It should be an indifpenfable rule in life, to contract our defires to our prefent condition, and whatever may be our expectations, to live within the compaís of what we actually poffefs. It will be time enough to enjoy an estate when it comes into our hands; but if we anticipate our good fortune, we fhall lofe the pleasure of it when it arrives, and may poffibly never poffefs what we have fo foolishly counted upon.-L. SPECTATOR, Vol. III. No 191.

THERE

EXERCISE.

HERE is a ftory in the Arabian Nights' Tales, of a king who had long languifhed under an ill habitof body, and had taken abundance of remedies to no purpofe; at length (fays the fable) a physician cured him by the following method: He took a hollow ballof wood, and filled it with feveral drugs, after which he clofed it up fo artificially that nothing appeared; he likewife took a mall, and after having hollowed the endle and that part which strikes the ball, he inclofed in them feveral drugs after the fame manner as in the ball itfelf; he then ordered the Sultan who was his patient, to exercife himself early in the morning with thefe rightly prepared inftruments, till fuch time as he fhould fweat. When, as the ftory goes, the virtue of the medicaments perfpiring through the wood had fo good an effect on the Sultan's conftitution, that they cured him of an indifpofition which all the compofi-tions he had taken inwardly had not been able to remove. This Eaftern allegory is finely contrived to fhew us how beneficial bodily labour is to health, and that exercife is the moft effectual phyfic.

RELIGION

SPECTATOR, Vol. III. No. 195.

FAITH.

ELIGION may be confidered under two general heads. The firft comprehends what we are to be lieve,the other what we are to practice. By thofe things

which we are to believe, I mean whatever is revealed to us in the Holy Writings, and which we could not have obtained the knowledge of by the light of nature; by the things which we are to practice, I mean all thofe duties to which we are directed by reafon or natural religion. The firft of thefe I fall diftinguifa by the name of faith, the fecond by that of morality.

If we look into the more fericus part of mankind, we find many who lay fo great a ftrefs upon faith, that they neglect morality; and many who build so much upon morality, that they do not pay a due regard to faith. The perfect man fiould be defective in neither of thefe particulars, as will be very evident to those who confider the benefits that arife from both of them, and which I fhall make the subject of this day's paper.

Notwithstanding this general divifion of chriftian duty into morality and faith, and that they have both their peculiar excellencies, the first has the pre-eminence in feveral refpects.

First, Because the greateft part of morality (as I have ftated the notion of it) is of a fixt eternal nature, and will endure when faith will fail, and be loft in conviction.

Secondly, Becaufe a perfon may be qualified to do greater good to mankind, and become more beneficial to the world, by morality without faith, than by faith without morality.

Thirdly, Becaufe morality gives a greater perfection to human nature, by quieting the minds, moderating the paffions, and advancing the happiness of every man in his private capacity.

Fourthly, Because the rule of morality is much more certain than that of faith, all the civilized nations of the world agreeing in the great points of morality, as much as they differ in thofe of faith.

Fifthly, Because infidelity is not of fo malignant a nature as immorality; or to put the fame reafon in another light, becaufe it is generally owned, there may be falvation for a virtuous infidel (particularly in the

cafe of invincible ignorance) but none for a viciousbeliever.

Sixthly, Because faith feems to draw its principal, if not all its excellency, from the influence it has upon morality; as we fhall fee more at large, if we confider wherein confifts the excellency of faith, or the belief of revealed religion; and this I think is,

Firft, In explaining and carrying to greater heights feveral points of morality.

Secondly, In furnishing new and ftronger motives to enforce the practice of morality.

Thirdly, In giving us more amiable ideas of the Supreme Being, more endearing notions of one another, and a true Itate of ourselves, both in regard to the grandeur and vilenefs of our natures.

Fourthly, By fhewing us the blacknefs and deformity of vice, which in the chriftian fyftem is fo very great, that he who is poffeffed of all perfection and the fovereign judge of it, is reprefented by feveral of our divines as hating fin to the fame degree that he loves the facred perfon who was made the propitiation of it. Fifthly, In being the ordinary and prescribed method of making morality effectual to falvation.

