Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/40

 of Virtue, but also supplies them with the Conveniencies of Life. And therefore that God ought to be Worship'd above all Things, and applied to upon all Occasions ; that we should have him always in our Thoughts, acknowledge his Power, resign to his Wisdom, and adore his Goodness for all the Satisfactions of our Being, To submit to his Providence without Reserve. To be pleased with his Administration; and fully persuaded that the Scheme of the World could not have been mended, nor the Subordination of Things more suitably adjusted, nor all Events have been better timed for the common Advantage: And therefore that 'tis the Duty of all Mankind, to obey the Signal, and follow the Intimations of Heaven, with all the Alacrity imaginable: That the Post assign'd us by Providence must be maintain'd with Resolution; and that we ought to die a thousand times over, rather than desert it.

These are the Stoick Principles concerning the Deity, and the Regard due to him: Let us now examine how they stand affected towards Mankind.

And here their Precepts are no less extraordinary than in the former Case. For "They declare plainly, that we must Rh