Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	line_n	page_n	read_v	6,105	5	12.0510	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60881	A discourse concerning generosity	Somers, John Somers, Baron, 1651-1716.	1693 (1693)	Wing S4640; ESTC R221638	48,520	157

Happy without their own Choice and Endeavour shews the necessity of the latter And indeed the reasonableness and necessity of doing these two Things is so evident that I think it needless either to insist upon proveing it or to use Arguments to engage Men to put them in practice But it must be observed that these two ought to go hand in hand And both must be performed with that Sincerity of Mind which is necessary upon so just an occasion As for what relates to our own Endeavours the Method we take in other Cases will serve in this If we would acquire a Habit of Justice Temperance or the like Vertues We stedfastly resolve and excite our selves to perform those Offices which pertain to Justice Temperance c. and endeavour to avoid the contrary Vices If we offend we renew our good Resolutions and with doubled care and diligence endeavour to put them in Execution The like we must do in this Case And herein we have this further Encouragement that the same Methods which serve for acquiring this Habit will likewise serve for our improveing in it But more particularly let us consider briefly in what manner our Endeavours upon this occasion may be exerted First because we find it natural to Mankind to act agreeably to the Notions which they have conceived of things And because Men cannot Chuse nor by consequence Act rightly till they can competently distinguish between things and know what is fit to be chosen and what is to be refused It is necessary therefore that we endeavour in the first place to possess our Minds with just Sentiments concerning the nature of Things particularly concerning the Differences between Good and Evil Decent and Indecent Honourable and Dishonourable So also because it is found by experience that there are many things which Men will not set about in good earnest till such time as they are convinced that they are under some Obligation to the doing of them or that it is for their Honour or Interest to do them It is necessary that we represent to our Minds with all the force and perspicuity possible those Considerations which demonstrate as well the honourable and becoming nature of Vertue and its happy Consequences as likewise the firm and indispensable Obligation we are under to act according to the Rules which it prescribes And because on the other hand it is found by experience that 't is of great use to restrain Men from the Commission or Practice of several things to convince them that they ought not to do those things and that the doing of them will be both very Pernicious and very Dishonourable to them It seemeth necessary that we likewise represent to our Minds with all the force and perspicuity possible those Considerations which serve to make us sensible that Vice is really Base and Dishonourable that it draws after it the bitterest and most pernicious Consequences that can be imagined and that we are under the most solid Obligations in the World to refuse and avoid it with all our Power And this is to be done so frequently that the wholesome Conclusions we draw from these Considerations may make a deep Impression upon our Minds and beget in us an habitual and immoveable Conviction of the reasonableness and necessity of acting accordingly Having therefore opened our Minds to a just and exact Consideration of the true nature of Things and thereupon formed certain general Judgments or Rules by which we may conduct our Actions so as to ehuse that which is Good Decent and Honourable and to shun and avoid the contrary and even to prefer that which is more Good Decent and Honourable before that which is less so It will only remain that we firmly and advisedly resolve with our selves to go in all Cases as near as we can by those Rules and whether we be more or less knowing endeavour to act according to the best of our Skill and Knowledge And by this means we shall be put in a way of making the right and best use both of our Understandings and our Wills which are the two great Springs from whence our Actions do proceed But further because it is found that Men are naturally bent to desire and prosecute those things which appear to be lovely and amiable It seemeth proper that we should likewise take all fit Occasions to contemplate and represent to our selves the amiable nature of this Vertue of Generosity that as it is very beautiful in it self so it may appear in a lively manner such to our Minds A Beauty will not Charm if concealed or unobserved Nor will Generosity appear to us Lovely as it is unless we turn the Eyes of our Minds towards it It is necessary therefore in this Case that we apply our selves as well to consider the Characters of Generosity in the Theory as likewise to observe how beautiful it appears to be in such as exercise it in a just manner what a Charm and Engagement it carries with it how Decent how Venerable how Agreeable to our best Thoughts it is By this means we shall be inspired with the Love and Admiration of it and consequently be engaged to pursue it with Vigour In a word though it be of good use to set before our selves in general good and wholsome Rules of acting and to make general Resolutions of pursuing them and to strengthen those Resolutions with such Considerations and Motives as are proper for that purpose Yet it seems material to be observed that this will hardly be effectual unless we likewise enure our selves actually to put in execution the Resolutions which we make and reduce those Rules into Practice in particular Cases Experience shews how heedless and unvigilant Men are wont to be and how ineffectual and ill usory their general Resolutions often prove Insomuch that for want of confirming themselves in the Habits of Vertue by particular and repeated Acts they sometimes fall into the contrary Habits of Vice and undo all the good Resolutions they had formerly made It is found that Habits are gained by the frequent repeating of particular Acts and are confirmed and improved by Use and Practice nor can indeed long subsist without it And so in particular is the Habit of Generosity And therefore we must of necessity enure and accustom our selves to particular Acts of Generosity if we desire to acquire the Habit of it or to continue or improve in that Character FINIS ERRATA PAge 11. line 12. add 1. p. 13. l. 5. for Perfections read Perceptions p 14. l. 8. after esteem make a p. 28. l. 8. r. compounded p. 33. l. 24 after that add it p. 36. l. 13. r. make such use of it as that it may p. 42. l. 25. f. undertake r. undervalue p. 65. l. 24. f. on r. in and l. 25. f. in r. on