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know, how to live to great and excellent ends in a state of virginity.

A very ordinary knowledge of the spirit of Christianity, seems to be enough to convince us, that no education can be of true advantage to young women, but that, which trains them up in humble industry, in great plainness of life, in exact modesty of dress, manners, and carriage, and in strict devotion. For what should a Christian woman be but a plain, unaffected, modest, humble creature; averse to every thing in her dress and carriage, that can draw the eyes of beholders?

How great a stranger must he be to the Gospel, who does not know, that it requires this to be the spirit of a picus woman? Our blessed Saviour saith, Whosoever looketh upon a woman, to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Need an education, which turns women's minds to the arts and ornaments of dress and beauty, be more strongly condemned, than by these words? Surely, if the eye is so easily betrayed; every art and ornament is condemned, that tends to betray it.

How can a woman of piety more justly abhor and avoid any thing, than that, which makes her person a snare and temptation to other people? If wanton eyes are the death of the soul; can women think themselves innocent, who with naked breasts, patched faces, and every ornament of dress, invite the eye to offend? there is no pretence for innocence in such a behaviour; so neither can they tell, how to set any bounds to their guilt. For, as they can never know, how often they have occasioned sin in others; so they can never know, how much guilt will be placed to their own account.

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This, one would think, should deter every pious woman from every thing, that might render her the occasion of loose passions in others.

St. Paul, speaking of a thing entirely innocent, reasons after this manner; take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those, that are weak; and through thy knowledge thy weak brother perish, for whom Christ died. But, when ye sin so against

the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend; I will eat no flesh, while the world standeth; lest I make my brother to offend.

Now, if this is the spirit of Christianity; if it requires us to abstain from things lawful, innocent, and useful; when there is any danger of betraying our weak brethren into an error thereby; surely it cannot be reckoned too nice a point of conscience, for women to avoid such things, as are neither innocent, nor useful; but naturally tend to corrupt their own hearts and 'raise ill passions in others.

Surely every woman of Christian piety ought to say, in the spirit of the apostle, if patching, and paint, or any vain adorning of my person, be a natural mean of making weak, unwary eyes to offend; I will renounce all these arts, lest I make my fellow creatures to offend.

I have considered the nature and necessity of humility, and its great importance to a religious life. I have shown you, how many difficulties are formed against it from our natural temper, the spirit of the world, and the common education of both sexes.

These considerations will, I hope, instruct you, how to form your prayers for it to the best advantage; and teach you the necessity of letting no day pass without a serious, earnest application to God, for the spirit of humility. Fervently beseeching him, to fill every part of your soul with it, to make it the ruling, constant habit of your mind; that you may have no thoughts, no desires, no designs, but such, as are the fruit of a humble, meek, and lowly heart. That the whole course of your life, your expense, your house, your dress, your manner of doing every thing, may be so many proofs of the unfeigned humility of your heart; that you may go through all the actions and accidents of life calmly and quietly, as in the presence of God, looking wholly unto him, acting wholly for him; neither seeking vain applause, nor resenting neglects, or affronts; but doing and receiving every thing in the meek and lowly spirit of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

CHAP. XIX.

Frequency of devotion equally desirable by all orders of people.

Ir is reasonable for gentlemen to manage well their estates and families; but every gentleman and tradesman loses the greatest happiness of his creation; if he do not live more to piety and devotion, than to any thing else in the world.

Most men of business and figure engage too far in worldly matters; much farther, than the reasons of human life, or the necessities of the world require. Merchants and tradesmen, are generally ten times farther engaged in business, than they need; which is so far from being a reasonable excuse for their want of time for devotion, that it must be censured, as a blamable instance of covetousness and ambition.

People of figure either give themselves up to state employments, or to the gratifications of their passions in a life of gaiety; and, if these things might be admitted, as allowable avocations from devotion; devotion must be reckoned a poor circumstance of life.

Unless gentlemen can show that they have another God, than the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; another nature, than that, which is derived from Adam; another religion, than the Christian; it is in vain, to plead their state, and dignity, and pleasures, as reasons for not preparing their souls for God, by a strict and regular devotion.

For, since piety and devotion are the common means of saving souls; there is nothing left for the gentleman, the soldier, and the tradesman, but to take care that

their several states be, by care and watchfulness, by meditation and prayer, made states of an exact and solid piety.

If a merchant, having forborn from too great business, that he might quietly attend on the service of God, should therefore die worth twenty, instead of fifty thousand pounds; could any one say, that he had mistaken his calling, or gone a loser out of the world?

If a gentleman should have killed fewer foxes, been less frequent at balls, gaming, and merry meetings, because stated parts of his time had been given to retirement, meditation, and devotion; could it be thought, that, when he left the world, he would regret the loss of those hours, he had given to the care and improvement of his soul?

If a tradesman, by aspiring after Christian perfection, and retiring often from his business, should, instead of leaving his children a fortune, to spend in luxury and idleness, leave them to live by their own honest labor; could it be said, that he had made a wrong use of the world, because he had shown his children, that he had more regard to that, which is eternal, than to this, which is so soon to be at an end?

Since, therefore, devotion is not only the most desirable practice in a cloister, but the most desirable practice of men, as men; I cannot see, why every gentleman, merchant, or soldier, should not put these questions seriously to himself; "What is the best thing. for me to intend in all my actions? How shall I make the most of human life? What ways, shall I wish that I had taken, when leaving the world?"

Now to be thus wise, and thus to make use of our reason, seems to be but a smail and necessary piece of wisdom. For, how can we pretend to judgment; if we dare not seriously consider, and govern our lives by that, which such questions require of us? Shall a nobleman think his birth too high a dignity, to condescend to such questions, as these? Or a tradesman think his business too great, to take care about himself?

Any devotion, that does not procure greater good,

than can be gotten by neglecting it, is freely yielded up. But if people will live in so much ignorance, as never to put these questions to themselves; without ever considering the worth or tendency of their actions; without considering, what God, reason, and their own happiness require of them; it is for the honor of devotion, that none can neglect it, but those, who are thus inconsiderate, who dare not inquire after that, which is the best and most worthy of their choice.

It is true, Claudius, you are a man of figure and estate, and are to act the part of such a station in human life; you are not called, as Elijah was, to be a prophet; nor as Paul, to be an apostle. But will you therefore not love yourself? Will you not study your own happiness, because you are not called, to preach the same things to other people?

You would think it very absurd, for a man not to value his own health, because he was not a physician; or the preservation of his limbs, because he was not a bone setYet it is more absurd for you, Claudius, to neglect the improvement of your soul in piety, because you are not an apostle or a bishop.

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Consider this Scripture; If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but, if through the spirit ye do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many, as are led by the spirit of God, they are sons of God. Do you think that this scripture does not equally relate to all mankind? Can you find any exception here for men of figure and estate? Is not a spiritual life here made the condition, on which all men are to become the sons of God? Will you leave hours of prayer, and rules of devotion, to particular states of life; when nothing, but the same spirit of devotion can save you from eternal death?

Consider again this text; For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things, done in his body, according to that, he hath done, whether it be good, or bad. Now, if your state would excuse you from appearing before this judgment seat; if your figure could protect you from receiving according to your works; there would be some pretence for your

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