 inconfiftent with health, which can never 
 dwell with lewdnefs, luxury, floth and 
 violent paffions. The life of the epicure 
 and rake, is not only fhort, but rniferable. 
 It would fhock the modeft and compaffio- 
 nate, to hear of thofe exquifite pains, 
 and dreadful agonies, which profligate 
 young perfons fuffer from their debau 
 cheries, before they can even reach the 
 friendly fhelter of an untimely grave. 
 Or if fome few ftop fhort in their career 
 of riot, before they have quite deftroyed 
 the fprings of life, yet thofe fprings are 
 
 generally 
 
94 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 generally rendered fo feeble and crazy, 
 by the liberties which they have already 
 taken, that they only fupport a gloomy, 
 difpirited, dying life, tedious to them- 
 felves, and troublefome to all around 
 them ; and (which is ilill more pitiable) 
 often tranfmit their complaints to an 
 innocent unhappy offspring," 
 
PART II. 
 
 I 1 H E 
 
 WAY 
 
 T O 
 
 WEALTH, 
 
 B Y 
 
 DOCTOR FRANKLIN. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " But for one end, one much neglc&ed ufe, are richc* 
 
 " worth your care : 
 <c This noble end is to fiiew the virtues in their fair- 
 
 " eft light ; 
 ** To make humanity the minifler of bounteous Prtvi- 
 
 " dcncc, 
 " And ttaih the Ireajl the generous luxury of citing good." 
 
 Dr. ARMSTRONG. 
 
 /HERE is fcarcely among the evils of 
 life, any fo generally dreaded as poverty. 
 Many other kinds of mifery a man may 
 eafily forget l , becaufe they do not always 
 force the?nfehes upon his regards. But it 
 /> impojjlble to pafs a day or an hour, in the 
 company of men without feeing hvw much 
 poverty is expofed to neglefl and infult ; 
 and In its lowefl Jiate^ to hunger and 
 K nakednefs ; 
 
98 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 nakednefs ; to injuries , again/I which, 
 every pajfion is in arms ; and to wants, 
 "which nature, without the aids of religi 
 on^ cannot fujtain. 
 
 OF thefe calamities, mankind in general 
 feem to be fenfible. We hear on every fide 
 the noife of trade ; and fee the ftreets 
 thronged with number lefs multitudes, whofe 
 faces are clouded with anxiety, and whofe 
 Jieps are hurried by precipitation, from no 
 other motive than the hope of gain. The 
 'whole world is put in motion by the defire 
 of that wealth, which is chiefly to be va 
 lued as it fecures us from poverty and its 
 miferies. But there are always fome 
 whofe pajjlons or follies lead them to a con- 
 dul widely different from the general prac 
 tice of mankind. I mean the thoughtlefs 
 and the negligent, who, from an excefs of 
 careleffnefs, or the feduElions of company, 
 indulge habits of pie a fare and ex pence 
 above their fortunes ; and thus mijpend 
 their time, or wajle the inheritance of 
 
 their 
 
INTRODUCTION. 99 
 
 their fathers , without ever fesming to re- 
 fleft on the great facrifice they are making, 
 or the gulph to which they approach, till 
 poverty, like an unexpected winter, comes 
 upon them with all its chilling calamities, 
 and aivakens them to a pungent fenfe of 
 their folly and wreichednefs. The young, 
 and thofe of the mofl generous and unfuf- 
 petting tempers, often fall into this evil 
 net, out of which they feldom efcape with 
 out fitffering injuries, which they painfully 
 feel and ferioujty lament through life. No 
 man had a heart more difpofed to pity, nor 
 a head more able to counfel thefe unfortu 
 nates, than the fageQr. FRANKLIN, the 
 friend of man, and the great economift 
 of AMERICA. His little work, entitled, 
 " THE WAY TO WEALTH," is uni- 
 verfally confidered as a majier -piece, on 
 the art of making and preferring a for- 
 tune. But before we give the Reader a 
 fight of this, we will exhibit to his view 
 fome of the many felicities of wealth, that 
 
 on 
 
lOO INTRODUCTION. 
 
 on feeing how much happinefs he may de 
 rive from it to himfelf^ and how many fer- 
 'vices he may therewith confer on others^ 
 he may apply with vigor and perfeverance 
 to the means conducive to fo dejireable an 
 end. 
 
 IN the firft place WEALTH always 
 commands refpefl, unlefs its owner be an 
 infamous wretch indeed ; and even in that 
 deplorable cafe? it has the magic powers of 
 charity ^ to cover and hide a multitude of 
 fins. It gives a man an air of confequence? 
 and like true beauty r , without any exertion 
 of its own? wins the favour of all behold 
 ers. When the rich man goes into compa 
 ny ^ every body rife up to falute him : no 
 features too hard to aflame a fmile ; no 
 back fo ftiff but can afford him a bow. 
 He is placed in the upper moji feat at the 
 table? and men covet to direct their con- 
 verfation to him. The poor man fpeak- 
 eth, but no one regardeth : the rich 
 
 openeth 
 
INTRODUCTION. IOI 
 
 openeth his mouth, and lo ! filence is 
 kept. 
 
 WHAT: can be more plea/ing to a man 
 than to fee himfelf thus honoured by his 
 friends ? But befides this fatisfaftion^ 
 which to the good, is very exquifite ; it 
 has a very happy moral effeft on the mind. 
 In a mind poffeffed of common fenftbility, it 
 muft kindle thefoft jire of good humour ', and 
 good humour naturally infpires benevolence 
 and affeftion. Whence ive infer^ that a 
 rich man^ who is prudent '; Jiands a much 
 fairer chance to be good humoured than the 
 poor, whofe poverty expofes them to fuch 
 frequent j lights and negleds. 
 
 IN the fecond place WEALTH places 
 
 a man in ajiaie which all mufi covet ; a 
 
 Jlaie of INDEPENDENCE. To ov/e no 
 
 man any thing ; to be able io. go wither- 
 
 focver ive pleafe ; and to face any ^cc?jipany 
 
 without dread cf 'dunning^ is a luxury too 
 
 divine^ even to be conceived by a >y who 
 
 have net been haunted and hag ride ^i- by 
 
 K 2 creditors. 
 
102 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 creditors. Say, ye debtors, ye pooreji of 
 mankind, fay, ye who cannot look at a 
 creditor without confujion, nor hear the 
 name of juflice without a pang; who 
 Jiartle at the found of a fliaken leaf, as 
 though the feet of the Jheriff were at the 
 door, and fly as the murderer flies from 
 the avenger of blood, whofe forrowful days 
 are wafted in meditating fruitlefs plans of 
 payment, while your midnight Jlumbers are 
 frightened by dreams of bankruptcy, and 
 apparitions ofmercilefs creditors, fales, and 
 houfelefs children : fay, wherein is the life 
 of a debtor better than the life of a dog. 
 Are not the profpefls of independence as 
 reviving to your hearts, as the profpeds of 
 paradife to fouls that have long pined in 
 purgatory ? 
 
 BUT, on the other hand, never to go in 
 debt ; or, if accident Jhould render a trifl 
 ing debt necejfary ; to have at home more 
 than enough to defray it ; to receive a cre 
 ditor with a fouling countenance ; to de 
 light 
 
INTRODUCTION. 103 
 
 light his eyes with the promifed gold, and 
 to difmifs him charmed 'with our punftu- 
 ality and honour : Muft not this^ to a good 
 man, afford a feries of fatisfaflions, too 
 complicated for detail, and too exquifite for 
 defcription ? 
 
 IN the third place WEALTH enables 
 us to enjoy the pur eft and fublimeji pleafures 
 that are to be found on earth the plea 
 fures of doing good. 
 
 To a tender parent, the interefts of his 
 children are dear, as the blood which feeds 
 the fountain of life. When he looks at 
 them, his bowels are moved within him, 
 becaufe he remembers the evils which await 
 them ; He confiders that ignorance leaves 
 them an eafy prey to the crafty and cruel ; 
 and that want betrays them to difhoncfty 
 and falfehood. Happy the parent who pof- 
 fejfes wealth ; he places before his children 
 the lamp of knowledge, and they perceive 
 the fnares of the artful ; he furrounds , 
 them with the blejfings of competence., and 
 
 they 
 
104 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 they defpife the gains of Iniquity. He has 
 flfters and brother S) perhaps ) poor in world 
 ly goods i but whom he loves as his own 
 foul ; and young relatives 5 whofe little 
 flrong embraces, kindle all the parent 
 within him. Is there on earth a happi- 
 nefs equal to that which he feels in fupply- 
 ing their wants ; giving them education, 
 and thus leading them^ as by the hand^ to 
 ufefulnefs and honour ? 
 
 To welcome the weeping widow ; to 
 provide for her a place of reft ; to dry up 
 her tears ; to feed and educate her little 
 orphans , and to put them in a way to gain 
 an honeft livelihood. 
 
 To take by the hand poor young tradef- 
 men ; to lend them money ; to fet them up^ 
 and thus to enable them to be very ufcful 
 to the community^ and to make comfort 
 able livings for thcmf elves. 
 
 To build in the neighbourhoods of the 
 poor, places of public worfoip^ where the 
 
 people 
 
INTRODUCTION. 105 
 
 people may learn the knowledge of Goz> 3 
 and the happinefs of a good life. 
 
 To ajftft in providing houfes where the 
 
 Jick and aged poor, who are not able to 
 
 work for themfdveS) may be taken in, and 
 
 have medicines and phyficiam to cure their 
 
 ficknejfeS) and food and cloathing to make 
 
 the remainder of their days happy. 
 
 To feel for a tenant's misfortunes^ and to 
 abate fomething of his rent in a bad feafon. 
 
 To Jilence the excufes of a poor debtor 
 with a " well, well ; don't be uneafy 
 on account of this trifle ; I know you 
 are an honeft man, and I am willing to 
 wait till you can make it convenient to 
 pay me." 
 
 THESE arefome of the numberlefs luxuries 
 of beneficence which wealth enables a good 
 man to enjoy. If you would enjoy them? 
 liften to the injirudions of Dr. FRANKLIN, 
 and let the words of his mouth fink deep 
 into your heart. Defpife them not for their 
 fimplicity ; for fimple and unlearned is the 
 multitude to which they are addrcffcd. 
 
THE 
 
 WAY TO WEALTH. 
 
 COURTEOUS READER, 
 
 I HAVE heard, that nothing gives an 
 author fo great pleafure, as to find 
 his works refpe&fully quoted by others. 
 Judge, then, how much I mufl have 
 been gratified by an incident I am go 
 ing to relate to you. I flopped my 
 horfe, lately, where a great number of 
 people were collected at an auftion of 
 merchant's goods. The hour of the fale 
 not being come, they were converfing 
 on the badnefs of the times ; and one 
 of the company called to a plain, clean 
 
 old 
 
108 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 old man 5 with white locks, " Pray, 
 father, Abraham, what think you of 
 the times ? Will not thefe heavy taxes 
 quite ruin the country? How fhall we 
 be ever able to pay them ? What would 
 you advife us to ?" Father Abraham, 
 flood up, and replied, " If you would 
 have my advice, I will give it you in 
 fhort ; " for a word to the wife is e- 
 nough," as Poor Richard fays." They 
 joined in defiring him to fpeak his mind, 
 and gathering round him, he proceeded 
 as follows : 
 
 " FRIENDS, fays he, the taxes are, 
 indeed, very heavy ; and, if thofe laid 
 on by the government, were the only 
 ones we had to pay, we might more 
 eafily difcharge them ; but we have 
 many others, and much more grievous 
 to fome of us. We are taxed twice as 
 much by our idlenefs, three times as 
 much by our pride, and four times as 
 much by our folly ; and from thefc 
 
 taxes 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 taxes the commiffioners cannot eafe or 
 deliver us, by allowing an abatement. 
 However, let us hearken to good ad 
 vice, and fomething may be done for 
 us ; God helps them that help them- 
 felves," as Poor Richard fays. 
 
 I. " IT would be thought a hard go 
 vernment that fliould tax its people one- 
 tenth part of their time, to be employ 
 ed in its fervice : but idlenefs taxes 
 many of us much more ; floth, by 
 bringing on difeafes, abfolutely fliortens 
 life. " Sloth, like ruft, confumes faf- 
 ter than labour wears, while the ufed 
 key is always bright," as Poor Richard 
 fays. " But doft thou love life, then 
 do not fquander time, for that is the 
 fluff life is made of," as Poor Richard 
 fays. How much more than is necefla-. 
 ry do we fpend in fleep ? forgetting that 
 " The fleeping fox catches no poultry, 
 and that there will be fleeping enough 
 in the grave," as Poor Richard fays. 
 
 L, IF 
 
110 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 " IF time be of all things the mofi 
 precious, wafting time muft be/' as 
 Poor Richard fays, " the greateft pro 
 digality ;" fince, as he elfewhere tells 
 us, " Loft time is never found again; 
 and what we call time enough always 
 proves little enough :" Let us -then up 
 and be doing, and doing to the pur- 
 pofe ; fo by diligence fhall we do more 
 with lefs perplexity. " Sloth makes 
 all things difficult, but induftry all eafy; 
 and, he that rifeth late, niuft trot all 
 day, and fnall fcarce overtake his bu- 
 finefs at night ; while lazinefs travels fo 
 ilowly, that poverty foon overtakes 
 him. Drive thy bufmefs, let not that 
 drive thee ; and early to bed and early 
 to rife, makes a man healthy, wealthy, 
 and wife," as Poor Richard fays. 
 
 " So what fignifies wifhing and hop 
 ing for better times? We may make 
 thefe times better, if we beftir ourfelves. 
 cc Induftry need not wifh, and he that 
 
 lives 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. Ill 
 
 lives upon hope will $ie fafting. There 
 are no gains without pains ; then, help 
 hands for I have no lands/ 5 or if I have 
 they are fmartly taxed. " He that 
 hath a trade, hath an eftate ; and he 
 that hath a calling, hath an office of 
 profit and honour," as Poor Richard 
 fays ; but then the trade muft be work 
 ed at, and the calling well followed, 
 or neither the eftate nor the office will 
 enable us to pay our taxes. If we arc 
 induflrious, we will never ftarve ; for 
 at the working man's houfe, hunger 
 looks in, but dares not enter." Nor 
 will the bailiff or the conftable enter, 
 for " Induftry pays debts, while de- 
 fpair increafeth them." What, though 
 you have found no treafure, nor has 
 any rich relation left you a legacy, " Di 
 ligence is the mother of good luck, and 
 God gives all things to induftry. Then 
 plough deep, while fluggards fleep, and 
 you fhall have corn to fell and to keep." 
 
 Work 
 
112 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 Work while it is called to-day, for you 
 know not how much you may be hin 
 dered to-morrow. " One to-day is 
 worth two to-morrows, 55 as Poor Rich 
 ard fays ; and farther, " Never leave 
 that till to-morrow, which you can do 
 to-day/ 5 If you were a fervant, would 
 you not be afharned that a good mafter 
 fhould catch you idle ? Are you then 
 your own mafter ? be afhamed to catch 
 yourfelf idle, when there is fo much to 
 be done for yourfelf, your family, your 
 relations, and your country. Handle 
 your tools without mittens : remember, 
 that cs The cat in gloves catches no 
 mice, 55 as Poor Richard fays. It is true, 
 there is much to be done, and, perhaps, 
 you are weak-handed ; but ftick to it 
 fleadily, and you will fee great eflefts ; 
 for " Conftant dropping wears away 
 ftones ; and by diligence and patience 
 the rnoufe ate in two the cable; and 
 little ftrokes fell great oaks. 55 
 
 " METHINKS 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 113 
 
 " METHINKS I hear fome of you fay, 
 " Mufl a man afford himfelf no lei- 
 fure ?" I will tell thee my friend what 
 Poor Richard fays ; " Employ thy time 
 well, if thou meaneft to gain leifure; 
 and, fince thou art not fure of a minute, 
 throw not away an hour." Leifure is 
 time for doing fomething ufeful j this 
 leifure the diligent man will obtain, but 
 the lazy man never ; for, " A life of 
 leifure and a life of lazinefs are two 
 things. Many, without labour would 
 live by their wits only, but they break 
 for want of ftock ;" whereas induftry 
 . gives comfort, and plenty, and refped. 
 " Fly pleafures, and they will follow 
 you. The diligent fpinner has a large 
 fhift ; and now I have a fheep and a 
 cow, every body bids me good-mor 
 row." 
 
 II. " BUT with our induftry, we 
 
 muft like wife be fteady, fettled, and 
 
 Careful, and overfee our own affairs 
 
 L 2 with 
 
114 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 with our own eyes, and not truft too 
 much to others ; for, as Poor Richard 
 fays, 
 
 " I never faw an oft-removed tree, 
 Nor yet an oft-removed family, 
 That throve fo well as thofe that fettled be." 
 
 cc And again, " Three removes is as 
 bad as a fire ;" and again, " Keep thy 
 jfhop, and thy fhop will keep thee ;" 
 and again, " If you would have your 
 bufmefs done, go ; if not, fend, 55 And 
 again, 
 
 " He that by the plough would thrive, 
 Himfelf muft cither hold or drive." 
 
 " And again, " The eye of a matter 
 will do more work than both his hands ; " 
 and again, " Want of care does us 
 more damage than want of knowledge;" 
 and again, " Not to overfee workmen, 
 is to leave them your purfe open." 
 Trufting too much to others care is the 
 ruin of many ; for, " In the affairs of 
 this world, men are faved, not by faith, 
 but by the want of it ;" but a man's 
 
 own 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 115 
 
 own care is profitable ; for, " If you 
 would have a faithful fervant, and one 
 that you like, ferve yourfelf. A little 
 negleft may breed great mifchief ; for 
 want of a nail the fhoe was loft ; for 
 want of a fhoe the horfe was loft ; and 
 for want of a horfe the rider was loft," 
 being overtaken and flain by the enemy $ 
 all for want of a little care about a 
 horfe-lhoe nail. 
 
 III. " So much for induftry my 
 friends, and attention to one's own bu- 
 finefs ; but to thefe we muft add fruga 
 lity, if we would make our induftry 
 more certainly fuccefsful. A man may 5 
 if he knows not how to fave as he gets, 
 cc keep his nofe all his life to the grind- 
 ftone, and die not worth a groat at lafL 
 A fat kitchen makes a lean will ;" and 
 
 " Many eftates are fpent in the getting, 
 
 Since women for tea forfook fpinning & knitting, 
 And men for punch forfook hewing and fplitting.'* 
 
 " If you would be wealthy, think of 
 faving, as well as of getting. The In- ' 
 
 dies 
 
Il6 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 dies have not made Spain rich, be- 
 caufe her outgoes are greater than her 
 incomes.' 5 
 
 " AWAY, then, with your expenfive 
 follies, and you will not then have fo 
 much caufe to complain of hard times, 
 heavy taxes, and chargeable families ; for 
 
 " Women and wine, game and deceit, 
 
 Make the wealth fmall, and the want great/* 
 
 And farther, " What maintains one 
 vice, would bring up two children. 5 ' 
 You may think, perhaps, that a little 
 tea, or a little punch now and then, 
 diet a little more coftly, cloaths a little 
 finer, and a little entertainment now 
 and then, can be no great matter ; but 
 remember many a little makes a mickle." 
 Beware of little expences ; " A fmall 
 leak will fink a great fhip," as Poor 
 Richard fays ; and again, " Who dain 
 ties love, (hall beggars prove ?" and 
 moreover, " Fools make feafts, and 
 wife men eat them. 3 ' Here you are all 
 got together to this fale of fineries and 
 
 nick- 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. Hj 
 
 nick-nacks. You call them goods ; but 
 if you do not take care, they will prove 
 evils to fome of you. You expeft they 
 will be fold cheap, and, perhaps, they 
 may for lefs than they coft ; but, if you 
 have no occafion for them, they muft 
 be dear to you. Remember what Poor 
 Richard fays, " Buy what thou haft 
 no need of, and ere long thou flialt fell 
 thy neceflaries." And again, " At a 
 great pennyworth paufe a while :" he 
 means, that perhaps the cheapnefs is 
 apparent only, and not real ; or the 
 bargain, by ftraitening thee in thy bufi- 
 nefs, may do the more harm than good. 
 For in another place he fays, " Many 
 have been ruined by buying good pen 
 nyworths/* Again, " It is foolifh to 
 lay out money in a purchafe of repent 
 ance ;" and yet this folly is praQifed 
 every day at auctions, for want of mind 
 ing the Almanack. Many a one, for 
 the fake of finery on the back, have 
 
 gone 
 
Il8 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 gone with a hungry belly, and half 
 ftarved their families ; " Silks and fat- 
 tins, fcarlet and velvets, put out the 
 kitchen fire," as Poor Richard fays. 
 Thefe are not the neceffaries of life , 
 they can fcarcely be called the conve- 
 niencies : and yet only becaufe they 
 look pretty, how many want to have 
 them ? By thefe and other extravagan 
 cies, the genteel are reduced to poverty, 
 and forced to borrow of thofe whom 
 they formerly defpifed, but who, thro 5 
 induftry and frugality, have maintained 
 their {landing ; in which cafe it appears 
 plainly, that a ploughman on his legs 
 is higher than a gentleman on his 
 knees," as Poor Richard fays. Perhaps 
 they have had a fmall eftate left them, 
 which they knew not the getting of: 
 they think " It is day, and will never 
 be night :" that a little to be fpent out 
 of fo much is not worth minding ; but 
 always taking out of the meal-tub, and 
 
 never 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 never putting in, foon comes to the 
 bottom," as Poor Richard fays ; and 
 then, " When the well is dry, they 
 know the worth of water." But this 
 they might have known before, if they 
 had taken his advice. " If you would 
 know the value of money, go and try 
 to borrow fome ; for he that goes a 
 borrowing goes a forrowing," as Poor 
 Richard fays ; and, indeed, fo does he 
 that lends to fuch people, when he goes 
 to get in again. Poor Dick farther ad- 
 vifes, and fays, 
 
 " Fond pride of drefs is fure a very curfc; 
 Ere fancy you confult, confult yourpurfe." 
 
 And again, " Pride is as loud a beggar 
 as Want, and a great deal more faucy." 
 When you have bought one fine thing, 
 you mufl buy ten more, that your ap 
 pearance may be all of a piece ; but 
 Poor Dick fays, " It is eafier to fup- 
 prefs the firft defire, than to fatisfy all 
 that follow it :" And it is as truly folly 
 
 for 
 
120 .THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 for the poor to ape the rich, as for the 
 frog to fwell, in order to equal the ox. 
 
 " VcfTels large may venture more, 
 
 But little boats Ihould keep near ftiore." 
 
 It is, however, a folly foon punifhed ; 
 for, as Poor Richard fays, " Pride that 
 dines on vanity, fups on contempt ; 
 Pride breakfafted with Plenty, dined 
 with Poverty, and fupped with Infamy." 1 
 And, after all, of what ufe is this pride 
 of appearance for which fo much is rifk- 
 ed, fo much is fuSered ? It cannot pro 
 mote health, nor eafe pain; it makes 
 no increafe of merit in the perfon, it 
 creates envy, it haftens misfortune. 
 
 " But what madnefs muft it be to 
 run in debt for thefe fuperfluities ? We 
 are offered, by the terms of this fale, 
 fix months credit ; and that, .perhaps^ 
 has induced fome of us to attend it, 
 becaufe we cannot fpare the ready mo 
 ney, and hope now to be fine without 
 it* But, ah ! think what you do when, 
 you run in debt j you give to another 
 
 power 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 121 
 
 power over your liberty. If you can 
 not pay at the time, you will be afham- 
 ed to fee your creditor ; you will be in 
 fear when you fpeak to him ; you will 
 make poor pitiful fneaking excufes, and 
 by degrees, come to lofe your veracity, 
 and fink into bafe downright lying ; for, 
 " The fecond vice is lying, the firft is 
 running in debt/' as Poor Richard fays ; 
 and again, to the fame purpofe, " Ly 
 ing rides upon Debt's back :" whereas 
 a free American ought noj: to be afham- 
 ed, nor afraid to fee or fpeak to any 
 man living. But poverty often deprives 
 a man of all fpirit and virtue. " It is 
 hard for an empty bag to fland up 
 right." What would you think of that 
 nation, or of that government, wh 
 fhould iflue an edid, forbidding you to 
 drefs like a gentleman or gentlewoman, 
 on pain of imprifonment or fervitude ? 
 Would you not fay, that you were free, 
 have a right to drefs as you pleafe, and 
 M that 
 
122 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 that fuch an edift would be a breach of 
 your privileges, and fuch a government 
 tyrannical? And yet you are about to 
 put yourfelf under that tyranny when 
 you run in debt for fuch drefs ! Your 
 creditor has authority, at his pleafure, 
 to deprive you of your liberty, by con 
 fining you in gaol for life, or by felling 
 you for a fervant, if you fhould not be 
 able to pay him : when you have got 
 your bargain, you may perhaps think 
 little of payment ; but as Poor Richard 
 fays, " Creditors have better memories 
 than debtors, creditors are a fuperftiti- 
 ous feft, great obfervers of fet days and 
 times. " The day comes round before 
 you are aware, and the demand is made 
 before you are prepared to fatisfy it ; or, 
 if you bear your debt in mind, the 
 term, which at firft feemed fo long, will, 
 as it leffens, appear extremely fliort : 
 Time will feem to have added wings to 
 his heels as well as his ihoulders. " Thofe 
 
 have 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 123 
 
 have a fhort Lent, who owe money to 
 be paid at Eafter." At prefent, per 
 haps, you may think yourfelves in thriv 
 ing circumftances, and that you can 
 bear a little extravagance without in 
 jury ; but 
 
 " For age and want fave while you may, 
 No morning-fun lafts a whole day/ 7 
 
 GAIN may be temporary and uncer 
 tain, but ever, while you live, expence is 
 conflant and .certain; and, " It is ea- 
 fier to build two chimneys, than to keep 
 one in fuel," as Poor Richard fays : So, 
 " Rather go to bed fupperlefs, than rife 
 in debt. 
 
 " Get what you can, and what you get hold, 
 
 *Tis tlic fluuc thai tvlil turn all your lead into gold." 
 
 AND when you have got the philofo- 
 pher's ftone, fure you will no longer 
 complain of bad times, or the difficulty 
 of paying taxes. 
 
