Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian lifeMasham, Damaris, Lady
Religion
Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian life
Masham, Damaris, Lady
Christian life -- Anglican authors
One might hence therefore, it may be, reasonably believe, that God
reserves to himself, by some extraordinary interposition of his
providence, that Reformation which we are assur'd, will some time be
effected. But yet if all Persons, eminent by their Quality, who merit
not to be rank'd among the Vicious and Ignorant, would give the
Example, much would thereby be done towards the introducing of a
general amendment: Since these could make a greater care of Education
in the above-mention'd Respects, become, in some degree, Fashionable:
And even a reasonable thing will not want Followers, if it be once
thought the Fashion. We have seen also that Mothers, in regard of
their Childrens Instruction, ought to take upon themselves, as their
proper Business, a very great part in that concernment; and one would
think that there were no inconsiderable number of Ladies amongst us,
who might, with hopes of success, be address'd to, that they would
indeavour to acquit themselves herein of their Duty. I mean all such
as are unhappily Marry'd; for what so good Reparation can they find
for the misfortune of having foolish and vicious Husbands, who neglect
or treat them ill, as the having Children honour'd for their Vertue,
and who shall honour and love them, not only as their Parents, but as
those to whom they owe much more than their Being?
To perswade such whose Heads are full of Pleasure, and whose Hours
pass gaily, to seek their satisfaction in things of which they have
never yet had any tast, could not reasonably be thought other than a
vain Attempt: But they who are wretched, one would think, should be
easily prevail'd with to hearken to any Proposition, which brings but
the least glimpse of Happiness to them; and were that tenderness of
their Children, which ingages Mothers to do them all the good they
can, less natural than it is to Vertuous Women, one would imagine,
that when from these alone they must expect all their Felicity in
this Life, they should readily contribute what is in their Power to
the securing to themselves this only Blessing which they can propose;
and which they cannot miss of, without the greatest increase
imaginable to their present unhappiness: Childrens Ill-doing being an
Affliction equal to the Joy of their doing well. Which must be an
unspeakable one to such Parents as are conscious, that this is in
great measure the Fruit and Effect of their right direction. Nor is
there any thing which a vertuous Man or Woman does not think they owe,
or is too much for them to return to those to whom they believe
themselves indebted for their being such. How great a Felicity then
may a Mother, unhappy in the Relation of a Wife, (by procuring to
herself such Friends as these) lay up for her declining Age, which
must otherwise be more miserable than her unfortunate Youth? And how
much better would she employ her time in this care, than in the
indulging to a weakness, very incident to tender Minds, which is to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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