.2 I ^ U *2 S-i OJ l-l JD 6 o CO U 3 * 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.