 IV. " THIS dodrine, my friends, is 
 reafon and wifdom: but, after all, do 
 tiot depend too much upon your own 
 
 induftry 
 
124 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 induftry and frugality, and prudence, 
 though excellent things ; for they may 
 all be blafted, without the bleffing of 
 Heaven ; and therefore, afk that blef 
 fing humbly, and be not uncharitable to 
 thofe that at prefent feem to want it, 
 but comfort and help them. Remem 
 ber, Job fuffered, and was afterwards 
 profperous. 
 
 " AND now to conclude, " Experi 
 ence keeps a dear fchool, but fools will 
 learn in no other," as Poor Richard 
 fays, and fcarce in that ; for, it is true, 
 " We may give advice, but we cannot 
 give conduft :" However remember this, 
 " They that will not be counfelled can 
 not be helped ;" and farther, that " If 
 you will not hear Reafon, fhe will fure- 
 ly rap your knuckles," as Poor Richard 
 fays. 
 
 THUS the old gentleman ended his 
 harangue. The people heard it, and 
 approved the doftrine, and immediately 
 
 pra&ifed 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 125 
 
 praftifed the contrary, juft as if it had 
 been a common fermon ; for the auc 
 tion opened, and they began to buy 
 extravagantly. I found the good man 
 had thoroughly ftudied my Almanacks, 
 and digefted all I had dropt on thofe 
 topics during the courfe of twenty-five 
 years. The frequent mention he made 
 of me muft have tired any one elfe ; 
 but my vanity was wonderfully delight 
 ed with it, though I was confcious, that 
 not a tenth part of the wifdom was my 
 own, which he afcribed to me ; but ra 
 ther the gleanings that I had made of 
 the fenfe of all ages and nations. How 
 ever, I refolved to be the better for 
 the echo of it ; and, though I had at 
 firft determined to buy fluff for a new 
 coat, I went away, refolved to wear rny 
 old one a little longer. Reader, if thou 
 wilt do the fame, thy profit will be as 
 great as mine. I am, as ever, thine to 
 fcrve thee. 
 
 RICHARD SAUND.ERS, 
 
 M Z 
 
126 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ADVICE 
 
 TO A 
 
 TOUNG TRADESMAN. 
 
 REMEMBER that time is money. He 
 that can earn ten fhillings a day 
 by his labour, and goes abroad, or fits 
 idle one half of that day, though he 
 fpends but fixpence during his diverfion 
 or idlenefs, ought not to reckon that 
 the only expence ; he has really fpent, 
 or rather thrown away, five fhillings 
 befides. 
 
 REMEMBER that credit is money. If 
 a man lets his money lie in my hands 
 after it is due, he gives me the intereft, 
 or fo much as I can make of it during 
 
 that 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 that time. This amounts to a confider- 
 able fum when a man has good and 
 large credit, and makes good ufe of it. 
 
 REMEMBER that money is of a pro 
 lific generating nature. Money can be 
 get money, and its offspring can beget 
 more, and fo on. Five {hillings turned 
 is fix ; turned again, it is feven and three 
 pence ; and fo on till it becomes an hun 
 dred pounds. The more there is of it, 
 the more it produces, every turning, fo 
 that the profits rife quicker and quicker. 
 He that kills a breeding fow, deftroys all 
 her offspring to the thoufandth genera 
 tion. He that murders a crown, de 
 ftroys all that it might have produced, 
 even fcores of pounds. 
 
 REMEMBER that fix pounds a year is 
 but a groat a day. For this little fum, 
 which may be daily wafted either in time 
 or expence, unperceived, a man of cre 
 dit may, on his own fecurity, have the 
 conftant pofleffion and ufe of an hun 
 dred 
 
128 TH IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 dred pounds. So much in ftock, brilk- 
 ly turned by an induftrious man, produ 
 ces great advantage. 
 
 REMEMBER this faying, " The good 
 paymafter is lord of another man's 
 purfe." He that is known to pay punc 
 tually and exactly to the time he pro- 
 mifes, may at any time, and on any oc- 
 cafion, raife all the money his friends 
 can fpare. This is fometimes of great 
 ufe. After induftry and frugality, no 
 thing contributes more to the raifing of 
 a young man in the world, than punctu 
 ality and juftice in all his dealings: there 
 fore never keep borrowed money an 
 hour beyond the time you promifed, 
 left a difappointment fhut up your 
 friend's purfe for ever. 
 
 THE rnoft trifling actions that affeft a 
 man's credit are to be regarded. The 
 found of your hammer at five in the 
 morning, or nine at night, heard by a 
 creditor, makes him eafy fix months 
 
 longer; 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 129 
 
 longer ; but if he fees you at a billiard 
 table, or hears your voice at a tavern, 
 when you fhould be at work, he fends 
 for his money the next day ; demands 
 it before he can receive it in a lump. 
 
 IT {hews, befides, that you are mind 
 ful of what you owe ; it makes you ap 
 pear a careful, as well as honeft man, 
 and that ftill increafes your credit. 
 
 BEWARE of thinking all your own 
 that you poflefs, and of living accord 
 ingly. It is a miftake that many people 
 who have credit fall into. To prevent 
 this, keep an exaft account, for fome 
 time, both of your expences and your 
 income. If you take the pains at firft 
 to mention particulars, it will have this 
 good effet ; you will difcover how 
 wonderfully fmall trifling expences mount 
 up to large fums, and will difcern what 
 might have been, and may for the fu 
 ture be faved, without occafioning any 
 great inconvenience. 
 
 IN 
 
130 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 IN fhort, the way to wealth, if you 
 defire it, is as plain as the way to mar 
 ket. It depends chiefly on two words, 
 induftry and frugality ; that is, wafte nei 
 ther time nor money ', but make the befl 
 ufe of both. Without induftry and 
 frugality nothing will do, and with them 
 every thing. He that gets all he can 
 honeftly, and faves all he gets, (necef- 
 fary expences excepted) will certainly 
 become rich ; if that Being who' go 
 verns the world, to whom all fliould 
 look for a bleffing on their honeft en 
 deavours, doth not, in his wife provi 
 dence, otherwife determine. 
 
 AN OLD Tp.ADESMANt 
 
PART III. 
 
 A 
 
 SURE GUIDE 
 
 T O 
 
 HAPPINESS, 
 
 B Y 
 
 DOCTOR SCOTT, 
 
A 
 
 SURE GUIDE 
 
 T 
 
 H A P P I N E S S. 
 
 ** Oh Happinefx ! our beings end and air*, 
 " Good, plcafure, eafc, content ; whatever thy nams, 
 44 That fometbtHg fill which prompts tU eternal figk, 
 '** For which we hear to live, or dare to die. 
 " Plant of celeflialfeed, if draft below, 
 " Say in what favour 'd foil thou deign ft to grow." 
 
 POPE. 
 
 IF there be any truth fully ascertain- 
 ed by reafon and revelation, it is 
 this. That " Man is not but to be happy" 
 Surely the mighty author of our being 
 can have no felfilh view in our creation. 
 His happinefs is too immenfe and too 
 fecure to receive increafe, or to fuffer 
 diminution from any thing that we can 
 do. " Can a man profit his Maker ; or 
 what need hath the Almighty of our fer- 
 <uices ?" 
 
 N A MORE 
 
1J4 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 A MORE important queftion claims 
 our regard. Wherein confifls the hap- 
 pinefs of Man ? 
 
 IN order to anfwer this, we muft re 
 member, that man is compofed of two 
 natures, an animal and a rational, each 
 of which is blefl with capacities of en 
 joyment, and muft have its correfpon- 
 dent objefts of gratification before man 
 can be happy. Hitherto we have con- 
 fidered him in the firft of thefe, in his 
 animal capacity : We have placed be 
 fore us, a creature of noble fhape^. end 
 and fair , formed of nerves and fibres, 
 and endued with appetites and feelings. 
 
 THOUGH this his animal nature be 
 infinitely inferior to his rational, yet fmce 
 the happinefs of the latter cannot be 
 complete, while the former is deftitute 
 of its proper goods, we have devoted 
 the two preceding books to the beft in- 
 terefts of his animal nature* We have 
 taken the liberty to fend him to Old 
 
 CORNARO 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 135 
 
 CORNARO and Dr. FRANKLIN, to hear 
 their excellent leftures on health and 
 competence, which all allow to be two 
 very choice ingredients in the cup of 
 happinefs. Nay, fome entertain fo high 
 an opinion of thefe, as to declare, that 
 if CORNARO and FRANKLIN could in- 
 fure a quantum fiffficit of them, they 
 would be content, and afk no better 
 happinefs than what they could extract 
 from thefe. 
 
 BUT let it be remembered that this 
 is not the language of the wife, but of 
 the flothful, and of fuch as are pufhed 
 for money, who frequently experien 
 cing the painfulnefs of being dunn 
 ed, and fometimes rafting the fweets 
 of eafe and pleafure, are ready to con 
 clude, that if they had but money 
 enough ; Oh if they had but money 
 enough to retire from the fatigues and 
 vexations of bufmefs, and to fpend de 
 licious days and nights in all the varied 
 
 joys 
 
136 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 joys of feafled fenfe, how bleft as the 
 immortal Gods they would be ! 
 
 AND truly, if man was but a more 
 elegant fort of beaft, and capable of no 
 higher pleafures than thofe of fenfe, 
 thefe Mahometan dreamers might be 
 more than half in the right. In that 
 cafe, health and competence might very 
 well ferve our turn ; as with the one 
 we might purchafe, and with the other 
 enjoy, all the happinefs of which we 
 were capable. But fince God has been 
 fo good as to raife us many degrees 
 above mere animal nature ; fince he has 
 together with bodies, given us immor 
 tal minds, endowed with faculties and 
 affeftions capable of angelic joys, i* 
 follows very delightfully, that another 
 guefs bill of fare muft be made out for 
 us, than that which would ferve Epi 
 curean hogs. 
 
 THOSE gentlemen who are fo fond of 
 {tinting themfelves to mere bodily plea 
 fures, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 137 
 
 lures, would do well to remembeiy that 
 every rank of animated nature mud 
 have its proper gratifications or be mi- 
 ferable. Furnifh earth and water to a 
 plant, and it fhall look green, and flou- 
 rifh like a cedar in Lebanon ; but give 
 nothing but this to a horfe, and he fhall 
 prefently perifh for want of nutriment. 
 . Again, give grafs and water to a horfe, 
 and he fhall look plump as pampered 
 fpeculation ; but confine a man to grafs 
 and water, and you fhall foon write 
 hie jacet on his tomb. Thus every link 
 in the great chain of being has its re- 
 fpeftive capacities and enjoyments. Man 
 is favoured with thefe in a degree of 
 perfection above all the creatures that 
 we have feen. He poffefles, harmoni- 
 oufly blended in himfelf, the various 
 excellencies of two different natures; 
 together with a relifh for all the pleafures 
 of the moft perfect animal, he can boaft 
 capacities equal to the fublime delights 
 N a . of 
 
138 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 of celeftial fpirits ; now to fuppofe that 
 fo exalted, I had almoft faid fo divine 
 a creature as this, can be fatisfied with 
 enjoyments that belong to the pooreft 
 and meanefl part of his nature, were 
 a far greater abfurdity, than to fuppofe 
 that an animal of the moft delicate tafte 
 and fenfe, can be content with earth and 
 water, the fimple nutriment of a plant,, 
 ACCORDINGLY we find that experi 
 ence has ever evinced the miftake of 
 thofe, who have expe&ed, that fenfual 
 goods alone could make them happy. 
 This is not a novel opinion, but feems 
 to have been a favourite notion of fome 
 in the days of King Solomon, who re- 
 folved to examine the truth or falfehood 
 of it. Never man enjoyed equal opportu 
 nities ; he had gold and filver as the (tones 
 in the vallies for abundance ; and in wif- 
 dom he far exceeded all the fages of the 
 Eaft. The whole force of this wifdom and 
 wealth he determined to employ on the 
 
 experiment. 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 139 
 
 experiment. " Behold (faid he) / will 
 get me down and make me great works, 
 and build me houfes, and plant me vine 
 yards, and make me gardens and pools of 
 water. I will get me men fingers and 
 women fingers i and all the delights of the 
 fons of men ; and whatever mine eyes de- 
 fire, I will not keep from them." When 
 every thing is thus planned by himfelf, 
 and executed according to his direction, 
 furely he is arrived to the accomplifh- 
 rnent of his wifhes, and has afcended to 
 the fummit of all human happinefs. 
 The poor, who are taken with fine 
 fhows, would conclude fo : Solomon 
 certainly knows befl ; let us aik him. 
 What does he fay ? 
 
 " Lo! I looked on all the works that 
 my hands had wrought , and on the labour 
 that I had laboured to do, and behold all 
 was vanity and vexation of fpirit, and 
 there was no profit under the fun" Well, 
 gentlemen, you, I mean who think that 
 
 if 
 
140 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 if you had but an abundance of riches -, 
 and health to enjoy them, you could not 
 fail to be happy. What do you think 
 of having againft you fuch a formidable 
 cafe in point as this ? Are you not be 
 ginning to fufpeft that you may have 
 been under a miftake all this time ? Sup- 
 prefs not the friendly fufpicion : Inftead 
 of repining, you fhould rejoice to find 
 that you have been in an error. Have 
 you not abundant caufe of joy, that 
 riches and health with all their fprings 
 and ftreams of pleafure, are not alone 
 fufficient to quench your thirft of happi- 
 nefs, nor able to fill up the vaft capa 
 cities of your nature ? After conquer 
 ing one world, Alexander fat down and 
 wept, that he had not another into 
 which he could pufh his viftories : But, 
 thank God, we have not his caufe of 
 complaint. 
 
 FOR after having pufhed our conquefts 
 through all thofe regions of innocent 
 
 enjoyment 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 enjoyment which belong to our animal 
 nature, we can enter upon the far wider 
 provinces of REASON and AFFECTION, 
 and poflefs ourfelves of all the fublime 
 pleafures of angels, /'. e. the pleafures 
 of knowledge, imagination, virtue, 
 friendfhip and love. When afked there 
 fore, Wherein confifts the true happinefs 
 of Man ? We readily anfwer, that as 
 the happinefs of a mere animal confifts 
 in exercifmg its appetites on fuch goods 
 as are fuited to its nature, and capable 
 of gratifying all its fenfes ; fo the true 
 happinefs of man confifts in exercifing 
 his faculties on fuch objects as are fuit 
 ed to his rational nature, and capable of 
 delighting his foul through all her va 
 rious affections. But where is that in 
 finite good? Who is that wondrous being 
 that can feaft the faculties, and fatisfy 
 the defires of an immortal mind ? 'Tis 
 God ; and he alone in whofe ineffable 
 perfections the whole world of ration- 
 
 als 
 
142 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 als will find enough, and more than 
 enough, to employ their admiration and 
 delight through eternal ages. 
 
 ACCORDINGLY we find that Chrift, 
 when afked what a man fhould do to be 
 truly happy, replied, " Thou Jhalt love 
 the Lord thy God with all thy heart ^ and 
 with all thy mind ; and thou foalt love 
 thy neighbour as thy f elf " 
 
 IN this admirable reply, which for 
 fublimity of piety and philanthropy, 
 and for profound wifdom and philofo- 
 phy, deferves everlafting veneration. 
 We learn three very important leffons. 
 I. That the chief good or true happi- 
 nefs of man confifts in his mind. II. In 
 the .affections of his mind. And III. 
 In thofe affections direCted to worthy ob- 
 je&s. 
 
 I, HE who was perfectly acquainted 
 with our nature, places the fupreme 
 happinefs of man in the mind. How 
 ftrange foever it may feem, yet moft 
 
 certain 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 143 
 
 certain it is, that this ever was, and ftill 
 is a new doftrine to the bulk of man 
 kind. For not only the numerous fet 
 of ancient Epicureans, and fenfual Ma 
 hometans, but the generality of Chrif- 
 tians to this day, place the feat of hap- 
 pinefs in the body. 
 
 TALK to them about the pleafures of 
 the underftanding, or the ftill fublimer 
 pleafures of devotion, and your words 
 feem not to be underftood ; but fhift the 
 fubjefl:, and talk about the pleafures of 
 inheriting large eftates, of living at eafe 
 and faring fumptuoufly every day, and 
 immediately you perceive, by their fmil- 
 ing countenances and ready converfa- 
 tion, that you have awakened their fa 
 vourite ideas, and that thefe are the 
 things which lie neareft to their hearts. 
 
 THAT the goods of the body confti- 
 tute fome fmall part of man's happi- 
 nefs, and that therefore they ought to 
 be valued, and, as far as confcience and 
 
 a regard 
 
144 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 a regard to higher interefts will permit, 
 fhould be fought after, is evident. But 
 that thefe goods and pleafures of the 
 body, conftitute man'sfupreme happinefs, 
 is one of the mod degrading, damnable 
 errors, that ever was broached. No 
 man who underftands the dignity of his 
 immortal part, and who entertains a 
 proper love for himfelf and his fellow 
 men, can hear fuch a propofition with 
 out abhorrence and indignation. What ! 
 fliall happinefs which all fo vehemently 
 defire, and fo heartily pray for, both 
 for themfelves and for others ; fhall 
 happinefs, the bare hope of which re 
 vives the heart, and does good like a 
 medicine; which gives ftrength to the 
 weak, and courage to the fearful ; which 
 animates us through life ; nor deferts us 
 in death Shall this fondejl wijh, this 
 fweeteft expectation of all men, confift 
 merely in the goods and pleafures of 
 the body. Confider, tbou cruel mur 
 derer 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. I 4 
 
 derer of thyfelf ; thou barbarous aflaffin 
 of human kind> how few ever attain 
 thofe pleafures to which thou ftupidly 
 oonfinefl the happinefs of man ; how 
 fewer ftill ever enjoy them, and how 
 foon death will fnatch them out of the 
 hands of thofe who are fo fortunate ! 
 Reflect what unnumbered millions are 
 born to no better inheritance than po 
 verty and bondage, and who, inftead 
 of being careflfed in the foft lap of eafe 
 and pleafure, are driven through lifs 
 by the fcourge of cruel tyrants, or 
 more cruel wants ! hard put to it to 
 get a little bread, and fometimes never 
 get *"/, at leaft not comfortably ; but 
 from various caufes, eat it all their lives 
 long in bitternefs of foul ! And of 
 thofe feemingly happy ones who poffefs 
 all the goods of the body, How few 
 enjoy them without alloy ? How many, 
 by abufmg thefe bleffings^ contract dif- 
 eafes which render fleeting life one con- 
 o tinned 
 
146 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 tinued fcene of forrow and fuffering ? 
 And in thofe apparently fortunate cafes, 
 where the greateft abundance of fenfu- 
 al goods is accompanied with health and 
 power of enjoyment ; yet, alas ! how 
 foon does enjoyment confume the little 
 good which they contained, and leave 
 the wealthy glutton to languifh under 
 indifference, to fret through difappoint- 
 ment, and to figh for fomething elfe ? 
 
 CAST your eyes on that pale bloated 
 figure. It is the Emperor Heliogabalus, 
 corrupted by the brutalizing fophiftry 
 of Epicurus, /. e. that the pleafures of 
 the body conftitute man's only happi- 
 nefs, he refolved to be happy to fome 
 purpofe. All Italy was taxed ; all Afia 
 robbed to fupport his luxury ; every 
 region of the earth was explored ; every 
 element ranfacked to furnifli his table. 
 All that bounteous nature beftows of 
 rare and delicious among her birds, 
 beafts, fiflies, fruits and fpices; and 
 
 all 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 147 
 
 all thefe prepared by the niccft hand of 
 cookery, were ferved up to feaft and 
 delight his appetites. Surely, if luxu 
 rious eafe and delicious fare were hap- 
 pinefs, Heliogabalus mufl have been 
 bleft indeed. The difcontent vifible in 
 his countenance proves the reverfe. 
 Could you aik him, he would tell you 
 that his pleafures are at bed but vain, 
 and too frequently vexatious. Some 
 times he was mortified, becaufe, through 
 defeft of appetite, he could not enjoy 
 his delicious morfels. At other times, 
 tempted by their lufcious flavour, he fed 
 to an excefs, which brought on him a 
 variety of painful and loathfome difeafes. 
 And at atl times it was matter of grief 
 to him, that the pleafures of eating and 
 drinking fliould fo foon be over. This 
 circumftance caufed one of the Roman 
 Emperors to quarrel with his own con- 
 ftitution, and to wifh, in all the rage of 
 disappointed pleafure, that he had the 
 
 ftomach 
 
148 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ftomach of a horfe, that he might en 
 joy the fatisfa&ion of eating ten times 
 as much as its prefent fcanty capacities 
 would allow. And another Emperor, 
 for the fame fwinifh reafon, preferred 
 his petition to the Gods, that they 
 would grant him a neck as long as that 
 of a crane, vainly hoping, that he 
 fliould thereby the longer enjoy the 
 dear pleafure of fwallowing. 
 
 BUT granting the fenfuality an utter 
 exemption from all the ills and vexa 
 tions of gluttony ; that his coveted dain 
 ties are all ferved up in the mod invit 
 ing ftyle of perfection ; that his fruits 
 are lucioufly ripe and frefh ; his meats 
 tender and delicioufly flavoured ; his 
 cookery the mofl exquifite in the 
 world, and his wines equal to the neftar 
 of Jove. And granting too that he 
 has an appetite to feafon, and health to 
 enjoy all thefe dainties, yet, alas ! how 
 foon muft the feafon of enjoyment be 
 
 over 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 149 
 
 over with him forever ! Old age will 
 prefently fteal on him ; his nerves muft 
 foon grow hard and dull, and lofe their 
 delicate edge and fenfibility, and then, 
 though he may fit down, yet can he not 
 enjoy his dainty morfels. 
 
 BEHOLD, I am now (faid the rich old 
 Barzillai) fourfcore years old, and can I 
 difcern what is favour y ? Can I tajle what 
 I eat or what I drink ; or can 1 hear the 
 'voice of Jlnging men and Jinging women ? 
 After this humiliating period, what fad 
 difhonours will ficknefs and death foon 
 bring upon the body, the gluttons pam 
 pered pride ! His cheeks once fo plump 
 and rofy, are now pale and emaciated. 
 His Ikin, formerly fo fmooth and po* 
 lifted, is now deformed with wrinkles. 
 His body once ftraight and eret, rs now 
 crooked and bent with years. His limbs, 
 late fo nimble and aftive, are now ftiff 
 and fcarcely able to move. And he 
 who forty years ago poflefled all the 
 o 2 bloom 
 
150 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 bloom and vigour of full formed man 
 hood, is now fhrunk away to mere Ikin' 
 and bone, and experiences all the help- 
 leflhefs of a fecond childhood. 
 
 SUPPORTED on his crutches or cane, 
 he attempts to move, but it is with dif 
 ficulty and pain. His knees knock a- 
 gainft each other through weaknefs. 
 His hands tremble, and his whole body 
 fhakes as with an ague. In a little time 
 his infirmities prevail ; his body, though 
 but the fhadow of his former felf, is 
 now too heavy for his exhaufted ftrength. 
 In a low faultering voice, he begs to be 
 led to his bed, and there lies down 
 never more to rife. Nature now finks 
 apace; his heart labours; his breaft hea 
 ves ; his breathing becomes fhort and 
 quick ; his eyes are hollow and funk ; 
 his voice grows hoarfe; he rattles in 
 the throat ; his limbs wax cold ; his 
 teeth turn black ; he foams at the mouth ; 
 a feeble convulfion fhakes his frame, 
 
 and. 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 and, with a deep groan, his unwilling 
 fpirit takes her leave. Immediately pu- 
 trefaftion and worms begin their loath- 
 fome office ; and in a little time, this 
 pampered, Idolized flefli, returns to the 
 duft of which it was formed. 
 
 WHO can contemplate this picture, 
 and not bewail with tears of blood, the 
 madnefs of thofe who expeft their only 
 happinefs from fuch a 'vile body ! O 
 how infinitely fuperior to thefe mifer- 
 able delufions is the Heaven defcended 
 philofophy of Jefus Chrift ! In that di 
 vine religion,, the body, inflead of be 
 ing exalted as the feat of owr happinefs 9 
 is depreciated as the principal caufe of 
 our mifery, being, as the poet exprefles 
 it, not only a nefl of pain and bag of 
 corruption, but the moft fruitful fource 
 of our fins and forrows. Chrift feldom 
 mentions the body, except to expofe 
 its comparative worthleflhefs, and to, 
 caution us againft its defiling lufts. In 
 
 every 
 
152 TH IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 every part of the facred volume, you 
 hear his voice exclaiming with all the 
 earneftnefs of parental affeftion : " Woe 
 be to him who trufteth in the body, and 
 maketh flefh his hope, for 'wherein is it to 
 be relied on? Its origin is but duft, its 
 beauty but a flower, its life but a vapour, 
 and its duration but a moment. Pain and 
 wearinefs accompany it while living, cor* 
 ruption and worms feize on it when dead. 
 let not thine heart decline to its lufts, 
 and yeild not to its enticements, for they 
 have cq/i down many wounded ; yea, many 
 ftrong men have beenjlain by them ; their 
 way is the way to hell, going down by the 
 chambers of death. But though in the 
 body thou canft jind no true content, yet 
 think of thy foul and rejoice, for Jhe is 
 ?nore precious than filver, yea much jine 
 gold is not to be compared unto her. Her 
 beginning is from the breath of the Almighty, 
 and her duration is as the days of eternity. 
 She was made but a little lower than the 
 
 angels, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 153 
 
 angels, and heaven was prepared of old 
 for the place of her habitation. Wouldjl 
 thou be happy, deck her with the jewels 
 of piety, and cloath her with virtue as 
 with a garment ; then Jhall the lamp of 
 the Almighty Jhine into thy heart, and joy 
 Jhall be thy conjiant companion. When 
 thou walkeji by the way, thy foot Jhall 
 not Jlumble ; and when thou llejl down, 
 thy Jleep Jhall befweet. In the day offtck- 
 nefs thou Jhalt not be afraid, and when 
 death cometh upon thee, thou JJoalt laugh 
 him to f corn ; for the Lord of hojls is thy 
 friend, and underneath thee are the ever- 
 lajiing arms. He Jhall fc*j unto thee, fear 
 not, thou worm "Jacob, for lam with thee ; 
 be not difmayed for I am thy God. Then 
 Jhall hejlrip off thee the vile rags of mor 
 tality, and cloath thee with the garments 
 of falvation. He Jhatl wipe from thine 
 eyes the tear of forrow, and anoint thy 
 face with the oil of gladnefs. He JJjall 
 condutt thee Into his own city, the city of 
 
 the 
 
154 TH E IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 the living God, and unto the general affem* 
 bly of angels , and fplrlts of juft men made 
 ferfed. Hejhallgive thee to drink with 
 them of his rivers of pleafure^ and to feajl 
 on joys at his right hand forever more." 
 
