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النشر الإلكتروني

TO hint at a fault, does more mischief than speaking out; for whatever is left for the imagination to finifla, will not fail to be overdone.

MEEKNESS is imperfect, if it be not both active and paffive; if it will not enable us to fubdue our own paffions and refentments, as well as qualify us to bear patiently, the paffions and refentments of others.

ALEXANDER (fays Seneca) had two friends, Clitus and Lyfimachus; the one he expofed to a lion, the other to himfelf: he who was turned loofe to the beast escaped, but Clitus was murdered, for he was turned loose to an angry man.

COUNT that day loft, whofe low defcending fun Views from thy hand no worthy action done.

LOVE the great God, with all thy might, And know, whatever is, is right.

To his difpofal always yield,

Who clothes the lillies of the field;
And truft his ever-watchful care,
Which numbers every fingle hair.
Each day the facred pages view,
For thefe give pleasures ever new.
The truths that there confpicuous fhine,
Proclaim their Author all divine.
See here thy great Redeemer's love,
Who left the radiant realms above,
To perfect all the gospel plan;
Then dy'd, to fave degen'rate man.
To him prefer thy ardent pray❜r,
For fuch things as expedient are ;
And if thy breaft a manfion be,
Fit to receive the heav'nly Three,
The Comforter shall soon be sent,
To fill the mind with fweet content:
And tho' the world, as all confefs,
Can neither fatisfy or blefs,

Hence may'ft thou draw that liquid store,
Which he that drinks of, thirsts no more.

WITH Heaven's ennobling gifts
Benignly bleft, the blooming Lucia fhines:
Pleafing her fpeech, by nature taught to flow,
Strong and perfuafive fenfe, fincere and clear.
Her manners greatly plain; a noble grace,
Self-taught, beyond the reach of mimic art,
Adorns her. Her calm temper, winning, mild,
Nor pity fofter; truth itself the fource.
Conftant in doing well, fhe neither feeks,
Nor fhuns applaufe. No bafhful merit fighs
Near her neglected: fympathizing, she
Wipes off the tear from forrow's clouded eye
With kindly hand, and bids her heart to smile.

MEEKNESS may be called the pioneer of all the other virtues, which levels every obstruction, and smooths every difficulty, that might impede their entrance, or retard their progrefs.

IF it were only for mere human reasons, it would turn to a better account, to be patient: nothing defeats the malice of an enemy, like a spirit of forbearance; the return of rage for rage cannot be fo effectually provoking. True gentlenefs, like an impenetrable armour, repels the most pointed fhafts of malice; they cannot pierce through this invulnerable shield, but either fall hurtless to the ground, or return to wound the hand that shot them.

A MEEK fpirit will not look out of itself for happinefs, because it finds a conftant banquet at home; yet, by a fort of Divine Alchymy, it will convert all external events to its own profit, and be able to deduce fome good, even from the most unpromifing; it will extract comfort and fatisfaction from the most barren circumstances; it will fuck honey out of the rock, and oil "out of the flinty rock."

HONOURS and dignities are tranfient, beauty and riches frail and fleeting, to a proverb.

Would not the

the truly wife, therefore, wish to have fome one poffeffion, which they might call their own in the fevereft exigencies? But this with can only be accomplished, by acquiring, and maintaining, that calm and abfolute felf-poffeffion, which as the world had no hand in giv ing, fo it cannot, by the most malicious exertion of its power, take away.

AN amiable and wife woman will always have fomething better to value herself on than outward advantages, which, however captivating, are ftill but fubordinate parts of a truly excellent character.

HOW cruel is it to extinguifh, by neglect or unkindnefs, the precious fenfibility of an open temper, to chill the amiable glow of an ingenuous foul, and to quench the bright flame of a noble and generous spirit! Thefe are of higher worth, than all the documents of learning; of dearer price, than all the advantages which can be derived from the most refined and artificial mode of education.

THE best of men, and the best of books, can do us good, only fo far as they turn us from themselves and every human comfort, to feek and receive every kind of good, from God alone.

