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Show ( 76 ) After Breakfafi, my Friend ufually retired again to his Study, till near Dinner Time, unlefs when he was hindered bt Company, by doing fome aCl: of Charity, or of Jufiice as a Magifirate; for he · was in the Commiffion of the Peace, an Office, . which, though troublefome, he chofe to bear for the fake of being ufeful; for he ufed to fay, he thought the Life of a mere idle Gentleman criminal, and that he did not fee how fuch Perfons · c.ould ex peel: to be in a future State raifed to facial Happinefs (and every State of Happinefs for foci a! Beings mull be foci a!) who did not cultivate , a focial Difpdition in the prefent, and thought of · nobody, but their noble felrcs. The Meals at my Friend's Houfe were always moderate, even when he had Company; much more when alone. For he and his Lady placed · their Happinefs in Things much fuperior to eating and drinking. After Dinner, walking in the Garden, or Mufic, paffed away an Hour, or fo. And then my Friend employed himfelf in reading, writing, vifiting, and receiving his Friends, lookjog into his Aft;. irs, and the like, till a very light Supper, generally without any kind of animal Food, concluded the Day, and compofed the Fa- . mily to early !{eft; but not wi thcudirfi lifting the Eye and Voice of Gratitude to Him, whofe Providence had watched over them through the Day, and commending themfelves to his Care during the Night. THEoPHIL us was, from Reafon and Conviction, firmly attached to Virtue, which he univerfally obfervcd W1th perfeCl: Str iEtnefs, not picking and choofing; but paying an equal RefpeCl: to all the Divine Laws. His Temperance was exemplary, and his command of his Paffions abfolute. He He loved all his Fellow-creatures, of every Perfuaf~ Pn, and every CharaCter, and. delighted in ooing them good. He was at all umes, a~d on all Occafwns difpofed for exertmg hiS Benevolence, and a; ready to ferve People in one Wa~, as in another, with his Advice, hiS I~terefr, or htS Fortune ; but always confifrently with Prudence, and his Duty to his Family. He ufed to fay, he thought himfelf as much obliged to any one, who gave him an Opportumty of domg a kmc ACtion as mofr People think themfelves to thofe who h;lp them to put Money in their Pockets. And he often obferved, that the wotfr Man, that ever lived, could not be a proper Objet\ of the hatred of his Fellow-creature, but, on the contrary, of his Benevolence. Becaufe the worfr Man upon Earth was only gone a!lray; and, 1f reformed, might become an Angel. Many an Hour have I fpent with him in lamenting together the fatal Degeneracy of our poor unthinking Fellow- creatures, who give up the Prof pet\ of endlefs Blifs for the vain Hope of what has ever been found to work their Woe, infiead of their Happinef. s. And with all his Rellexions on the deplorable Blindnefs and Thoughtlefli1efs of Mankmd, he ever joined. fume humble Acknowltdgment of his own Deficiency, whith he always magnified, excufing and extenuating as much as pollible the Faults of others. The !:>chemes he has communicated to me for promoting Virtue and Religion, are almofr innumerable. Some of them he laid betore the Public. And a proper Attention was accordingly paid to them. Others he was ad~i_i'ed to keep in referve lor more proper Opportumues. But the Truth is, in free Countries, and efpecially in England, above all others, nothing can be con- · • ~e1v~d |