 THUS fplendid are the honours and 
 felicities of which the foul of man is 
 capable. Thefe are the eternal goods 
 to which Chrifl intreats us to afpire, and 
 for the fake of which, he bids us defpife 
 the low unfatisfa&ory pleafures of a 
 dying body. 
 
 WHAT divine goodnefs, what per- 
 feft wifdom, are blended in that philofo. 
 phy, which enjcms us to feek our happi- 
 nefs in the mind and not in the body. 
 In that part of our nature which exalts 
 us to God, and not in that which de- 
 prefles us to the brute. In that part 
 of us which will live forever, and not 
 in that which is daily in danger of 
 dropping into the grave. In that part 
 of us which can enjoy the noble plea 
 fures 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 155 
 
 fures of the glorious ones in Heaven, 
 and not in that whofe few pleafures are 
 in common with the creatures of the 
 flails and ftyes. 
 
 BUT our divine Philofopher places 
 the fupreme happinefs of man, not only 
 in the mind, as we have juft feen, but 
 
 II. IN the affedions of the mind. 
 
 THIS alfo will appear to many as a 
 ftrange faying. It muft expeft to com 
 bat, not only the prejudices of coarfe 
 Epicures, but the more ferious doubts 
 of many who feem to be more refined 
 and rational in their fchemes of happi 
 nefs. Many, even of thofe, who dif- 
 daining a vile body, funk their happi 
 nefs in the immortal mind, have never 
 yet dreamed that it confifls in the af- 
 fe&ions, but have fought it rather in 
 the improvements of the under/land- 
 ing. Obferving the great refpeft that 
 is paid to men of learning, and remem 
 bering the high entertainment which 
 
 they 
 
156 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 they themfelves have derived from the 
 converfation of fuch men, they con 
 clude, that learning muft be the bright- 
 eft ornament and higheft happinefs of 
 human nature. In their eftimation, the 
 man whofe comprehenfive rrjind takes 
 a wide furvey of the works of God, 
 and of the inventions of men ; who 
 foars into the Heavens, and calls the 
 ftars by name ; calculates eclipfes, and 
 fortells comets ; who thence goes down 
 into the depths of the fea, and ex 
 plains the caufes of its ceafelefs mo 
 tions ; who traverfes the boundlds re 
 gions of the earth, knows all their king- 
 doms, 'with the glory of them; who fpeaks 
 various languages, fathoms the depths 
 of arts and fciences, underftands the 
 hiftory of nations, the laws and go 
 vernment of all people. This, in their 
 eftimation, is the truly happy man. In 
 a mind thus richly furnilhed, he pof- 
 fefles (as they fuppofe) the materials of 
 
 an 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 157 
 
 an enjoyment, of which nothing can 
 ever deprive him. 
 
 FAR be it from me to fpeak difre* 
 fpe&fully of learning, for certainly learn 
 ing or \vifdom is the pia mater, or firfl 
 attribute of God himfelf, and the vaft 
 circumference within which lies all the 
 happinefs that human or angelic minds 
 can enjoy. But this I fay, that all the 
 learning in the world, if feparated from 
 the affections, can never make us truly 
 happy : And that thefe fplendid attain 
 ments in fcience were never intended to 
 form the fupreme happinefs of man, is 
 evident, becaufe the bulk of mankind 
 are not capable of becoming great fcho- 
 lars and philofophers. Alas ! What 
 numbers, after all the pains that have 
 been taken with them, never learn even 
 to read their mother tongue with pro 
 priety ! How many, who after a feven 
 years apprenticefhip, and a whole life's 
 employment, never learn to fit on a 
 p handfouie 
 
158 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 handfome boot or fhoe ! Many born 
 with genius equal to the attainment of 
 learning, are conftrained to live and die 
 in ignorance, for want of means to de 
 fray the expence of education ; while 
 others are obliged to flop in the middle 
 of their career, and to give up the fond 
 hopes of knowledge, becaufe of a con- 
 flitution too delicate to bear the fatigues 
 of ftudy. But granting to the lover of 
 learning, every advantage of genius, 
 conftitution and fortune, that ever fell 
 to the lot of the mod favoured of man 
 kind, what mighty acquifitions can be 
 made by him whofe genius is, at beft, 
 but dulnefs, and whofe days are but a 
 moment ! When he confiders the fe- 
 crets of art, fo multiplied and myfteri- 
 ous, he fits down in defpair. When he 
 contemplates the works of God, fo in 
 finite and unfearchable, the fpirit faints 
 within him, and he feems to himfelf, 
 but as a feather floating on the furface 
 
 of 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 159 
 
 of a mighty ocean, whofe wonders he 
 can never explore. And were he aik- 
 ed for the fum of his learning, he 
 would, if honeft, take up the lamenta 
 tion of the old philofopher, and reply, 
 that after the vain toils of threefcore 
 years, he has learned to know that he 
 knows nothing. 
 
 BUT admitting that he has acquired 
 that flock of learning on which vain 
 mortals are fo adventurous as to fet up 
 for mafters and doctors. Admitting that 
 he has learned languages, ftudied arts 
 and fciences, &c. &c. What is there, 
 in all this to make him happy, or to 
 fatisfy the defires of an immortal mind ? 
 As to languages, what folly to dream 
 as fome do, of great wifdom and ho 
 nour to be found in learning them ! 
 For, What is language but words or 
 founds by which we communicate our 
 thoughts to one another? If thefe 
 words or founds had the power like 
 
 charms^ 
 
l6o THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 charms^ to brighten our wits, or to bet 
 ter our hearts, this language-mongery 
 would be a noble fpeculation ; but, 
 alas ! inftead of making us wifer, thefe 
 learned languages often make us greater 
 fools. For, allowing, that after an ex- 
 pence of five years, and of at leaft as 
 many hundred pounds, a young man 
 has learned enough to give his horfe a 
 Latin or Greek name ; What mighty 
 advantages does he derive from this 
 pretty art of nick-naming God's crea 
 tures ? Does it teach him any new ideas 
 relative to the nature and qualities of a 
 horfe ? Or can it furnifh him one ufe- 
 ful receipt in farriery, or a fingle rule 
 for the better management and choice 
 of that noble animal ? 
 
 EVIDENTLY, therefore, the fummum 
 bonum, or chief good of man does not 
 confift in dead languages. 
 
 AND as to fyftems of human learning, 
 from which fome fondly expeft unfail 
 ing 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. l6l 
 
 ing pleafure and eternal honour, what 
 are they, frequently ', but fyflems of hu 
 man error, monuments of the pride of 
 man, who, impatient to be thought ig 
 norant of any thing, boldly feizes fan 
 cy for fad, and conje&ure for evidence, 
 and with thefe fairy workmen, prefent- 
 ly runs up vaft Babels of philofophy, vain 
 ly fo called. A w^hole lifetime is hardly 
 fufficient to underfland thefe pompous 
 errors ; and fcarcely are they under- 
 flood, before they are exploded to make 
 room for fome other fet of notions^ 
 equally vain and perifliable. 
 
 BUT, admitting that we have turned 
 our ftudies to the nobleft of human 
 fciences, fciences founded on truth, and 
 promifmg much entertainment and ufeful 
 knowledge ; yet, alas ! full foon fhall ex 
 perience prove the truth of the remark 
 made by Solomon, that " In much learn 
 ing is much trouble ; and he who increaf* 
 es knowledge, increafes forrwu" See ! 
 p Q, how 
 
l62 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 how envioujly, {harp thorns and briars 
 fhoot up among the fweet flowers which 
 we expected to gather. To make any 
 confiderable progrefs in fciences, we 
 muft renounce fome of the freedom and 
 amufements of life ; this is mortifying ; 
 confinement is wearifome ; hard ftudy 
 fatigues the brain ; intenfe thinking 
 fours the temper ; flow progrefs is dif- 
 heartening ; doubts are vexatious ; and 
 prefently darknefs and thick clouds ga 
 ther over the path of fcience, and for 
 bid us to proceed any farther. Sure 
 ly man walketh in a vain Jhadow, and dif~ 
 quleteth himfelf in vain. 
 
 BUT fuppofmg that we could under- 
 Hand all human fciences in the mofl 
 perfect degree, how very fliort lived 
 would be the pleafures arifmg from 
 them ! When firft made, and frefh on 
 the mind, the difcoveries of truth are 
 highly gratifying to curiofity, but in a 
 fliort time they become familiar, and 
 
 thence 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 163 
 
 thence almoft infipid. Hence we often 
 fee learned men as difcontented and pee- 
 vifh as others ; a plain proof that hu 
 man learning opens no fpring of lading 
 happinefs in the mind. Indeed, fo far 
 from producing this very defireable ef- 
 feft, it frequently nurfes paffions the 
 moft unfriendly to his happinefs, both 
 in this world and the next. The bright 
 er talents and fuperior fame of a rival 
 wit, often pierce his heart with the 
 keeneft pangs of envy ; fuccefs puffs 
 him up with pride, and renders him 
 infufferably difagreeable ; difappointment 
 fires him with rage, or links him into 
 defpondency : While the flafh of an 
 unguarded witticifm often lofes him a 
 valuable friend, or creates a mortal 
 enemy. But allowing that he were the 
 greateft fcholar and orator of the age, 
 and could harangue on any fubjeft, with 
 all the force of argument and charms 
 of eloquence; that whenever he appear 
 ed 
 
164 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ed, the impatient crowds repaired to 
 hear the magic of his enchanting tongue : 
 that princes were his patrons, and 
 the great ones of the earth his admir 
 ers; yet how vain and treacherous a 
 good would all this be ! How utterly 
 unworthy to be coveted as the chief 
 good of man ! For yet but a few fleet 
 ing years, and the cold hand of age will 
 be on him, and then, alas ! all thefe 
 fine talents and blooming honours, fliall 
 perifh as the lovely flower perifhes when 
 touched by the killing frofts of winter. 
 His wit fhall fparkle no more ; no more 
 fhall his fancy charm us with the fplen- 
 dor of its images, nor his mind afto- 
 nifh us with the vaftnefs of her con 
 ceptions ; his memory muft then give 
 up all her precious treafures ; and dumb 
 forever will be that tongue whofe elo 
 quence, like fweeteft mufic, foothed 
 each liftening ear, and led in triumph 
 all the obedient paffions. 
 
 AND 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 165 
 
 AND are fuch fading accomplifhments 
 as thefe, fit food for an immortal foul 
 that was born for heaven ? 
 
 BUT although this acknowledged va 
 nity and vexation of human learning, 
 fufficiently proves the fad miftake of 
 thofe who make an idol of it ; yet let 
 us not, on the other hand, run into 
 the equal error of fuch as trample it 
 under their feet as vain and worthlefs 
 altogether. Along with its drofs, it 
 contains much ufeful metal, for the 
 fake of which we may well afford to 
 toil. 
 
 EVEN the languages, though the leqft 
 neceffary of all human learning, are 
 not entirely without their ufes. We 
 may chance to fall in with a poor for 
 eigner who has not broken Englilh 
 enough to tell us his wants. We may 
 get honeft bread by interpreting, tranf- 
 lating, or teaching languages. Or fhould 
 it be our fortune to (land behind a coun 
 ter, 
 
l66 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ter, we may, with the help of a little 
 bad French, fell a great deal of good 
 merchandize. We may likewife find 
 much pleafure in reading the enchant 
 ing works of foreign poets, hiftorians, 
 &c. and this effeft may lead to one ftill 
 more valuable ; it may infpire us with 
 fentimejits of friendfhip for the nation 
 to which thefe excellent men belong, 
 and thus happily moderate that refent- 
 ment, which, under certain circum- 
 ftances we might feel againft them. 
 Thefe effefts, in a very comfortable de 
 gree, I have myfelf experienced. I 
 have found, that my paflions, kindling 
 into pain from the blows (truck our un 
 offending country, by the Britifh, have 
 been confiderably calmed by recolleft- 
 ing, that thefe our injurers, are the 
 children of the fame once glorious ijland 
 which gave to us and to all mankind, 
 a Milton, a Newton, a Locke, a Bar 
 row, and other UNEQUALLED EIGHTS 
 
 of 
 
TH IMMORTAL MENTOR. 167 
 
 of philofophy and divinity, whofe friend 
 ly fplendors have contributed fo happi 
 ly to repel the coming clouds of " chaos 
 and old night" and to eftablifh the em 
 pire of reafon and pure religion. 
 
 HITHERTO we have endeavoured to 
 point out the miftake of thcfe, (a nu 
 merous race) who look for happinefs 
 among fenfual pleafures, and in human 
 learning. Two other orders of candi 
 dates, equally numerous, and, as I 
 think, equally miftaken, prefent them* 
 felves 5 I mean the hardy fons of ava 
 rice and ambition. The firft of thefe, 
 the mifer, blefles God ; wonders how 
 people can be fo weak as to throw away 
 their time and money on book learning 
 and filly pleafures. He has jufler no 
 tions of things. Gold is with him the 
 one thing needful. He rifes early, early, late 
 takes reft, and eats the bread of careful- 
 nefs and toil, in order to join houfe to houfe, 
 0_ ond 
 
l68 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 and field to field^ and thus to remove 
 himfelf far from all dread of want. 
 
 BUT of wealth it may be faid, happi* 
 nefs is not here. Gold, it is true, is the 
 quinteflence of lands, houfes, foft cloath- 
 ing, fumptuous fare, and of every other 
 pleafure that flelh and blood is heir to. 
 But evident it is to reafon^ that all the 
 treafures on earth can never fatisfy an 
 immortal foul : And Scripture afTerts, 
 that " A man's life conjifteth not in the 
 abundance of the things which he po/feffeth. 9 ' 
 And whofe experience doth not witnefs 
 it ? We call the rich happy ! Alas ! 
 could we but fee their anxious cares* 
 their, inward reftlefihefs, the miferies of 
 defires delayed or difappointed, which 
 fometimes attend even the moil fortu 
 nate ; could we know their conftant 
 fears of lofing, and their third for more, 
 which fuffers them not to enjoy their 
 prefent gains ; could we follow one who 
 is " making hajte to be rich" through 
 
 al! 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 169 
 
 all his toils and labours, his weary days 
 and fleeplefs nights, and all his various 
 vexations, we fhould be fully convinced 
 of the truth of this, that he who increaf- 
 ctb riches, increafeth forrow. 
 
 I MAY appeal to every man's heart 
 who has fought happinefs from this 
 quarter,, if this has not been his con- 
 ftant experience. You prpmifed. your- 
 felf that you fhould be perfectly happy 
 when the other thoufand was added to 
 your flock, or the next purchafe enlarg 
 ed you eftate : You had your wifh, and 
 yet you ftill wanted: Something was 
 lacking. You propofed new additions, 
 and waited for your happinefs again ; 
 but a new thirft urged you again to new 
 cares and to new toils. And if the 
 time fhould ever come, that you fhall 
 think that you have enough, and like the 
 rich man in the gofpel, " begin to pull 
 down your barns and build greater ; and 
 to fay to your foui, Soul, ihou haft much 
 
 goods 
 
170 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 goods laid up for many years ^ take thine 
 eafe, eat, drink , and be merry:" Then 
 expeft the final difappointment in that 
 alarming mefiage, " Thou foe!, this nighi 
 jhall thy foul be required of thee ; then 
 whofe Jhall all thofe things be which thou 
 haft Jo laboriGuJly laid up?" Such is 
 the happinefs of thofe who trufc in un 
 certain riches. 
 
 THE ambitious feeks his happinefs in 
 the attainment of honour : And indeed 
 to be diftinguifhed in the world, treated 
 with refped, fpoken of with admira 
 tion, carefled and courted by all around 
 us, is highly pleafing to the heart of 
 man, and, in the eyes of many, poflef- 
 fes charms far fuperior to the vanities of 
 pleafure, or the fordidnefs of gain ; yet 
 doth the defire of wordly efteem re 
 move the foul as far from true happi 
 nefs as the former. The enjoyment 
 arifing from the honour which cometh 
 from man, ftand continually on a pre 
 carious 
 
THE IMMORTAI. MENTOR. IJl 
 
 carious foundation ; it totters before 
 every blaft of difrefpeft, and every ru 
 mour of malevolence. Like grafs on 
 the houfe top, it often withereth before it 
 is plucked up ; For what can (land be 
 fore envy? The hopes of men, like 
 bubbles in the air, ufually burft as they 
 expand. The labours of ambition are 
 difappointed, the pride of honor mor 
 tified, the idol of reputation broken to 
 pieces, and the friendlhips of the world 
 generally faithlefs. 
 
 ALAS ! That man, born for heaven? 
 Ihould wafte his fliort day of grace in 
 torturing himfelf to conform to the hu 
 mours of a vain world ; feeking a phan 
 tom of fame lighter than air ; grafping 
 at diftinftions vain and insignificant ; 
 flaking his happinefs on the beck or 
 breath of worms like hirnfelf ; and after 
 all, too frequently obliged to take up 
 the lamentation of the once great Car 
 dinal Woolfey : " Had I butferved Cod 
 
 as 
 
172 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 as faithfully as I have ferved the world i 
 he would not thus have forfaken me in 
 my grey hairs" 
 
 BUT the vanity of feeking happinefs 
 from riches, honors and pleafures, is 
 yet more convincingly felt when death 
 comes to put a final clofe to this mortal 
 fcene. Ah ! rny friends, this is the aw 
 ful hour that (trips off the tinfel cover- 
 ings of folly, (lamps vanity on all be 
 neath the fun, and (hews that 
 
 " Too low they build, who build beneath the ftars." 
 
 IN that day of terror and defpair, what 
 can a vain world offer its poor deluded 
 followers ? Will a party of pleafure fuit 
 the chamber of ficknefs ? Or the fongs 
 of folly delight the ear that liftens with 
 trembling to the (Iriking hour ? What 
 mufic will found in concert with dying 
 groans ? Or what joy can jewels and 
 brocades afford when the (hroud is ready 
 to fupplant them ? Will the fparkling 
 bowl revive any longer, when the par 
 ched 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ched tongue begins to faulter ? Or beau-, 
 ty kindle the unhallowed fire when death 
 fits on the fixed eye balls, and fpreads 
 his chilling damps over the heart? Alas ! 
 my brother, vanity of vanities, all is va 
 nity, is now feen in chara&ers too legible 
 to be overlooked. The remembrance 
 of a life mifpent in vain or in guilty 
 pleafures, will fill the foul with pangs 
 of remorfe, with agonies of horror, of 
 which none but the wretched fufferers 
 can form any idea. " Ah pleafure, flea- 
 fure, Thou vile forcer efs ! Thou curfed de- 
 Jiroyer of my foul I Thou once fmiled/l as 
 with the charms of innocence^ now I feel 
 thee Jling as a viper. Where are thy pro- 
 mifes of delight ? Fool that I was to believe 
 thee! For thy fake I have en/laved my 
 foul to the lufts of a brute, and cherijhed 
 the pajjions of a demon ! I have neglected 
 God) and fold my birth-right to heave-n ! 
 Me. referable! Whether am I going? 
 My golden fands are all run out ! The 
 
 fun 
 
1/4 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 fun of my life is about to fet, and, utterly 
 unprepared, i am going to appear before 
 God. Oh ! that I had but my precious 
 days to go over again ! Eternal God, if 
 thy mercy be infinite, exert it now to favc 
 fuch afelf-ruined wretch as I am /" 
 
 BUT will riches better ftand the tefi 
 of that day's trial ? Alas ! they who 
 have put their confidence in jlne gold, 'will 
 find that it profits not in the day of wrath. 
 When death lifts his arm, and fwift as 
 lightening, difeafe and pain enter the 
 heart, vain is the hoarded treafure. See 
 that generally efteemed happy man who 
 trufted in riches, ftretched upon the bed 
 of languifning ; his body is panting for 
 breath ; his throat is parched ; his heart 
 flutters ; his eyes grow dim ; and life^ 
 filver cord is loofrng : What joy now 
 can riches bring ? Surround his dying 
 bed with bags of gold, will they allevi 
 ate the pains of the body, purchafe a 
 moment's refpite from death, or filerice 
 
 the 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 175 
 
 the agonizing remonftrances of eon- 
 fcience ? Alas ! a golden God is but a 
 dumb idol, neither able to kill nor make 
 alive, 
 
 THEN, when earth, and only earth, 
 hath been the purfuit, what wretched- 
 nefs to be torn from all that was count 
 ed happinefs ; to leave this dear world 
 
 behind them forever, to go Ah ! 
 
 Whither ? Not to treafures laid up for 
 them in heaven ; not to the place where 
 they have made themfehes friends of the 
 mammon of unrighteoufnefs ; but where 
 that rich man went who lift up his eyes 
 in torment, becaufe^ though rich in this 
 world) he was not rich towards God. 
 
 Now, this is the boafted happinefs of 
 numbers. This is the unutterable plea- 
 fure of dying worth fo many thoufand 
 pounds. 
 
 " Guilt's blunder, and the loudeft laugh of hell/* 
 
 YOVNG. 
 
 Nor 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 Nor will HONOR and FAME render our 
 departure at all more comfortable. 
 
 SEND forth your imagination to view 
 the laft fcene of the greateft and proud- 
 eft man who ever awed and governed 
 the world. See a poor, infirm, mifer- 
 able, fhort-lived creature, that paffes 
 aw r ay like a fhadow, and is haftening 
 off the ftage where the theatrical titles 
 and diftinctions, and the whole mafk of 
 pride which he has worn for a day, 
 will fall off and leave him naked as a 
 negle&ed Have. Behold the empty va 
 pour difappearing ! One of the arrows 
 of mortality this moment flicks faft 
 within him : See, it forces out his life, 
 and freezes his blood and fpirits. 
 
 APPROACH his bed of Jiate y draw 
 afide the curtain, regard a moment 
 with filence. 
 
 ARE thefe cold hands and pale lips 
 all that are left of him who was canon 
 ized 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 177 
 
 ized by his own pride, or made a god 
 of by his flatterers ? 
 
 GOD f What is man ? Even a thing of 
 nought. 
 
 ALAS ! That a being whofe exiflence 
 on earth is but for a moment, and whofe 
 future manfion is heaven ; a being whofe 
 immortal foul carries its hopes far be 
 yond time, and extends them even to 
 eternity, fhould fet his mind on objefts 
 which time deftroys ! What is this but 
 to mi-flake the changeable colours of 
 the dew-drop for the luflre of the ruby, 
 or the radiance of the diamond ? 
 
 <c LAT not up for yourf elves treafures on 
 earth" fays the divine Teacher. Long 
 tolfed by tumultuous paffions, enrap 
 tured and alarmed with hopes and fears, 
 we at lafl find earth's boafted treafures 
 to be vain ; its riches, honors, and plea- 
 fures utterly infufficient to make us hap 
 py. Full feldom are they obtained by 
 the anxious candidate, and feldomer 
 
 ftill 
 
178 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ftill without much pain and labour ; and 
 after all, made taftelefs by difeafe or 
 age, or embittered by vexation, they 
 are held but a few feverifh years, and 
 then forgotten forever in the grave. 
 
 ** LAT net up for yourf elves treafures 
 en earth, where moth and ruft do corrupt^ 
 and where thieves break through andfteal ; 
 but lay up for yourf elves treafures in hea 
 ven ; for where the treafurv is, there will 
 
 the heart be alfo." What treafures ? 
 
 Why love, Love to God and to our 
 neighbour. 
 
 THESE are the true treafures ; the 
 treafures of the heart. No pleafures 
 are comparable to thofe that affeft the 
 heart ; and there are none that affeft it 
 with fuch exquifite delight, as loving 
 and being beloved by a worthy objeft. 
 Alk the young, Theodofius, and he will 
 tell you, that the moil delicious feelings 
 his heart ever experienced, were thofe 
 of virtuous love ; and that he never 
 
 knew 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 knew what rapture was until he faw the 
 incomparable Conftantia, in whofe per- 
 fon and manners are concentered all the 
 charms of beauty, and all the graces of 
 virtue. 
 
 Now, if love, when directed to a crea 
 ture, can open fuch a heaven in our 
 bofoms, what muft it do when dire&ed 
 to God, the eternal fountain of all per- 
 feftion and goodnefs ? Would you 
 know the blefling of all bleffings, it is 
 this love dwelling in the foul, fweetening 
 our bitter, lightening our dark, enliven 
 ing our fad, and filling to the full of 
 joy the fouls that muft ever thirft until 
 they come to this great fountain of all 
 happinefs. There is no peace, nor ever 
 can be for the foul of man, but in the 
 exercife of this love ; for as love is the 
 infinite happinefs that created man ; fo 
 love is the only perfedlion and felicity 
 man ; and no one can live in happi 
 nefs, but as he liv s es in love. Look at 
 % R every 
 
l8o THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 every pain and diforder in human na 
 ture, you will find it to be nothing elfe 
 but the fpirit of the creature turned from 
 love to felfifhnefs ; and thence, in courfe, 
 to anxiety, fear, covetoufnefs, wrath, 
 envy, and all evil : So that love alone 
 is, and only can be, the cure of every 
 evil ; aiid he who lives in love is rifen 
 out of the power of evil into the free 
 dom and joy of one of the fpirits of 
 heaven. All wants are fatisfied, all dif- 
 orders of nature are removed ; no life 
 is any longer a burden ; every day is a 
 day of peace ; every thing is a fpring of 
 j'oy to him who breathes the fweet gentle 
 element of love. 
 
 BUT fome men, of gloomy and me 
 lancholic humours, will alk, Is it cer 
 tain that God. loves mankind ? Sure 
 ly the innumerable favours which he la- 
 vifhe& upon us, mufl fet hivS love be-, 
 yond all doubt. 
 
 To 
 
THE IMMOkTAL MENTOR. l8l 
 
 To afk whether God loves mankind, 
 is indeed to afk whether he is good, 
 which is the fame as queftioning his 
 very exiftence ; for how is it poffible to 
 conceive a God without goodirefs ? And, 
 what goodnefs could he have were he 
 to hate his own works, and to dcfire 
 the mifery of his creatures ? 
 
 A GOOD prince loves his fubjefts ; a 
 good father loves his children : We 
 love even the tree we have planted ; 
 the houfe we have built ; and is it pof 
 fible for God not to love mankind ? 
 Where can fuch a fufpicion rife, except 
 in the minds of thofe who form a ca 
 pricious and barbarous being of God ; 
 a being who makes a cruel fport of the 
 fate of mankind ; a being who deftines 
 them, before they are born, to hell, re- 
 ferving to himfelf one, at moft, in a 
 million, and that one no more meriting 
 that preference, than the others have 
 deferred their damnation ? Impious blaf- 
 
 phemers x 
 
1 82 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 phemers, who endeavour to give me an 
 averfion to God, by perfuading me that 
 I am the objeft of his averfion ! 
 
