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tation, as well as Applause and Panegyrick, nešť to Superftition or Idolatry.

THE Fear of the Lord is the great Foundation of all thofe above-mentioned Virtues in this Elay. Virtues! which are either not to be found at all in Perfons that have no devout Senfe of God, or elfe found to be very imperfect,unfruitful, inconftant, unequal, and infufficient; varying as their feveral Paffions over-rule their Minds, fway their Spirits, gratifie their Fancies, or govern their Inclinations. But our virtuous Lady delights wholly in the divine Law, and fincerely profeffes this religious Fear to fuch a high Degree of Practice, that fhe values her felf for nothing more than her Devotion in the Beauty of Holiness; of which the her felf is the livelieft Örnament: Infomuch that her Virtues recommend Religion to others, and Religion it felf is honour'd by her eminent Virtues. Her pious Example makes People Profelytes, and they can not but praise her for their Converfion. This Fear, in fine, is not only the Beginning of all. Wisdom; but likewife the grand Fundamental of all Religion, as well as the Confummation of Faith, Hope, and Charity in full Perfection. There is not one Atheist in Hell; for the Devils themfelves and All fear and tremble there, at the Apprehenfion. They know their Maker better than dubious Deifts, or Atheistical Eternalizers of Matter, which was made out of nothing; and can any Thing make it felf, by a flat Contradiction in Terms? But who can fairly look out of his Eye-lids, and foolishly deny the Being of a God, or not faithfully acknowledge his own incomprehenfible Creation?

PHYSIOGNOMY often proves the most mistaken Guess.Work. The Face is generally reckon'd

reckon'd the falfeft Index of the Mind. Philo fophers are not best known by their long Beards or their fevere Brows. 'Tis not the right Way to discover Virtue, which does not lie fo near the Skin. How fhould ftroling Gypfies, Chiromancers, Phyfiognomifts, &c. know any Thing of People's Natures, Conditions, or Fortunes, by their Features, and the outward View of their Bodies? All Fortune-telling ought to be explo ded as a vain Foolery; Palmeftry, as arrant Nonfenfe, or a palpable Delufion; Phyfs-Gazing, as a plaufible Trick to get Money by a willing Deception; and Judicial Aftrology it felf, as no more than a ridiculous Piece of Conjuration, in Pretence only, Conjecture or Amuzement, by cafting of Figures, or calculating of Nativities. Their Hands and Faces can never betray the inward Receffes of their Souls, reveal the prefent Secrets of their Hearts, fhew the paft Actions of their Lives, or foretel the future Contingencies of their Fates. But those Things must be left wholly to Omnifcience; with abfolute Submiffion to the Sovereign Judgment and Determination of God himfelf alone, the great Kardiognoftes, or Heart-Searcher of the World, in his infinite Wisdom.

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EXTERNAL Form, Figure, or Shape; Colour, Complexion or Favour, be they never fo fine and amiable, or fulfome and difagreeable to the Eye; are the most fallacious Criterions of knowing a good Woman's Character, or discovering the internal Qualifications, Embellishments and Beauties of her nobler Part. For, what and if the be hard-favour'd,ill-complexion'd, deform'd, crooked, or ugly without, by an Error of Nature; fhe may perhaps yet be All-glorious within, devout, uniform, beautiful, and divine:

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That is, the most charming and angelick Creature, for the Virtues of her Soul, the Brightness of her Understanding, the Exactness of her Judgment, the Regularity of her Will, the Uprightnefs of her Inclinations, and the most agreeable Government of her Paffions, to the last Degree of Patience, or Perfection of Philofophy. And then again, on the other Hand; what and if fhe be the fairest of her Sex, the best-fhap'd, and most beautiful in external Shew or Appearance; he may peradventure, notwithstanding all thefe excellent Outfide-Ornaments, be internally vicious, deceitful, or diabolical: That is, foul in the Mouth, falfe in the Heart, foolish in her Tongue, and filthy in her Affections; frail in the Faculties of her Intellect, corrupt in her Judgment, perverfe in her Will, loofe in her Thoughts, debauch'd in her Morals, and diforder'd in her Paffions, to the laft Extremity of Uglinefs, Deformity, or Distraction. But it must be

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granted, that the Beauty of Beauties is our prudent Lady, here commended for her Modesty and Devoutnefs in Religion, by preferring the Fear of the Lord far before all other vulgar Praifes, or vain Characteristicks: who evidently poffeffes the Excellencies of both the one and the other, the Infide as well as Outfide-Perfections, and the virtuous Accomplishments of the Mind, as well as the graceful Gayeties of the Body.

