neither let any one go before you in well-doing; nevertheless, do not envy the merits of another, but improve thine own talents.

Of much speaking cometh repentance, but in silence is safety.

A talkative man is a nuisance to society; the ear is sick of his babbling, the torrent of his words overwhelmeth conversation.

Avarice is the parent of evil deeds; but frugality is the sure guardian of our virtues.

From the experience of others, do thou learn wisdom: and from their failings, correct thine own faults.

Trust no man until thou hast tried him; yet mistrust not without reason; it is uncharitable.

Use not to-day what to-morrow may want ; neither leave that to hazard, which foresight may provide for, or care prevent.

The fool is not always unfortunate, nor the wise man always successful; yet never had a fool thorough enjoyment, never was a wise man wholly unhappy.

A noble spirit disdaineth the malice of fortune; his greatness of soul is not cast down.

If thou sufferest not the allurements of fortune to rob thee of justice, or temperance, or charity, or modesty, even riches themselves shall not make thee unhappy.

If thou believest a thing impossible, thy despondency shall make it so; but he that persevereth, shall overcome all difficulties.

Let not thy mirth be so extravagant as to intoxicate thy mind, nor thy sorrow so heavy as to depress thy heart.

Indulge not thyself in the passion of anger; it is whetting a sword to wound thine own breast or murder thy friend.

A fool is provoked with insolent speeches, but a wise man laugheth them to scorn.

Consider how few things are worthy of anger, and thou wilt wonder that any but fools should be in wrath.

He who pitieth another recommendeth himself.

...

Let not the rich . . . presume on his riches, nor the poor despond in his poverty; for the providence of God dispenseth happiness to them both, and the distribution thereof is more equally made than the fool can believe.

Thy food, thy clothing, thy convenience of habitation ; thy protection from the injuries, thy enjoyments of the comforts and pleasures of life; all these thou owest to the assistance of others, and couldst not enjoy but in the bands of society.

It is thy duty therefore to be a friend to mankind, as it is thy interest that man should be friendly to thee.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

(A. D. 1703-1758.)

JONATHAN EDWARDS, the New England metaphysician. and divine, was born on the 5th of October, 1703, at East Windsor, Conn., where his father ministered to the church. His mother was the daughter of a minister at Northampton, Mass. At thirteen years of age he entered Yale College; at seventeen he graduated. Four years later he became a tutor at Yale. In 1727 he was settled as pastor of the church at Northampton, where he married and remained until 1750. Differences then arose between the congregation and himself on the subject of admissions to the communion table, and he withdrew to become a missionary among the Indians. Shortly afterwards he produced his famous treatise on "The Freedom of the Will." In 1757 he was chosen President of Princeton College, in New Jersey, but enjoyed the congenial office no longer than a year. His death occurred on the 22d of March, 1758.

"He is not only the greatest of all the thinkers that America has produced, but also the highest speculative genius of the eighteenth century. . . . Take him all in all, in the beauty of his character, in the elevation of his thought, his claim to stand amid the great thinkers of the world is indisputable. In England here we have just [1896] been making welcome the new edition of Bishop Butler's works, edited by the statesman who in his retirement shows his undiminished vigour and reveals his lifelong interest in theology, and I have been comparing Butler's answer to Tindal with Edwards's, with the result that I am forced to confess that, while the rigour and vigour of inexorable logic and the strength which comes from a concentration due to the careful exclusion of all irrelevant matter are with Butler, the elevation, the insight, the oversight, the feeling of the magnitude of the problem, and the forecast of the lines along which the

ultimate answer must move, are all with Edwards." — A. M. FAIRBAIRN, D. D., "Jonathan Edwards" ("Prophets of the Christian Faith"), ch. 9.

RESOLUTIONS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS.

(From Dwight's "Life of President Edwards.")

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week. 1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do, whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved, so to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great

soever.

2. Resolved, To be continually endeavouring to find out some new contrivance, and invention, to promote the forementioned things.

3. Resolved, If ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God, nor be, nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it.

5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can. 6. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, To act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. Vid. July 30.

9. Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, When I feel pain, to think of the pains of Martyrdom, and of Hell.

11. Resolved, When I think of any Theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, If I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, To be endeavouring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, Never to do any thing out of Revenge. 15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, To live so, at all times, as I think is best in my most devout frames, and when I have the clearest notions of the things of the Gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should