 You will fay, he owes nothing to man ; 
 well, but he owes fomething to him' 
 felf; he muft neceffarily be juft and 
 beneficent. If a virtuous heathen could 
 declare that he had much rather it 
 (hould never be faid that there was fuch 
 a man as Plutarch, than that he was 
 cruel and revengeful, how muft the Fa 
 ther of mercies be difpleafed to find him- 
 felf charged with fuch hateful qualities ? 
 
 BESIDES, I know he loves me, by 
 the very love I feel for him ; it is be- 
 caufe he loves me that he has engraved 
 on my heart this fentiment, the moil 
 precious of all his gifts. His love is 
 the fource of mine, as it ought to be, 
 indeed, a motive to it. 
 
 GIVE me leave, in order to convey 
 an idea of the love of God, to defcribe 
 the paflion of a virtuous lover for his 
 
 miflrefs 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 183 
 
 miftrefs. The comparifon in itfelf has 
 nothing indecent. Love is a vice only 
 in vicious hearts. Fire, though the 
 pureft of all fubftances, will yet emit 
 unwholefome and noxious vapours when 
 it is fed by tainted matter ; fo love, if 
 it grow in a vicious mind, produces no 
 thing but ihameful defires and criminal 
 defigns, and is followed with fear, vex 
 ation and mifery. But let it rife in an 
 upright heart, and be kindled by an 
 object adorned with virtue as well as 
 beauty, it is fafe from cenfure ; far 
 from being offended, God gives it his 
 approbation. He has made amiable ob- 
 jefts only that they might be loved. 
 
 Now let us fee what pafles in the 
 heart of a perfon deeply fmitten with 
 love. He thinks with delight of the 
 perfon beloved ; he hurries with impe- 
 tuofity towards the charming object, 
 and whatever keeps or removes him 
 from her is tormenting ; he is afraid of 
 R 2 giving 
 
184 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 giving her any difpleafure ; he inquires 
 into her tafle and inclinations, in order 
 to comply with and gratify them ; he 
 likes to hear her commended ; talks of 
 her with fatisfa&ion, and carefles every 
 thing that renews the agreeable idea. 
 
 IT is a miftake to think that there is 
 an eflential difference between this and 
 divine love. We have but one way of 
 loving : Men love God and their friends 
 in the fame manner ; and thefe affec 
 tions differ only in the diverfity of their 
 objefts and ends. Thus a pious man 
 filled with fentiments towards God, like 
 thofe of a virtuous lover, would be 
 glad to behold him, and to be united 
 to him ; he thinks of him with delight, 
 and fpeaks of him with reverence ; he 
 rejoices to fee him honored, and is hap 
 py to hear him praifed ; he meditates 
 on his laws with pleafure, and obeys 
 them with alacrity. 
 
 THAT 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 185 
 
 THAT this love by which a pious 
 mind is united to its Creator, is a fource 
 of the pureft pleafures, we now proceed 
 to fhew, not folely on the authorities of 
 fcripture, but by the force of reafon 
 and common fenfe. 
 
 THE man who loves God, enjoys 
 that firft of felicities, the confcioufnefs of 
 having placed his affeftions on the only 
 objeft in the univerfe that truly defer ves 
 them. Our love is the moft precious 
 thing we poflefs ; it is indeed the only 
 thing we can properly call our own, and 
 therefore to beftow it unworthily, is the 
 greateft (hame and foreft miftake that 
 we can ever commit. A man muft 
 needs be infinitely mortified and troub 
 led, when he finds that the objed of 
 his love poffefles not that excellence 
 which he fondly expe&ed would fatisfy 
 his wi flies and make him completely 
 happy. Alas! What is a little fkin 
 eep beauty, a few flafhes of wit, or 
 
 fome 
 
1 86 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 fome fmall degrees of goodnefs ? We 
 foon fee to the bottom of fuch fhallow 
 goods, and confequently mufl experi 
 ence a decay of that admiration and 
 affeftion which conftitutes happinefs in 
 the firfl degree. But to no fuch mor 
 tifying difappointment is he liable, who 
 dire&s his love to God. In him the 
 enlightened eye of true philofophy dif- 
 covers fo much of all that is great and 
 good, as to keep the happy mind in an 
 eternal extacy of admiration and love. 
 
 DIVINE love advances the happinefs 
 of man, becaufe it tends, above all other 
 attachments, to refine and ennoble his 
 nature. The moft inattentive mufl have 
 obferved, that love has a furprizing 
 force to give our manners a refemblance 
 to thofe of the perfon we love. Seen 
 through the eyes of a tender affection, 
 even blemifhes appear like beauties, and 
 heaven born virtue puts on charms more 
 than human. No wonder then that we 
 
 fo 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 187 
 
 fo eafily adopt the fentiments, and imi 
 tate the manners of thofe we love. This 
 is a conduct fo natural and common, 
 that to tell the character of any man,, 
 we need but be told that of the per- 
 fon he loves. 
 
 HENCE, the anxious parent rejoices 
 to fee his child fond of the fociety of 
 the virtuous and wife : he knows that 
 fuch an attachment indicates a relifh for 
 virtue, and promifes an honourable and 
 happy event : while, on the other hand, 
 he deplores his attachment to the vain 
 and vicious, as a fad, but certain pre- 
 fage of folly and depravity, 
 
 CERTAINLY then, in order to be hap- 
 py, it moft nearly concerns us to direft 
 our love to the proper objeft. But who, 
 or what is that objeft ? The creatures 
 all have their imperfe&ions. They are 
 all utterly unworthy, and beneath the 
 fupreme love of an immortal mind. 
 And to love thefe in the extreme, is 
 
 infinitely 
 
r88 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 infinitely to demean ourfelves, to dif- 
 grace our underftandings, to contract 
 low earthly paffions, and confequently 
 to make ourfelves miferable. Would 
 we do honour to our reafon, would we 
 dignify our affections, ennoble our na 
 ture, and rife to true happinefs, let us 
 give our hearts to God. The man who 
 loves God is animated with an ambi 
 tion becoming the dignity of his birth ; 
 he is infpired with a greatnefs of foul 
 that fpurns all grovelling pafilons and 
 bafe defigns. The love which he has 
 for God impelk him, by a fweet and 
 powerful influence, to imitate his all 
 lovely and adorable perfections, and 
 confequently renders him every day a 
 more divine and heavenly creature. 
 
 GOD is the only worthy objedt of our 
 love, becaufe he is the only one who 
 will certainly and generoufly reward it. 
 Love, as we have obferved, was defign- 
 ed to be the fpring of joy, but, alas ! 
 
 when 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 189 
 
 when placed on the creature, it often 
 proves a fource of forrow, becaufe it 
 is too often treated 'with ingratitude and 
 neglect. The lover in giving his heart, 
 gives his all ; and, if after fo great a fa- 
 crifice, he cannot obtain the fond re 
 turn he coveted, what can be expected 
 but that he fhould ficken with grief, and 
 fmk under an oppreffive load of melan 
 choly ? But though our fellow worms 
 fhould rejet our love with difdain, yet 
 it is always O ! adorable goodnefs 1 it 
 is always acceptable to God, Amidfl 
 the adorations of millions of glorious 
 atigels, he gracioufly obferves the atten 
 tions we pay him, and receives with 
 complacency oul* fmalleft tribute of af- 
 feftion. He knows that the fouls which 
 he has made cannot be happy until they 
 return to him. Uhceafingly he calls 
 to them 
 
 " SEEK ye my face" And if, con 
 vinced by a thoufand difapppintments, 
 
 of 
 
190 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 of the vanity of all other loves, we 
 fhould at length, happily take up our 
 refolution and fay, " Thy face , God, 
 we willfeek." Immediately his prevent 
 ing love meets us more than half way ; 
 the harps of Heaven fwell with louder 
 {trains of joy, and fongs of congratula 
 tion fill the eternal regions. 
 
 DIVINE love infinitely exceeds in 
 point of true happinefs, all other attach 
 ments, becaufe, it does not, like them, 
 expofe us to the pangs of feparation. 
 If that fweet paffion, which, with chains 
 dearer than thofe of gold, unites earth 
 ly lovers, were never to be diflfolved, it 
 would be well : But, alas ! this is a fe 
 licity which Heaven has not thought 
 fit to confer on erring mortals. The 
 iron hand of neceffity or duty often tears 
 us away from our deareft friends, and 
 configns us to wearifome months of 
 mutual fears and reftlefs longings for 
 re-union. Sometimes, in the happieft 
 
 moments 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 19! 
 
 moments of friendfhip, the thought of 
 death occurs and throws a fudden damp 
 on our rifmg joys. Sometimes it is our 
 lot to fit by the fick beds of thofe we 
 love, and hear their piercing moans, to 
 mark, with unutterable anguifh, the 
 faultering fpeech and finking eye, or 
 wipe the cold damps of death from thofe 
 cheeks which we have kifled a thoufand 
 times. Such fcenes and feparations, 
 and all mortal loves are liable to fuch, 
 occafion a grief not to be equalled by 
 all the misfortunes of life, and make us; 
 dearly pay for all the paft pleafures of 
 friendfhip. 
 
 IN thefe melancholy moments we are 
 made to feel how truly bleffed are they 
 who have made the eternal God their 
 love, nothing can ever feparate them 
 -from him. When the fairefl of the 
 human fair are gone down into the 
 duft, and have left their lovers to mourn 
 ing and woe. Nay, when after millions 
 s of 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 of revolving years, the fun is extin- 
 guifhed in the ikies, and the lamps of 
 heaven have loft their golden flames ; 
 when old time himfelf is worn away, 
 and nature funk under the weight of 
 years ; even then the God Jehovah will 
 be the fame, and his days (hall never 
 fail. Even then fhall his triumphant 
 lovers behold his glorious face cloathed 
 in eternal beauty, and fhall drink of 
 the rivers of pleafure that flow at his 
 right-hand forevermore. Neither will 
 the lovers of God ever experience, even 
 in this wdrld, the pangs of feparation 
 from him, while they walk firmly in 
 the golden path of duty. Should they 
 be driven from their homes, and oblig 
 ed to forfake their deareft friends ; 
 fhould they be compelled to plough dif- 
 tant feas, or to toil in the remoteft re 
 gions of the earth ; even there they 
 will fweetly feel that 
 
 " They cannot go where univerfal love reigns nt 
 " around." THOMPSON. 
 
 Eren 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 193 
 
 Even there they meet and rejoice in their 
 ever prefent friend ; with facred plea- 
 fure they inhale his breath in the fra 
 grant gale, they mark his pencil adorn 
 ing the fields and meadows in their 
 flowery pride ; or with fublimeft awe, 
 they behold his hand fweiling the ever- 
 lading mountains, or, 
 
 " Hanging the vaft expanfe in azure bright, and cloath- 
 " ing the fun in gold/' 
 
 YOUNG. 
 
 HENCE it is, that the man who loves 
 God is feldom lonefome, feldom knows 
 what it is to want agreeable company. 
 A great addition this to our happinefs ! 
 For as man is by nature a focial .being, 
 he muft be miferable unlefs he has fome 
 beloved friend to converfe with. But, 
 as thofe who do not love God, take 
 little or no delight in converfing with 
 him, they become more dependent on 
 the company and converfation of their 
 earthly friends. And, when deflitute 
 
 of 
 
194 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 of thefe, they are often found, though 
 in palaces, to be reftlefs and wretched. 
 OH ! how difconfolate is the condi 
 tion of the man, who, though always 
 prefent with his maker, yet finds no joy 
 nor fatisfadion in his prefence ! Though 
 every particle of matter is aluated by 
 this almighty being ; though nature, 
 through all her works, proclaims his 
 "wifdom, power, and goodnefs, unutter 
 able ; yet the man who is a firanger to 
 divine love, views all this wonderful 
 fcenery 
 
 " With a brute unconfcious gaze." THOMPSON. 
 
 HE taftes none of that facred joy 
 which thefe things were meant to in- 
 fpire. The divinity is with him and in 
 him, and every where about him, but 
 is of no advantage to him. It is in 
 fal the fame thing to him as if there 
 were no God in the world. 
 
 HAPPILY different is the condition of 
 the man who loves the great author of 
 
 his 
 
TH IMMORTAL MENTOR. 195 
 
 his being ! When that divine paffion, 
 (the foul's true light) is fet up in our 
 hearts, the fcales of blindnefs fall" from 
 pur eyes, the fhades of night fly far away, 
 and God, the blefled God, ftands con- 
 feffed before our admiring view. Tho* 
 we cannot behold him with the eyes of 
 fenfe, yet, we can feel his prefence, we 
 can tafte and fee his adorable perfections 
 which fhine fo brightly on all his glo 
 rious works. 
 
 WHEN we confider the infinite hofl 
 of ftars w r hicK adorn the evening fkies ; 
 when, enlarging the idea, we con 
 template another heaven of funs and 
 worlds rifmg dill higher, and thefe again 
 enlightened by a ftill fuperior firmament 
 of luminaries, overwhelmed by fuch an 
 irnmenfity of profpect, we fcarcely 
 breathe out " Eternal God! what is 
 man that thou art mindful of him, or the 
 Son of Man that thou regardeft him /" 
 s 2 
 
1^6 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 WHEN, leaving thefe amazing 
 we contemplate other parts of the divine 
 dominions ; when we walk through the 
 fields and obferve his wondrous work- 
 manfhip in the touring trees or humbler 
 ihrubs j in the gentle rill or majeftic 
 flood ; in the birds winging their airy 
 flight, or perched on branches warb 
 ling their melodious lays ; in the peace 
 ful flocks grazing their fnnple paftures 
 with herds of nobler cattle ; or, in the 
 fwarms of gilded infefls that, with ceafe- 
 lefs buzz, and vigorous motion, pre- 
 fent their golden wings to the fun. In 
 thefe, in all his infinitely varied crea 
 tures, we fee, we admire, we adore the 
 great creator. 
 
 THE man whom love has thus taught 
 to correfpond with God, enjoys the moft 
 Delightful and improving fociety. In 
 the deeped folitude where others are de- 
 preffed, he is happy, becaufe he knows 
 that he is with the greateft and beft of 
 
 beings 5 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 197 
 
 beings : and when his earthly friends 
 have withdrawn their agreeable com 
 pany, he returns with ftill fuperior plea- 
 fure to that of his heavenly, 
 
 DIVINE love adds greatly to our hap- 
 pinefs, becaufe it difpofes us to rejoice 
 in every thing that feems connefted with 
 the honor of God. His Sabbath, his 
 houfe, &c. become objects of our mofl 
 hearty love and delight. 
 
 WE live in a country, where one day 
 in every week is fefc apart for the public 
 worfhip of God. To the man who loves 
 not his maker, this difpofition ef the 
 feventh day is not very likely to be pleaf- 
 ing. As he is not a religious man, it is 
 more than probable that he is a man of 
 the world, a man of bufmefs or pleafure ; 
 and in either cafe the Sabbath mufl be 
 unwelcome, as it is an interruption, and 
 indeed a clear lofs of one day's pleafure 
 or profit in every week. A lofs ? which 
 
 the courfe of years muft grow to be 
 
 very 
 
198 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 very ferious : For, if we take fifty, 
 (the number of taflelefs and unprofit 
 able Sabbaths in the year,) and multi 
 ply thofe by feventy, (the years in a ve 
 teran's life) we fliall find that it will 
 amount to eight or ten years. Now, 
 out of fo fhort a life as threefcore and 
 ten, to be obliged to fpend eight or ten 
 years in lounging, moping, tirefome 
 Sabbaths, muft appear to men who have 
 their interefts and pleafures at heart, 
 a heavy tax, a great drawback. Sure 
 ly fuch men would give their thanks ; 
 nay, I fuppofe, would chearfully vote 
 the thanks of all chriilendom to him, 
 who fhould put them in the way to 
 make the Sabbath the mofl agreeable 
 day in the week. Let us love God, and 
 the work is done. We fliall then rejoice 
 that there is fuch a day, becaufe our 
 hearts will then approve the purpofes 
 for which k was appointed. A day 
 that is taken from the cares of a fhort 
 
 life, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 199 
 
 life, and laid out on the interefls of 
 eternity. A day that is fpent in con- 
 fidering our obligations to God, in 
 thanking him for his favours, confeffing 
 our unworthinefs, and imploring his 
 forgivenefs ; in fhort, a day fpent in a 
 way fo admirably adapted to inftrut 
 the ignorant, to reclaim the bad, to 
 ftrengthen the good, to honour God, 
 and to make ourfelves happy; fuch a 
 day muft, to him who loves God and 
 man, be the moft joyful day of the 
 whole week. 
 
 ON this account too, the man who 
 loves God, will fee a church in quite 
 another light, and with fentiments hap 
 pily different from thofe of the man 
 who loves him not. To the latter, 
 prayers, pfalms and fermons, have al 
 ways been wearifome ; and, as it is in 
 the church that he has been accuftom- 
 ed to do fuch penance, he infenfibly 
 contrafts a diflike to it, and conies at 
 
 faft 
 
200 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 laft to view it with fentiments fuch as 
 thofe with which an idle boy regards 
 his fchool-houfe. 
 
 BUT the pious man, confidering the 
 church as the place where people meet 
 to honor the God whom he delights to 
 honor, to learn and love that goodnefs 
 which he fees to be fo effential to the 
 happinefs of the world, fuch a man re 
 gards the church as the moft beautiful 
 and lovely building in the world ; and 
 the view of it gives him a more fincere 
 pleafure than that which others feel in 
 viewing the places of their moft favour 
 ite amufement. 
 
 . " How amiable are thy tabernacles , 
 Cod of hafts ; how pleafant is the place 
 where thine honor dwellcth /" 
 
 BUT if gratitude, when exerted from 
 man to man, produces fo much plea 
 fure, it muil exalt the foul to rapture, 
 when it is employed on this great objeft 
 of gratitude, on this infinitely benefi 
 cent 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 2OI 
 
 cent being, who has given us every thing 
 we already poffefs, and from whom we 
 expeft every thing we yet hope for. 
 When a good man looks around him 
 on this vaft world, where beauty and 
 goodnefs are reflected from every ob- 
 jet, and where he beholds millions of 
 creatures in their different ranks, en 
 joying the bleffings of exiflence, he 
 looks up to the univerfal Father, and 
 his heart glows within him. And in 
 every comfort which fweetens his own 
 life, he difcerns the fame indulgent 
 hand. Is he bleft with tender parents, 
 or with generous friends who prefs him 
 with their kindnefs ? Is he happy in 
 his family rifmg around him, in the 
 wife who loves him, or in the children 
 who give him comfort and joy ? fri 
 all thefe pleafing enjoyments, in all 
 thefe beloved obje&s he recognizes the 
 Hand of God. Every fmile of love, 
 every aft of tendernefs is an effect of 
 
 his 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 his goodnefs. By him was kindled every 
 fpark of friendfhip that ever glowed on 
 earth, and therefore to him it juftly 
 returns laden with the pureft incenfe 
 of gratitude. Has God prepared a table 
 for him, and caufed his cup to over 
 flow ? Inftead of afcribing it to the 
 policy of his own councils, or to the 
 ftrength of his own arm, he gives the 
 praife to him alone, who ftrews the 
 earth with good things for man, and 
 teaches him wifdom to improve and 
 convert them to his own ufe. 
 
 THUS it is that gratitude prepares a 
 good man for the enjoyment of profperi- 
 ty ; for not only has he as full a relHh as 
 Others of the innocent pleafures of life, 
 but, moreover, in thefe he holds commu 
 nion with God. In all that is good or 
 fair, he traces his hand. From the beau 
 ties of nature, from the improvements of 
 art, from the bleffings of public or pri 
 vate life, he raifes his affe&ions to the 
 
 great 
 
THE IMMORTAL MNTO&. 03 
 
 great fountain of all the happinefs which 
 furrounds him,, and thus widens the 
 fphere of his enjoyments, by adding to 
 the pleafures of fenfe, the far more ex- 
 quifite joys of the heart* 
 
 BUT divine love adds greatly to our 
 happinefs, stot only by giving a frefh 
 flavour to the fweets of profperity ; but 
 by correcting in an eminent degree, the 
 bitternefs of adverftty* 
 
 As in times of pfofperity, among 
 perhaps a few real friends, many pre* 
 tended ones intrude themfelves, who in 
 the hour of diffoefs are qukkly difperf* 
 ed and know us no more; fo in thofc 
 times alfo, many falfe and pretend-^ 
 ed joys court the affedions and gain 
 the heart of inconfiderate man. But, 
 when calamity comes, thofe vain joys 
 immediately difcover their deceitful 
 nature, defert the aftonifhed man in 
 liis great eft need, and leave him a 
 prey to fhame, forrow and remorfe. 
 T Adverfity 
 
204 T*i IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 Adveriity is the grand teft of what is 
 true and what is falfe among the differ* 
 ent objefts of our choice ; and our love 
 of God, tried by this teft will foon dif- 
 cover its infinite value and excellence, 
 Perfons of every character are liable to 
 diftrefs. The man Xvho loveth God * 
 and he who loveth him not,, is expofed 
 to the ftroke of adverfity* But on the 
 bad man, adveffity falls with double 
 weight, becaufe it finds them without 
 defence and without refource- When 
 his health, his riches and pleafures, in 
 which he placed his happiiiefs^ are all 
 torn from him,, overwhelmed with fad- 
 nefs and defpair^ he knows not whether 
 to turn for relief. If, as is inoft natur 
 al for a creature in diftrefs, he lifts his 
 fupplicating eyes to his maker, confci- 
 ous ingratitude and difobedience to God* 
 immediately check him : if he turn to 
 his fellow-men, whom he has abufed or 
 neglefted, confcioufnefs of meriting their 
 
 contempt 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 205 
 
 contempt or averfion, difcourages him. 
 If he feeks relief in his own mind, there, 
 fhame, remorfe and felf-condemnation, 
 mufl overwhelm him, 
 
 BUT to the man whpfe foul rejoices 
 in his God, adverfity has nothing 
 gloomy and terrible. Believing every 
 thing in the world to be under the sd- 
 miniftration of God, and, looking up to 
 that God, as to an all-wife and benevolent 
 father tod friend, he welcomes every 
 thing that comes from him. Perfuaded 
 that the Father of Mercies, delighteth 
 not needlefsly to grieve the children of 
 men ; and well knowing that he fore- 
 faw this impending affliction, and could 
 eafily have prevented it : he concludes 3 
 that, fmce it is .come, it is come on 
 fome errend of love. 
 
 " Since all the downward tra& of time, 
 
 God's watchful eye furveys/ 
 O who fo wife to chufe our lot, 
 
 To regulate our ways ! 
 
 Since 
 
206 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 Since noae can doubt his equal love r 
 
 Unmeafurably kind, 
 To his unerring gracious wilt, 
 
 Be erery wifh refign'd. 
 
 Good, when he gives, fupremely good, 
 
 Nor lefs when he denies, 
 E'en trojes from his fovereign hand, 
 
 Are blejjlngs\n dijguife" 
 
 O the fweetly powerful influences of love! 
 Love can enable the fugar-doating child 
 cheerfully to take the cup of wormwood^ 
 from the hand of the parent whom he 
 loves. Love can caufe the delicate wo* 
 man to forget better days, and to fmile 
 in poverty and toil with the hufband 
 whom fhe loves. Aye, and if we loved 
 God as we ought, none of his dealings 
 would feem grievous to us. The very 
 idea, that this or that affliction was 
 brought on us by him, would fweetly 
 reconcile us to it, and kindle in us a di 
 vine ambition to pleafe him by the 
 cheerfulnefs of our fubmiffion. Afflic 
 tions we ihould look on not as mark,s of 
 
 God's 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 207 
 
 God's difpleafure, but as certain evir 
 dences of his love 
 
 " As many as I love, I chaftife." JEHOVA^. 
 
 cc I HATE f mitt en you with blajling and 
 mildew, your vineyards .and your Jig trees 
 did the palmer worm devour. "-^-JEHOVAH. 
 
 AND then the love that did this 3 
 makes this complaint, " Tet ye hav? 
 not returned to me." 
 
 " PESTILENCE have 1 fent amongst you ; 
 I have made the fmell of your dead to came 
 up even in your noftrils" 
 
 AND then the fame love that infli&ed 
 this wholefome chaftifement repeata the 
 complaint, O my brethren, fee here 
 the defign and end of all God's chaf- 
 tifements ! M Tet have ye not returned to 
 
 me." 
 
 TH.ESE are the viev/s in \vhich the di 
 vine lover is taught to contemplate the 
 affii&ive difpenfations of his God ; not 
 as the meffengers of his wrath, but as 
 the minifters of his mercy, and the great 
 T 2 means 
 
208 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 means of wifdom and virtue. Such 
 views of God's adorable government, 
 impart the mofl fenfible confolation to 
 every pious heart. They place the com- 
 paffions of the univerfal Father, in the 
 jnoft endearing light. And thefe afflic- 
 lions, which human follies render necef- 
 fary ; inftead of eftranging, do but the 
 more clofely attach a good man to his 
 God* <c Although the jig tree Jhall not 
 bloffbm, neither Jhall fruit be in the vine ; 
 the labour of the olive Jhall fail, and the 
 fields Jhall yield no meat: yea, though the 
 flock Jhall be cut off from the fold, and 
 there Jhall be no herd in the Jtalls ; yet^ s 
 will I rejoice in the Lord, 1 will joy in the 
 God of my fafoation*" 
 
 BUT a fupreme love of God adds 
 unfpeakably to the happinefs of life, 
 becaufe it raifes us fuperior to the dread 
 of death. To form a tolerable idea of 
 the magnitude of tfiis bleffing, let us 
 vifit the death bed of him who is about 
 
 to 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENT6R. 209 
 
 to depart without love or hope in his 
 God, 
 
 BEHOLD him arrefted by the ftrong 
 arm of death, and ftretched out hope- 
 fefs and defpairing on that lafi bed from 
 which he is to rife no more. Art has 
 done its all ; the mortal malady mocks 
 the power of medicine, and haftens with 
 refiftlefs impetuofity to execute its dread 
 ful errand. See the thick gloom that 
 covers his ghaftly countenance, and the 
 wildnefs and horror that glare on his 
 rolling eye-balls ! Whither now is fled 
 that giddy thoughtleflhefs which mark 
 ed his mad career through life ? Where 
 now are his feoffs, his fneers, his plea- 
 fantries on religion ? Where are his 
 boon companions who joined him in his 
 dull profanity, and who applauded the 
 keenefs of his fatire and the brilliancy 
 of his wit ? Alas ! fuch fcenes as thefe 
 are not for them.. To cheer the droop 
 ing fpirits of wretchednefs, and to ad- 
 
 minifter 
 
210 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 minifter confolation to a dying friend is 
 no employment of theirs. In far dif 
 ferent fcenes they are now forgetting 
 their no longer entertaining friend, and 
 their prefent alarming thoughts. 
 
