While grateful ftrains of love divine, While fun, and moon, and stars endure ; And time itself fhall be no more. LET us entertain a general good opinion of all men, till unquestionable evidence fhall oblige us to give up that good opinion; yet, at the fame time, let us be cautious not to fuffer our good opinion to betray us into any improper compliances or connexions. SELL not your hopes of heavenly treafures, nor any thing that belongs to your eternal intereft, for any of the advantages of the prefent life: "What fhall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own foul." TO piety join modefty and docility, reverence of your parents, and fubmiffion to those who are your fuperiors in knowledge, in ftation, and in years. Dependence and obedience belong to youth. Modesty is one of its chief ornaments; and has ever been esteemed a prefage of rifing merit. PROVIDENCE never intended, that any ftate here fhould be either completely happy, or entirely miferable. If the feelings of pleasure are more numerous, and more lively, in the higher departments of life, fuch alfo are thofe of pain. If greatnefs flatters our vanity, it multiplies our dangers. If opulence increases our gratifications, it increases, in the fame proportion, our defires and demands. If the poor are confined to a more narrow circle, yet, within that circle, lie most of those natural fatisfactions, which, after all the refinements of art, are found to be the most genuine and true. WE have feen, that inordinate paffions are the great disturbers of life; and that, unlefs we poffefs a good confcience, and a well-governed mind, discontent will H blaft blast every enjoyment, and the highest profperity will prove only difguifed mifery. Fix then this conclufion in your mind, that the deftruction of your virtue, is the deftruction of your peace. "For our rejoicing is this, the teftimony of our confcience, that in fimplicity, and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wifdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converfation in the world, and more abundantly to you-wards." 2 Cor. i. 12. Caution against Pride. CONSIDER what you shall be. Your flesh returns to corruption and common earth again; nor shall your duft be diftinguished from the meaneft beggar or flave; no, nor from the duft of brutes and infects, or the most contemptible of creatures and as for your fouls, they muft ftand before God, in the world of spirits, on a level with the rest of mankind, and divested of all your haughty and flattering circumstances. None of your vain diftinctions in this life fhall attend you to the judgment-feat. Keep this tribunal in view, and pride will wither, and hang down its head. MONEY, like manure, does no good, till it is fpread; there is no real use of riches, except in the diftribution; the rest is all conceit. BY love directed, and in mercy meant, HAPPY are they who preferve their innocence unfullied by any great or wilful crimes, and who have only the common failings of humanity to repent of; these are fufficiently mortifying to a heart deeply fmitten with the love of virtue, and with the defire of perfection. "WHAT "WHATSOEVER ye would that men should do unto you, even fo do unto them." There is no occafion, great or fmall, on which you may not fafely apply this rule for the direction of your conduct; and, whilst your heart honeftly adheres to it, you can never be guilty of any fort of injuftice or unkindness. - ENDEAVOUR to acquire a temper of univerfal candour and benevolence; and learn neither to despise nor condemn any perfons on account of their particular modes of faith and worship; remembering always, that goodness is confined to no party; that there are wife and worthy men among all the fects of Chriftians; and that to his own master, every one must ftand or fall. VIRTUE is the foundation of honour and esteem, and the fource of all beauty, order, and happiness, in nature. BEAUTY and wit will die, learning will vanish away, and all the arts of life be foon forgot; but virtue will remain for ever. A GOOD word is an easy obligation; but not to fpeak ill, requires only our filence, which costs us nothing. The FIRE-SIDE. I. DEAR Chloe, while the bufy crowd, Be call'd our choice, we'll step aside, II. From the gay world we'll oft retire, Where love our hours employs: Hz No No noify neighbours enter here, III. If folid happiness we prize, IV. Of reft was Noah's dove bereft, V. Tho' fools fpurn Hymen's gentle pow'rs, That marriage, rightly understood, VI. Our babes fhall richest comforts bring; We'll form their minds with ftudious care, VII. While they our wifeft hours engage, VIII. No borrow'd joys, they're all our own, Monarchs! we envy not your state; IX. Our portion is not large indeed, In this the art of living lies, X. We'll therefore relish with content, XI. To be refign'd when ills betide, And pleas'd with favours giv'n: XII. We'll ask no long, protracted treat, Nor grudge our fons, with envious eyes, XIII. Thus hand in hand, thro' life we'll go, H 3 Quit |