Consider the long-suffering and forbearance of God towards us, as a
motive to its exercise. Lam. 3:22.

10. _A Forgiving Temper._ [1.] Motives to its exercise. Ps. 103:3. Eph.
4:32. Gal. 6:1. [2.] Danger of the contrary spirit. Mark 11:26.

11. _Meekness._ [1.] Its nature. 1 Cor. 13:5 Col. 3:12, 13. James 1:21.
[2.] How the Lord regards, and how he will bless the meek. Ps. 22:26.
25:9. 76:9. 147:6. 149:4. Isa. 29:19. Matt. 5:5. [3.] How it becomes the
Christian. 1 Pet. 3:4. [4.] Its manifestations. Gal. 6:1. Eph. 4:2. 2
Tim. 2:25. James 3:13. 1 Peter 3:15.

12. _Gentleness._ [1.] Twin sister of meekness. [2.] Its manifestations.
1 Thess. 2:7. 2 Tim. 2: 24. James 3:17. [3.] The pattern of gentleness.
2 Cor. 10:1. [4.] How it adorns the Christian character.

13. _Temperance._ [1.] What is temperance. Moderation in all our
desires, affections, appetites, and conduct; abstinence from injurious
indulgences. [2.] Advantages of temperance. 1 Cor. 9:25. 2 Pet. 1:6.

14. _Virtue, or Moral Courage._ How this grace affects the Christian
character. Prov. 28:1. [See History of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah,
Daniel, Jesus, and the Apostles.]

LETTER X.

_The Preservation of Health._

"I wish, above all things, that thou mayest prosper, and _be in
health_."--3 John, 2.

MY DEAR SISTER,

If we feel suitably grateful to him who hath died for us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, we shall desire to make ourselves useful
in his vineyard to the highest degree of which our natures are capable.
But, to be so, we must preserve our bodies in a healthy and vigorous
state. No farmer would think of employing a weak and sickly man in his
field, upon full wages. The nature of the service which God requires of
us is such as to call for vigor of body as well as strength of mind.
Most of our efforts to benefit our fellow-creatures are attended with
labor of body and sacrifices of personal ease. And these efforts are
greatly impeded by a feeble state of health. Again, bodily feelings have
a great influence upon the mind. When the animal powers are prostrated,
the mind almost uniformly suffers with them. Hence, a feeble state of
the body may be a very great hindrance to us, in maintaining the
Christian warfare. I know that some individuals have lived very devoted
lives, and been eminently useful, with frail and sickly bodies. But this
does not prove that, with the same degree of faithfulness, and a sound
body,