 UNHAPPY Man ! wherever he turns 
 his eyes, he fees none but fubje&s of 
 forrow and diflrefs. Forfaken by thofe 
 whom he fondly called his friends ; cut 
 off from all the pleafures and cheerful 
 purfuits of men, abandoned to the hor 
 rors of a dying chamber, with no fen- 
 fa tions but thofe of a tortured body ; 
 no comforter but a guilty confcience 9 
 and no fociety but fuch as fills his 
 troubled mind with fhame and remorfe ; 
 a weeping wife whom he has injured ; 
 children whofe bed interefts he has ne- 
 glefted ; fervants whom he has treated 
 with cruelty; and neighbours with whom 
 he has long lived at fnameful variance 
 Whither fliall he look for help ? If he 
 look backward he fees nothing but fcenes 
 
 of 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 of horror, a precious life mifpent, an 
 immortal foul negle&ed ; and, O infup- 
 portable thought ! his day of trial about 
 to fet forever. If he looks forward, he 
 fees an offended God, a fearful reckon 
 ing, and an awful eternity. If he looks 
 up to Heaven for mercy, confcious guilt 
 deprefies his fpirits and overwhelms him 
 with defpair. Ah ! what mortal fcene 
 can well be conceived more fraught 
 with wretchednefs ! Shuddering, he 
 ftands upon the dreadful brink, afraid 
 to die, and yet, alas ! unable to live. 
 
 " IN that dread moment^ how the fran 
 tic foul raves round the walls of her clay 
 tenement ; runs to each avenue andfnrieks 
 for helpi but Jhrieks in vain : how wijh- 
 fully Jhe looks on all Jhe's leaving, now 
 no longer hers ! a little longer , yet a little 
 longer: / might Jhe Jtay to wajh away 
 her crimes, and Jit her for her faffage ! 
 Mournful fight ! her very eyes weep blood ; 
 and every groan Jhe heaves is big with bor- 
 
 ror ; 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 ror ; but the foe ', like a Jlaunch murderer^ 
 Jleady to his purpofe, purfues her clofe 
 through every lane of llfe^ nor miffes once 
 the track, but prejjes en, till forced at lajl 
 to the tremendous verge at once Jhe -Jinks" 
 
 BJLAIR. 
 
 THIS, or very fimilar to this, is often 
 the end of him who has lived without 
 God in the world. 
 
 BUT turning from fo diftreffing a 
 fcenej to its happy oppofite, let us view 
 the man who loves his God, and who 
 enamoured with its beauty, and fenfible 
 of its blefled effects, has lived a life of 
 piety and virtue. Let us behold him 
 when about to leave this world of for- 
 row and fuffering and to wing his way 
 to that which is far better. Lo ! the 
 time is come that Ifrael, the lover of 
 God, muft die. The laft ficknefs has 
 feized his feeble frame.. He perceives 
 that the all conquering foe is at hand, 
 but marks his approach without difmay. 
 
 He 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 He is not afraid of death becaufe he 
 fears God, " and he who fears God has no 
 thing elfe to fear " 
 
 HE is not afraid df death, becaufe if 
 has long been his care to make a friend 
 (the almighty and everlafting Jehovah) $ 
 who lhall fland by him in that awful 
 hour. He is not afraid of death, be 
 caufe he loves God above all things 5 
 and to him, to die, is to go to fee and 
 live with God* 
 
 Is the poor hireling afraid of the earn 
 ing, which is to refrefh him with re- 
 pofe, and to rejoice him with his re 
 ward ? 
 
 Is the foldier, covered with fears and 
 tired of wars alarms^ afraid to hear the 
 cry of victory ? O no ! delightful found> 
 fweeter than mufic to his longing ear ; 
 
 it is the fignal to return to his native 
 
 * 
 
 country, and t& refign the din and dan 
 gers of war for the fweets and fafety of 
 long coveted peace; 
 
 EVEN 
 
2T4 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 EVEN fo, to the good Chriftian this 
 world is the field of hard, though glo 
 rious warfare. In the fervice, and un 
 der the eye of God, he is now fight 
 ing againft the armies of his own flefh- 
 ly lufts, and of his own malignant paf- 
 fions. Ever and anon, he hears the 
 voice of his great Captain Perfevere 
 and thou jhalt conquer ; endure unto the 
 end and thou Jhalt be crowned. To him 
 therefore the day of death is welcome as 
 the loft day of his toils and dangers. He 
 vs now going to exchange a long conflift- 
 ing war for the bleffings of everlafling 
 peace : having fought the good fight , he 
 is about to receive his wages, even eter 
 nal life, and to put on a Crown of glory 
 that fhall never fade away. Sure that 
 ferene look, beaming all the fweetnefs 
 of love and hope* befpeaks the already 
 half-formed feraph ; and the heaven, 
 almoft opened on his placid counte 
 nance, gives glorious evidence of his 
 
 intended 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 215 
 
 intended journey. Soon bidding fare 
 well forever to thefe realms of woe, 
 and haunts of malignant beings, he 
 fhall join the bleffed fociety of angels and 
 fpirits of juji men made perfect. There 
 he ihall fee health blooming eternal on 
 each immortal face, friendfhip fmiling 
 on every glorified countenance, and a 
 perfection of love forming a paradife of 
 happinefs, unknown and unconceived 
 by us who have dwelt in the tents of 
 hatred. 
 
 BUT, above all, the fweeteft motives 
 to refignation in death, he is now go 
 ing to fee him, whom oftentimes with 
 trembling joy, he has longed to fee, 
 even his God, his firft, his laft, his 
 only friend, the author of his being and 
 of all his mercies. Shortly fhall he fee 
 his glorious face unclouded with a frown, 
 and hear from his ambrofial lips the lan* v 
 guage of approbation and affeftion 
 *' Welt done good and faithful fcrvant" 
 
 u PRAISING 
 
2l6 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 PRAISING God for advancing him to 
 fuch an height of honor, and for fetting 
 before him fuch an eternity of happi- 
 nefs : Praifmg God for all the loving 
 kindneffes that have accompanied him 
 through life, and efpecially for that 
 greateft of all, the grace that brought 
 him to repentance and a good life : 
 earneftly exhorting his friends to that 
 love of God, which now not only fup- 
 ports, but enables him even to triumph 
 in this dying hour, an hour fo alarm 
 ing to the fears of nature : rejoicing in 
 a fenfe of the pardon of his fins, and 
 exulting in the hopes of the glory to 
 he revealed, he breathes out his foul 
 with thefe victorious words, " into thy 
 hands , God, I commend ?nyfpirit." 
 
 WELL may his friends, edified by 
 fuch an example, cry out with weeping 
 joy, cc Who can count the rewards of 
 ivifdwij or number tlye fourth part of the 
 
 ffiHZs of virtue ? Let us die the death of 
 
 j O J w. 
 
 tie 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 the righteous, and let our latter end be like 
 
 BUT divine love not only renders life 
 pleafant, and death peaceful, but it ac 
 companies us into heaven, and there 
 gives us to enjoy the moft exquifite plea- 
 fures, that God himfelf can confer on 
 happy fouls : For there we (hall always 
 live in the prefence of God, the great 
 fountain of all lovelinefs and glory, and 
 fhall love him with ten thoufand times 
 more ardour than we now do, or even 
 can imagine ; for the longer we behold, 
 the more we fhall know him, and the 
 more we know, the better we fhall love 
 him ; and fo through everlafting ages, 
 our love fhall be extending and enrap 
 turing itfelf with his infinite beauty and 
 lovelinefs. Now love is the fweeteft and 
 happieft of all paffions, and it is merely 
 by accident that it is accompanied with 
 any difquieting or painful feelings. 
 Either the perfon beloved is abfent, 
 
 which 
 
J2 1 8 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 which corrodes it with unquiet defire, 
 or he is unhappy, or unkind, which im- 
 bitters it with grief; or he is fickle and 
 inconflant, which inflames it with rage 
 and jealoufy ; but, feparated from all 
 thefe difagreeable accidents, and it is all 
 pure delight and joy. 
 
 BUT in heaven, our love of God will 
 have none of thefe difquieting circum- 
 flances attending it j for there he will 
 never be abfent from us, but will be 
 continually entertaining our amorous 
 minds with the profped of his infinite 
 beauties. There we (hall always feel 
 his love to us in the moft fenfible and 
 endearing effects, even in the glory of 
 that crown which he will fet upon our 
 heads, and in the ravifhing fweetnefs 
 of thofe joys which he will infufe into 
 our hearts. There we fliall experience 
 the continuation of his love in the con^ 
 tinued fruition of all that an eyerlaft- 
 ing heaven means, and be convinced, 
 
 as 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 219 
 
 as well by the perpetuity of his good- 
 nefs to .us, as well as by the immutabi 
 lity of his nature, that he is an uft*< 
 changeable lover. And there we fliall 
 find him a moft happy being, happy be 
 yond the vaftefl wiflies of our love ; fo 
 that we fhall not only delight in him, as 
 he is infinitely lovely, but rejoice and 
 triumph in him too as he is infinitely 
 happy. For love unites the interefts, 
 as well as the hearts of lovers, and 
 gives to each, the joys and felicities of 
 the other. So that in that blefled ftate 
 we fliall fhare in the felicity of God 
 proportionably to the degree of our 
 love to him : For the more we love him, 
 the more we fliall ftill efpoufe his hap 
 py intereft ; and the more we are inte- 
 refterl in his happinefs, the happier we 
 niufh be, and the more we muft enjoy 
 of it. Thus love gives us a real poflef- 
 fion and enjoyment of God ; it makes 
 us co-partners with him in himfelf, de- 
 
220 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 rives his happinefs upon us, and makes 
 it as really ours as his. So that God's 
 happinefs is, as it were, the common 
 bank and treafury of all divine lovers, 
 in which they have every one a {hare, 
 and of which, proportionally to the 
 degrees of their love to him, they do 
 all draw and participate to all eterni 
 ty. And could they but love him as 
 much as he deferves, that is infinitely^ 
 they would be as infinitely blefled and 
 happy as he is ; For then all his happi 
 nefs would be theirs, and they would 
 have the fame delightful fenfe and feel 
 ing of it, as if it were all tranfplanted 
 into their own bofoms. God, there 
 fore being an infinitely lovely, infinite 
 ly loving, and infinitely happy being, 
 when we come to dwell forever in his 
 blefled prefence, our love to him can 
 be productive of none but fweet and 
 ravifhing emotions ; for the immenfe 
 perfections it will then find in its objeft, 
 
 muft 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 muft neceflarily refine it from all thofe 
 fears and jealoufies, thofe griefs and 
 difpleafures that are mingled with our 
 earthly loves, and render it a moft pure 
 delight and complacency. So that when 
 thus refined and grown up to the per- 
 feftion of the heavenly ftate, it will be 
 all heaven, it will be an eternal paradife 
 of delights within us, a living fpring 
 whence rivers of pleafures will flow for 
 evermore. 
 
 THESE, O man, are fome of the gold 
 en fruits that grow upon the tree of di 
 vine love. Happy, therefore, is the 
 man, beyond all expreffion of words, 
 beyond all conception of fancy, happy 
 is he who obtaineth this angelic virtue ! 
 
 " FOR the merchandife of it is better 
 than the merchandife of Jtlver, and the ' 
 gain thereof than fine gold. She is more 
 precious than rubies-, and all the things that 
 thou canft defire are not to be compared 
 unto her. She is a tree of life to them 
 
 that 
 
222 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR'. 
 
 that lay hold upon her, and happy is every 
 one that retalneth her." 
 
 SINCE a fupreme love of God is the 
 only true wealth of an immortal mind, 
 O ! with what diligence fhould we apply 
 ourfelves to obtain it ! We are all ready 
 enough to acknowledge our obligations 
 to God, and to own that it is our duty 
 to love him, but flill complain of the 
 difficulty that attends it. But let us re 
 member that this difficulty is chargeable 
 upon ourfelves, and is the effeQ: of our 
 own fhameful inconfi deration. Taken 
 up with the little cares of life, we ne- 
 gleft and forget God ; hence, it is not 
 furprifmg that we do not love him. 
 Would we but often think of him, what 
 he is in hhnfelf, and contemplate him 
 in the full blaze of his wonderful and 
 amiable perfections, we fhould be over 
 whelmed with delightful admiration of 
 him, and eafily take up the mofl exalt 
 ed eileem and friendfhip for him. And 
 
 were 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 223 
 
 were we but frequently to confider him, 
 what he is to us, how infinitely condef- 
 cending, generous and good, we fliould 
 foon feel our hearts melting into all the 
 tendernefs of love and gratitude. We, 
 none of us think it hard to love the 
 tender mother who brought us into the 
 world, the fond father who fupplies our 
 wants, or the attentive teacher who in- 
 ftruftg us in ufeful and ornamental 
 knowledge; ah! why then fliould we 
 think it hard to love our God ? Did we 
 but refleft, we fhould foon perceive that 
 he is really and truly our mother, our 
 father and our teacher ; and that thofe 
 whom we honor as fuch, are, properly 
 fpeaking, only the inftruments of his 
 goodnefs to us. 
 
 SYLVIA arrived to years of maturity, 
 receives the addrefl^s of a young and 
 accornplifhed lover. .Sylvia blufhes and 
 likes him. Youthful modefty caufes 
 her to hefitate. a while, yet, unable to 
 
 refift 
 
224 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 refifl fo much merit. Hie at length yields 
 to the impulfe of a virtuous paffion and 
 marries. In due feafon flie becomes a 
 mother. Now, what has Sylvia hither 
 to done for her child ? The whole is the 
 Work of God. When he laid the foun 
 dations of the heavens and the earth, 
 he had this child in view, and difpofed, 
 from fo remote a period, a long chain 
 of events, which were to terminate in 
 his nativity. The time being come for 
 the opening of this bud, he was pleafed 
 to place it in Sylvia's womb, and took 
 care himfelf to cherifh and unfold it. 
 
 THAT this child fhould love and ho 
 nor his mother is what he certainly 
 ought to do, for fhe has fuffered, if not 
 for his fake, at leaft through him, the 
 inconveniencies of pregnancy, and the 
 pains of child-birth. But let him carry 
 his grateful acknowledgments ftill high 
 er, and not imitate thofe fuperftitious 
 idolaters, who, feeing the earth yearly 
 
 covered 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 225 
 
 covered with corn, fruits and paftures, 
 ftupicQ.y worshipped this blind inftru- 
 ment of the bounties of their Sovereign 
 Lord, without ever thinking to praife 
 the powerful arm from whence it de 
 rives its fruitfulnefs. 
 
 CHARLES loves his father Eugenis. 
 Charles does well ; but what has Eu 
 genis done for Charles ? Eugenis has 
 not, it is true, refembled that proud pa 
 rent who beggars the reft of his child 
 ren in order to fwell the fortune of an 
 elder brother. Nor is he like that ftern 
 tyrannical father who never looks at his 
 children but with fury, never fpeaks to 
 them but in paffion, never inftrufts them 
 but by threats, and correfts them like 
 a butcher and a murderer. Nor yet 
 does he aft like Florimond, that unna 
 tural father, who lives like a ftranger 
 in his own houfe ; goes in and out, 
 drinks, games, and faunters ; mean 
 while his neglefted children grow up 
 
 to 
 
226 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 to the years of maturity ; happy indeed 
 if of themfelves inclinable to virtue, 
 they ' make any attainments in ufeful 
 knowledge and accomplifhments, or 
 think of fettling in the world ; for as 
 to his part, he never troubles his head 
 about them. No, far unlike thefe, Eu- 
 genis is the beft of parents ; he fpares 
 no pains nor expence to render his fon 
 Charles an ornament and a bleffing to 
 his country. He accuftoms him by 
 times to a temperate diet, furnifhes him 
 with decent apparel, and charges the 
 ableft mafters with his inftru&ion ; he 
 carefully teaches him his relation to 
 God, and his obligations to that beft 
 of beings ; and, at the fame time, by 
 precept and example, endeavours to in- 
 fpire him with the love of juftice, ho 
 nor and induftry. Thefe are, to be 
 fure, the deareft expreffions of a fa 
 ther's love, and hard and deteftable in 
 deed would be Charles' bofom, if he 
 
 could 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 227 
 
 could refufe to love fuch a parent ; but 
 let him remember, that all this comes 
 ultimately from God ; for we fhould 
 always afcend to this original of blef- 
 fings. When Eugenis watched for his 
 fon's prefervation ; it was God who pre- 
 ferved him ; when he took care to in- 
 ftrut him, it was God who opened his 
 underftanding ; and when he entertain 
 ed him with the charms of virtue, it 
 was God who excited him to love it. 
 
 " THE labourer digs the mine ; the phi- 
 lofopher directs the work ; but neither of 
 them fur nifo the gold which it contains." 
 
 BUT what heart fo hard as to refift 
 the golden fliafts of love, efpecially when 
 coming from a friend that is fcr fupe- 
 rior to us ? If fome good and mighty 
 prince were to invite us to his court, 
 and to treat us with all the tendernefs 
 of parental affeftion, fhould we not find 
 it a very eafy thing to love him ? Now, 
 has not this been the condud of God 
 x our 
 
228 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 our Maker ? When we lay in all the ob- 
 fcurity of duft, he fent a meflage of 
 love, and called us into life, not the 
 life of fluttering infefts, but of infant 
 immortals. For us, and for our fakes, 
 he built this vaft world ; he covered it 
 with the canopy of the heavens, and 
 ftored it with good ^things innumer 
 able. At his command the fun rifes 
 to gladden us with the golden day ; 
 and the moon with filver beams to 
 cheer the darknefs of the night. He 
 waters the hills from his fecret cham 
 bers, and bids the clouds pour down 
 their fattening fliowers upon the earth. 
 Thus he covers our tables with bread 
 to renew our ftrength, and with wine 
 that makes glad our hearts, 
 
 BUT he has not only compaffed us 
 round, like fo many fortunate iflands, 
 with a vaft ocean of good things for 
 our bodies ; but he has likewife infpir- 
 ed us with immortal minds, and has 
 
 induced 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 induced them with the high capacities 
 of knowledge and love, whereby, as on 
 golden ladders, we may afcend to the 
 perfection and happinefs of celeftial be 
 ings. And to gratify thefe our noble 
 capacities, he has prepared for us a 
 glorious heaven, and has furnilhed it 
 with all the pleafures and delights that 
 heavenly fpirits can defire or enjoy* 
 Befides all this, he has fent his own 
 foil from heaven to reveal to us the 
 way thither, and to encourage us to 
 return into it by dying for our fins, 
 and thereby obtaining for us a public 
 grant and charter of mercy and par 
 don, on condition of our return : and, 
 as if all this were too little, he hath 
 fent his fpirit to us in the room of his 
 fon, to refide axnongfl us, and, as his 
 vicegerent, to carry on this vaft defign 
 of his love to us, to excite and perfuade 
 us to return into the foay leading to 
 heaven, and to affifl us all along in 
 
 our 
 
23 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 our good travels thither. Such won 
 derful care has he taken not to be de 
 feated of this his kind intention to make 
 us everlaftingly happy. " that men 
 would therefore love the Lord for his g&od- 
 nefs, and declare the wonders that he 
 doth for the children of men" 
 
 THAT thefe dear pledges of God's 
 love may infpire our hearts with fuit- 
 able returns of gratitude, we fhould 
 often refiefl on them, and fpread them 
 before our minds in all their endearing 
 circumftances. We fhould frequently 
 fet our cold and frozen affections before 
 thefe melting flames of his love, and 
 never ceafe fanning the fmoking flax 
 until we feel the heavenly fire begin 
 ning to kindle in our bofoms. 
 
 AND, while we are feeking this Ifrael 
 of great price., let us, as we hope for 
 fuccefs, guard our innocence^ as the trem 
 bling mifer guards his hoarded gold. 
 The bofom that burns with impure de- 
 fires, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 23! 
 
 fires, or that is corroded with malig 
 nant paffions, finds no delight in God. 
 No, that is a happinefs referved only 
 for the pure in heart, and for him who 
 knows how to pity an offending bro 
 ther. 
 
 AND, together with our own exer 
 tions, we fhould often implore the aid 
 of all affifting heaven. To him, who 
 alone knows its ineftimable worth, let 
 our fervent prayers be conftantly afcend- 
 ing. 
 
 46 FATHER of life and love, thou God 
 fupreme^ teach our hearts to love thee : 
 For to whom, Lord, fhall we give our 
 hearts but to thee ? Thou alone hq/l gene- 
 roufly created them ; thou alone haji infi 
 nitely deferred them ; and thou alone canft 
 completely and eternally fatisfy them." 
 
 THESE prefcriptions, faithfully obferv- 
 d, will foon produce in our hearts that 
 love, whofe joy paffeth all under/land 
 ing, that love, poffeffed of which, the 
 x. 2 poorcil 
 
232 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 pooreft flave is paffing rich ; while with 
 out it, the fceptered monarch walks but 
 in fplendid poverty. 
 
 HE who loves God is the alone wife, 
 dignified and happy man. For he loves 
 the only good that is worthy the af- 
 feftions of an immortal mind. He lovds 
 a friend who alone poffeffes almighty 
 power to protect him, unerring wifdom 
 to counfel him, and infinite love to 
 blefs him. He loves an immortal friend 
 who can never die and forfake him, and 
 an unchangeable friend who will never 
 requite his love with negleft. 
 
 His love of God fweetens every duty, 
 and makes the yoke of obedience to fit 
 light. It heightens the fmile of profpe- 
 rity, and cheers the gloom of adverfity. 
 Bleffings are doubly dear coming from 
 fuch a friend ; and afflidions not un 
 welcome, when looked on as tokens 
 of his no lefs tender love. Under the 
 languors of fieknefs he remembers, not 
 
 without 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 without facred comfort, that the end of 
 his fufferings is at hand ; and even 
 when this earthly tabernacle of his flefh 
 is pulling down, he is not difconfolate ; 
 he rejoices in the hope of that glori 
 ous houfe not made with hands, eter 
 nal in the heavens. There, far remov 
 ed from all the miferies of this mortal 
 life, advanced into the prefence of him. 
 who made him, and accompanied by 
 millions of loving and bleiTed fpirits, he 
 (hall enjoy a happinefs as far exceed 
 ing his expectations as his deferts : 
 " A happinefs which eye hath notfeen nor 
 ear heard^ nor hath entered into the heart 
 of man to conceive." 
 
 CHAP, 
 
234 THE IMMORTAL 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 ON SOCIAL LOVE. 
 
 ** This only can the blefs, bejtotv^ 
 
 ft Immortal fouls Jhould prove ^ 
 <J From one Jkort word all phafures flow, 
 
 " That blejfcd ivord is LOVE," 
 
 PROUD. 
 
 THE firft fruits of a creature's love 
 are due to God, as to his Crea 
 tor and the author of all his good ; 
 the fecond are due to men, as to his 
 brethren and fellow fharers in the boun 
 ties of their common parent. Having 
 in the preceding chapter, dtmonfirated 
 the importance of loving God, proceed 
 we in this to confider the beauty and 
 bleiTednefs of ficial love. 
 
 To 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 235 
 
 To be carefled and beloved by all 
 around us, is one of the deareft wilhes 
 of the human heart. It is a natural, 
 it is a lafudable wifh. Great pains have 
 been taken, and infinite expence incur 
 red to attain this coveted honor, and 
 yet the greater part never attain it, 
 merely through defeft of love on their 
 own part. Let beauty, wit, gold$ &c. 
 boail and do all they can, yet will it 
 be found in the end, that 
 
 " In fpite of all the dull miftaken elves, 
 " They who wouM make us love, mud love, them- 
 felves." 
 
 LOVE is the univerfal charm. It pof- 
 feffes a beauty that wins and ravifhes 
 every heart. A fmgle fpark of it in 
 generofity of dealing excites our ad 
 miration ; a glimpfe of it in courteous 
 behaviour fecures to a man our eiieem, 
 and fweetly endears him to us. How 
 charming is the countenance that is 
 brightened by the fmiles of love ! How 
 fweet the voice that is tuned by the 
 
 melody 
 
236 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 melody of love ! How gladdening to 
 the heart, the beams that fparkle from 
 the eye of love ! Indeed love, or good- 
 nefs, which is but another name, is the 
 only amiable thing in nature. Po\ver 
 and wealth may be refpeted, wit and 
 beauty may be admired, but if feparat- 
 ed from goodnefs, they neither deferve 
 nor can command our love : For the 
 worft and moft wretched of beings pof- 
 fefs them in a very high degree. The 
 prince of darknefs has more power, 
 and tyrannizes over more Haves by far 
 than the Great Turk. One devil may 
 have more wit than all the Achitophels 
 in the world, and yet, with all his wit, 
 he is very odious and miferable. And 
 fuch, in proportion, is every one who 
 partakes in his accurfed difpofition of 
 hatred and malice. 
 
 SEE how Pandorus is beloved and 
 carefled. Is it becaufe of his honefty ? 
 This virtue only gains our efteem, but 
 
 does 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 237 
 
 does not captivate the heart. Is it be- 
 caufe he is beneficent and friendly ? 
 ?vfany who are fo fond of his company 
 liave no need of his affiftance. Is it 
 becaufe he is gay, humorous, and en 
 tertaining ? This would render him a- 
 greeable, only when gaiety is feafon- 
 able. No, he is more beloved than 
 any other man in the world, only be 
 caufe he is the mofl affeElionate man in 
 it. He feems to live but to pleafe, to 
 oblige, and to ferve his friends. If he 
 find out what will pleafe you, he pre 
 vents your defires, and does it with fuch 
 an air of cheerfulnefs, that, while he 
 has no other view than to oblige you, 
 he feems to follow nothing but his own 
 choice and inclinations. This charming 
 complaifance of Pandorus was not learn 
 ed in the fchool of the world ; but is 
 the rich fruit of his genuine benevo 
 lence. Hence it renders him equally 
 endearing and equally agreeable, at all 
 
 times, 
 
238 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 times, and to all ranks. He is not a 
 fycophant to the great, and fcornful or 
 negligent of the poor ; he does not 
 treat you to-day as a dear friend^ and 
 to-morrow knows you not^ but uniformly 
 his looks and manners are thofe of the 
 man who confiders both the rich and 
 the poor as his brethren, If you love 
 like Pandorus, and like him take a plea- 
 fure in contributing to the happinefs of 
 others, I will anfwer for the friendfhip 
 of all who know you ; this is a perfec 
 tion that will engage people at all times, 
 in all places, and on all occafions. 
 
