Here all my better faculties confine, And violate the virtue I adore! Oft when thy better spirit's guardian care, And check'd the rifing goodness in my breaft; A 5 Calm Calm let me flumber in that dark repofe, PRIDE hides a man's faults from himself, and magnifies them to others. "THERE is nothing (fays Plato) fo delightful, as the hearing or fpeaking of truth." For this reafon, there is no converfation fo agreeable, as that of the man of integrity, who hears without any intention to betray, and speaks without any intention to deceive. Truth is always confiftent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out. It is always near at hand, and fits upon our lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware. Whereas a lie is troublesome, and fets a man's invention on the rack; and one trick needs a great many more of the fame kind to make it good. MORAL virtues themfelves, without religion, are but cold, lifelefs and infipid. It is religion only which opens the mind to great conceptions, fills it with the moft fublime ideas, and warms the foul more than fenfual pleasures. BY reading we enjoy the dead, by converfation the living, and by contemplation, ourfelves. Reading enriches the memory, converfation polishes the wit, and contemplation improves the judgment. THE commands of Heaven (in the obfervance of which religion principally confifts) are very plain and obvious to the meanest understanding, and are nothing elfe but exhortations to love, and directions for focial happiness. GREAT -GREAT is the fteadiness of foul and thought, WISDOM's an evenness of mind and foul, ACCOMPLISHMENTS by Heaven were first defign'd, AS the gay flowers which nature yields In artful ornaments conceal'd defects. MOST of the miseries of life, undoubtedly refult from our ftraying from the path which leads to content. FRIENDSHIP delights in equal fellowship, NEVER fay any thing directly tending to your own praife; nor when you have done or faid any thing that deferves it, receive it from others with indifference. Be neither too covetous of it, nor appear difpleafed or confufed at receiving it: but when you have done any thing worthy of praife, fuffer yourfelf to be told of it, without rebuffing those who are doing you justice. In your private thoughts diveft yourfelf of it, and return it to God, as the giver of the gift, and the bleffer of the action. Give him unfeigned thanks, for making you an inftrument of his glory for the benefit of others. THE advice of Pythagoras is, that as the body is no more than the fervant of the foul, it should only be nourifhed fo as it may best perform an humble and obedient fervice to it. THE duties that are owing to friends are integrity, love, counfel, and affiftance. It is not intimacy and frequency of converfation, that makes a friend, but a difinterested obfervance of thefe duties. THERE is no manner of life fo ftrait, or miferable, that hath not fome folace and confolation. Jonah had leifure to make his prayer unto God, even in the belly of the whale, and was heard. IT is fome fhort refreshment to friends and relations, to fee and hear from one another; but it paffeth away, and we have here no continuing city, no abiding delights in this world: cur reft remains elfewhere. I hose we have, lofe much of their fweetnefs, from the thoughts of parting with them, even while we enjoy them; but the happiness to come is eternal. BE BE very careful in your promises, and juft in your performances, and remember it is better to do, and not promife, than to promife, and not perform. NEVER do any thing for your friends, that is not confonant to your honour and your confcience; you ought always to prefer thofe to your friends. -WITH ftealing foot, Time follows mortals; overtakes the fwift; RELIGION's force divine is best display'd To fuccour in extremes is her delight, And chear the heart, when terror ftrikes the fight. And wonder what a mortal's heart can raise WE need not travel, feeking ways to bliss, THE varying feafons ev'ry virtuous foul WHEN conftant faith, and holy hope fhall die, Shalt |