صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

HUNGER.

Of all the terrors of nature, that of one day

or other dying by hunger, is the greatest,

and it is wifely wove into our frame to awaken man to industry, and call forth his talents; and though we feem to go on carelessly, sporting with it as we do with other terrors,—yet, he that fees this enemy fairly, and in his most frightful fhape, will need no long remonftrance to make him turn out of the way to avoid him.

SERMON XX. P. 98.

DISTRESS.

NOTHING fo powerfully calls home the mind

as diftrefs: the tense fibre then relaxes, -the foul retires to itself,fits penfive and fufceptible of right impreffions: if we have a friend, 'tis then we think of him; if a benefactor, at that moment all his kindnesses press upon our mind,

SERMON XX. P. 97.
IMPOSTURE.

IM POSTURE.

IMPOSTURE is all diffonance, let what master

foever of it undertake the part; let him harmonife and modulate it as he may, one tone will contradict another; and whilft we have ears to hear, we fhall diftinguifh it 'tis truth only which is confiftent and ever in harmony with itself: it fits upon our lips, like the natural notes of fome melodies, ready to drop out, whether we will or no ;- --it racks no invention to let ourfelves alone, and needs fear no critic, to have the fame excellency in the heart, which appears in the action.

SERMON XVII. P. 48.

CONTENT MEN T.

THERE is fcarce any lot fo low, but there is fomething in it to fatisfy the man whom

it has befallen; providence having fo ordered things, that in every man's cup, how bitter

[blocks in formation]

foever, there are fome cordial drops-fome good circumftances, which, if wifely extracted, are fufficient for the purpose he wants them,— that is, to make him contented, and if not happy, at least resigned.

SERMON XV. P. 19.

EVIL S.

UNWILLINGLY does the mind digeft the evils

prepared for it by others;-for those we prepare ourfelves,--we eat but the fruit which we have planted and watered :—a fhattered fortune -a fhattered frame, fo we have but the fatiffaction of shattering them ourfelves, pass naturally enough into the habit, and by the ease with which they are both done, they fave the fpectator a world of pity: but for thofe, like Jacob's, brought upon him by the hands from which he look'd for all his comforts,-the avarice of a parent-the unkindness of a relation, the ingratitude of a child, they are evils which leave a fear;-befides, as they hang over the heads of all, and therefore may fall upon any ;-every looker-on has an interest in

the

the tragedy;—but then we are apt to interest ourfelves no otherwife, than merely as the incidents themselves ftrike our paffions, without carrying the leffon further:-In a word-we realize nothing:-we figh-we wipe away the tear,— and there ends the story of mifery, and the moral with it.

SERMON XXII. P. 134.

OPPRESSION.

SOLOMON fays, Oppreffion will make a wise

man mad. What will it do then to a tender and ingenuous heart, which feels itself neglected, too full of reverence for the author of its wrongs to complain?-fee, it fits down in filence, robbed by discouragements, of all its natural powers to please,-born to fee others loaded with careffes-in fome uncheery corner it nourishes its difcontent, and with a weight upon its fpirits, which its little stock of fortitude is not able to withstand, it droops, and pines away. Sad victim of caprice!

[blocks in formation]

VIRTUE AND VICE.

WHOEVER confiders the state and condition

of human nature, and upon this view, how much stronger the natural motives are to virtue than to vice, would expect to find the world much better than it is, or ever has been. -For who would fuppofe the generality of mankind to betray fo much folly, as to act against the common intereft of their own kind, as every man does who yields to the temptation of what is wrong.

SERMON XXXIII, P. 61.

Ν

SIN.

No motives have been great enough to restrain those from fin who have fecretly loved it, and only fought pretences for the prac

tice of it.

SERMON XXXIII. P. 62.

SINCERITY,

« السابقةمتابعة »