the most gratuitous of all kinds of wickedness-a sort of pepper-corn acknowledgment of the sovereignty of the devil over those who indulge it.-Edwards.

PROFANENESS.-The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, is a vice so mean and low, that every person of sense and character detests and despises it. -Washington.

PROFANENESS.-Profit or pleasure there is none in swearing, nor anything in men's natural tempers to incite them to it. For though some men pour out oaths so freely, as if they came naturally from them, yet surely no man is born of a swearing constitution.-Tillotson.

PROFANENESS.-Common swearing, if it have any serious meaning at all, argues in man a perpetual distrust of his own reputation, and is an acknowledgment that he thinks his bare word not to be worthy of credit. And it is so far from adorning and filling a man's discourse, that it makes it look swollen and bloated, and more bold and blustering than becomes persons of genteel and good breeding.—Tillotson.

PROFIT AND PLEASURE.-The two common shrines to which most men offer up the application of their thoughts and their lives, are profit and pleasure; and by their devotions to either of these, they are vulgarly distinguished into two sects, and are called busy or idle men whether these words differ in meaning, or only in sound, I know very well, may be disputed, and with appearance enough; since the covetous man takes as much pleasure in his gains, as the voluptuous in his luxury, and would not pursue his business unless he were pleased with it, upon the last account of what he most wishes and desires; nor would care for the increase of his fortunes, unless he thereby proposed that of his pleasures

too, in one kind or other; so that pleasure may be said to be his end, whether he will allow to find it in his pursuit or no.-Sir W. Temple.

PROJECTORS.-Projectors in a state are generally rewarded above their deserts; projectors in the republic of letters, never: if wrong, every inferior dunce thinks himself entitled to laugh at their disappointment; if right, men of superior talents think their honor engaged to oppose, since every new discovery is a tacit diminution of their own pre-eminence.— Goldsmith.

PROMISES.-We promise according to our hopes, but perform according to our fears.-Rochefoucault.

PROMPTNESS AND ENERGY.-Do not wait to strike, till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.

PROMPTNESS AND ENERGY.- "How," said one to Sir W. Raleigh, of whom it was said he "could toil terribly,"-" how do you accomplish so much, and in so short a time?" "When I have anything to do, I go and do it," was the reply.

PROPERTY.-By doing good with his property, a man, as it were, stamps the image of God upon it, and makes it pass current for the merchandise of heaven.

PROPERTY. A great object is always answered, whenever any property is transferred from hands that are not fit for that property, to those that are.—Burke.

PROPERTY FOR CHILDREN.-Property left to a child may soon be lost; but the inheritance of virtue-a good name, an unblemished reputation-will abide forever. If those who are toiling for wealth to leave their children, would but take half the pains to secure for them virtuous habits, how much more serviceable would they be. The largest prop

erty may be wrested from a child, but virtue will stand by him to the last.

PROSELYTES.-I know not how it comes to pass, but notorious it is, that men of depraved principles and practice are much more active and solicitous to make proselytes, and to corrupt others, than pious and wise men are to reduce and convert; as if the devil's talent were more operative and productive, than that which God entrusts in the hands of his children, which seems to be wrapped up in a napkin without being employed.-Clarendon.

PROSPERITY.-Prosperity has this property, it puffs up narrow souls, makes them imagine themselves high and mighty, and look down upon the world with contempt; but a truly noble and resolved spirit appears greatest in distress, and then becomes more bright and conspicuous.-Plutarch's Lives.

PROSPERITY.-Prosperity too often has the same effect on its possessor, that a calm at sea has on the Dutch mariner, who frequently, it is said, in these circumstances, ties up the rudder, gets drunk, and goes to sleep.-Dilwyn.

PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY.- -As riches and favor forsake a man, we discover him to be a fool, but nobody could find it out in his prosperity.-Bruyere.

PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY.-The virtue of prosperity is temperance, but the virtue of adversity is fortitude; and the last is the more sublime attainment. Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity of the New, which therefore carrieth the greater benediction, and clearer revelation of God's favor.-Bacon.

PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY.-The good things which belong to prosperity may be wished; but the good things which belong to adversity are to be admired.-Seneca.

PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY.-As full ears load and lay corn, so does too much fortune bend and break the mind. It deserves to be considered, too, as another disadvantage, that affliction moves pity, and reconciles our very enemies, but prosperity provokes envy, and loses us our very friends. Again, adversity is a desolate and abandoned state: the generality of the people are like those infamous animals that live only upon plenty and rapine; and as rats and mice forsake a tottering house, so do these the falling man.— Charron.

PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY.-In prosperity prepare for a change; in adversity hope for one.—Burgh.

PROUD, THE.-The proud have no friends: not in prosperity, for then they know nobody; and not in adversity, for then no one knows them.

PROVERBS.-Proverbs are the literature of reason, or the statements of absolute truth, without qualification. Like the sacred books of each nation, they are the sanctuary of its intuitions.-R. W. Emerson.

PROVERBS.-The proverbs of several nations were much studied by Bishop Andrews, and the reason he gave was, because by them he knew the minds of several nations, which is a brave thing.-Selden.

PROVIDENCE AND REVELATION.-Providence is a greater mystery than revelation. The state of the world is more humiliating to our reason than the doctrines of the Gospel. A reflecting Christian sees more to excite his astonishment, and to exercise his faith, in the state of things between Temple Bar and St. Paul's, than in what he reads from Genesis to Revelations.-- Cecil.

PROVIDENT, THE.-The most provident and frugal com

monly have more to spare than men of great fortunes.-Johnson.

PRUDENCE.--If the prudence of reserve and decorum dictates silence in some circumstances, in others prudence of a higher order may justify us in speaking our thoughts.— Burke.

PRUDENCE IN PLEASURE.-Let prudence always attend your pleasures; it is the way to enjoy the sweets of them, and not be afraid of the consequences.

PUNCTUALITY.-Method is the very hinge of business; and there is no method without punctuality.-Cecil.

PUNCTUALITY.-I could never think well of a man's intellectual or moral character, if he was habitually unfaithful to his appointments.-Emmons.

PUNCTUALITY.-Appointments, once made, become debts. If I have made an appointment with you, I owe you punctuality; I have no right to throw away your time, if I do my own.-Cecil.

PUNCTUALITY.-Every child should be taught to pay all his debts, and to fulfil all his contracts, exactly in manner, completely in value, punctually at the time. Everything he has borrowed, he should be obliged to return uninjured at the time specified, and everything belonging to others which he has lost, he should be required to replace.-Dwight.

PURSUIT AND ATTAINMENT.-There are many things that are thorns to our hopes until we have attained them, and envenomed arrows to our hearts when we have.—Colton.