trouble. Defended by his fhield, though afflictions spring not out of the duft, they fhall not hurt us; fupported by his power, though the mighty rage, they shall not prevail against us; guided by his wifdom, though fnares and evils encompass our paths, we fhall efcape them all. In vain may be our toil for riches to fecure us; but our truft in him will never be in vain. The arrows of affiction may reach the very pinnacle of greatnefs, and cares and terrors climb up to us, however high we may place ourselves; but he is a tower of defence, a place of fafety, a rock of falvation. O then! amidst all the ftorms, and tumults of the world, give ear to that voice which speaketh peace, and fays, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft; take my yoke upon you, and ye fhall find "reft to your fouls; for my yoke is eafy, and my bur "then is light." VIRTUE has fecret charms which all men love; And those that do not choose her, yet approve. TRUE happiness-man's gen'ral aim and end, Epitaph upon Epictetus, the Stoic Philofopher. "EPICTETUS, who lies here, was a flave and "a cripple ; poor as the beggar in the proverb, and the "favourite of Heaven." In In this diftich is comprized the nobleft panegyric, and the most important inftruction. We may learn from it, that virtue is impracticable in no condition, fince Epictetus could recommend himself to the regard of Heaven, amidst the temptations of poverty and flavery. Slavery has been found fo deftructive to virtue, that, in fome languages, a flave and a thief are expreffed by the same word. And we may be admonished by it, not to lay any ftrefs on a man's outward circumstances, in making an estimate of his real virtue; fince Epictetus the beggar, the cripple, and the flave, was the favourite of Heaven. Occafioned by a Recovery from a tedious Illness. From this dark point, beneath the fun, Yet what's the praife my breath can give ; But that the God in whom I live Let what I am, record thy praise, Thee more than all-and, as myself, Nor let my love to man be vain, Firm be my faith, that all below, Love, join'd with wifdom, guides.. That e'en thy juftice tends to blefs, Though little understood; That That partial evils love exprefs, This reafoning mind how frail! Nor heighth nor depth prevail. In all my gay, unguarded hours, And when this tott'ring fabric falls, Where full poffeffion never palls, To know and love thee more. THE ufe of learning is not to procure popular applaufe, or excite vain admiration; but to make the poffeffor more virtuous and ufeful to fociety, and his virtue a more confpicuous example to thofe that are il- literate. WHAT exalted mortal, in the laft hour of life, would not refign all the advantages of greatness and power, for a few moments of leifure and obfcurity? IF there is any happiness below the ftars, it confifts in a freedom from the hurry and cenfure of the world, where the mind may devote all its bright and ferene intervals to Heaven. THE courfe of human things is all decreed, "Hope Hope travels through."-POPE. THE fweet deceiver, hope, deftroys, Each future fcene, by her array'd HE is no fool, who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is fure to be recompenfed with that which he cannot lofe. THE purfuit of glory and happiness in another life, by every means of improving and exalting our own. minds, becomes more and more interesting to us, the nearer we draw to the end of all fublunary enjoyments. AS that God, whom we all adore, is a God of peace and concord, there ought to be a facred harmony between all that profefs and believe in the fame Saviour. THEY must certainly be perfons of narrow and mean conceptions, who (though under the mask of fuperficial greatnefs of fpirit) cannot raise their little ideas above pleafures familiar to their fenfes. BUT BUT the main ftrefs of all our cares must fie, O'er other men, muft with himself begin, ARISE, my foul, furvey the morn, The herbs that with the dew-drops glow, Hark how the warbling feather'd throng The black-bird here with mellow throat, And fing thy Maker's praise : Unnumber'd objects he supplies, FRIENDSHIP's a pure, a Heav'n-defcended flame, WE fhould never be over eager for any thing, either in our pursuits or our prayers, left what we endeavour, or afk too violently, for our intereft, fhould be granted us by Providence only in order to our ruin. Concluding |