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motives from which they proceed. To illustrate this,

Let us suppose a young lady, who, from not having been accustomed to exercise attention, finds the application necessary to the acquirement of any branch of education, to be accompanied with trouble and fatigue; and who therefore trifles away the time which she ought to have devoted to it. She cannot see all the consequences of thus idly wasting the season of improvement: but she knows that the indulgence of indolence is the motive, and that indolence is a vice, inasmuch as it is the foe of every virtue. She therefore errs against conviction; and, though she may not have very adequate notions of the disadvantages which will hereafter arise to her in consequence of her present neglect, she must have observed, or heard, that gross ignorance will expose

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expose her to deserved contempt. She is conscious that she will be miserable in being despised; but the temptation is at hand - the misery is at a distance. She therefore indulges the desire of the present moment, and drives the thoughts of the future from her mind.

Here you evidently see the difference between knowledge and principle. This young lady could discriminate between right and wrong in her motives, and could even foresee the consequences that would ensue as detrimental to her. happiness, and yet her conduct was just the same as if she had neither felt the one, nor foreseen the other. But had her knowledge of what was right, habitually led to the practice of it, she would, as soon as she became conscious of what her duty was, have resolutely sacrificed the inclinations that opposed it.

Lady

Lady Fanny

had exactly the

same disposition to indolence, the same aversion to study as the young lady mentioned above: but they were brought up in different notions of duty. Miss had unfortunately learned to think, that because she was an heiress, and an only child, she was accountable to no one. Lady Fanny lived with an aunt, who called her to an exact account for every mis-spent moment. The value of time, and the important consequences of employing the hours of early youth to the best advantage, were so often presented to her mind, that whenever she found herself inclined to loiter away the morning in doing nothing, the conviction she had obtained of the impropriety of indulging in this way occurred to her recollection. She instantly shook off sloth, and applied herself with diligence to something useful.

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useful. She at first indeed, and while she continued a little child, was chiefly influenced by the dread of incurring her aunt's displeasure, and the hope of obtaining her approbation, without any distinct notions concerning the moral reasons for either: but as she* grew older and wiser, these appeared to her in their proper light; they accorded with the dictates of conscience, and with all those views of duty which religious instruction presented to her mind. Thus you perceive that the idea of accountableness, which in childhood extended only to the parent who instructed her, was the means of laying the foundation of those habits of mind, which led to the active discharge of every duty.

In our early years, we only consider ourselves accountable to those whom Providence has set over us. Religion extends our views. It ex

hibits to us the omnipotent and eternal Governor of the universe, as intimately acquainted with all our thoughts, and words, and actions. It gives us the assurance that he who is now our witness, will hereafter be our judge; and that to him we shall be obliged to render a strict account, not only of all we do, but of all we utter, and of all we think. It is in this idea of accountableness, when it becomes habitual to the mind, so as on all occasions instantaneously to present itself, and constantly to influence our prac tice, that we shall find the true security of virtue.

An idea of our being accountable to God, may float in the imagination, nay, it may in our serious moments become an object of our firm belief; but it is not until it dwells in our hearts, and restrains or prompts us in our actions, that it can be said to be

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