 BUT love not only renders us thus 
 dear and defireable to others ; but it 
 fpreads the funfhine of fweeteft peace 
 over our own minds. It delivers us 
 from the tyranny of all thofe bad paf- 
 fions which make us miferable. Like 
 a golden curb it checks the fiercenefs 
 of anger, that dangerous ftorm and hur 
 ricane of the foul. A man can hardly 
 
 be 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 239 
 
 be incenfed againfh thofe whom he ten 
 derly loves : an accidental negleft, a 
 hafty word, a fmall unkindnefs, will 
 not agitate a loving fpirit, much lefs 
 work it up to hateful foe-eyed fury. 
 
 IT banifhes envy, that feverely juft 
 vice which never fails to punifh itfelf ; 
 for it is impoffible to repine at the 
 wealth or profperity, at the virtue or 
 fame of him whom we cordially love. 
 It excludes revenge, that cruel canker 
 of the heart ; for who can indulge bit 
 ter refentments, or form dark defigns 
 of evil againft him whom he tenderly 
 loves, and in whofe good he heartily 
 delights ? 
 
 IT fubdues ambition and avarice, 
 thofe afpiring painful paffions. For who 
 could domineer over thofe whom he 
 loves, and whofe honor he tenders as 
 his own ? Who could extort from and 
 impoverifh thofe whom he earneftly 
 wifhes and would gladly fee to profper ? 
 Y A competence 
 
240 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 A competence will feem like abundance 
 to him who lives as among brethren, 
 taking himfelf but for one among the 
 reft, and can as ill endure to fee them 
 want as himfelf, 
 
 IT is in the prevalence of fuch bad 
 paffions as thefe, that human mifery 
 chiefly confifts. Love is their only fo- 
 vereign antidote. It alone fubdues and 
 expels their fatal poifon, and thus re- 
 ftores health and happinefs to our long 
 tortured bofoms. Love, like a celeftial 
 queen, walks before, meeknefs and gen- 
 tlenefs follow as her eldeft daughters, 
 while joy and peace, with all the fifter 
 graces, make up the immortal retinue. 
 
 BUT love preferves us not only from 
 our own, but from the malignant paf 
 fions of others. Like fweetefl mufic, it 
 has power to footh the favage breaft, to 
 melt hearts of flint, and to tame the 
 fierceft fpirits. Its mild and ferene 
 countenance, its foft and gentle fpirit 
 
 it* 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTO&. 
 
 its courteous and obliging manners, its 
 fair dealing, its endearing converfation, 
 its readinefs to do good fervices to any 
 man, is the only charm under heaven 
 to difarm the bad paffions of men, and 
 to guard our perfon from aflault, our 
 interefl from damage, and our reputa- 
 tion from flander. For who can be fo 
 unnatural as to hate the man who loves 
 us and is ever ready to do us good? 
 What wretch, what demon, can find in 
 his heart to be a foe to him who is a 
 warm friend to all ? The vileft finner 
 cannot be fo vile, fo deftitute of goodnefs. 
 If you love thofe who love you what reward 
 kzve you^ do not evenfinners the fame? 
 
 OF this wonderful power of love, to 
 convert foes into friends, we have many 
 pleafing examples in holy writ. Efau 
 was a rough man, and exceedingly an 
 gry with his brother Jacob, and yet 
 how eafily did Jacob's meek and affec 
 tionate behaviour overcome him ! " Efau 
 
 ran 
 
242 TH IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ran to meet Jacob, and fell on his neck and 
 kiffed him, and they wept." 
 
 SAUL was pofleffed with a furious 
 envy and fpite againft David. Yet what 
 acknowledgments did David's generous 
 dealing extort from him ? 
 
 " Is this thy 'voice my fon David? Thou 
 art more righteous than 7, for thou haft re 
 warded me good) whereas I have reward 
 ed the evil ; behold I have played the fool ^ 
 and erred exceedingly " 
 
 THOUGH gratitude is not fo common 
 a virtue as it ought to be, yet the re-, 
 membrance of his former kindneffes 
 often furrounds a good man in diftrefs 
 with many warm friends and generci;s 
 comforters. Is lie in danger, who will 
 not defend him ? is he falling, who will 
 not uphold him ? Is he flandered, who 
 will not vindicate him ? 
 
 LOVE difpofes us to put to their pro 
 per ufes every bleffing that may fall to 
 our lot ; while, without //, the moll 
 
 fplendkf 
 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 243 
 
 fplendid advantages that we could de- 
 fire, the largeft fortunes and brighteft 
 parts, will become vain and fruitlefs, if 
 not pernicious and deftruftive to us. 
 For, what is our reafon worth if it ferve 
 only to contrive little forry defigns for 
 curfelves ? What is wit good for, if it 
 be fpent only in making fport, or creat 
 ing mifchief ? What fignifies wealth, if 
 it be ufelefsly hoarded up, or vainly 
 thrown away on the lufts of one poor 
 worm ? What is our credit but a mere 
 puff of air, if we do not give it fub- 
 ftance by making it an engine of doing 
 good ? What is our virtue itfelf, if bu 
 ried in obfcurity it yield no benefit to 
 others by the luftre of its example, or 
 Jbyits real influence? If thefe advantages 
 minifter, only to our own particular 
 pleafure -or profit, how mean and in- 
 confiderable they appear"! 
 
 BUT under the management of love, 
 
 fee what worth and importance they at 
 
 Y .2 fume. 
 
244 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 fume. Our wealth becomes the bank 
 from which the weeping widow, the in 
 digent young tradefman, and the help- 
 lefs orphan., draw the fupply of their 
 wants. Our wit is employed to expofe 
 the deformities of vice, and to paint 
 virtue in her loveliefl colours. Our 
 knowledge is applied to inftruft the ig 
 norant, to admonifh the guilty, and to 
 comfort the wretched. Thus love ena 
 bles us to lay out our talents in fo ex 
 cellent a manner as to fecure thofe in- 
 eftimable bleffings the love of God, 
 the friendfhip of mankind, and all the 
 exquifite pleafures of doing good* How 
 great then is the worth of love, fince 
 without it the goods even of the weal- 
 thieft are but temporal and tranfient, 
 fuch as too often prove dangerous fnares 
 and baneful poifons, and are at beft but 
 impertinent baubles. 
 
 LOVE gives worth to all our apparent 
 virtuls, infomuch, that without it no 
 
 quality 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 245 
 
 quality of the heart, no adion of life 
 is valuable in itfelf or pleafing to God. 
 Without love, what is courage, but the 
 boldnefs of a lion or the fiercenefs of a 
 tyger ? What is meeknefs but the foft- 
 nefs of a wpman, or the weaknefs of a 
 child? What is politenefs, but the gri 
 mace of a monkey, or the fooleries of 
 a fop ? What is juftice, but paffion or 
 policy ? What is wifdom but craft and 
 fubtilty ? Without love, and what is 
 faith but dry opinion ? What is hope 
 but blind prefumption ? What is alms 
 giving but oftentation ? What is mar 
 tyrdom but flubbornefs ? What is de 
 motion but a mockery of God ? What 
 is any praftice, how fpecious foever in 
 itfelf, or beneficial to others, but the 
 effect of felfiflmefs and pride ? " Though 
 I have faith fo that I cou'ld remove moun* 
 tains , and have not /ove, I am nothing, 
 Though I give all my goods to feed 'the 
 
 poor. 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 poor, and have not love, it profiteth me 
 nothing." 
 
 BUT love fanftifies every aftion, and 
 converts all that we do into virtue. It 
 is true bravery indeed, when a man, out 
 of love to his neighbour, and a hearty 
 defire to promote his good, encounters 
 dangers and difficulties. It is genuine 
 meeknefs, when a man out of love, and 
 an unwillingnefs to hurt his neighbour, 
 patiently puts up with injuries. It is 
 politenefs indeed, when cordial affeftion 
 expreffes itfelf in civil language, re- 
 fpe&ful manners, and obliging aftions. 
 It is excellent juftice, when a man re 
 garding his neighbour's cafe as his own, 
 does to him as he would have it done 
 to himfelf. It is admirable wifdom, 
 which fludies to promote our neigh 
 bour's welfare. It is a noble faith, 
 which, working by love, produces the 
 rich fruits of obedience. It is a folid 
 iiope ? which is grounded on that ever- 
 
 lafting 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 247 
 
 lafting bafis of love which never fails. 
 It is a fincere alms, which not only the 
 hand but the heart reaches out. It is 
 an acceptable facrifice, which is kindled 
 by the holy fire of love. It is an hal 
 lowed devotion which is offered up from 
 a heart pure and benevolent like the be 
 ing whom it adores, 
 
 LOVE is a grand inftruinent of our 
 happinefs, becaufe it alone renders fweet 
 and pleafant all the duties which we 
 owe to our neighbour, J^ll agree, that 
 the fecond great bufmefs of men in this 
 life is to learn to love one another. 
 And fince the conftant performance of 
 kind and generous fervices to each other, 
 tends moil effectually to fan the flame 
 of love, our heavenly Father is perpe 
 tually calling on us to perform thofe 
 good offices to our brethren. He com 
 mands the Jirong to bear the burdens of 
 the weak, the rich to abound in good works. 
 
 to 
 
\ 
 
 248 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 to the poor, the poor to be cheerfully o 
 ing to the rich? and all of us to exercife 
 meeknefs, gentlenefs, hofpitality, juftice, 
 honor, truth, &c. Such fentiments and 
 works of beneficence and love, make a 
 confiderable part of our duties, duties 
 that occur every day and hour of our 
 lives. To perform thefe with alacrity 
 and pleafure muft add greatly to our 
 happinefs, becaufe, fmce they occur fo 
 frequently, if we have but the art to 
 turn them into pleafures, our whole 
 life muft be one continued round of 
 pleafure. Whereas, on the contrary, if 
 we take no delight in them, we ftand 
 a fair chance to lead very uneafy lives ; 
 as we fliall be continually called on by 
 duties which we cannot perform with 
 out reluctance, nor yet negled without 
 much vexation and regret. 
 
 WOULD we have this, our field of 
 trial, to become a garden of pleafant- 
 nefs ? Let us love. Love is the great 
 
 wonder^ 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 249 
 
 wonder-worker. It converts duties into 
 delights, and penances into pleafures. 
 Are you wealthy ? In making you fo, 
 heaven kindly intended for you the joy 
 of afting as the friend and benefactor 
 of the poor. That you may be fenfible 
 how eflential love is to the cheerful dif- 
 charge of the duties of beneficence, 
 turn your eyes towards Dives : In him 
 you behold one of the wealthieft of the 
 fons of fortune. His cellars, his barns, 
 his coffers, are all burfting out with 
 abundance ; but his heart poflefles not 
 one fpark of love. Alas ! the fad con- 
 fequences of his lacking this one thing 
 needful. Hence, though poflefled of 
 wealth fufHcient to enable him, like the 
 good angel of his neighbourhood, to 
 fcatter bleffings around him on at leaft 
 fifty needy families ; he lofes the joy, 
 and they the benefit of fuch noble cha 
 rities. Deftitute of love, Dives takes 
 no delight, even in feeding the hungry 3 
 
 in 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 in cloathing the naked, or in foothing 
 the forrows of ficknefs and poverty. 
 Unhappy Dives ! Works of love which 
 bleffed angels would prefer to their nec 
 tar and anibrofia, are fet before thee, 
 but thou haft no relifh for them. Dives 
 keeps a fplendid table, has vaft apart 
 ments, rich furniture, coftly jewels, a 
 large number of fervants, and fumptu- 
 ous equipages ; and that is enough for 
 him ; his poor childifh fancy has no 
 idea of any thing fuperior. 
 
 BUT fee the noble and excellent De- 
 mophilus. Demophilus poffefles an ef- 
 tate not inferior to that of Dives; but 
 his eftate, though ample, is not half 
 fo ample as his heart. Demophilus de 
 nies himfelf all the pomps and fuper- 
 fluities of life, in order that he may 
 fvvell the tide of his liberality to the 
 poor. It were an endlefs, though pleaf- 
 ing tafk, to relate how many friendlefs 
 fit-tie children he has educated, how 
 
 many 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 many poor young tradefmen he has fet 
 up in good bufmefs ; and how many 
 helplefs old perfons, provided for by 
 his bounty, are now fpending the even 
 ing of their days in peace and comfort. 
 Every day is to Demophilus a day of 
 happinefs, becaufe it is fpent in offices 
 of kindnefs to thofe whom love has 
 taught him to view iri the endearing 
 light of relations ; and, in ferving 
 whom, he afts with all the alacrity of 
 a brother* Thus love employs him in 
 fuch good works as yield the purefl 
 pleafures while he is engaged in them, 
 and the remembrance of which will be 
 a well of fweeteft waters fpringing up 
 in his bofom to eternal life. 
 
 ARE you a poor man ? You will find 
 love to be equally eflential to your hap- 
 hapinefs. Love will not only preferve 
 you from all the pangs of envy and dif- 
 content ; thofe infernal vipers which 
 pry on the vitals of too many of our 
 z poor 
 
^5^ THE IMMORTAL ME&TOJU 
 
 poor brethren ! But it will enable yott 
 to look with the joy of a brother on 
 the fuperior profpeiity of your neigh 
 bour. It will infpire you with that 
 fublimefl devotion, prayers for your 
 wealthy neighbour, that he may be 
 fenfible of the bleffings he poffeflfes in 
 poffefling wealth and power, that he 
 may be thankful for them, and put them 
 to fuch good ufe as at once to pleafe 
 the fupreme giver, to win the gratitude 
 of the poor, and to fill his own heart 
 with joy. 
 
 ARE you in debt to your neighbour ? 
 Then it nearly concerns you to love 
 him. I will not indeed fay, that if you 
 do not love, you will never pay your 
 debts, for a fenfe of honor may incline 
 you, as it does itlany who are deftitute 
 of love, to be honeft ; but this I will 
 fay, that if you love your neighbour, 
 you will pay him with much more cer 
 tainty and fatisfaftion than you other- 
 wife 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 253 
 
 wife could. If you love your neigh 
 bour, you will not be able to run in 
 debt to him, when you forfee that you 
 can never pay him. 
 
 A CERTAIN lawyer -a cafe in point 
 made application to a certain hair-dref- 
 fer for a wig. The generous tradef- 
 man, who was juft about to fit down 
 to dinner, invited his cuftomer to take 
 pot-luck with him. After having made 
 a plentiful repaft, and emptied the fe- 
 cond bowl, " AW Sir," laid the be 
 nevolent fhaver, addreffing his gueft, 
 " I'll make you as handfome a wig as ever 
 graced the head of a counfellor." " No 9 
 that you Jhall not" " Hie! what's the 
 matter ? Did you not come to befpcak a 
 wig?" " True, I did, but I have altered 
 my mind. Tou are fo clever a fellow that 
 I have a great liking for you, and this 
 makes me fcorn to take an advantage of you : 
 For were you to make me a wig, I do not 
 know that I Jhould ever be able to fay you 
 
 for 
 
254 T **E IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 for it." What a generous thing mufl 
 love be, fince a few feathers of it only 
 could thus bear a man up above a dif- 
 honeft aftion! Would God, that not 
 only all lawyers, but that all men alfo 
 had more of it ! 
 
 To the man who loves not, the pay 
 ment of his debts is often a great pe 
 nance. Avaro owes 500 guineas 500 
 guineas! Avaro had as lieve it were 500 
 drops of his heart's blood. To-mor 
 row is the day of payment ; a fad day 
 to Avaro ! Avaro goes with a heavy 
 heart to his ftrong box to take one more 
 view of his dear poor guineas. He 
 takes them up in his hands ; he hugs 
 them to his breaft : " Sweet precious 
 gold, and muji I part with you ! Dear \ 
 delight of my eyes and joy of my heart , 
 mufl I to-morrow refign you for ever!" 
 Avaro fighs piteoufly, and locking them 
 up again in his box, goes out groaning 
 
 like 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 like one who follows his firfl born to 
 the grave. 
 
 Now turn your eyes to a very diffe 
 rent chara&er ; I mean Benevolus. It 
 is love only that makes the difference. 
 Benevolus owes a fum of money to his 
 neighbour Agathos. Benevolus pof- 
 feffes not only that delicate fenfe of ho 
 nor, and that nice regard to reputation, 
 thofe laudable motives to duty which 
 animate all men of honor ; but he feels 
 fome of a fweeter and ftill ftronger na 
 ture. Benevolus loves his neighbour 
 Agathos ; hence he takes an intereft 
 in his welfare. Agathos, in lending this 
 money, fhewed a confidence in Bene 
 volus. Benevolus is eager to evince 
 that it was well-founded. Agathos, may 
 by this time be wanting his money, -Be 
 nevolus feels an anxiety to replace it. 
 Benevolus has reafon to believe that it 
 would be a pleafure to Agathos to re- 
 z 2 ceire 
 
256 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 ceive it Benevolus haflens to give him 
 that pleafure. 
 
 " I ONCE, faid the charming Pulche- 
 ria, owed a neighbouring woman, a 
 fum : On going to her houfe to pay 
 it, I met one of her daughters, whofe 
 drefs ihewed a tattered wardrobe : my 
 heart rejoiced that the fupply of their 
 wants was at hand : and had I, conti 
 nued the dear girl, been in fufficient 
 circumftances, nothing would have made 
 me happier than to have owed them 
 ten times as much." Q for more love ; 
 more love ! Without this, there can be 
 not only no pleafure, but indeed no 
 Jleadinefs in the payment of debts. 
 Great ftrefs I know has been laid oa 
 what is called a fenfe , of honor : But a 
 mere man of honor is an unfafe debtor. 
 Jn thofe corrupted countries, where the 
 laws and fa/hi 'ons are not very decidedly 
 in favour of juftice, men of honor have 
 
 been 
 
THJE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 257 
 
 been found to fit perfe&ly eafy under 
 the weight of their debts. 
 
 MISOCHRISTIS is a man of honor; but 
 he lives in a country where it happens not 
 to be thefa/hion for men of honor to pay 
 their debts under three or four years. 
 Mifochriftis, you fee, is furrounded by 
 a croud of creditors, who are impor 
 tunate with him for their money. Of 
 ten had he avoided them before by 
 making his fervants deny him ; but, 
 unfortunately, that ftratagem would not 
 anfwer to day, for they poped in upon 
 him before his ufual hour of rifing. 
 He at firft determined not to ftir out of 
 his chamber ; but they as obftinately 
 determined not to ftir until they faw 
 him. He then ordered his fervant to 
 tell them that he was indifpofed and 
 could fpeak to no body ; but the news 
 of his indifpofition did not foften them 
 in the leaft : See him they mult. 
 Whereon he fent word that he would 
 
 furrender ? 
 
958 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 furrender, and immediately comes to a 
 parley. 
 
 " How now, gentlemen," fays he, 
 " can't a perfon be fick in his own 
 " houfe ? Give me leave to tell you, 
 " that you don't behave handfomely. 
 
 " WHAT have you to fay, Mr Rhe- 
 " don ? You made me a coach I fancy 
 " about three years ago ; and have I 
 " not paid you twenty piftoles on ac- 
 " count ? Indeed you are vaftly to be 
 " pitied ! Go, go, don't be afraid of 
 " your money ; no body lofes any thing 
 " by me. See there is an honefl man 
 " who has been my baker thefe fix 
 " years ; he knows how to behave him- 
 " felf to a perfon of my diftin&ion ; 
 44 he has had great patience, and he 
 " {hall not be a fufferer by it. Mr Rhe- 
 " don, your fervant, I have fomething 
 " to fay to thefe gentlemen, you will 
 " call again. 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 259 
 
 " MY good friend, Artopolus, I have 
 " really a regard Tor you : You ferve 
 " me extremely well. How do you 
 *' manage to make fuch good bread as 
 " you fend me ? 'Tis excellent ; there 
 " can be no fault found with fuch 
 " bread. Let me fee what it is I owe 
 " you ? Two thoufand three hundred 
 " and forty-fix livres That's juft what 
 " I owe you. Well, I fhall not exa- 
 " mine your account ; I don't queflion 
 " but it is right. Two thoufand three 
 " hundred and odd livres. I fliall be 
 " able to pay you. Well, Mr. Arto- 
 " polus, the firfl money I receive fliall 
 " be yours. You fhall not be at the 
 " trouble of coming for it ; 'tis not 
 " reafonable you fhould ; why man 'tis 
 " you who keep me alive. 
 
 " So, here is my wine merchant : 
 " I have longed for an opportunity, my 
 " friend, to take you to tafk. You 
 " know full well, Mr. Vintner, that 
 
 " you 
 
26o THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 " you have a pleafure in poifoning me 
 " with your wine. What the devil is 
 " it you put into it ? I cannot drink 
 " three bottles but it deprives me of 
 "my underflanding ; and yet it is mo- 
 " ney you want Go about your bufi- 
 " nefs go ; people who expet to be 
 " paid never ferve their cuftomers in 
 " that manner. You {hall have no 
 " money till every body elfe is paid, if 
 " it were only to teach you to fell good 
 " wine. 
 
 " As for you, Monfieur Guillaumet, 
 " I am quite afhamed to have been fo 
 " long without paying you. I am fen- 
 " fible of all the complaints you have 
 " againft me. You have cloathed me 
 " and my whole family thefe five years, 
 " and I have not as yet paid you a fous. 
 " I promifed to pay you towards the 
 " end of the laft year, but I difappoint- 
 cc ed you. Is not that all you have to 
 " fay to me ? You know me very well, 
 
 " Monfieur 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTok. 261 
 
 ** Monfieur Guillaumet ; do you ima- 
 " gine I could be fo cruel as to let you 
 " be all this time out of your money, 
 " after you had difburfed fuch confi- 
 " derable fums for my ufe, if my ten- 
 " ants did but pay me ? I muft be a 
 u great villain if I could behave after 
 " that manner : But they will pay me 
 " by and by, and then you fhall have 
 " your money. -Your fervant, -Give 
 " me leave to fpeak to that gentle- 
 M woman. 
 
 " GOOD morrow, Mrs. Pernelle, I 
 u fuppofe you are come to demand 
 * c your money for thofe thirty pieces 
 " of linen which I had of you two 
 u years ago ? Well^ I cannot pay you 
 " very fooii. You fee what a number 
 " of people I have promifed already. 
 " But you can afford to wait a little. 
 " You are well to pafs !" " No, Sir, 
 u you are miftaken, my circumftances 
 ?c are very indifferent 3> " Oh, fo much 
 
 " the 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 " the worfe, my good miftrefs : when 
 " people cannot afford to give credit* 
 u they fhould never pretend to fell. 
 
 " As to the reft of you, my good 
 " friends," fays Mifochriftis, addreffing 
 himfelf to thofe creditors who had not 
 as yet received audience : " I fancy I 
 " don't owe you any great matters. 
 You fee I am endeavouring to regu^ 
 " late my affairs. Give me a little more 
 " time ; and if I can do no better at 
 " prefent, I will at lead look over and 
 " fettle your accounts." 
 
 As foon as Mifochriftis had finifhed 
 thefe words, he flew from them like 
 lightening, leaving his creditors fo afto^ 
 niflied at his impudence, that he was 
 quite out of their hearing before they 
 had recollected themfelves fufficiently to 
 make him a reply. 
 
 BUT if men of honor have been bad 
 pay-mafters, becaufe punctuality was un- 
 fafliionable, they have been found equal- 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 263 
 
 ly fo in thofe happy play-times, when 
 their good old mafter, the LAW, fell 
 drowfy, and took no notice of his pu 
 pils actions. 
 
 YOUNG Adraflus, hard run for mo 
 ney, determines to try his friends. He 
 goes to Agathocles, and in the bated 
 breath and whifpering humblenefs of 
 a borrower, begs the loan of a thou- 
 fand guineas. A good round fum ! But 
 the benevolent Agathocles, a ftranger 
 to fufpicion, grants the loan. Adraflus 
 pockets the money and rides off, the 
 happiefl man in the world. For three 
 years the good Agathocles got nothing 
 from Adraflus but empty promifes and 
 forrowful details of difappointments and 
 lofes. At length a war breaks out, and 
 the country wanting money, the prefs 
 is converted into a mint, and paper 
 dollars are (truck off by the ream. 
 Thefe the legiflator pronounces to be 
 of equal value with gold and filver, 
 A a and 
 
264 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 and threatens trouble to the tory that 
 ftall refufe them as fuch. " Hurra for 
 us debtors" is now the cry. Blefled 
 times ! Whole caravans of honeft men 
 are now in motion to pay their debts. 
 Adraftus joins the happy throng ; and 
 taking a witnefs with him, waits on 
 the good old Agathocles, whofe gene 
 rous loan of a thoufand guineas , he pays 
 off with half a quire of paper cur 
 rency worth about . 40. 
 
 ALAS ! poor honor ! when fevered 
 from the love of God, and of man, 
 Avhat art thou but an empty name! Had 
 Adraflus loved his God, could he thus 
 have defpifed that golden precept which 
 enjoins him to do unto others as he would 
 that others Jhould do unto him ? Had 
 Adraflus loved the generous Agatho- 
 cles, could he have thus requited him 
 evil for good could he have thus re- 
 payed the nobleft friendfnip with the 
 
 bafeft 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 265 
 
 bafeft ingratitude? Let the following 
 true ftory reply. 
 
 A YOUNG gentleman, whom we {hall 
 call Leander, had the good fortune to 
 be born of parents, who well knew that 
 happinefs confifts rather in the good 
 qualities of the heart, than in the rich 
 contents of the ftrong box. He was 
 therefore early taught to look on the 
 love of God and of his neighbour, as 
 the beft wealth that man or angel can 
 poflefs. His progrefs in virtue was 
 equal to the fondeft expectations of his 
 parents. Truth, honor and goodnefs, 
 (hone fo confpicuoufly in all his con 
 duit, that to love him, one needed but 
 to know him. At the age of three and 
 twenty he lofl his father; and pofleffing 
 but a very fmall fortune, he refolved 
 to go into trade. Leander had five or 
 fix mercantile friends, each of whom 
 throwing in a couple of hundred pounds 
 worth of goods, made him up a pretty 
 
 aflbrtment. 
 
