CONSCIENCE.

Cure of an Evil

I remember a passage in St. Augustine, who enquired what might be the cause that the fall of the angels is not plainly set down in the Old Testament, with the manner and circumstances thereof, resolves itself thus: God, like a wise surgeon, would not open that wound which he never intended to cure, of whose words thus far I make use, that as it was not according to God's power to restore the devils, so, it being above man's power to cure a wounded conscience in the wicked, I will not meddle with that which I cannot mend, only will insist on a wounded conscience in God's children, where, by God's blessing, one may be the instrument to give some ease and remedy unto the disease.

Cause and Cure of a wounded Conscience.
Dialogue I.-THOMAS FULLER.

CONSCIENCE cured by Repentance. An Evil

A wounded conscience is often inflicted as a punishment for lack of true repentance; great is the difference betwixt a man's being frightened at and humbled for his sins. Cause and Cure of a wounded Conscience. Dialogue VI.-THOMAS FULLER.

CONTEMPLATION.

A Fireside

Then heap the fire-shut out the biting air,
And from its station wheel the easy chair.
Thus fenced and warm, in silent fit, 'tis sweet
To hear, without, the bitter tempest beat:

All, all alone to sit, and muse, and sigh,
The pensive tenant of obscurity.

A heart with little pleased-with little bless'd.

Childhood. Part II.-H. K. WHITE.

CONTENT. Sweetness of

Our content

Is our best having.

King Henry VIII. Act II. Scene III.-SHAKSPERE.

Content can soothe, where'er by fortune placed;

Can rear a garden in the desert waste.

Clifton Grove.-H. K. WHITE.

CONTENT with our Circumstances.

Give me to be pleased in myself, and thankful to thee for what I am, though I be not equal to others in personal perfections. For such peculiar privileges are courtesies from thee when given, and no injuries to us when denied.

Scripture Observations, XI.-THOMAS FULLER.

CONTENT may dwell with Poverty.
So in lone poverty's dominion drear,

Sits meek content with light unanxious heart,
Welcomes the rapid moments, bids them part,
Nor asks if they bring aught to hope or fear.

CONTENT. Careless

Lines on hearing a Thrush sing in
January.-ROBert Burns.

I am content, I do not care,

Wag as it will the world for me;
When fuss and fret was all my fare,
It got no ground as I could see:
So when away my caring went,
I counted cost, and was content.

Careless Content.-JOHN BYROM.

CONTENTMENT with Lot.

It is recorded of

I say to thee, be thou satisfied. the hares that with a general consent they went to drown themselves, out of a feeling of their misery; but when they saw a company of frogs more fearful than they were, they began to take courage and comfort again. Confer thine estate with others.

Anatomy of Melancholy.-ROBERT BURTON.

CONTENTMENT with Circumstances.

Endeavour always to be content in that estate of life which it hath pleased God to call you to, and think it a great fault not to employ your time either for the

good of your soul, or improvement of your understanding, health, or estate; and as these are the most pleasant pastimes, so it will make you a cheerful old age, which is as necessary for you to design, as to make provision to support the infirmities which decay of strength brings: and it was never seen that a vicious youth terminated in a contented, cheerful old age, but perished out of counMemoir, by LADY FANSHAWE.

tenance.

CONTENTMENT of Mind.

Lovely, lasting peace of mind!
Sweet delight of human kind!
Heavenly born, and bred on high,
To crown the favourites of the sky
With more of happiness below,
Than victors in a triumph know!
Whither, O whither art thou fled,
To lay thy meek contented head?
What happy region dost thou please
To make the seat of calms and ease?

A Hymn to Contentment.-THOMAS PARNELL.

CONVERSATION.

In conversation confidence has a greater share than wit.

CONVERSATION.

Maxims, LIV.-ROCHEFOUCAULT.

Concerning

If a man accosts you, and talks to you ever so dully or frivolously, it is worse than rudeness, it is brutality,

to show him, by a manifest inattention to what he says, that you think him a fool or a blockhead, and not worth hearing.

Letters to his Son, by the EARL OF CHESTERFIELD.

CONVERSATION. On Agreeableness in

One reason why we meet with so few people who are reasonable and agreeable in conversation is, that there is scarce anybody who does not think more of what he has to say, than of answering what is said to him. Even those who have the most address and politeness think they do enough if they only seem to be attentive; at the same time, their eyes and their minds betray a distraction as to what is addressed to them, and an impatience to return to what they themselves were saying; not reflecting that to be thus studious of pleasing themselves is but a poor way of pleasing or convincing others; and that, to hear patiently, and answer precisely, are the great perfections of conversation.

Maxims, LXIV.-ROCHEFOUCAULT.

CONVERSATION.

Advantages of

Conversation opens our views, and gives our faculties a more vigorous play; it puts us upon turning our notions on every side, and holds them up to a light that discovers those latent flaws which would probably have lain concealed in the gloom of unagitated abstraction.

Letter on Conversation.-WM. MELMOTH.