THE nearest way to honour is for a man fo to live, that he may be found to be that in truth he would be thought to be. EVERY other fpecies of luxury operates upon fome appetite that is quickly fatiated, and requires fome concur rence of art, or accident, which every place will not fupply; but the defire of eafe acts equally at all hours, and the longer it is indulged, is the more increased. WOULD we be but truly ambitious of deferving, after our exit from off the ftage of this world, that concise yet comprehenfive inscription, " In memory of a fincere Chrif "tian;" in this life all the happiness fuitable to our state would be fecured, and (what is of infinitely greater confequence) beatitude unutterable for evermore. For, whatfoever things are pure; whatsoever things are lovely; whatfoever things are of good report; are they not included in that grand and noble aggregate, a fincere Christian? WE ought to spend the remainder of our life, as if it were more than we expected, and lent us on purpose for wifer management.-We should continually fay with Job, "Are not my days few?" and endeavour to imprint on our minds this fentence of David, "The Lord hath made my "days as an hand's breadth; mine age is as nothing before "him;" or that of Mofes, "The beft of our days are "but labour and forrow, for they are foon cut off, and we fly away." 66 AS pride is fometimes hid under humility, idleness is often covered by turbulence and hurry. He that neglects his known duty, and real employment, naturally endeavoursto crowd his mind with fomething that may bear out the remembrance of his own folly, and does any thing but what he ought to do, with eager diligence, that he may keep himself in his own favour. THE man who feels himself ignorant, fhould at least be modett. PERHAPS G 2 PERHAPS every man may date the predominance of thofe defires that disturb his life, and contaminate his confcience, from fome unhappy hour, when too much leisure expofed him to their incurfions; for he has lived with little observation, either on himself or others, who does not know that to be idle is to be vicious. THOSE who, in confidence of fuperior capacities and attainments, difregard the common maxims of life, ought to be reminded, that nothing will fupply the want of prudence; and that negligence and irregularity, long continued, will make knowledge ufelefs, wit ridiculous, and genius contemptible. "TIS honourable to fupport the glory of one's ancestors by actions which correfpond with their reputation; and it is alfo glorious to leave a title to one's defcendants which is not borrowed from our predeceffors. The THERE is one fource of refined pleasure, which the enjoyment of wealth affords to a rational mind. extenfion of help to the helpless, of relief to mifery, and of comfort to those who dwell in the vale of adverfity, are employments in which we feel the pureft fatisfaction. To awaken joy in countenances ftrongly marked with the gloom of forrow, is attended with the most refined fenfations of delight, and attunes the foul to harmony. This is the noblest use to which wealth can be applied; the effential end for which heaven has difpenfed it. But, amongst the great and opulent, how few there are who exercise themfelves in fuch a courfe of benevolence and virtue! How few whofe minds are fufficiently elevated to feek for the fatisfaction arifing from a conduct so truly estimable ! IF the indigent part of the fpecies did but carefully confider, that to be good is to be happy, and that virtue and religion are accommodated to every fituation and capacity, they would fee abundant cause for thankfulness, even amid thofe fcenes of fervitude and toil, which now perhaps occafion envy, difcontent, and murmuring. SHOULD SHOULD health or retirement from the buftle and noife of the town, excite you to walk in the filent fields, to taste the sweets of rural life; every object the country affords, may yield you pleafing fubjects for facred cogitation. While you behold the handy-work of God in every blade of grafs, tree, bird, beast, or infect, prefented to your view, and in every flower that blows in meadows, plains, or valleys, trace the finger of Omnipotence, may you be led to adore the great Creator of universal nature, and in mental aspirations to own his power, admire his goodness,, and exprefs his praise! IF in this prefent mixed ftate, all the fucceffive fcenes of diftrefs through which we are to pafs, were laid before us in one view, perpetual fadness would overcaft our life. Hardly would any tranfient gleams of intervening joy be able to force their way through the cloud. Faint would be the relifh of pleafure, of which we forefaw the close : insupportable the burden of afflictions, under which we were oppreffed; by the load not only of prefent but of anticipated forrows. Friends would begin their union with lamenting the day which was to diffolve it; and with weeping eye,. the parent would every moment behold the child whom he knew that he was to lofe. In fhort, as foon as that myfterious veil which now covers futurity was lifted up, all the gaiety of life would difappear, its flattering hopes, its pleaf- · ing illufions would vanith, and nothing but its vanity and fadness remain. The forefight of the hour of death would interrupt the whole courfe of human affairs, and the overwhelming profpect of the future, instead of exciting men to proper activity, would render them immoveable with confternation and difmay. How much more friendly to man is that mixture of knowledge and ignorance, which is allotted him in this ftate! Ignorant of the events which are to befal us, and of the preeife time which is to conclude our own life; by this ignorance our enjoyment of prefent objects is favoured, and knowing that death is certain, and that human affairs are full of change, by this knowledge our attachment to those objects is moderated precifely in the fame manner, as by the mixture of evidence and obfcurity G. 3 which which remains on the profpect of a future ftate, a proper balance is preserved, betwixt our love of this life, and our defire of a better. THE CHACE. PANTING, half dead the conquer'd champion lies, Then fudden all the brave ignoble crowd, Loud-clam'ring, feize the helplefs worried wretch, And, thiriting for his blood, drag different ways His mangled carcafe on th' enfanguin'd plain : O breasts of pity void! to opprefs the weak, To point your vengeance at the friendless head, And with one mutual cry infult the fall'n! WHATEVER be the motive of infult, it is always best to overlook it; for folly scarcely can deferve resentment, and malice is punished by neglect. THE clouds are formed, wafted abroad, diftilled gently in infenfible dews, or poured forth in plentiful showers. Thus alfo fountains are formed, break forth into streams, and are fivelled into rivers, till at length they fall into the ocean again, and make a grateful return of benefits received. May this be an emblem of myself, and all around me! O thou uncreated Ocean of all being and blessedness, it is from thy overflowing fulness, that I receive all my fupplies! I am protected, clothed, and fed from thy free and rich bounty: within thy all-circling arms I live and move: conftantly art thou giving forth, and I am receiving. May I learn from the ftream of every brook I pafs by, to turn my thoughts, to direct my motions, towards thee, and carry my tribute of homage thither, whence I derive my all! May I practise benevolence to all around. me: let my waters refresh the weary; fupport the fainting; heal the wounded; and give a verdure and fruitfulness to the barren foul! Let me, like the flowing brook, take a tranfient gentle falute of the flowery banks as I pass, but never, oh never let this foul, which thou hast created for thyfelf, O Father of Spirits, think itself at rest, till it finds itself in thy bofom! IT is to be lamented, that thofe who are moft capable of improving mankind, very frequently neglect to communicate their knowledge, either because it is more pleasing to gather ideas than to impart them, or because to minds naturally great, few things appear of fo much importance as to deferve the notice of the publick. A juft fenfe of another's excellence, is perhaps, the next merit to excellence itself; for, he who has the wisdom to admire, may foon attain the virtue to imitate. OTHER things may be feized by might, or purchased with money; but knowledge is to be gained only by study, and study to be profecuted only in retirement. WHAT heart can defpond, what heart can fail to rejoice, when it hears the animated declaration," Be thou "faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life!" I will give thee perfect felicity, which fhall never be interrupted. I will give thee an eternity of substantial delights, adequate to thy nature, and fufficient to fill up all the desires of thy foul. WHY do we aim with eager ftrife MOST happy he, that shuns the fervile train Nor fcornful frowns the brow, on humble worth, GRANT |