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Mofes pafs'd the Red Sea: Job the juft lived in this Age, Fafon conquer'd the Golden Fleece, the Destruction of Troy, and the Latins began to rule in Italy. The fourth Age, from the Beginning of the Reign of David, to the Peregrination of the Jews into Babylon, endured 415 Years. During this Age, the Empire of the Affyrians was tranflated to the Medes, and Carthage was built by Dide, and Rome by Romulus; the Deftruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and thereupon, the Captivity of the Jews. The fifth Age from the Tranfmigration of Babylon to the Coming of our bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift, endured, by the Agreement of all Authors, 589 Years. During this Age, Cyrus began the Monarchy of the Perfians, in the 70th Year of this Age the Jews return'd home to their Country; Plato, Ariftotle and Demofthenes flourished, Alexander the Great won the Monarchy of the World, and Cæfar ufurped the Empire of Rome. The fixth Age began at the Birth of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, and hath con. tinued to this Time, which is 1747, and fhall from henceforth continue to the World's End.

Q. By the Conjectures of the Learned, for how many Thousand Years was the World to continue from the Creation?

A. Six thousand Years; becaufe that as in fix Days the World, and all that is therein, was created, fo God refted on the seventh, and thereupon it is probably collected, that in fix thousand Years, which are but as fix Days in God's Account, it fhall again be diffolved, after which fhall follow an everlasting Sabbath of Reft. Of this Opinion were many of the Fathers; and other more modern Writers, that, there should be two thousand Years before the Law, two thousand Years during the Law, and two thousand Years during the Gospel. Let this Doctrine then fuffice all good Chriftians, that we are religiously to expect the end of the World,

World, and the coming of Chrift; but not curiously to pry into those hidden and unrevealed Secrets, not imparted to Men or Angels.

Q. Whether is it better to be born of a high Birth only, or from a mean one, with an inge nious Disposition and learned Education.

A. To be of a high Birth and worthy Fame,
A double Honour doth o'er-gild that Name;
But, who hath only Title, without Worth,
Hath crack'd Fame's Trumpet, that should
fet it forth :

But who hath Wifdom's Riches, Virtue's
Store,

Tho' his Defcent be mean, his Worth's the

more.

Argus, King of Peloponnefus, for his fingular Wifdom and Circumfpection, was feigned by the Poets to have had a hundred Eyes: Briarius, for his Dexterity and Prowefs, a hundred Hands; and it was faid of Bringarius, that he knew all that was knowable: Of Hippius Eleus, that he would often glory, that there was no Art that he was ignorant of, were it liberal or mechanical; infomuch that the Ring that he wore on his Fi ger, and the Cloaths that he put on his Back, were of his own making; but yet for all this, he is the wife Man, that learns from every Man; he is the strong Man, that rules his own Affections; the rich Man, that rejoiceth in his own Portion, and he is worthy of Honour, that honoureth others.

Vain are the foft Allurements of the Face,
Unless the Mind have more than equal Grace:
External Beauty Time and Chance invade;
But Virtue's Charms endure, they never fade;
The foolish Fair into Contempt may fall;
But firm, wife, Virtue triumphs over all.
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There

There is nothing in the World fo lovely as Virtue; 'tis the Delight and Pleasure of Heaven; the Daughter of the Living God, and the true and lively Image of the Great Creator. O bleffed Dress of a Christian Soul! O precious Ornament of God's Children! O heavenly Grace! what rare and ftrong Charms haft thou, to win the Hearts and Affections of all fuch as behold thy perfect and divine Beauty! Virtue is that perfect Good, which is the Perfection of a happy Life; the only immortal Thing that belongs to Mortality: It is an invincible Greatnefs of Mind, not to be elevated or dejected, with good or bad Fortune: It is fociable and gentle, free and conftant, fearless, content within itself, full of inexhauftible Delights. As, by Nature, the Cedar will be tall; the Diamond, bright; the Carbuncle, glittering; fo Virtue will shine, tho' it be never fo much obfcur'd. It maketh Men, on Earth, famous; in their Graves, glorious; and in the Heavens, immortal. God is the Patron and Protector of gracious and virtuous Souls, and tho' they meet with envious Haters and Perfecutors, he highly exalts them in the Efteem of others, who honour Virtue wherever they meet with it, and refpect it, by fo much the. more, as it is perfecuted and opprefs'd by the Wicked and Ungodly; as knowing, that God will in his due Time, fooner or later, crown all thofe that fuffer for Righteousness fake.

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Let the best Course of Life your Choice invite;
For Custom foon will turn it to Delight;
Shun fenfual Joys, and with a Flame refin'd,
Court the diviner Pleafures of the Mind.
Prefent and future Bleffings to poffefs,
To facred Virtue make your first Addrefs.
O! therefore live, of Virtue's Service proud,
The brightest Beauty, and the best endow'd!

She'll

She'll guard your Youth from Paffion's baneful
Rage,

With peaceful Thoughts divert the Pains of Age.

Whofoever would live long and comfortably, Let him obferve thefe Rules, by which he will attain to that which he defireth.

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If thou would't preferve a found Body, ufe Fafting and Walking; if a healthful Soul, Fafting and Praying: Walking exercifeth the Body, Praying exerciseth the Soul, Fafting cleanseth both; Let thy religious Faft be a voluntary Abftinence, not fo much from Flesh, as from fleshly Thoughts. God is pleased with that Fast which gives to another, what we deny our felves. He fafts truly, that abftains religiously; grieving, really; giving, chearfully; and forgiving, charitably. He that gives to be feen, would never relieve a Man in the dark.

Q. What is the most beautiful thing in the World?.

A., One answered the Sun; which, if fo, then are blind Men of all others the moft miferable;

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but certainly Virtue, whofe refplendent Beams are difcern'd by the Eyes of the Soul, wherein blind Men, of all others, have the greatest Contemplation.

Q. Which deferve the greatest Punishment, the Body, or Soul, for committing Sin?

A. Some fay the Soul, because without it the Body were nothing, fince it is only acted upon by the Soul; others the Body, as being the chief Organ and Actor of Sin; but that they are both faulty, and deserve a like Punishment, is proved by this Similitude: A Mafter commits the Charge of his Orchard to be kept by two, whereof one is blind, and the other lame. The lame Man, having perfect Sight, fees golden Apples on a Tree, of which he tells the blind Man, and they both covet them, notwithstanding they were forbidden: To attain their Defires, the blind Man, that was ftronglimb'd, takes the feeing Cripple on his Shoulders, and fo plucking off the Fruit, eat thereof. Soon after the Mafter enters, enquires, and foon finds by whom it was done; they were both equally guilty, and are punished alike. In like manner, both Body and Soul, lending their Furtherance to Sin, are infeparably punished together for ever.

Q. Wherein do the Fundamentals of the Mabometan Religion confist?

A. The whole is delivered in the Book of their Religion called the Alcoran; which is but an Expofition, or Glofs, of their Eight Commandments. First, Every one ought to believe that God is a Great God, and Mahomet is his Prophet. Secondly, Every Man muft marry, to encreafe the Faithful, or Sectaries of Mahomet. Thirdly, He must give of his Wealth to the Poor. Fourthly, He must go to Prayers five Times in a Day. Fifthly, He must keep a Lent one Month in a Year. Sixthly, He must be obedient to Parents. Seventhly, They muft not kill. Eighthly, they muft do unto others, as they would be done unto themfelves. Many

other

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