The First Thought Is Often

That Which Is The Foundation Of All Our Hopes And Of All Our Fears; All Our Hopes And Fears Which Are Of Any Consideration; I Mean A Future Life.

Virtue Is Not To Be Considered In The Light Of Mere Innocence, Or Abstaining From Harm; But As The Exertion Of Our Faculties In Doing Good.

The Tongue May Be Employed About, And Made To Serve All The Purposes Of Vice, In Tempting And Deceiving, In Perjury And Injustice.

Every One Of Our Passions And Affections Hath Its Natural Stint And Bound, Which May Easily Be Exceeded; Whereas Our Enjoyments Can Possibly Be But In A Determinate Measure And Degree.

Men Are Impatient, And For Precipitating Things; But The Author Of Nature Appears Deliberate Throughout His Operations, Accomplishing His Natural Ends By Slow, Successive Steps. And There Is A Plan Of Things Beforehand Laid Out, Which, From The Nature Of It, Requires Various Systems Of Means, As Well As Length Of Time, In Order To The Carrying On Its Several Parts Into Execution.