456 Ci9R,ISTIAN MORALITY, Vit. tSERM, XXV17Í. bf all that are near ,him ; for his conduct in life is of sin- gular advantage to those that converse with hirn, as well as to himself: This than is consulted by his friends as an earthly oracle, and by his advice he saves many -from ruin. Thus he winsand wears their honour and their love. There are many good qualities both of the natural and moral kind. that must meet together, to make up a pru- dent man. He must be furnished with a memory of things, past, and with just and proper observations made upon them, that he ruay know how to improve every op- portunity and occurrence. of life to the best purposes, when the same occasions return. There is no prudence without some degrees of experience. But experience alone is not sufficient ; he should have also a wide extent of soul, and be able to take a large and comprehensive survey ofthe concurrentcircumstances of things present: And he must be blessed with a, solid judgment, that by putting many things at once into the balance, he may find which outweighs 'the rest, and determine his present con- duct thereby. He must have a degree of sagacity, to foresee future events, according to the usual conse- quences of things in this mortal state. Theprudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself; but the simplepass on, and are punished, Prov. xxii. S. that is, they suffer for their want of prudence and foresight. And besides all these, he should be a man of. firm and steady resolution to go through difficulties, and to put in practice what his judgment has determined. Rash and ungovernedpassions are great enemies ofthis virtue. Both these push a man onward to a hasty and irregular conduct. His lips multiply folly, and his hands practice it through the impatience, of his spirit. His unguarded talk, and precipitate actions plunge himself into snares, and sometimes involve his acquaintance in the same mischief. There are other characters also inconsistent with pru- dence, such as an unthinking and an unsteady temper. The thoughtless person lives at a venture, walks always' at random, and seems to aim at nothing. He enjoys the present hour indeed, talking and acting according to the mere appearance of things. He is content with a slight sudden view of any thing without recollection or fore- thought ; and in a most literal sense .takes no thought for the morrow. The fickle and inconstant man, he may aim
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