MODESTY is always, and juftly, fuppofed to be a concomitant of merit; and every appearance of it is winning and prepoffefling. PRAISE bestowed on living merit, is often found to injure the goodness it applauds. THE ingratitude of the world, can never deprive us of the conscious happiness of having acted with humanity ourfelves. TO thee, oh God! thy fuppliant lifts his eyes, On thee alone for fuccour he relies, And in thy goodness places all his truft. To whatfoe'er thy wifdom judges beft; SURE 'tis a ferious thing to die! My foul, THE wretch, condemn'd with life to part, And ev'ry pang that rends the heart, Hope, like the glimm'ring tapers light, Adorns and cheers the way; And ftill, as darker grows the night, MODESTY is not only an ornament, but also a guard to virtue. It is a kind of quick and delicate feel ing in the foul, which makes her fhrink and withdraw herself from every thing that has danger in it. It is fuch an exquifite fenfibility, as warns her to fhun the first appearance of every thing which is hurtful. RICHES, in the hand of a beneficent man, are a bleffing to the public. Such a one is a fteward to Providence, and the noble means of correcting the inequalities of fortune, of relieving the miferable, and fpreading happiness to all that are within the reach of his acquaintance. The Wife's Consolation to her Husband under Affliction. NO more, lov'd partner of my foul, To those who right difcern; Misfortune's rude impetuous fhock, Ill fortune cannot always laft; Yet we each painful moment haste, Where calumny no more fhall wound, Where innocence and truth are crown'd With never-fading joy. GOOD GOOD difcourfe is but the reflection or fhadow of wifdom; the pure and folid fubftance, is good actions. THERE can be no true and fincere pleasure in any finful and vicious courfe, though it be attended with all the pomp and fplendor of outward happiness and profperity; for wherever fin and vice is, there must be guilt; and wherever guilt is, the mind will be restless and unquiet. INDUSTRIOUS wisdom often prevents what lazy folly thinks inevitable. Industry argues an ingenuous, great, and generous difpofition of foul, by unweariedly purfuing things in the faireft light, and difdaining to enjoy the fruit of other men's labours, without deferving it. CONCEITEDNESS and ignorance are a most un happy compofition; for none are fo invincible as the half-witted, who know just enough to excite their pride, but not fo much as to cure their ignorance. ENDEAVOUR to be religious without fuperftition; juft without rigour; merciful without partiality; cautious without fear; valiant without rashness; and great without pride. TO endeavour not to please, is ill nature; altogether to neglect it, folly; and to overtrain for it, vanity and defign. WHEN winds the mountain-oak affail, And lay its glories wafte, Content may flumber in the vale Unconscious of the blaft. SWEET are the jefs'm 'ne's breathing flow'rs, Sweet the foft-falling vernal fhow'rs, Sweet is the gloom the grove affords, And sweet the notes of warb'ling birds; But But not the groves, nor rains nor flow'rs, TEACH me between the two extremes to glide, RELIGION better qualifies all forts of men, and makes them in public affairs the more ferviceable; governors apter to rule with confcience; and inferiors, for confcience fake, more willing to obey. LIBERALITY is never fo beautiful or engaging, as when the hand is concealed which bestows the gift. OECONOMY is no difgrace, it is better living on a little, than outliving a great deal. HOLY-DAY S. SOME Chriftians to the Lord obferve a day, Yet both at last to the fame point are brought. "We keep the time in mem'ry of the thing." Hence he to Jefus points his good intent, With pray'rs and praises celebrates his name; And as to Chrift alone his love is meant, The Lord accepts it-and who dares to blame? For tho' the fhell indeed is not the meat, 'Tis not rejected when the meat's within; Tho' fuperftition is a vain conceit, Commemoration furely is no fin. He He likewife, that to days has no regard, The shadow only for the fubftance quits; Towards his Saviour's prefence preffes hard, And that preferring outward things omits; For thus within he seriously reflects, "My Lord alone I count my only good; All empty forms for him my foul rejects, And only feek the riches of his blood. All days, in Jefus, is my fole delight, The firft and worthieft object of my care; For whofe dear fake all outward fhews I flight, Left aught but him fhould my devotion share." Let not the obferver therefore entertain, Against his brother any fecret grudge; And let the non-obferver too refrain From cenfuring others whom he should not judge. Thus both their motives bringing to the teft, Our condescending Lord may both approve, While each pursues the way he deems the beft, For none can walk amifs who walk in love. IF at any time you are preffed to do any thing haftily, be careful: Fraud and deceit are always in hafte; but diffidence is the right eye of prudence. IT is of little confequence to read eternal truths, if we pray not to obtain the gift of understanding them aright. MEN take a great deal more pains for this world, than Heaven would coft them; and when they have it, do not live long to enjoy it. THE time of life is the only time wherein we can prepare for another world; and oh! how fhort and uncertain is this time! How frail and uncertain is the life of man! What multitudes does death furprise in an hour, when they think nothing of it! How filently and infen |