1. FAVOUR, if it be taken for real Kindnefs, or pretended Friendship, is moft notoriously deceitful, to a great Degree of Impofition and Flattery. Pardon the Digreffion. Nothing can be more rare than the former in Deed, and more common than the latter in Difguife. There's fcarce any Thing to be found upon Earth fo fictitious or fallacious as humane Favour in either

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Acceptation. As to the latter, where is it lodg'd in Reality? What Breaft does it live in, pure and fincere as it ought to be in Action or Prin ciple, without any finifter Design of Selfifhnefs; either Self-Love, Self-Conceit, or Self-Intereft, for fome By-End or other, of a greater Recompence and Retaliation? Where fhall we find the Refidence of true Friendship in good Earneft; without any fly Diffimulation? Very feldom at the Court, or in the Camp, or about the Royal Exchange, in Veracity. It either lies hid in fome humble Retreats and inferiour Cottages, or else it is quite banifh'd the Country and Kingdom, as a Criminal or Malefactor, for its Fidelity. Perhaps Aftraa carry'd it away for Company in her laft Flight of Juftice to Heaven. But what Country Men are Friends, in Time of Need, Adverfity, or Tribulation? Why truly, they are meer Utopians, or a Sort of unknown People, as imaginary almost as those that are thought to live in the World of the Moon. As to the former, it is all Pretence only or Grimace, generally speaking; and nothing elfe but a politick coun terfeiting of Kindness, for the most Part of Converfation. The Art of Wheedling is wonderfully improv'd of late, and requires a New Edition of Hypocrifie, with many additional Gloffes. People are all as kind as can be Teethoutwards, and look very fair in the Face; but try them to the Heart, and they are rotten or not found at the Core. Their fairest Promises, like ripe Fruit, often fall off the Tree by their Falfe Heartedness. Their pretended Kindneffe's generally prove all courtly Cajoleries, or Ludifications only off the Lip; fickle, inconftant, and precarious; as they frequently appear upon many Occafions of Knavery, Tricking, or ferv

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ing their own private Turns; and not to be depended upon for any long Continuance or laft. ing Faithfulness. Their moft favourable Pretenfions, in Expreffion, are quickly gone in an After-Frown, or a fantastical Pet. They fuddenly vanish in a Breath at a wry Face, a wrong Look, or the leaft Word that is dropp'd out of Seafon, to their irreconcileable Diflike, Difpleafore, and Diffatisfaction. The minutest Circumftance of an Action, how innocent or undefign ing foever, that looks a-fquint upon their Lip Services; highly difobliges their Honour, offends their Humour, provokes their Indignation, breaks-off all former Favours, and forfeits any new ones for the future. But of all temporary Things, Court-Favour is the fulleft of Uncertainty and Variation. It looks big indeed with Diffembling; but is often deliver'd with Deceit, Delufion, or Difappointment. There is no Dependance upon the fudden Performance of the kind Promifes of fome complaifant Courtiers. But by conftant Attendance, in Length of Time, a Man may perhaps become either like a Shittle-Cock, to be tofs'd up into the Air for a while at their Pleasure, or like a TennisBall, to be thrown out of Play afterwards at their Diverfion.

II. FAVOUR again, if it be taken for Female Beauty, as it moft properly ought to be interpreted in this Place, is admirably captivat ing, egregiously delufive, and gloriously vain. But our forward Ladies would do well not to be over-fond of fuch a perishable Charm, fuch a deceitful Gemm, or fuch a changeable Loadftone; which may foon lofe all its Value, Virtue, and Attraction. They fhould not be too proud of the most precious Bleffing, that is fo

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