Produced by Anna C. Haugen, Frank van Drogen, Victoria Dean-Woosley

and PG Distributed Proofreaders.

OCCASIONAL THOUGHTS

In reference to a

Vertuous or Christian

LIFE.

LONDON,

       Printed for A. and J. Churchil at the
            Black Swan in Pater-noster Row.
                    1705.

THE PREFACE.

_The following discourse was written some Years since, not without thethought that, possibly, it might be of farther use than for theentertainment of the Writer: Yet so little express Intention was thereof Publishing the Product of those leisure Hours it employ'd, thatthese Papers lay by for above two Years unread, and almost forgotten.After which time, being perus'd and Corrected, they were communicatedto some Friends of the Authors, who judging them capable to be useful,they are now sent into the World in that Hope.

There is nothing pretended or suppos'd to be in them which is notobvious: but Truths the most evident, are sometimes overlook'd, or notsufficiently and universally attended to: And where these are Truthsof moment, it is no ill Service, by frequent representations of them,to procure them attention.

I think there can be few heartily concerned for the Vice andImmorality that abounds amongst us, who have not sometimes reflectedupon loose or careless Education, as one cause thereof: But yet thegreat weight that right Instruction and Discipline of Youth, is of, inrespect both of Peoples present and future Felicity, is (as I take it)far from being generally so settl'd in the Minds of Parents, as to besteadily look'd upon by them as the one thing to that degreenecessary, that without due care taken thereof, all other indeavours,to render their Children happy, either in this Life, or in that whichis to come, are likely to be very inefficacious.

That right Instruction, in regard of Vertue, consists in joiningtogether, inseparably, good Principles with early Habits, either ofthese being insufficient without the other, is likewise, I presume, nonew Thought: But is yet what appears to me to be very little reflectedupon. When this is duly consider'd, People cannot, I think, but besoon convinc'd from what Hands the right Instruction spoken of, oughtto come; for nothing can, in my Opinion, be more obvious than that is.If these_ OCCASIONAL THOUGHTS _shall produce better digested onesfrom any other Hand; or shall themselves be any way serviceable tothe reducing or directing of one single Soul into the paths of Vertue,I shall not repent the Publishing them: And however useless they maybe to this end (sincerely aim'd at) yet the very Design will intitlethem to no unfavourable reception: For but to indeavour to contribute,in the least degree, to the Honour of God, or Good of Mankind, cannever stand in need of Pardon. And such a Modesty or Fear ofdispleasing any as withholds Men from enterprising the one, or theother of these, where nothing but their own Credit is hazarded, shouldthe design not succeed, is, on the contrary, very blameable.

Besides these two Motives, could I need any other to ingage me in thedefence of Vertue, I should find yet a very powerful one in thatdutiful Affection which I pay, and which every Subject ows to a_ GOODPRINCE: Since the QUEEN, I am fully perswaded, would not so muc