THE nobility arifing from birth, is by far inferior to that which proceeds from merit.

MARCUS Aurelius was averfe to every thing that had the air of pomp and luxury. He lay upon the bare ground; at twelve years old he took the habit of a philofopher; he forbore the ufe of guards, the imperial ornaments, and the enfigns of honour, which were carried before the Cæfars and the Augufti. Nor was this conduct owing to his ignorance of what was grand and beautiful, but to the jufter and purer tafte he had of both, and to an intimate perfuafion, that the greatest glory, and principal duty of man, efpecially if in power, and eminently confpicuous, is fo far to imitate the Deity, as to throw himself into a condition of wanting as little as may be for himself, and doing all the good to others he is capable of.

IF it fhews a greatnefs of foul to overlook our own nobility, and not fuffer it to gain the afcendant over our actions, we may likewise observe, that it is no less great in fuch as have raifed themselves by merit, not to forget the meanness of their extraction, nor be ashamed of it.

WE read in the fcriptures, that Boaz, in the midst of riches, was laborious, diligent in husbandry, plain without luxury, delicacy, floth or pride. How affable, how obliging and kind to his fervants! The Lord be with you," fays he to his reapers; and they anfwered him, "The Lord bless thee." This was the beautiful language of religious antiquity; but how little known in our days.

How commendable was his behaviour towards Ruth, when he defires her not to go into any other field to glean, but to abide faft by his maidens, to eat and drink with them; and the charitable order he gives his reapers to let her glean even among the fheaves, and to let fall some of the handfuls on purpose for her, that the might gather them up without being afhamed; teaching us by this wife conduct, to fave those we oblige, the confufion of receiving, and ourselves the temptation of vain-glory in giving. THE

THE Providence of God is univerfal; it prefides over all to the minuteft particular, and governs and directs all.

Part of the Book of Job verfified.

FOND man, the vifion of a moment made-
Dream of a dream, and shadow of a fhade;

What worlds haft thou produc'd, what creatures fiam'd?
What infects cherish'd, that thy God is blam'd?
When pain'd with hunger, the wild raven's brood
Call upon God, importunate for food.

Who hears their cry? Who grants their hoarfe request,
And ftills the clamour of the craving neft?

Who taught the hawk to find, in seasons wife,
Perpetual fummers and a change of skies?

When clouds deform the year, the mounts the wind,
Shoots to the fouth, nor fears the ftorm behind.
The fun returning, fhe returns again,

Lives in his beams, and leaves ill days to men.
Am I a debtor? Haft thou ever heard

Whence come the gifts that are on me confer'd?
My lavish fruit a thousand vallies fills,

And mine the herds that graze a thousand hills.
Earth, fea, and air, all nature is my own,
And ftars and fun are duft beneath my throne,
And dar'ft thou, with the world's great Father vie,
Thou who doft tremble at my creature's eye?
Then the Chaldean eas'd his lab'ring breast,
With full conviction of his crime oppreft.
Thou canst accomplish all things, Lord of might!
And every thought is naked to thy fight-
But oh! thy ways are wonderful, and lie
Beyond the deepest reach of mortal eye.
Oft have I heard of thine Almighty pow'r,
But never faw thee till this dreadful hour.
O'erwhelm'd with fhame, the Lord of life I fee,
Abhor myself, and give my foul to thee.
Nor fhall my weakness tempt thine anger more:
Man was not made to queftion, but adore.

G 6

Το

To a Child of a Month old.

BLESS'D babe, who ftranger to all worldly ftrife, Art lately launch'd upon the fea of life;

And midft thofe dang'rous waves wilt foon be toft,
Where fome by pleafure, fome by pain, are loft-
Who yet not feels, nor fear'ft to feel, the rage
Of ftorms, that threaten man's maturer age;
But view'ft, with careless and indiff'rent eyes,
The clouds of folly that around thee rife.
Accept, not fear infection from my fong;
Few authors flatter at an age fo young.
Look round the habitable world and fee,

