By doing or at least endeavouring to do our duty to God and man by acquiring an humble trust in the mercy and favour of God through Jesus Christ by cultivating our minds and properly employing our time and thoughts by governing our passions and our temper by correcting all unreasonable expectations from the world and from men and in the midst of worldly business habituating ourselves to calm retreat and serious recollection by such means as these it may be hoped that through the Divine blessing our days shall flow in a stream as unruffled as the human state admits. A metaphor is a comparison expressed in an abridged form but without any of the words that denote comparison as "To the upright there ariseth light in darkness." All our conduct towards men should be influenced by this important precept "Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you." Philip III. king of Spain when he drew near the end of his days seriously reflecting on his past life and greatly affected with the remembrance of his mispent time expressed his deep regret in these terms "Ah! how happy would it have been for me had I spent in retirement these twenty-three years that I have possessed my kingdom." Often is the smile of gaiety assumed whilst the heart aches within though folly may laugh guilt will sting. There is no mortal truly wise and restless at once wisdom is the repose of minds. CHAP. IV. PERIOD. When a sentence is complete and independent. and not connected in construction with the following sentence, it is marked with a period. (w) Some sentences are independent of each other, both in their sense and construction; as, "Fear God. Honour the king. Have charity towards all men." Others are independent only in their grammatical construction; as, "The Supreme Being changes not, either in his desire to promote our happiness, or in the plan of his administration. One light always shines upon us from above. One clear and direct path is always pointed out to man." The period should be used after every abbreviated word; as, "M. S. P. S. N. B. A. D. O. S. N. S." &c. Sentences which require the insertion of the Period, &.c.* The absence of Evil is a real Good Peace Quiet exemption from pain should be a continual feast Worldly happiness ever tends to destroy itself by corrupting the heart It fosters the loose and the Violent passions It engenders noxious habits and taints the mind with false Delicacy which makes it feel a Thousand unreal Evils Feeding the hungry clothing the Naked comforting the afflicted yield more pleasure than we receive from those actions which respect only Ourselves Benevolence may in this view be termed the most refined self-love The Resources of Virtue remain entire when the Days of trouble come They remain with us in Sickness as in Health in Poverty as in the midst of * As every learner is supposed to know, that the first word in a sentence must have a capital letter, there would be little exercise of his judgment, in applying the period, if no words were distinguished by capital letters, but such as propriety required. The compiler has, therefore, in this and the following chapters, affixed capitals to many words, which should properly begin with small letters. This method, besides the use chiefly intended, will also serve to exercise the student in the proper application of capital letters. Riches in our dark and solitary Hours no less than when surrounded with friends and cheerful Society The mind of a good man is a kingdom to him and he can always enjoy it We ruin the Happiness of life when we attempt to raise it too high A tolerable and comfortable State is all that we can propose to ourselves on Earth Peace and Contentment not Bliss nor Transport are the full Portion of Man Perfect joy is reserved for Heaven If we look around us we shall perceive that the Whole Universe is full of Active Powers Action is indeed the Genius of Nature by Motion and exertion the System of Being is preserved in vigour By its different parts always acting in Subordination one to another the Perfection of the Whole is carried on The Heavenly Bodies perpetually revolve Day and Night incessantly repeat their appointed course Continual operations are going on in the Earth and in the waters Nothing stands still Constantine the Great was advanced to the sole Dominion of the Roman World A D 325 and soon after openly confessed the Christian Faith The Letter concludes with this Remarkable Postscript "PS Though I am innocent of the Charge and have been bitterly persecuted yet I cordially forgive my Enemies and Persecutors" The last Edition of that valuable Work was carefully compared with the Original M S CHAP. V. Sentences requiring the application of the Dash, of the Notes of Interrogation and Exclamation; and of the Parenthetical characters. P (x) Denotes the Interrogative point? (x 2) 66 66 66 66 a Dash or Break 2) ening a pause. وو Beauty and Strength combined with Virtue and Piety how lovely in the sight of men how pleasing to Heaven peculiarly pleasing because with every Temptation to deviate they voluntarily walk in the Path of Duty Something there is more needful than expense Gripus has long been a dently endeavouring to fill his Chest, and lo it is now full is he happy and does he use it Does he gratefully think of the Giver of all good Things Does he distribute to the Poor Alas these Interests have no Place in his breast What is there in all the pomp of the world the Enjoyments of Luxury the Gratification of Passion comparable to the tranquil Delight of a good Conscience To lie down on the Pillow after a Day spent in Temperance in beneficence and in piety how sweet is it We wait till to-morrow to be Happy Alas Why not to-day Shall we be younger, Are we sure we shall be healthier. Will our passions become feebler and our love of the world less What shadow can be more vain than the life of a great Part of Mankind Of all that eager and bustling Crowd Which we behold on Earth how few discover the path of true Happiness How few can we find whose Activity has not been misemployed and whose Course terminates not in Confessions of Disappointments, On the one Hand are the Divine Approbation and immortal Honour on the other remember and beware are the stings of Conscience and endless Infamy As in riper Years all unseasonable Returns to the Levity of Youth ought to be avoided an Admonition which equally belongs to both the Sexes still more are we to guard against those intemperate Indulgences of Pleasure to which the young are unhappily prone The bliss of man could pride that blessing find Is not to act or think beyond mankind Or why so long in life if long can be Lent Heaven a parent to the poor and me CHAP. VI. Promiscuous examples of defective Punctuation. SECT. I. EXAMPLES IN PROSE. * When Socrates was asked n what man approached the nearest to perfect happiness p he answered v 3 That Man who has the fewest Wants She who studies her Glass o 2 neglects her Heart Between Passion c 2 and Lying p there is not a Finger's breadth The freer we feel ourselves in the Presence of others the more free are they v he who is free o 2 makes free Addison has remarked b with equal b Piety and The notes in these Examples refer the Student to the Rules in Punctuation. |