I have only touched on these feveral heads, which every one who is converfant in difcourfes of this nature will eafily enlarge upon in his own thoughts, and draw conclufions from them which may be useful to him in the conduct of his life. One I am fure is fo obvious, that he cannot mifs it, namely, that a man cannot be perfect in his scheme of morality, who does not ftrengthen and support it with that of the chriftian faith.

Befides this, I fhall lay down two or three other maxims which I think we may deduce from what has been faid.

First, That we fhould be particularly cautious of making any thing an article of faith, which does not contribute to the confirmation and improvement of morality.

Secondly, That no article of faith can be true and authentic, which awakens and fubverts the practical VOL. II.

D2

part of religion, or what I have hitherto called morality.

Thirdly, That the greatest friend of morality, or natural religion, cannot poffibly apprehend any danger from embracing chriftianity, as it is preferved pure and uncorrupt in the doctrines of cur national church.

There is likewife another maxim which I think may be drawn from the foregoing confiderations, which is this, that we should, in all dubious points, confider any ill confequences that may arife from them, fuppofing they fhould be erroneous, becaufe we give up our affent to them.

For example, in that difputable point of perfecuting men for confcience fake, befides the embittering their minds with hatred and indignation, and all thevehemence of refentment, and ininaring them to profefs what they do not believe; we cut them off from the pleasures and advantages of fociety, afflict their bodies, diftrefs their fortunes, hurt their reputations, ruin their families, make their lives painful, or put an end to them. Sure when I fee fuch dreadful confequences rifing from a principle, I would be as fully convinced of the truth of it, as of a mathematical demonstration, before I would venture to act upon it, or make it a part of my religion.

In this cafe the injury done our neighbour is plain and evident; the principle that put us upon doing it,, of a dubious and difputable nature. Morality feems highly violated by the one, and whether or not a zeal' for what a man thinks the true fyftem of faith, may juftify, is very uncertain. I cannot but think, if our religion produces charity as well as zeal, it will not be for thewing itfelf by fuch cruel inftances. But to conclude with the words of an excellent author, We have just religion enough to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

SPECTATOR, Vol. VI. No. 459. C.

W

FALSHOOD.

ILL HONEYCOMB was complaining to me yesterday, that the converfation of the town is fo altered of late years, that a fine gentleman is at a lofs for matter to ftart difcourfe, as well as unable to fall in with the talk he generally meets with. Will takes notice, that there is now an evil under the fun which he fuppofes to be entirely new, becaufe not mentioned by any fatirift or moralitt in any age: Men, faid he, grow knaves fooner than they ever did fince the creation of the world before. If you read the tragedies of the last age, you find the artful men, and perfons of intrigue,. are advanced very far in years, and beyond the pleafures and fallies of youth; but now Will obferves that the young have taken in the vices of the aged, and you fhali have a man of five and twenty, crafty, false,. and intriguing, dot afhamed to over-reach, cozen, and beguile: My friend adds, that till about the latter end of king Charles's reign, there was not a rafcal of any eminence under forty: In the place of refort for converfation, you now hear nothing but what relates to the improving men's fortunes, without regard to the methods toward it. This is fo fashionable, that young, men form themselves upon a certain neglect of every thing that is candid, fimple, and worthy of true cfteem; and affect being yet worfe than they are, by acknowledging in their general turn of mind and difcourfe that they have not any remaining value for true. honour and honefty; preferring the capacity of being. artful to gain their ends, to the merit of defpifing thofe ends when they come in competition with their honesty. All this is due to the very filly pride that generally prevails, of being valued for the ability of carrying their point; in a word, from the opinion that. fhallow and inexperienced people entertain of the fhort-lived force of cunning. But I fhall, before I en-ter upon the various faces which folly, convered with. artifice, puts on to impofe upon the unthinking, produce a great authority for afferting, that nothing but.