TO defire to communicate good to every creature, in the degree we can, and it is capable of receiving from us, is a divine temper; for thus God ftands unchangeably difpofed towards the whole creation.

IN vain thou hop'ft for blifs on this poor clod;
Return, and feek thy Father and thy God.
Yet think not to regain thy native sky,
Borne on the wings of vain philosophy.
Myfterious paffage! hid from mortal eyes;
Soaring you'll fink, and finking you will rise.
Let humble thoughts thy wary footsteps guide;
Regain by meeknefs, what thou loft by pride.

LET

LET thy flock clothe the naked, and thy table feed the hungry; deliver the poor from oppreffion, and let thy converfation be above. Thus fhalt thou" rejoice "in hope," and look forward to the end of life, as the confummation of thy felicity.

WHAT an example is Job, to fuch as have loft their fubftance all at once, by unforeseen misfortunes: "The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. Bleffed be the name of the Lord."

HUMANITY.

AH me! how little knows the human heart,
The pleafing task of foft'ning others woe;
Stranger to joys, that pity can impart,

And tears sweet fympathy can teach to flow.
If e'er I've mourn'd my humble lowly state,
If e'er I've bow'd my knee at fortune's fhrine,
If e'er a wish escap'd me to be great,

The fervent pray'r, humanity, was thine.
Pity the man, who hears the moving tale

Unmov'd, to whom the heart-felt glow's unknown; On whom the widow's plaints conld ne'er prevail, Nor made the injur'd wretch's cause his own.

How little knows he the extatic joy,

The thrilling blifs of chearing woe, despair?
How little knows the pleafing, warm employ,
That calls the grateful tribute of a tear?
The fplendid dome, the vaulted roof to rear,
The glare of pride and pomp, be, grandeur, thine;
To wipe from mis'ry's eye the wailing tear,

And foothe th' oppreffed orphan's woes, be mine. .
Be mine the blush of modeft worth to spare,
To change to fmiles affliction's rifing figh;
The kindred warmth of charity to share,

Till joy shall sparkle from the tear-fill'd eye.
Can the loud laugh, the mirth-infpiring bowl,
The dance, or choral fong, or jocund glee,
Affect the glowing, fympathizing foul,

Or warm the breaft, humanity, like thee?

AC.

ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE.

1

HE that keepeth the law, bringeth offerings enough: He that taketh heed to the commandment, offereth a peace-offering: He that requiteth a good turn offereth fine flour: And he that giveth alms, facrificeth praife. To depart from wickednefs, is a thing pleafing to the Lord; and to forfake unrighteoufnefs, is a propitiation. Thou shalt not appear empty before the Lord; for all these things are to be done, because of the commandment. The offering of the righteous maketh the altar fat, and the sweet favour thereof is before the Moft High! The facrifice of a juft man is acceptable, and the memorial thereof shall never be forgotten. Ecclef. xxxv..

WE fee almoft every day the unexpected death of, our friends and our enemies. We fee new graves often opened for men older and younger than ourselves; for the cautious and the carelefs, the diffolute and the temperate; for men, who like us, were providing to enjoy or improve hours now irreversibly cut off. We fee all this, and yet, inftead of living, let year glide after year in preparations to live.

A MAN that fasteth for his fins, and goeth again and doeth the fame, who will hear his prayer? or what doth his humbling profit him? Ecclef. xxxiv. 26.

THE mind is never fo fenfibly difpofed to pity the fufferings of others, as when it is itfelf fubdued and foftened by calamity. Adverfity diffufes a kind of facred calm over the breast, that is the parent of thoughtfulnessand meditation.

HE that looks upon the business and bustle of the world, with the philofophy with which Socrates furveyed the fair at Athens, will turn away at laft with this exclamation, "How many things are here which I do not

want.'

WHILE affliction prepares us for felicity, we may confole ourselves under its preffures, by remembering, that they are no particular marks of divine difpleasure,

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