of maturity, and happy is it for the few who even then attain
them.--_Precept_ must be constantly and artfully instilled to make any
impression on the mind, and is rarely fixed there, till experience
confirms it; therefore, as both these were wanting to form his
behaviour, what could be hoped from it, but such a one as was
conformable to the various passions which agitate human nature, and
which every day grow stronger in us, at least till they have attained
a certain crisis, after which they decay, in proportion as they
increased.

As _wrath_ is one of the most violent emotions of the soul, so I think
it is one of the first that breaks out into effects: it owes its birth
indeed to _pride_; for we are never angry, unless touched by a real,
or imaginary insult; but, by the offspring chiefly is the parent seen.
_Pride_ seldom, I believe it may be said, _never_, wholly dies in us,
tho' it may be concealed; whereas _wrath_ diminishes as our _reason_
increases, and seems intirely evaporated after the heat of youth is
over: when a man therefore has divested himself of the _one_, no
tokens are left to distinguish the _other_.--Sometimes, indeed, we
shall see an extreme impetuosity, even to old age, but then, it is out
of the ordinary course of nature, and besides, the person possessed of
it must be endued with a small share of sound understanding, to give
any marks of such a propensity remaining in him.

It is with the utmost justice, that by the system of the _christian_
religion, _pride_ is intitled the original sin, not only as it was
that of the fallen angels, but also as it is certainly the
fountain-head from which all our other vices are derived.--It is by
the dictates of this pernicious passion we are inflamed with _wrath_,
and wild ambition,--instigated to covetousness,--to envy,--to revenge,