Who would not wish to change their place with thee.
Would not the mifer broach each fav'rite mine,
His heart as eafy, thoughts as free as thine?
What would the hoary villain not endure,
His hands as innocent, his foul as pure.
Would not the fpendthrift beg his fquander'd ore,
To purchase half the blifs thou haft in store?
Ne'er was a maxim truer sure than this,
That want of innocence is want of blifs.
'Tis this, 'tis innocence, thy bofom cheers,
This calms thy troubles, this difpels thy fears;
This fpreads o'er all its beautifying rays,
Makes every object, every play-thing please.
This (whilft lefs things the guilty breaft can awe}
Gives mufick to a key, and beauty to a straw.
So thro' the prifm, to philofophic eyes,
The barren lawns in pleafing profpect rife,
Steep hills in azure tempt the diftant fight,
Waite wilds look lovely in a borrow'd light,
Deck'd by the glafs the cottage apes the throne,
And fhines in colours that were ne'er its own.
Long may this pleasing calm remain within,
Unknown to trouble, as unknown to fin;
When infant reason shall begin to rise,
Prate on thy lips, and wanton in thy eyes,
Oh! may this charm thy ev'ry care beguilé,
Aflift thy prattle, and improve thy smile.

When

When growing fense, to rip'ning judgment join'd,
Shall fix a doubtful empire in thy mind-

If heat of blood, with wanton frenzy warm-
If ease should tempt thee, or if pleasure charm,
Oh! may this love of virtue, love of truth,
Lead thee ftill fafe thro' all the paths of youth.
Next, when thy part in life's ftill varying plan
Shall call thee forward on the ftage of man,
Oh! may it keep thee honeft, gen'rous, juft,
True to thy word, and cautious of thy truft;
Light in thy foul devotion's facred flame,
Make virtue all thy wish, and Heav'n thy aim.
And laft, when manhood's vigour fhall decay,
Time fhake thy head, and filver't o'er with grey,
Long may this fov'reign remedy remain,
To prop thy weaknefs, and affuage thy pain;
'Till the laft moment shed its kindly ray,
And glad the ev'ning of thy well-fpent day.
But may ten thousand pleasures rife between
Thy op'ning curtain, and this clofing fcene;
May health attend thee, beautiful and gay,
And fmooth, thro' life, thy elfe too rugged way.

PROSPERITY quickens, and gives a fort of falfe courage to men of low, degenerate minds, and dreffes them up in an outward grandeur, which impofes upon the majority of mankind; but adverfity is the touchstone of fouls truly great and generous.

SILENCE is fometimes more fignificant and fub. lime, than the most noble and most expreffive eloquence, and is, on many occafions, the indication of a great mind.

But filence never fhews itself to fo great an advantage, as when it is made the reply to calumny and defamation, provided that we give no juft occafion for them.

HOW .fferent is the view of paft life, in the man who is grown old in knowledge and wisdom, from that of him who is grown old in ignorance and folly. The latter

latter is like the owner of a barren country, that fills his eye with the prospect of naked hills and plains, which produce nothing either profitable or ornamental; the other beholds a beautiful and fpacious landscape, divided into delightful gardens, green meadows, fruitful fields, and can scarce caft his eye on a fingle fpot of his poffeffions, that is not covered with fome beautiful plant or flower.

TO look upon the foul as going on from ftrength to ftrength, to confider that she is to fhine for ever with new acceffions of glory, and brighten to all eternity; that she will be ftill adding virtue to virtue, and knowledge to knowledge; carries in it fomething wonderfully agreeable to that ambition, which is natural to the mind of man. Nay, it must be a profpect pleafing to God himself, to fee his creation for ever beautifying in his eyes, and drawing nearer to him, by greater degrees of refemblance.

THAT we might not want inducements to engage us in fuch an exercife of the body, as is proper for its welfare, it is fo ordered, that nothing valuable can be procured without it. Not to mention riches and honour, even food and raiment are not to be come at without the toil of the hands, and fweat of the brows. Providence furnishes materials, but expects that we should work them up ourselves.

As for those who are not obliged to labour, by the condition in which they are born, they are more miferable than the reft of mankind, unless they indulge themselves in that voluntary labour, which goes by the name of exercife.

Thoughts on the Grave of a Child.-By a Father.

HERE, here fhe lies! Oh! could I once more view Those dear remains; take one more fond adieu;

Weep o'er that face of innocence, or fave

One darling feature, from the noisome grave!
Vain with!-now low in earth that form of love
Decays, unfeen, yet not forgot above.