IT is a fign of great prudence, to be willing to receive instruction; the most intelligent perfon, fometimes ftands in need of it.

THERE is nothing more difagreeable than continual jefting. By endeavouring to purchase the reputation of being pleafant, a man lofes the advantage of being thought wife.

IT is ungenerous to give a perfon occafion to blush at his own ignorance in any one thing, who perhaps may excel us in many.

THE greatest wifdom of fpeech, is to know when, and what, and where to fpeak; the time, matter, and manner. The next to it, is filence.

AS we should never conftrue that in earnest, which is spoken in jeft; fo we should not speak that in jeft, which may be conftrued in earnest.

THE talent of turning men into ridicule, and expofing those we converfe with, is the qualification of little, ungenerous tempers. What an abfurd thing it is to pass over all the valuable parts of a man, and fix our attention on his infirmities; to obferve his imperfections more than his virtues !

A S, amongst wife men, he is the wifeft who thinks he knows leaft; fo, amongst fools, he is the greatest who thinks he knows most.

THERE is far more fatisfaction in doing than receiving good. To relieve the oppreffed, is the most glorious act a man is capable of; it is in fome measure doing the bufinefs of God and Providence; and is attended with a Heavenly pleasure, unknown but to those that are beneficent and liberal.

LET worldly minds the world pursue,

It has no charms for me;

D 4

Once

Once I admir'd its trifles too,
But grace has fet me free.
Its pleasures now no longer please,
No more content afford.

Far from my heart be joys like these,
Now I have known the Lord.
As by the light of op'ning day,
The ftars are all conceal'd;
So earthly pleasures fade away,
When Jefus is reveal'd.

Now, Lord! I would be thine alone,
And wholly live to thee;

But may I hope that thou wilt own
A worthlefs worm like me?
Yes-tho' of finners I'm the worst,
I cannot doubt thy will;

For if thou had'it not lov'd me first
I had refus'd thee ftill.

ALPHONSUS, king of Sicily, being asked what he would referve for himfelf, who gave fo much away, Even thofe things, faid he, that I do give, for the rest I efteem as nothing.

NO character is more attractive of univerfal respect, than that of helping those who are in no condition of helping themselves.

THE temperate man's pleafures are durable, because they are regular; and all his life is calm and serene, because it is innocent.

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SOCRATES faid, "All the treafures of the earth were not to be compared to the leaft virtue of the foul."

THE gifts of the mind are able to cover the defects of the body; but the perfections of the body cannot hide the imperfections of the mind.

THOUGH

THOUGH prudence may oblige a man to fecure a competency, yet never was any one by right reason induced to feek fuperfluities.

The

RICHNESS of drefs contributes nothing to a man of fenfe, but rather makes his fenfe inquired into. more the body is set off, the mind appears the less.

THE greatest pleasure wealth can afford us, is that of doing good.

OF all the things this world affords us, the poffef fion and enjoyment of wisdom alone is immortal. A ftrict adherence to virtue, and a well regulated life, renders our pleasures more folid and lasting.

IF we apply ourselves feriously to wifdom, we fhall never live without true pleasure, but learn to be pleased with every thing. We fhall be pleafed fo far with wealth, as it makes us beneficial to others; with poverty, for not having much to care for; and with obfcurity, for being unenvied.

The Angler and the Philofopher.

BESIDE a gentle murm'ring brook,
An angler took his patient ftand :
He ey'd the ftream with anxious look,
And wav'd his rod with cautious hand.

The bait with niceft art was dreft,

The fishes left their fafe retreat,

And one more eager than the reft,

Look'd, long'd, and swallow'd the deceit.

Too late fhe felt the poignant fmart,

Her pitying friends her fate deplore,

The angler, with well practis'd art,

Hook'd, play'd, and drew her to the fhore.

Lur'd by the beauty of the day,

The fun now finking in the sky,

D 5

A fage

A fage purfu'd his walk that way,
And faw the bleeding victim lie.
Far in the vale of years declin'd,

He watch'd the courfe of nature's law;
And thus with philofophic mind,

He moraliz'd on what he faw. Indulge, a while, the penfive vein,

And fix this image in your mind, You've hook'd a fish- obferve its pain,

And view the ftate of human kind. Fate gives us line, we shift the scene, And jocund traverse to and fro, Pain, ficknefs, ftill will intervene,

We feel the hook where'er we go. If proudly, we our fchemes extend,

And look beyond the prefent hour, We find our ftraiten'd profpects end,

And own an over ruling pow's. Awhile we fport, awhile lament,

Fate checks the line, and we are gone ;

Dragg'd from our wonted element

To diftant climes, untry'd, unknown.

IT is no common bleffing to meet with a faithful, fenfible, and difcreet friend; faithful to conceal nothing. from us; fenfible to remark our faults; and difcreet to reprehend us for them. But to be able to believe and follow his advice, is indeed a real happiness. It frequently happens, that we take a pride in following our own conceits; like thofe travellers that lofe their way for want of taking a guide, or inquiring after the road.

SLANDER is the revenge of a coward, and diffimulation is his defence.

BEWARE what earth calls happiness; beware All joys, but joys that never can expire.

Who

Who builds on lefs than an immortal base,
Fond as he seems, condemns his joys to death.

Infcription over the Door of a Gentleman's Retreat..

RENEATH this mofs-grown roof, within this cell,
Truth, liberty, content and virtue dwell;
Say you who dare, this happy place difdain,
What fplendid palace boasts fo fair a train ?

VIRTUE's the friend of life, the foul of health, The poor man's comfort, and the rich man's wealth.

IT is not fufficient, that the Christian avoid only the commission of known actual fins; for more is certainly required of him who is commanded to abstain from all appearance of evil; who is to speak the truth to his neighbour, and fo to walk that he may be pronounced blameless and without rebuke in the midft of this crooked and perverfe generation. Circumfpection in the order-ing of our fpeech, is, in fome refpects, perhaps, as neceffary for the ornament of religion, as the outward deportment of our conduct in the world; or, at least, as neceffary for the approbation of him, who, as one expreffes," Views effects in their caufes, and actions in

their motives;" or, to ufe words ftill more awful.. who hath declared, that "Every idle word which men "fhall fpeak, they fhall give an account thereof in the "day of judgment."

DISCRETION does not only fhew itself in words,, but in all the circumftances of action, and is like an under agent of Providence, to guide and direct us in the ordinary concerns of life..

IMPRINT this maxim deeply in your mind, that there is nothing certain in this human and mortal ftate; by which means you will avoid being tranfported with profperity, and being dejected in adversity.

D. 6.

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