2-66 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 affortment. With great alacrity he en 
 tered upon this new employment ; but, 
 as it would feem, merely to evince the 
 error of thofe parents, who think that 
 religion alone is fufficient to make their 
 children happy. His father had taken 
 great pains to fit him for heaven ; but 
 had not fufficiently inftrufted him to 
 make his way good here on earth* He 
 had fcarcely ever told Leander, that 
 though it be happinefs to love, it is 
 ftill virtue to be prudent ; and, that to 
 mingle the harmleffnefs of the dove with 
 the wifdom of the ferpent, and to take 
 head of men^ even while he loves them, 
 are commandments of the Great Tea 
 cher himfelf. He had hardly ever men 
 tioned to Leander, the importance of 
 receipts, vouchers, and written con- 
 trafts ; nor related to him the many 
 fad inftances of unfufpe&ing goodnefs 
 fnared and ruined by infidious villainy ; 
 and how often, for want of receipts, 
 
 the 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 267 
 
 the bed men have been compelled to a 
 fecond payment of debts that have kept 
 their nofes to the grindftone half then- 
 lives after. No ; but to confider all 
 men as the children of God, and co 
 heirs of glory ; to love them as him- 
 felf, and to think evil of no man thefe 
 were the only fentiments which Lean- 
 der was taught : Thefe he carried with 
 him behind the counter. Leander was 
 foon found out to be -&jine young man ! 
 every body admired his goods, and 
 wifhed to buy if they could but have 
 a little credit. Leander anticipated every 
 wifh, and credited every body. 
 
 IN a very Ihort time, out of a thou- 
 fand pounds worth of goods, he had 
 not a remnant left. His rivals were 
 fit to burft with fpleen and envy at fuch 
 prodigious fales ; while his friends af- 
 cribed fuch fingular fuccefs to divine 
 interpofition. At the appointed time 
 his creditors demanded their money. 
 A a 2 The 
 
268 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 The too credulous Leander was not 
 prepared to pay. Unable to wait longer, 
 they feized on his little patrimony, and 
 threw him into prifon. Cruel parents, 
 who thus expofe your children uncover 
 ed by the ihield of prudence, to the 
 Jiery darts of fraud and villainy ! O re 
 member that the want of prudence, is 
 too often, even in the belt men, fuc- 
 ceeded by the want of virtue ; and that, 
 in many inftances, the devil himfelf afks 
 not an abler advocate for vice than po 
 verty. Happily for Leander, his vir 
 tue was full grown, and of a good con- 
 ftitution. He did not., as thoufands 
 have done, curfe that eafmefs t>f na 
 ture, that benevolence of fentirnent, 
 which had duped and betrayed him ; 
 he did not vow eternal war againft his 
 fpecies, and refolve to praftife in future 
 the fame arts which had wrought hh 
 ruin. No ! fraud and injuftice now ap 
 peared to turn hateful as the hags of hell. 
 
 While, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 269 
 
 While, by contrail, his love of virtue 
 was exalted to adoration. To have de 
 ceived, though unintentionally, and 
 thence to have injured his patrons, cau- 
 fed Leander much grief; but it was 
 grief unimbittered by the gall of guilt. 
 To have difcovered fuch a want of vir 
 tue and humanity among men, excited 
 emotions, but they were the emotions 
 of compaffion, not of refentment. Still 
 his prayers and his benevolence went up 
 before God. After fifty days confine 
 ment, the ftill virtuous Leander was 
 difcharged from prifon, and from all 
 legal obligation to pay his former debts. 
 He then went round again among hi# 
 debtors ; many of whom affefted by 
 his pathetic remonftrances, difcharged 
 their accounts. With this money > pur- 
 chafing a finall aflbrtment of goods, he 
 entered a fecond time into trade, and 
 with becoming caution. At the expi 
 ration of five years, having faved enough 
 
 for 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 for that purpofe, he haftened up to 
 town to pay off his former debts, and 
 to evince the divinity of that love, 
 which cannot be happy while it owes 
 any man any thing. He called toge 
 ther his former creditors to a tavern, 
 where, by his orders, a handioine in 
 ner was prepared for them* He receiv 
 ed them with the utmoft cordiality, and, 
 without having as yet gratified their 
 curiofity as to the occafion of the meet 
 ing, he politely prefled them to fit 
 down to dine. On turning up their 
 plates, every man beheld in a heap of 
 ihining gold, the full amount, princi 
 pal and inter eft, of his former claim 
 againft Leander. 
 
 ** Lord, who's the happy man that may 
 
 " To thy bleft courts repair ? 
 " Not ftranger like to vifit them, 
 
 14 But to inhabit there. 
 
 *' 'Tis he who to his vows and truft, 
 
 " Has ever firmly flood ; 
 " And tho' he promife to his lofs, 
 
 41 He makes his promife good." 
 
 WE 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 271 
 
 WE have been copious on this part 
 of our fubjeft, for a very plain reafon : 
 the payment of our debts is a duty 
 that occurs fo frequently, that whatever 
 tends to make it a pleafure, mufl con- 
 fequently add greatly to our happinefs ; 
 and have abundantly fhewn it is love e 
 and love alone that can make honefty 
 at all times a pleafure. 
 
 BUT there are many other duties, of 
 equal importance to our own, and to 
 the happinefs of fociety, to the cheer 
 ful performance of which, love is as 
 indifpenfibly neceflary. This man's ava 
 rice may claim a part of our eftate ; or 
 that man's unprovoked rage may infult 
 our perfon, or flander our name ; now, 
 to bear all this with temper, and to ne- 
 gociate fo difcreetly with thefe our un 
 generous neighbours, as to difarm their 
 paffions, and to make an honorable and 
 lading peace, is certainly a moll de- 
 fireable event ; but it is an event which 
 
 nothing 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 nothing but almighty love can accom- 
 plifo. And through defeft of this love, 
 how frequently have we feen the flight- 
 eft incroachments, or provocations t& 
 ftir up fuch horrid paffions, in the bo- 
 foms of neighbours, and to hurry them 
 into fuch (hameful exceflfes of injury 
 and revenge, as have ended in the de- 
 ftruction of each others fouls, bodies, 
 and eftates ! 
 
 LET the real hiftory of goodman 
 Gruff and his neighbour Grub, eluci 
 date this melancholy truth. 
 
 THESE two men, whofe fortunes were 
 ample, lived near neighbours to each 
 other ; fo near, that their lands, un 
 moved by the paflion of their owners, 
 lay and flept together in the mod friend 
 ly embraces. That good being who 
 had thus appointed their lots together 
 in the fame pleafant places, had un- 
 queftionably intended, that they fliould 
 learn from their owu experience, how 
 
 happy 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 2/3 
 
 happy a thing it is for brethren to dwell 
 together in unity. But alas ! the ways 
 of peace they knew not, for they were 
 both ftrangers to love ; and, by natu 
 ral confequence, both proud, felfifh, 
 irafcible and vindictive. On a refurvey 
 of his plantation, goodman Gruff found 
 that his neighbour Grub had about 
 two acres and a quarter of his ground 
 in pofleffion. 
 
 No fooner had he made this impor 
 tant difcovery, than he fent orders to 
 Mr Grub, and not in the mofl gentle 
 terms, inftantly to remove his fences, 
 from that fpot of ground, or he fhould 
 kdopt meafures to compel him. From 
 no friend on earth, would Mr. Grub 
 have brooked fuch a meffage ; but from 
 Gruff, it was altogether infupportable. 
 A reply, fuch as pride and hatred could 
 dictate, was immediately made. A law 
 fuit, of courfe, commenced. 
 
 THIS 
 
274 TH IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 THIS produced the effeft that ufually 
 attends law-fuits, " a death unto friend- 
 fhip, and a new birth unto hatred." 
 Every expence incurred in the courfc 
 of the fuit inflamed their mutual hat 
 red ; for they never failed to fet down 
 thefe expences to the account of each 
 others roguery : They never deigned to 
 falute, or to exchange a word ; and, 
 if accident at any time threw them into 
 the fame company, they caft fuch eyes 
 of death on one another, and were fo 
 pointedly brutal in their manners, as to 
 fhock all who were not loft to humanity. 
 To be threatened with the lofs of two 
 acres of land, or to have that much with 
 held, though each poffefled many more 
 than they could cultivate, was enough 
 in fuch fordid fouls, to awaken the 
 moft deadly paflions. Thefe were fopn 
 communicated to the reft of their fa 
 milies. The wives and daughters, could 
 not, even at church, trept each other 
 
 with 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 275 
 
 with common civility ; and the fons 
 often difgraced themfelves in bloody 
 battles. Nor was this all, for then- 
 poor unoffending cattle, their hogs and 
 horfes, who, poor things ! knew not the 
 right leg from the left, were made to 
 feel the fad effefts of this unnatural 
 flrife : For, if carelefsly wandering in 
 queft of grafs or roots, their homely 
 fare, they happened in lucklefs hour, 
 to ftray within the hoftile lines, ftraight 
 a troop of angry flaves, with worrying 
 dogs and furious flones, attacked them: 
 or flily taking and loading them with 
 yokes, doomed them to wafte full many 
 a day in woe and pain. 
 
 " CURSED be their anger ^ for it was 
 
 fierce ', and their wrath ^ for it was cruel. 
 
 my foul! come not thou into their fecret^ 
 
 unto their aj/embly ; mine honor, be not 
 
 thou united!" JACOB, 
 
 B b THUS 
 
276 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 THUS we fee men, though born to 
 \valk with angels high in falvation, 
 and the dims of blifs, afting, becaufe 
 deflitute of love, jufb as if they were 
 candidates for the fociety of infernal 
 fpirits ! 
 
 A STRANGER to the origin of this 
 (hameful conteft, would reasonably have 
 luppofed, from the fury with which it 
 was conducted, that the aftors in it ? 
 expected forne fignal advantages from 
 it. " Surely," would he have faid, 
 4i vaft fields of fertile earth, with migh- 
 " ty forefts, and flocks and herds, with 
 " heaps of golden treafure, mufl de- 
 a pend on this important fuit." But 
 what would have been his aftonifhment, 
 on finding, that the dear bought pur- 
 chafe of two acres of po-:r land, was 
 the whole extent of their hopes ! 
 
 C Verily, man without love is as the 
 wild afs's colt, andftupid as the beqji that 
 pcrijhetb" 
 
 BUT 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 277 
 
 BUT to return to our litigious far 
 mers, whom we left juft engaged in a 
 fuit, Gruff againfl Grub, for two acres 
 and a quarter of land, held and culti 
 vated by the latter, but found by a re- 
 furvey to belong to the former. The 
 cafe feemed fufficiently fimple, and, as 
 was generally thought, would foon be 
 knocked off the doquet, and with but 
 fmall damages. But being found, as 
 generally happens, much more compli 
 cated than it had at firft appeared j it 
 was kept fo long in the different courts 
 in which it had the fortune to be tried, 
 that goodman Gruff was often heard 
 to fay, that cc though he had gained 
 " his fuit, yet, through lofs of time, 
 " negledt of bufmefs, tavern charges, 
 4C and extra fees to lawyers, he had 
 c - expended at lead one hundred half- 
 6C joes." While poor Grub, obliged 
 to carry on fo long a fuit with monies 
 borrowed on an exorbitant premium, 
 
 incurred 
 
27 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 incurred a debt which coft him the 
 * whole traft, together with the two acres 
 and a quarter which he had fo obfti- 
 nately defended. 
 
 " BLESSED are the meek, for they foal! 
 inherit the earth" 
 
 HAD thefe unfortunate men but loved, 
 they might have lived happy. Like 
 good Job's children, " they would haw 
 gone and feaftcd in their houfes each man 
 his day^ and feni and called for his neigh 
 bour to eat and to drink with him*' .And 
 then having his heart warmed and ex~ 
 panded with generous love, had good- 
 man Gruff difcovered that his neigh- 
 bour held unknowingly an acre or two 
 of his land, he would' have fcorned to 
 notice it. 
 
 ASK the benevolent old Ralph, whe* 
 ther he would thus have threatened and 
 perfecuted his neighbour Paul for a 
 couple of acres ? Obferve how he fhakes 
 his venerable locks, and, with a coun 
 tenance 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 tenance ftrongly marking his abhorrence 
 of fuch a thought, thus replies : 
 
 " No, my friend, two acres of land 
 " fliould never have fet me and my 
 " neighbour Paul at variance. Forty 
 " years have we lived near each other, 
 " and, thank God, it has been forty 
 " years of peace and friendfhip. Paul 
 " appears to me now like a brother ; 
 " and the affe&ion that I have for him, 
 * c gives me a double enjoyment of what 
 " I have, becaufe of the pleafure I find 
 cc in communicating of it to him. If I 
 " take a hive, he is fure to receive a 
 " plate of the choicefl comb. If I kill 
 " a fat mutton, the beft quarter is fent 
 " to him. His company heightens my 
 " joys, his counfel and affiftance leffen 
 " the weight of niy forrows. Toge- 
 cc ther we enjoy the good things of 
 " this life, and together we often con- 
 '" verfe about the happinefs of that bet- 
 " ter life to come. Now, lhall I mar 
 B b 2 " all 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 '* all this fweet heavenly peace, and 
 " plunge myfelf into hellifli hatred and 
 " ftrife, by quarrelling with my good 
 " friend Paul on account of two acres of 
 " ground ? No, no, no ; fooner than fee 
 4C that hated day, let thefe eyes be clofed 
 " for ever ; and let my grey hairs go 
 " down with joy to the grave ! Take 
 " two acres of land from Paul ? O how 
 * 4 gladly would I give him a thoufand V 9 
 
 BUT fuppofing, Father Ralph, that 
 inftead of the gentle Paul, it had 
 been your deftiny to dwell in the 
 neighbourhood of the churlifh Mr. 
 Gruff, how would you have relifhed 
 his orders to relinquifli two acres of 
 your land ? 
 
 " WHY, I would have endeavoured 
 " an accommodation, by propofing a 
 " reference of our matter to fome 
 u of our well informed and impartial 
 " neighbours. 3> 
 
 BUT, 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 28l 
 
 BUT, what if he had replied, that fince 
 by the late variation of the compafs, 
 the limits of his traft were fo en 
 larged as to take in thofe two acres 
 of yours, he claimed them by virtue 
 of the law, and would have nothing 
 to do with arbitrators ? 
 
 " WHAT would I have done ? Why, 
 " I would have pitied him from the 
 " bottom of my heart would I have 
 " pitied him for fuch a fentiment. 
 " And on taking my leave, would 
 " have addrefled him in fuch words 
 " as thefe: Neighbour Gruff, the good 
 " for which you feem fo ready to 
 " contend, deferves not to be put in 
 " the fcale againfl the numerous evils 
 " of a law-fuit. Let famifhed fea- 
 " men quarrel and fight for a mor- 
 " fel of bread, or draw lots for each 
 " others lives, but for us who live 
 " in a land fo thickly ftrewed with 
 " the bleflings of heaven, that we 
 
 need 
 
282 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 " need but flretch forth the hand of 
 " induflry and we fhall gather abun- 
 " dance for us to go to law for a 
 66 flip of ground, were a reproach to 
 " us, both as men and as chriftians. 
 " I feel, neighbour Gruff, that love 
 " and peace are the greateft bleffings 
 " of life, and, well knowing that law- 
 " fuits are no friend to thofe, but, 
 " on the contrary, their moil mortal 
 " enemies, I wifh never to have any 
 Ci thing to do with law- fuits I mean 
 " on fuch trifling occafions* There- 
 " fore, for the fake of God, the lo- 
 u ver of peace, and for our mutual 
 46 good, I cheerfully compliment you 
 u with thefe two acres for which you 
 < c are fo ready to go to law with me. 
 " And I think my heart gives me 
 " comfortable affurance that I fhall 
 " never want them." 
 
 " BLESSED are the peace maker -j, for 
 iheyjhall be called the children of God.' 9 
 
 LOVE 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 283 
 
 LOVE adds greatly to the happinefs 
 f man, becaufe it puts us in poffeffion 
 and gives us the enjoyment of every 
 thing that is good and defireable in 
 this life. By it, we may, without 
 greedy avarice, or its cares and drudge 
 ries, fwim in tides of wealth. With 
 out proud ambition or any of its dif 
 ficulties ,and dangers, we may afcend 
 to the higheft feats of honor : without 
 fordid voluptuoufnefs, or its difeafes and 
 difguft, we may balk in the lap of true 
 pleafures ; without its pride, luxury or 
 floth, or any of its fnares and tempta 
 tions, we may feaft at the table of pro- 
 fperity. We may pluck the richeft fruits 
 of fcience and learning, without the 
 pain of laborious ftudy : and we may 
 tafte the fweets of virtue and goodnefs 
 without their toils. For, are not all 
 thefe things ours, if w^e make them fo, 
 by finding much delight and fatisfaclion 
 in them ? Does not out neighbour's 
 
 wealth 
 
284 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 wealth enrich us, if we are happy in 
 his pofleffing and ufmg it ? Does not 
 his preferment advance us, if our fpirit 
 rifes with it into a cordial complacency ? 
 Does not his pleafure delight us, if we 
 are pleafed with his enjoyment of it ? 
 Does not his profperity blefs us, if our 
 hearts exult and triumph in it ? This is 
 the true Philofopher's ftone, the divine 
 magic of love which conveys all things 
 into our hands, giving us 2 pofleflion 
 and ufe in them of which nothing can 
 deprive us. 
 
 BY virtue of this, (as Paul juftly ob- 
 ferves) " Being forrowful we yet always 
 " rejoice ; having nothing we yet poffefs all 
 66 things." Neither is this property in 
 our neighbour's goods merely imagin 
 ary, but real and fubftantial ; indeed, for 
 more real to the true lover of men, than 
 it is generally to the legal oyvners of 
 them. For how is property in things 
 otherwife to be confidered than by the 
 
 fatisfa&ion 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 285 
 
 fatisfaftion which they yield to the pre- 
 fumed owner ? And if the benevolent 
 man find this fatisfadion in them, and 
 in a high degree, why are they not truly 
 his ? May not the tree with fome de 
 gree of propriety be called yours if you 
 can pluck and enjoy its fruits at plea- 
 fure ? Nay, does not the propriety more 
 truly belong to you, if you equally en 
 joy the benefit, without partaking the 
 trouble and expence which fall on the 
 real owner ? A loving man therefore 
 can never be poor or miferable, except 
 all the world fhould come to want and 
 diftrefs, for while his neighbour has any 
 thing, he will enjoy it " rejoicing with 
 <c thofe who rejoice." 
 
 BUT love not only advances us to 
 the higheft pitch of happinefs attain 
 able in this life, but, like a true friend, 
 it will accompany us into heaven, and 
 there complete our felicity, by exalting 
 
 us 
 
#86 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 us to the fociety of " angels and fpirits 
 " f j u ft men made perfefl." 
 
 AMONG all the nations of the earth, 
 the pleafing perfuafion has prevailed, 
 that the fouls of good men ihall pafs 
 away after death into brighter climes 
 than thefe, where affembled in the fweet- 
 eft fociety, they fhall enjoy pleafures 
 which were never permitted them to 
 tafte in this vale of tears. 
 
 THIS ftrongeft and deareft fentiment 
 of nature, is confirmed by revelation, 
 which allures us, that heaven, the city of 
 the eternal King, is inhabited by a great 
 multitude, which no man can number, 
 compofed of all the wife and good that 
 ever exifted in the univerfe of God; 
 and who, now feparated from every in 
 firmity, dwell together in the deareft 
 amity and peace. 
 
 DESIREABL indeed muiT: an accefs 
 to fuch a fociety appear to us, who 
 dwell in thefe abodes of frail humanity, 
 
 whofe 
 
HE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 287 
 
 \vhofe paffions are fo much at variance 
 with our repofe ! This man wounds us 
 by a mortifying negle&, that infults 
 Us with fcorn and contempt* A third 
 cruelly envies our felicity. A fourth 
 inhumanly flanders our good name* 
 And a fifth goes to law With us for our 
 eftate. While thofe few who love us>> 
 often add to our uneafmefs by theif 
 follies or viceSi W ho would not leave 
 fuch a wretched fociety as this, and 
 gladly go to mingle with thofe blefifed 
 friends, who can no more be miferable 
 themfelves, nor render us fo ? Where 
 every countenance will fliine upon us 
 with fmiles of Undiflembled affe&ion ; 
 and every eye will beam unutterable 
 k>ve ? Where mighty angels will be as 
 endearingly attentive to Us, as fondeft 
 bretheren; while heavenly fages will 
 pour forth the treafures of their wifdonx 
 to entertain us, though the feebleft of 
 faints ? 
 
 c c BUT> 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOiU 
 
 BUT, alas! is it for us whofe 
 are defiled, and who drink in iniquity 
 like water, to be numbered with thefe 
 children of God, and to have our lot 
 among fuch faints ? Yes it is. For 
 though the precious gold of Ophir could 
 not purchafe fuch high honors for us ; 
 and though rocks of proffered diamonds 
 would not be received in exchange ; 
 yet there is a power, a fecret charm, 
 that can open for us the eveflafting 
 doors, and admit us into thofe courts of 
 glory. That charm is LOVE, which, 
 by exercifing every odious pa/lion, and 
 adorning us with its own celeftial gra^ 
 ces, will fecure our welcome, and ren 
 der us dear to every faint in paradife. 
 And were it not for love, which thus 
 refines otir nature, and transforms us 
 into aiigels of light, never could we 
 mingle in the fociety of thofe heavenly 
 
 BIRDS 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 289 
 
 '" BIRDS of a feather flock toge- 
 * c ther." As gentle cloves, who delight 
 in mutual carefTes, fly on wings of ter 
 ror, from thofe birds whofe fiery eyes 
 threaten hateful ftrife ; fo angels of 
 love, muft retire with as natural an ab 
 horrence, from the fociety of dark and 
 malignant fpirits. Between no two 
 things in nature, does there exift fo 
 irreconcilable an oppofition, as between 
 love and hatred. Water and oil- fire 
 and fnow, may, by the powerful arts of 
 chemiftry, be taught to forget their na 
 tive antipathies, and to rufli together 
 into friendly embraces : But by no arts 
 can tender-hearted love be brought to 
 loojv with complacency on any appear 
 ance of hatred and miiery. And the 
 more ardent our love, the more exqui- 
 fite will be our diftrefs, at the view of 
 fuch fcenes. 
 
 PHILANDER, whofe life is a feries of 
 beneficence that reflects honor on hu 
 man 
 
290 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 man nature, was, during the earlier 
 part of his days, ftrangely fond of that 
 moft vulgar practice, boxing. But hap 
 pening to read Dr. Blair's fermon on 
 gentlenefs, he was brought to fee fo 
 clearly, the beauty and bleflednefs of a 
 benevolent temper, that he has ever 
 fince cultivated it as the brighteft orna 
 ment, and higheft happinefs of his life. 
 Philander often now obferves to his 
 friends, that nothing furprifes him more 
 than the difference which he finds be 
 tween the feelings, of the prefent and 
 pad periods of his life. That formerly, 
 when a ftranger to love, the fight of a 
 battle was matter of fun to him ; and a 
 broken head, or a bloody nofe, a mere 
 bagatelle, quite a trifle* But that now, 
 were he compelled to fee two men ftri- 
 ving in battle, and with furious counte 
 nances and eyes darting hatred, inflift- 
 ing cruel blows on each other, he verily 
 believes it would harrow up his foul 
 
 and 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 29! 
 
 and fill him with infupportable horror* 
 And fuch, I am confident, would be the 
 feelings of every truly benevolent heart. 
 Now, if we who are but babes in love, 
 and whofe hearts flill retain much of their 
 former hardnefs and infenfibility, are, 
 notwithftanding, fo {hocked at the fight 
 of bad paffions ; how much more would 
 the bleffed angels, thofe pure fpirits of 
 love, be (hocked at the fight of fuch 
 things ? Hence, it clearly appears, that 
 were God to throw open the gates of 
 heaven, and to invite us to enter with 
 all our pride, haughtinefs, fcorn, envy 
 and hatred about us ; fo far from being 
 welcome to the angels, we fhould turn 
 their heaven into hell. It would grieve 
 their generous bofoms, to fee us fo 
 completely damned ; and it would equal 
 ly fhock their feelings to fee us fo per- 
 feftly loathfome and abominable ; and 
 they would, no doubt, prefer their joint 
 petitions to God, for permiffion to re- 
 c c a tire 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 tire into fome other part of his domini 
 ons, where, far removed from fuch dif- 
 quieting fcenes, they might renew their 
 joys in contemplating the beauty of each 
 others virtues, and in rejoicing in the 
 greatnefs of their mutual blifs. Would 
 we therefore gain a welcome admiffion 
 into thofe blefl abodes, where angels 
 and the youngeft fons of light, fpend 
 their blifsful days in joys unknown to 
 mortal fenfe Let us Love. This is 
 the darling attribute of God ; " For 
 God is love." And this is the grace 
 that gives to miniftering fpirits all their 
 furpaffing joys and glories. Wafhed in 
 this heavenly Jordan, the fouleft leper 
 becomes frefher than the new-born 
 babe. Bathed in this divine Bethefda, 
 the blackeft heart and moft malevolent 
 fpirit becomes whiter than fnow. Mark 
 the glorious change. His eyes, lately 
 glaring with infernal fires, now emit 
 the fofteft beams of benevolence. His 
 
 cheeks 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 293 
 
 cheeks, once pale with envy, now bloom 
 with the rofy-red of joy. His counte 
 nance, e'er while dark with angry paf- 
 fions, now wear the opening radiance of 
 friendfhip. His voice, lately broken and 
 difcordant with rage, is now fweeter than 
 mufic ; his heart, once the den of poi- 
 fonous adders, is now the abode of gen- 
 tleft affe&ion ; and he who fome time 
 ago was the terror or hatred of all v/ho 
 knew him, is now become the delight 
 of each eye and joy of every heart. His 
 admiring friends, view him with tranf- 
 port as a dear monument of the mighty 
 power of love ; while holy angels wel 
 come him with fweeteft fymphonies, 
 and fill the eternal regions with accla 
 mations of joy. " Behold \ this our bro^ 
 ther was loft^ but is found, he was dead? 
 but is alive." 
 
