76' THE RURAL SOCRATES^ 



nature o'ijocial obligations) when I fee a man give evi- 

 dent to|cens of difquiet and agitation, I conclude he 

 begins to be dlfiatisfied with the former part of 

 his condu^ ; and that he thinks ferioufly of correcting 

 his errors, and entering upon a new plan of life. But 

 when the miud is a prey to gloomy refiecllons, there 

 is great danger of our making an improper choice, — 

 How many are there who fancy they have done all 

 that is required, when they pour forth a profufion of 

 groans and lamentable exclamations 1 and who ap- 

 prehend that religion conliils in conflantly praying, 

 and in reading pious authors j whilil: they have not 

 refolution to do well in othei: refpet^s. Loft to 

 tlicmfelves and to lociely, felf reproach is continu- 

 ally increallng ; and grafi^ing the fhadow, they re- 

 move farther and faither from the lubftance of vir- 

 tue ; like a man., when the wind has blown duft 

 in his eyes, who thinks to get it out by rubbing 

 them ; but the more he rubs, the more they be^ 

 come inflamed and painful. — You vifited our friend 

 N— — lately on his death bed. Neither his know- 

 ledge, piety, nor irreproachable life, furnhhed him 

 with fufficient motives of confolation. It is ma- 

 ny years lince he fell into the (late which I have de- 

 (cribed, and funk into a gloomy defpondency, which 

 made him burthenfome to himlelf and others. — In 

 fuch TTiomcnts, a man ought to recolle£l that he 

 has fome duty to fullil ; and that an attentive per» 

 formance of it, is the moft acceptable worfhip he can 

 pay to the fupreme Being. The dcfire of reforma- 

 tion is unavailing, unlefs accompanied with endeavors 

 to be ufcful to mankind by fome exertion correfpond- 

 ent t^ur ftation. Induftry and exercile will reftorc 

 that tranquillity we have loft, and awaken in the ioul, 

 fenfatfcns highly delightful 1 — I am no flrangcr to the 

 fir ft ft ate of mind I have been dejcribing, 1 had my 

 youthful follies, as well as other people ; I grew fen- 

 iible of my errors ; I felt the pangs of remorfe, 



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