feem to be any Thing, is really to be that he would feem to be. Befides that, it is many Times as troublesome to make good the Pretence of a good Quality as to have it; and if a Man have it not, it is ten to one but he is difcovered to want it; and then all his Pains and Labour to feem to have it, are loft.

It it is hard to perfonate and act a Part long; for where Truth is not at the Bottom, Nature will always be endeavouring to return, and will peep out and betray herself one Time or other. Therefore, if any Man think it convenient to feem good, let him be fo indeed; and then his Goodness will appear to every Body's Satisfaction: So that upon all Accounts, Sincerity is true Wisdom. Particularly, as to the Affairs of this World, Integrity hath many Advantages over all the fine and artificial Ways of Diffimulation and Deceit; it is much the plainer and easier, much the fafer and more fecure Way of dealing in the World: It has lefs of Trouble and Difficulty, of Entanglement and Perplexity, of Danger and Hazard in it: It is the shortest and neareft Way to our End, carrying us thither in a ftraight Line, and will hold out and laft longeft. The Arts of Deceit and Cunning do continually grow weaker, and less effectual, or ferviceable to them that ufe them: Whereas Integrity

Integrity gains Strength by Ufe; and the more and longer any Man practiseth in it, the greater Service it does him, by confirming his Reputation, and encouraging thofe with whom he hath to do, to repose the greatest Truft and Confidence in him; which is an unfpeakable Advantage in the Affairs and Bufinefs of Life.

Truth is always confiftent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out; it is always near at Hand, fits upon our Lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware: Whereas a Lye is troublesome, and fets a Man's Invention on the Rack, and one Trick needs a great many more to make it good. It is like building upon a falfe Foundation, which continually ftands in need of Props to fhore it up, and proves at laft more chargeable, than to have raised at fubftantial Building at firft upon a true and folid Foundation: For Sincerity is firm and fubftantial, and there is nothing hollow and unfound in it; and becaufe it is plain and open, fears no Discovery Of which the crafty Man is always in Danger; and when he thinks he walks in the Dark, all his Pretences are fo tranfparent, that he that runs may read them: He is the laft Man that finds himself to be found out; and whilft he takes it for granted, that he makes Fools of others, he renders himself ridiculous.

Add

Add to this, that Sincerity is the most com. dendious Wisdom; and an excellent Inftrument for the speedy Difpatch of Business: It creates Confidence in those we have to deal with, faves the Labour of many Enquiries, and brings Things to an Iffue in a few Words. It is like travelling in a plain beaten Road, which commonly brings a Man fooner to his Journey's End than By-Ways, in which Men often lose themselves. There is a fine and poetical Commendation of Truth in the Book of Efdras. All the Earth calleth for Truth, and the Heaven bleffeth it; and all Things are fhaken and tremble; neither is there any unjust Thing with it. Truth doth abide, and is strong for ever, and liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. With her,there is no receiving of Perfons, nor Difference: But he doth the Things which are juft, and abstainetb from unjust and wicked Things; and all Men favour ber Works. Neither is there any unjust Thing in her Judgment; and he is the Strength and the Kingdom, and the Power, and Majefty of all Ages.

To conclude. We ought to keep our private Life unexceptionable, to discharge the Bufinefs of our Station, and be in a Condition to answer a fair Queftion without ftraining Truth. Innocence is without Art; and thofe that are true in Life, are true in Language. A Man thoroughly honeft, has feldom an Occafion for Lying. If we

but

but keeps up to the Measures of Honour, and the Limits of Modefty: If we curb our Vanity, and dismiss our Pride, our Truth and Sincerity will be preferv'd at an eafy Rate, and neither our Character lie at Stake, nor our Names be recorded in the Register of Contempt.

WIT

WIT and HUMOUR.

WIT and Humour are two Qualities which recommend fo highly in Converfation, that there are not two Men in three to be met with, who do not pretend to the one or the other of them: And yet their Pretences, feriously examin'd, are either founded on Impudence or Affectation.

Nothing is fo much admir'd, or fo little understood, as Wit; no Author, that I know of, has written profeffedly upon it, and as for those who make any Mention of it; they only treat on the Subject as it has accidentally fallen in their Way; and that too, in little fhort Reflections, or in general declamatory Flourishes, without entering into the Bottom of the Matter. There is nothing more certain, than that every Man would be a Wit, if he could; but many are difappointed by Nature, and more by wrong Apprehenfions of the Thing they fet up for.