Sweet health to pafs the moments o'er, 'TIS a contradiction to imagine, that reputation or praise is a fuitable recompence for virtue; fince it is a reward that nothing but vanity can make acceptable; it declares a man both foolish and vicious, that can be pleafed and fatisfied with it; and that his merit is only owing to his pride. TRUE virtue, as it has no other aims than the fervice and honour of God, so the least and only recom pence it aspires to, is his approbation and favour. MY God! my all-fufficient good! GRANT me to live, and if I live, to find CHARITY. CHARITY, decent, modest, easy, kind, THERE is no preservative from vice, equal to an habitual and conftant intercourfe with God: Neither does any thing equally alleviate diftrefs, or heighten profperity; in diftrefs it fuftains us with hope, and in profperity it adds to every other enjoyment, the delight of gratitude. IN true good nature, there is neither the acrimony of fpleen, nor the fullennefs of malice; it is neither clamorous nor fretful, neither easy to be offended, nor impa tient to revenge; it is a tender fenfibility, a participation of the pains and pleasures of others, and is therefore, a forcible and conftant motive, to communicate happinefs, and alleviate mifery. IT should be a general rule, never to utter any thing in conversation, which would justly dishonour us if it fhould be reported to the world. TO a benevolent difpofition, every ftate of life will afford fome opportunities of contributing to the welfare of mankind. Opulence and fplendour are enabled to difpel the cloud of adverfity, to dry up the tears of the widow and the orphan, and to increase the felicity of all around them. Their example will animate virtue, and retard the progrefs of vice. And even indigence and obfcurity, though without power to confer happiness, may at least prevent mifery, and apprize thofe who are blinded by their paffions, that they are on the brink of irremediable calamity. O REPUTATION! dearer far than life, Solomon's good Wife paraphrased. Proverbs, 31ft Chapt As much in worth the ruby's price excels, The The wool and flax employ her willing hands, - Brings precious freight, fhe brings her food from far.. And, ftill more wond'rous, plants a vineyard too. By night her candle unextinguifh'd fhines. And girdles offer'd to the merchant's choice, WHEN WHEN we confider the different allotments of Providence to his creature man, in this state of existence, and compare the wants and fufferings of fome, with the eafe and affluence of others, we fhould be almost ready to conclude, that the preferving care of our Heavenly Father was not equally extended to all; though he has affured us in fcripture, that he is no refpecter of perfons; but we must be very cautious of making fuch an inference; for as our Great Creator fees not as we fee, and has a view in all his difpenfations to the ultimate good of his creatures, we ought rather to fuppofe, that the particular condition of every man, fo far from being an impeachment of divine impartiality, is allotted him in perfect wifdom, in order to his happiness at last. THE neceflities of the poor may be intended as the most certain means of preferving their health, and keeping them moral, temperate, and humble, which are great virtues. While the fuperfluities of the rich, by fubjecting them to many vices, may render the final account of their stewardship a matter of the greatest anxiety and distress of mind, to which no temporal fuffering can be equivalent. Hence, if we confider prefent lefs grievous than future evil, it will appear, in this comparative view of the higher and lower ranks of men, that the difference is rather in favour of the latter, under all the preffures and mortifications of poverty.-Yet this is by no means to be used as an argument by the opulent, for withholding affiftance and fupport from their fellowcreatures, in real want of them; for humanity, and the cardinal virtue, charity, call upon and require all, who are able, to fuccour and relieve fuch objects-to which may be added, that this is a duty particularly enjoined by our bleffed Saviour, who has told us, as a forcible incitement to the practice of it, that fuch as give to the poor, lend to the Lord; which is telling us, in other words, that by this means treasure is to be laid up in Heaven. SIMPLICITY, the infeparable companion both of genuine grace, and of real modefty, if it doth not always ftrike at firft (of which it feldom fails) is fure, however, however, when it does ftrike, to produce the deepest and most permanent impreffions. IN folitude I'll fpend the day; Enraptur'd, fnatch her peaceful joys, And study to be great. THE BEGGAR. "PITY the forrows of a poor old man, Whofe trembling limbs have led him to your Whose days are dwindled to the fhorteft fpan, door Oh! give relief, and Heav'n fhall blefs your ftore. Thefe tatter'd rags my poverty bespeak, These hoary locks proclaim my length of years, Oh! take me to you hofpital dome, Keen blows the wind, and piercing is the cold, Short is my paffage to the friendly tomb, For I am miferably poor and cold, Heav'n fends afflictions-why fhould we repine? Was I to tell the fource of every grief, If foft compaffion ever touch'd your breast, Your hand could not withhold the kind relief, And tears of pity could not be repreft. A little farm was my paternal lot, Then, like the lark, I sprightly hailed the morn, But |