Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/324

 144 carriage; 'Tis in his power to rejoin the Body, and grow together again, and recover the advantage of being the same Member he was at first.

XXXV. Whence comes all the Powers and Prerogatives of Rational Beings? From the Soul of the Universe: Amongst other Faculties, they have this which I am going to mention. For as God overrules all Mutinous Accidents, brings them under the Laws of Fate, and makes them serviceable to his purpose; So 'tis in the power of Man, to make something out of every cross Adventure, and turn all Opposition to Advantage.

XXXVI. Don't take your whole Life into your Head at a time, nor burthen your self with the weight of the Future, nor Form an Image of all probable Misfortunes; This Method will but confound you. On the contrary, your way is upon every Emergency, to put this Question to your self, what intolerable Circumstance is there in all this? For here your Honour will secure you, you'l be asham'd to assign particulars, and confess your self Conquered. Besides, you are to remember, that neither what's past, nor what's to come needs afflict you, for you have only to deal with the present. Now this is strangely lessen'd, if you take it single, and by it Rh