 AND though on our firft entrance 
 into the company of blefled angels, we 
 cannot be half fo loving and lovely as 
 
 they 
 
204 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 they are, yet will not this diminifh their 
 affeftion for us ; for, clearly perceiving, 
 that though but babes, we yet poifefs 
 the fair features and precious qualities 
 of godlike fouls, they will cordially love 
 and tenderly embrace us, as their young 
 er brethren, and as infant angels. While 
 meeting with no cruel obftruftions to 
 our love, as in this world, but on the 
 contrary, finding ourfelves beloved and 
 careffed by each faint and angel, we 
 ihall daily become more grateful and 
 affeftionate, and consequently more love 
 ly in the eyes, and more dear to the 
 hearts, of thofe blefled people. And 
 now, what words can exprefs, what fan 
 cy can conceive the various and exqui- 
 fite pleafures, that we may expeft to 
 meet with, in fo wife, fo all-accompliihed 
 and endearing a fociety ? If the converfa- 
 tion of great and good naturedivits^ be fo 
 highly entertaining, that men of tafte 
 would give any thing to fpend an even* 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 295 
 
 ing with a party of fuch ; how much 
 more defireable muft it be to fpend an 
 eternity in the company of angels ? For, 
 as in point of knowledge, wit, and elo 
 quence, they muft be far fuperior to 
 the brighteft geniufes of our world, and 
 incomparably more afFe&ionate, they 
 cannot but make the moil delightful 
 company. From the vaft ftores of their 
 wifdom and experience, they can eafily 
 draw an almofl infinite variety of the 
 moft entertaining topics, on which fuch 
 good and gentle fpirits, will not fail to 
 converfe in the moft free and endear 
 ing manner. Then, what a heavenly 
 converfation muft theirs be, w r hofe fcope 
 is the moft glorious knowledge, and its 
 law the moft perfeft friendfhip ? 
 
 WHO would not willingly leave a child- 
 ifh, forward and ill natured world, for 
 the bleffed fociety of thofe wife friends 
 and perfect lovers ? And what a felicity 
 muft it be to fpend an eternity, in fuch 
 
 a noble 
 
296 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 a noble converfation ? Where we fhall 
 hear the deep philofophy of heaven com 
 municated with mutual freedom, in the 
 wife and amiable difcourfes of angels, 
 and of glorified fpirits, who, without any 
 referve or affeftation of myftery, without 
 paffion or peevifh contention for vifiory, 
 do freely philofophize and impart the 
 treafures of each others knowledge ? 
 For fmce all faints there are great philo- 
 fophers, and all philofophers perfectly 
 faints, we may conclude, that knowledge" 
 and goodnefs, wifdom and love, will be 
 inoft charmingly intermixed throughout 
 all their converfation, and render it de 
 lightful in the higheft degree. When 
 therefore we fhall leave this vain and 
 unfociable world, and on our landing 
 on the fhores of eternity, fhall be met 
 by all our good old friends, who are 
 gone to heaven before us, and who 
 now with infinite joy for our fafe ar 
 rival, receive and condufl: us into the 
 
 fplendid 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 Iplendid fociety of all the good and ge- 
 iierous fouls, who ever lived in the 
 world : when we fhall be familiar friends 
 with angels and archangels ; and all the 
 filming courtiers of heaven fhall call us 
 brethefen, and welcome us into their 
 glorious fociety, with all the tender en 
 dearments and careffes, of thofe heaven 
 ly lovers, O how will all thefe mighty 
 honors and joys, fwell our bofoms with 
 tides of tfanfport alnioft too big to bear ! 
 
 BUT love not only renders us thus 
 happy, by adorning us with fuch graces 
 as give us a hearty welcome to the fo* 
 ciety, and joys of angels ; but, O god 
 like power of charity ! it even enables 
 us to make all their joys our own. 
 
 IT is a natural property of love, wheit 
 fmcere, to unite fo dofely the hearts o 
 lovers, as to make their interefts com 
 mon, and thus to render the joys of 
 the one, the joys of the other. Every 
 hian carries in his own bofom a proof of 
 
 this 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 this delightful truth. Do not the v!f* 
 tues of a dear brother, give us as exqui- 
 fite joy, as if we ourfelves were adorn* 
 ed with them ? Have not the high com 
 mendations beftowed on a beloved fifter^ 
 thrilled through our hearts, in as pure 
 dreams of pleafure as if we ourfelves 
 had been the honored fubjeft of them ? 
 Now, if love, which is a native of hea 
 ven, produces, even in the cold foil of 
 the human heart^ fuch delicious fruits of 
 joy at the fight of our neighbour's happi*- 
 nefs, how much more copious and ex- 
 quifite mufl be its growth and flavour* 
 when reftored to heaven, it enjoys all 
 the energies of its native foil and cli 
 mate ? If therefore, while here on earth^ 
 we make fuch progrefs in brotherly 
 love, as to relifh our neighbour's happi- 
 nefs as our own, " heartily rejoicing 
 ivith him when he rejoices ;" we may 
 tefl affured, that on going to heaven, 
 and entering into the fociety of blefied 
 
 angels 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 299 
 
 angels, we fliall find the joys of congra 
 tulating love, far fuperior to what we 
 ever experienced in this world. With 
 what facred delight {hall our hearts 
 overflow, when, on opening our eyes 
 in thofe blifsful manfions, we behold 
 around us, fuch bright bands of glori 
 ous beings ? The fight of thefe lovely 
 and happy people, will open new fprings 
 of joy in our bofoms* With what 
 wonder, love, and praife, fhall we con 
 template that hand which drew fuch mag. 
 nificent fcenes ; thefe ftreets paved with 
 gold, thefe gorgeous palaces hewn from 
 diamond quarries, thefe walls flaming 
 with the ftones of heaven, thefe rivers 
 flowing with liquid filver, thefe fields 
 decked with immortal flowers, thefe 
 facred fliades formed by the trees of 
 God ; and which, after having cloathed 
 thefe regions in fuch godlike fplendors, 
 raifed up fo many myriads of glorious 
 beings to inhabit them forever ? There* 
 D d among 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR* 
 
 among thofe favoured fpirits, we fiiall 
 meet with none of thofe melancholy 
 fcenes which here fo often embitter our 
 lives. Here, the ftrong pains and cries 
 of thofe whom we love, often wring 
 our hearts and call tears of bittereft 
 forrow from our eyes ; but there, God 
 lhall wipe all tears from our eyes, and 
 pain and ficknefs are unknown. Here, 
 the pale cheek, the hollow eye, and 
 trembling voice of languilhing friends, 
 often ficken our hearts, and prefs our 
 fpirits to the earth ; but there, health 
 blooms with freflieft rofes on each im 
 mortal cheek, and imparts a vigor that 
 fhall never know decay. Here, we often 
 behold our deareft relatives flruggling 
 in the agonies of death, and hear, with 
 flupifying grief, their laft expiring 
 groans ; but there, among thofe holy 
 angels, death never (hewed his ghaftly 
 countenance, and their glorified bodies 
 are deathlefs as the eternal Jehovah. 
 
 Now 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 30! 
 
 Now, what words can exprefs the joys 
 of thofe blefled people, who love each 
 other with a tendernefs unknown to 
 mortal bofoms, and whofe love is con 
 tinually feafted with the view of each 
 others happinefs, a happinefs which no 
 time can terminate, and which neither 
 man nor devil can impair ! For perfect 
 lovers have all their joys and griefs in 
 common between them ; but the heaven* 
 ly lovers having no griefs among them,, 
 do only communicate their joys to one 
 another. And where they love fo per 
 fectly as they do in heaven, there can be 
 no fuch thing as a private or particular 
 happinefs, but every one mujl have a 
 (hare in that of every one. and confe- 
 quently in this, their mutual communi 
 cation of joys, every one's happinefs, 
 will, by his friendfhip to every one 5 be 
 multiplied into as many happinefles as 
 there are faints and angels in heaven ; 
 and thus, every joy, of every member 
 
 of 
 
302 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR, 
 
 of the church triumphant, runs round 
 the whole body, in an eternal circula- - 
 tion. For that bleffed body being all 
 compofed of confenting hearts, that, like 
 perfect unifons, are tuned up to the 
 fame key, when any one is touched, 
 every one echoes, and refounds the fame 
 note : and while they thus mutually 
 ftrike upon each other, and all are af- 
 fe&ed with every one's joys, it is im- 
 poffible, but, that in a flate where there 
 is nothing but joy, there fhould be a 
 continual concert of ravifhing harmony 
 among them. For fuch is their dear 
 concern for one another, that every 
 one's joy not only pays to, but receives 
 tribute from the joy of every one : fo 
 that when any one blefled fpirit rejoices, 
 his joy goes round the whole fociety, 
 and then all their rejoicings in his joy, 
 reflow upon, and fwell and multiply it ; 
 and fo as they thus cordially borrow 
 each others joys, they always pay them 
 
 back 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 back with intereft, and by thus recipro 
 cating, do everlaftingly increafe them. 
 And now, what unfpeakable rejoicing 
 and congratulations will there be among 
 us, when we fhall pafs all heaven over, 
 through ten thoufand millions of blefled 
 beings, and meet none but fuch as we 
 mod dearly love, and are as dearly be 
 loved by ? efpecially when we fhall find 
 no defed either of goodnefs, or happi- 
 nefs in them, nor they in us, to damp 
 our mutual joy and delight, but every 
 one lhall be what every one wiihes him- 
 a perfect and bleffed friend. 
 
 WHAT eternal thanks do we not owe 
 to the author of all good, for giving us 
 fouls that are capable of afcending to 
 the fociety of thefe glorious beings, and 
 of participating forever in their exalted 
 delights ? And how muft it inflame our 
 gratitude to him for appointing LOVE to 
 be the golden road leading to thofe ce- 
 leftial regions, and for employing fo 
 D d 2 many 
 
304 THE IMMORTAL MJENTO&. 
 
 many arguments, and taking, if we may 
 thus fpeak, fo much pains to perfuade 
 us to walk in it ? For, take all the laws 
 of God, whether written on hearts of 
 flelh, or tables of ftone, or on fofter 
 leaves of evangelic paper, and eaft them 
 up What is their amount? LOVE. 
 Love is the bond of perfection. Love is the 
 fulfilling of the law. He hathjhewed thee, 
 man ! what is good, and what doth the 
 Lord thy God require of thee but to love 
 him, thy Parent God, with all thy heart, 
 and thy neighbour as thyfelf. 
 
 AND as God has thus enjoined love, 
 fo has he difpofed every thing in an or 
 der the moft favourable to the produc 
 tion of it. 
 
 FOR who is this neighbour whom we 
 are enjoined to love ? Is he fome vile 
 inferior creature whom it were hard, if 
 not impoffible to love ? No, he is, on 
 the coutrary, a mofl noble being, and 
 ckfcended from the greateft family in 
 
 the 
 
THE IMMO&TAL MENTOR. 
 
 the univerfe. He is no lefs a perfoftage, 
 than a young prince, a fon of the Great 
 King eternal, whom he is not only allow 
 ed but even commanded to call his father. 
 If fome young nobleman cloathed in filks 
 and broad-cloaths, fcented with rich per 
 fumes, and richly equipaged, were to 
 call at our houfes, we fliould inftantly 
 be imprefied with fentiments of refpeft, 
 and good will for him, and readily in 
 vite him to the hofpitalities of our tables. 
 But what are filver and gold ? what are 
 filks and broad-cloths ? what are fine 
 horfes and fervants ? in comparifon of 
 that immortal foul which this neighbour 
 pofleffes, and thofe eternal, beauties of 
 which his foul is capable ? know, that 
 he was made but a few degrees lower 
 than the angels, and that God, the true 
 judge of merit, has, on account of the 
 rich excellencies of his nature, created 
 this world, with all the goodly bright- 
 
306 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 nefs of heaven, and all the coftly fur 
 niture of earth, to ferve him. 
 
 " THOU made ft him to have dominion 
 over the works of thy hands ; thou hajl 
 put all things under his feet." 
 
 HE pofleffes a foul capable of fo ex 
 ceedingly great and eternal a weight of glo 
 ry, that rather than he fhould be depri 
 ved of it forever by fin, God himfelf 
 came down on earth to expiate it, and 
 by his own mod perfeft and amiable 
 life and lefions, to allure him back to 
 love heaven. God has adopted him as 
 his fon, and made him a free denizen 
 of his heavenly city ; and has appointed 
 his own glorious angels to wait on him, 
 as on the heir of falvation and candi 
 date for eternal glory. Can we then 
 think it hard to love him whom God 
 thus loves and thus delights to honor ? 
 
 BUT if it be eafy to love a perfon of 
 eminent dignity and excellence, it be 
 comes eafier and pleafanter ftill to love 
 
 him. 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 307 
 
 him, if he be a near kinfman and friend. 
 Well, this is truly the cafe betwixt our 
 neighbour and us. He is our near rela 
 tion our brother bone of our bono, 
 and flefh of our flefh. God kindly raif- 
 ed him up to be unto us as a companion 
 and a help-mate, to lighten our burdens, 
 to multiply our comforts, and, like dear 
 children walking in love, to enjoy toge 
 ther the rich fruits of our mutual in- 
 duftry, rejoicing in the prefent bounties 
 of our common parent, and exulting 
 in the hopes of better yet to come. 
 
 AND as if all thefe tender and en 
 dearing circumflances were not fuffi- 
 cient, God himfelf has put forth his 
 hand, and touched our hearts with fen- 
 timents of good will towards each other. 
 
 THESE native fentiments of love, thefe 
 dear remains of God's own image, origin 
 ally ftamped on our minds, appear very 
 vifible in all, even in thofe unfortunates, 
 
 whofe 
 
308 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 whofe hard lot and corrupting compa 
 nions have done much to ftifle them. 
 
 TAKE you pooreft of men ! whs 
 gleans precarious and fcanty bread, by 
 hard and humble toil. His four looks 
 and crabbed manners give room to fup- 
 peb that he is a mifanthrope, an utter 
 ftranger to natural qffeftion ; but the 
 flighted experiment will foon difcover 
 what tender fympathies unite him to his 
 kind. 
 
 You need not tell him o flourilhing 
 cities, with all their gay inhabitants, 
 fwallowed up by the devouring fword, 
 or ruthlefs flames, while mourning mil 
 lions loaded with chains, are driven far 
 from their native homes to make room 
 for new mafters. No ; fuch horrid tra 
 gedies are not neceflary to touch the 
 fprings of his compaflion. Let him but 
 hear the fong of Chevy Chafe, or the 
 tender ballad of the Babes in the Wood ; 
 or carry him to the Theatre, and lei 
 
 him 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 309 
 
 him hear, though but in a play, in mere 
 fiftion, the ftory of poor Barnwell, let 
 him behold that unfortu nate young m an, 
 who fet out in life adorned with com ely 
 virtues, and the darling of all who knew 
 him ; but foon alas ! too foon, arrefted 
 by a beauteous harlot, he falls an eafy 
 prey to her wiles, is ftript of all his 
 virtues and honors, and betrayed into 
 crimes for which he dies on the igno 
 minious gallows. 'Tis enough, this fim- 
 pie tale o_f woe calls up all his feelings 
 of generous diftrefs, and bathes his 
 cheeks in floods of fympathetic tears. 
 
 DOES not this our ready difpofition 
 to fuffer with our fuffering neighbour, 
 and to weep with him when he weeps , 
 plainly prove how much God has done 
 to make it eafy for us to love one ano 
 ther. To this he has added another 
 charming evidence, I mean the inex- 
 preffible joy which he infufes into our 
 
 hearts- 
 
310 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 hearts on doing works of love to the 
 neceffitous. 
 
 cc PRAY fir," faid a young Virginian 
 to his friend, " on what aft of your 
 " life do you refleft with the highefl 
 " complacency ?" " Why fir," replied 
 the other, " happening to hear that an 
 " old flave of my father's was fick, I went 
 " up to his quarter to fee him. On enqui- 
 M ry, I found, that in confequence of his 
 " extreme age, and inability to render 
 " further fervices in the crop, he was 
 " cruelly neglefted by the overfeer, and 
 " often made to fuffer for a meal of vic- 
 <* tuals. Blufhing to find that this was 
 " the principal caufe of his prefent in- 
 " difpofition, I mftantly returned, and 
 " taking a negro lad, carried up a flitch 
 " of bacon, a loaf of bread, and a peck 
 " of meal. On feeing the prefent which 
 " I had brought him, his half-famifhed 
 <c nature revived, and a fudden gufh 
 <( f tears trickled down his cheeks. 
 
 " Lifting 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 31! 
 
 ** Lifting up his eyes, he gave me fuch 
 " a look of gratitude and love, as pier- 
 " ced my very foul, and kindled a plea- 
 " fure, which time, inftead of diminifh- 
 " ing, does but increafe \" 
 
 THE pleafures which we find in eat 
 ing and drinking, we gratefully confi- 
 der as given by the Creator, to attach 
 us to thofe refrefhments fo neceflary to 
 life. With equal wifdom and gratitude, 
 let us remember that the heartfelt de 
 light which accompanies and fucceeds 
 our deeds of love, were meant to allure 
 us to cheriih that divine affe&ion which 
 is better than life. 
 
 FOR the fame benevolent purpofe, the 
 author of our being is pleafed to exert 
 on us the whole force of another power 
 ful fpring of a&ion ; I mean interefh 
 Our dearefl interefts in this world are 
 beft promoted, by maintaining a loving 
 correfpondence with our neighbours* 
 So uncertain is our condition, fo liable 
 E e are 
 
312 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 are we all to the changes and chances 
 of this mortal life, that no man can tell 
 how foon he may owe his very life and 
 fortune to the gratitude of a poor neigh 
 bour or Have who loves him. How 
 many accounts have we heard of poor 
 negroes, whofe love for a good mafter 
 has made them bravely to ftep in be 
 twixt him and danger ; fometimes, like 
 faithful fpaniels, plunging in, and draw 
 ing him out of deep waters, where he 
 was in the very aft of drowning ? Some 
 times, like Salamanders, rufhing upon 
 and extinguishing furious fires, that 
 were deftroying his houfes, and perhaps 
 half the labours of his life ? And fome- 
 times, like He&ors, fighting with defpe- 
 rate courage in his defence, when at- 
 ta&ed, and in danger of being fever ely 
 beaten and killed by his enemies ? 
 
 BCTT love not only thus marfhals an 
 armj with banners around us for our 
 
 fafety ; 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 313 
 
 fafety ; it alfo pours a fweet funfhine 
 of peace and harmony over our days. 
 ST. PAUL, who was a much fafer 
 guide in matters of religion, than Mr. 
 Paine, advifes us to walk in love with 
 our neighbours, if we would lead a quiet 
 and peaceable life. For as men naturally 
 perceive* a fragrance in the rofe, and a 
 fweetnefs in the honey-comb ; fo natu 
 rally do they difcern a heavenly charm 
 and beauty in love. Adorned therefore 
 with the friendly difpofitions, the fair 
 dealings, and gentle manners of this di 
 vine paffion, we fhall not fail to find 
 favour in the eyes of our neighbours, 
 and to be beloved and careflfed by them. 
 Hence we walk among them as among 
 brothers, in every face we fee a friendly 
 fmile, at every houfe a hearty welcome, 
 never devifing any mifchief againft them, 
 we never dream of their devifing any 
 againft us. Our hearts are now at reft, 
 our countenances are ferene, our voices 
 
 melodious, 
 
3*4 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 melodious, our manners mild, our fleep 
 fweet, and our whole life quiet and 
 peaceable : And, as a bleflfed confe- 
 quence of all this, together with the 
 higheft enjoyment of the prefent life, we 
 are in the heft frame of mind to prepare 
 ourfelves for that which is to come. 
 Happily freed from the anxiety and vex 
 ation of all bad paffions, we profitably 
 contemplate our numberlefs obligations 
 to love God and one another, and thus, 
 in the multitude of our good thoughts, 
 daily grow in virtue and piety. 
 
 BUT all this goodly Canaan, this land 
 of love, flowing with richefl milk and 
 honey of peace, is fnatched from our 
 eyes by the demon-hand of hatred, and 
 nought appears in its place but a land 
 of darknefs and of death, whofe dreams 
 are of gall, and its fruits of bitter afhes. 
 
 BY over-reaching a neighbour in a 
 bargain (which we fhall be too apt to 
 do if we love him not), we make him 
 
 our 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 315 
 
 our enemy. Perhaps he has the fpirit 
 to tell us of our bafenefs to our faces, 
 or to talk of it behind our backs. This 
 fires our bofoms with odious and pain 
 ful paffions. Challenges or law-fuits, 
 with all their ignominious vexations, 
 hurtful, and often fatal confequences, 
 enfue. 
 
 OR by treating him with unreafon- 
 able feverity (a thing very feaiible if 
 we love him not), we enflanie his re- 
 fentment to fuch an height, that net 
 content with {tabbing our reputation, 
 he threatens our property and lives. 
 Our curfes now multiply thick and faft 
 upon our heads. We can no longer 
 fleep in quiet, from dread of having eur 
 houfes fired over our heads. We are 
 actually afraid (the memory of thofe 
 who read may help them to inftances) 
 to ftir out, or, like people in the neigh 
 bourhood of hoflile Indians, muft make 
 E e 2 our 
 
316 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 our vifits with piftols in our pockets, 
 and carabines in our hands. 
 
 THUS, through defeft of love, we are 
 often dragged upon the ftage againfl 
 our wills, and there made to aft parts 
 in tragedies, which neither become nor 
 pleafe us. Our thoughts taken off from 
 all delightful fubje&s, are turned to fo- 
 licitous cares of felf-prefervation and de 
 fence. Our minds are difcompofed by 
 vexatious paffions. Our credit is blaft- 
 ed by falfe reports and flanderous defa 
 mations. Our hearts are kept continu 
 ally boiling with choler, our faces over 
 clouded with difcontent, our ears filled 
 with difcordant noifes of contradiction, 
 clamor and reproach; and our whole 
 frame of body and foul diflempered with 
 the worft of paffions. In the meantime 
 our natural reft is difturbed 5 our necefla- 
 ry bufmefs is hindred, our happinefs in 
 this life is utterly wretched and loft, 
 and the great concerns of heaven and 
 
 eternal 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 317 
 
 eternal glory are entirely laid afide. O 
 how much better it is to walk in the 
 fmooth and flowery paths of love, than 
 thus to wander in the rugged ways of 
 hatred, overgrown with briars, and be- 
 fet with fnares; to fail gently down 
 the courfe of life on the filver current 
 of friendfhip, than to be tofied on the 
 tempeftuous fea of contention j to be 
 hold the lovely face of heaven fmiling 
 with a cheerful ferenity, than to fee it 
 frowning with clouds or raging with 
 florins ! How much a peaceful ftate re- 
 fembles heaven, into which no ftrife nor 
 clamor ever enter, but where bleffed 
 fouls converfe together in perfect love, 
 and perpetual 'concord ! And how a 
 condition of enmity refembles hell, that 
 black and difmal region of dark hatred, 
 fiery wrath, and horrible tumult ! How 
 like a paradife the world would be flou- 
 rifhing in joy and reft, if men would 
 but cheerfully confpire in love, and ge- 
 
 neroufly 
 
318 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 neroufly contribute to each others good: 
 and how like a favage wildnefs it now 
 is, when like wild beafts, they vex and 
 perfecute, worry and devour each o- 
 ther. 
 
 AND to conclude, let us remember, 
 that " Love fhall never fail" and that, 
 the man of love " Jhall be had in ever- 
 la/ting remembrance, and his memory fhall 
 be bleffed" No fpices can fo embalm a 
 man, no monument can fo preferve his 
 name, as works of love. The renown 
 of power, of wit, and of learning, may 
 reft on the minds of men with fome 
 admiration; ba j remembrance of 
 love reigns in their hearts with fmcerefl 
 affe&ion, there creeling trophies trium 
 phant over death at-.d oblivion. The 
 good man's very duft is fragrant, and 
 his grave venerable. His name is never 
 mentioned without the tribute of a iigh, 
 and loud acclamations ol oraife. And 
 even when he is gone hence, and in per- 
 
 fon 
 
319 THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 fon is no more feen, he remains vifible 
 in the footfteps and fruits of his good- 
 nefs. The poor man beholds him in 
 the comfortable fubfiftence which he 
 ftill receives from his bounty. The 
 fick man feels him in the refreshments 
 which he yet enjoys from his charity. 
 He furvives in the hearts of the affli&ec}, 
 who ftill remember the fervices which 
 he rendered them fo cheerfully. And 
 his weeping friends dry up their tears 
 when they think of his virtues, the rich 
 fruits of which they doubt not, he is 
 now enjoying in a better world. His 
 memory fhall likewife endure forever , in 
 the favor of God, and in thofe glorious 
 rewards which he will beftow upon him 
 for his love to his brethren, God will 
 not forget his labour of love ', but will raife 
 him up after the fliort flumbers of the 
 grave, to receive that unfading crown, 
 and that precious pearl of eternal life :~ 
 " Well done good and faithful fervant, / 
 
 was 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 
 
 was Hungry and you gave me food, I was 
 thirjly and you gave me drink , naked was 
 I and you chat bed me, fick and in prifon 
 and you vi/ited me, enter now int& the joy 
 of your lord." 
 
 THUS, when all the flaflies of fenfual 
 pleafure are quite extinfl: ; when all the 
 flowers of fecular glory are withered 
 away ; when all earthly treafures are 
 buried in darknefs ; when this world 
 with all its fafliions are utterly vanifhed 
 and gone, the good man's fcate will be 
 flill firm and fiourifhing, and his righte- 
 cufnefs fljall endure for ever. 
 
 IF then you would be happy indeed ; 
 happy in every condition, and in the 
 difcharge of every duty ; happy in life 
 and in death ; happy in this world and 
 in that which is to comej learn to 
 LOVE. 
 
 " THIS having learnt, thou haft at- 
 " tained the fum of wifdom. Hope no 
 higher, though all the ftars thou 
 
 " knoweft 
 
THE IMMORTAL MENTOR. 32! 
 
 ** knoweft by name, and all the etherial 
 " powers ; all fecrets of the deep ; all 
 " nature's works, or works of God in 
 " heaven, earth, air, or fea ; and all 
 " the riches of this world enjoyedft, 
 " and all that rule one empire. Only 
 " add deeds to thy knowledge anfwer- 
 " able. Add faith, add virtue, patience, 
 " temperance ; add LOVE, the foul of 
 cc all the reft ; then ihall thou not be 
 " loath to leave this world, but lhalt in- 
 " herit a world that^s happier far." 
 
 MILTON. 
 
 FINIS.