Chicks that once before our door Oh! how Heav'n delights to blefs. Pour'd for Mira, pour'd for me— Wherefoe'er we turn our eyes, Earth how cloth'd with grafs and grain! FORTITUDE has its extremes, as well as the reft of the virtues; and ought, like them, to be always attended with prudence. THE end of learning is, to know God, and out of that knowledge, to love him, and to imitate him, as we may the neareft, by poffeffing our fouls of true virtue. CICERO fays, "Vicious habits are fo great a ftain "to human nature, and fo odious in themfelves, that every perfon actuated by right reafon, would avoid "them, though he was fure they would be always con"cealed both from God and man, and had no future "punishment entailed upon them." AS to be perfectly juft, is an attribute of the divine nature; to be fo to the utmost of our abilities, is the glory of a man. A VIRTUOUS habit of mind is fo abfolutely neceffary to influence the whole life, and beautify every particular action; to overbalance or repel all the gilded charms of avarice, pride, and felf-intereft, that a man defervedly procures the lafting epithets of good or bad, as he appears either fwayed by it, or regardless of it. A MAN of virtue is an honour to his country, a glory to humanity, a fatisfaction to himself, and a benefactor to the world. He is rich, without oppreffion or difhonesty, charitable without oftentation, courteous without deceit, and brave without vice. ANGER may glance into the breast of a wife man, but reft only in the bofom of fools. WHEN the laft hour feems to be approaching, all terreftrial advantages are viewed with indifference; and the value that we once fet upon them, is difregarded or forgotten. And if the fame thought was always predominant, we fhould then find the abfurdity of ftretching out our arms inceffantly to grafp that which we cannot keep, and wearing out ourfelves in endeavours to add new turrets to the fabric of ambition, when the foundation itself is shaking, and the ground on which it stands is mouldering away. TO him who is animated with a view of obtaining approbation from the Sovereign of the Univerfe, no difficulty fhould feem infurmountable. WE have seen those virtues which have, while living, retired from the public eye, generally tranfmitted to pofterity, as the trueft objects of admiration and praise. A Hymn.-Pfalm VIIIth. LORD! how illuftrious is thy name, I ENVY no one's birth or fame, Nor has my pride e'er ftretch'd its aim, I afk not, wifh not, to appear More beauteous, rich, or gay. Lord make me wifer every year, And better every day! A WISE and virtuous man can never be proud; nor can he be exalted in his thoughts at any advantages he has above others; because he is confcious of his own weakness and inability to become either wife or virtuous, by any thing he finds in his own power: and his fenfe of the goodness of the bountiful God in beftowing upon him more abundantly, what he has been pleafed more more fparingly to vouchfafe to others, will infpire his foul with humility, thankfulness and adoration. MEN generally love to have their praises proclaimed, Hot whispered. There are not many who can have the patience to stay till the day of judgment, to receive the approbation and applaufe of their good actions. Verfes written on the Severity of Winter. WHILE the fierce winter rages all around, And the hard earth's with frofty fetters bound; While clothes its furface a thin garb of fnow, And rapid rivers now no longer flow: Tho' keen the piercing cold, the vital flood The rich can warm with raiment, fire, and food; But whence the poor enable to sustain Oppreffive want, and hunger's urgent pain? How is it, naked, hungry-they can bear, In their defencelefs ftate, the piercing air? Whence shall their wants the juft fupply receive? Ought man refufe, when God empow'rs to give 2 None can-but those in whom compaffion fails; In whom nor love of God nor man prevails; In whom all ferious fenfe of duty's loft, Colder their hearts than fnow, and harder than the froft. ALL have their frailties. Whoever looks for a friend without imperfections, will never find what he seeks; we love ourselves with all our faults, and we ought to love our friend in like manner. THERE is nothing fo engaging as a benevolent difpofition. This temper makes a man's behaviour inoffenfive, affable, and obliging; it multiplies friends, and difarms the malice of an enemy. A MAN without complaifance, ought to have a great deal of merit in the room of it. HE whofe honeft freedom makes it his virtue to fpeak what he thinks, makes it his neceffity to think what is good. HYMN for the MORNING. ON thee, each morning, O my God! My waking thoughts attend; In whom are founded all my hopes, And all my wishes end. My foul, in pleafing wonder loft, Thou lead'ft me thro' the maze of sleep, I'll daily, to th' aftonifh'd world, His wond'rous acts proclaim, At morn, at noon, at night, I'll ftill, And him alone will praise, to whom |