HABITUAL acts of kindness have a powerful effect in foftening the heart.

THANKFUL that a heavenly conductor vouchfafes his aid, let us earneftly pray, that from him may descend divine light to guide our fteps, and divine ftrength to fortify our minds. Let us pray, that his grace may keep us from all intemperate paffions, and miftaken purfuits of pleasure, that whether it fhall be his will to give or to deny us earthly profperity, he may blefs us with a calm, a found and well regulated mind; may give us moderation in fuccefs, and fortitude under difappointment; and may enable us so to take warning from the crimes and miseries of others, as to efcape the fnares of guilt.

The Frame and Temper of Mind of a true CHRISTIAN.

1 Theff. Chap. v. Ver. 16, 17, 18.

REJOICE evermore.
Pray without ceafing.

In every thing give thanks.

Which expreffions in their full force imply a difpofition always cheerful, grateful, and refigned, having a continual fenfe of the mercies which we enjoy our dependance upon God, and his unmerited favours; a difpofition always rejoicing at the profperity of its fellow-creatures, poffeffing that univerfal charity which is the life and effence of religion; looking up to the Supreme Being in every step of our conduct, having God at all times in our thoughts, words, and actions, refolving to do nothing but what is agreeable to his will, to fear nothing beyond or befides his displeasure: when we lie down, recommending ourselves to his care, when we rife up, imploring his protection (befides which there is nothing that we can pray for as we ought) in the beautiful expreffions of the royal pfalmift, "remembering God in our bed, and thinking on him when we are waking." In a word, it is that frame and temper of mind, which is always fupplicant, humble, grateful, and refigned,

repofing

repofing our whole truft and confidence in the wisdom, juftice, and mercy, of the divine Providence, whatever we do, doing all to the praife and glory of God.

GIVE not an ear to the pleasures of this life; they only pall the taste, and render the heart unfit for duty. Seek induftry for thy pleafure, and virtue for thy greateft comfort; reward the diligent, comfort the distressed, and affift the needy.

THERE may be fome pleasure in flying fociety, but there is fometimes a very fevere mortification in seeing fociety fly from us.

A DESIRE of grandeur and magnificence is often abfurd in those who can fupport it, but when it takes hold of those who can fcarce furnish themfelves with neceffaries, their poverty instead of demanding our pity, becomes an object of ridicule.

SENSIBILITY is the caufe either of the greatest happiness or mifery attending the female fex; but too frequently it leads to the latter; yet if virtue is their guide, it gives them gleams of the former, by a hopeful afsurance of eternal felicity.

DISHONEST minds, juft like the jaundic'd fight, See honeft deeds in a dishonest light;

Thro' clouds of guilt, the innocent they view,
And ftain each virtue with fome vicious hue.
The juft and good look with a different eye;
By generous hearts they generous actions try:
Govern'd by honour, honour they revere,
And think each virtue like their own fincere.

IF thou defireft not to be poor, defire not to be rich; he is rich, not that poffeffeth much, but that covets no more. The contented mind wants nothing that it hath not; whereas the covetous wants not only that which it hath not, but what it hath also.

AFFLICTIONS

AFFLICTIONS are hard meat, but patience is a good

digefter.

BE not attached to any preconceived notions, however pofitive you may have been hitherto of their truth, as to be backward to part with them on better evidence, even though the discovery of your errors fhould deprive you of some pleafing delufion, and oblige you to the practice of fomething naturally ungrateful.

CHRIST was born in an inn, which may teach man to make the world but a thoroughfare, where if he takes his reft, yet he muft not fet up his rest.

O! COME, sweet Hope, and lull my foul to reft, For ever dwell within my tranquil breast: Teach me to limit all my fond defires, And only with what nature ftill requires. Without thy aid my down-caft longing foul, Would hardly reach in thought the distant goal; By thee inflam'd it mounts the lofty skies, And flies impatient of th' immortal prize.

Part of a HYMN to the DEITY.

BUT should adverfity, with frown severe
Dash the bright cup of pleasure from my hand,
Whilst every summer friend, with eager hafte,
Flies from her wintry blast-when left alone,
Unpitied, and neglected,-when the bloom
Of youth fhall fade, and age, with trembling steps,
Shall spread his hoary honours o'er my head,
And every day a gloomier fcene unfold;
Oh! then, be thou my guardian and my friend,
Nor let me fink beneath the weighty ftroke,
(For wifeft purpose, though unknown to me)

But fay, with heart refign'd, " Thy will be done."

IF our defires increase with our riches, is not a man by fo much the more miferable, the more he poffeffes ?

VOL. II.

IN

IN profperity and in adverfity, religion is the fafeft guide of human life. Conducted by its light, we reap the plea fures, and at the fame time escape the dangers, of a profperous state. Sheltered under its protection, we stand the fhock of adverfity with moft intrepidity, and fuffer leaft from the violence of the ftorm.

A SENTIMENTAL THOUGHT by a SAILOR.
STILL toft tempeftuous on the fea of life,
My little bark is driving to and fro,
With winds and waves I hold unequal ftrife,
Nor can decide the doubtful courfe I go.
Contending paffions are the ftorms that rife,
And error's darknefs clouds the mental ray,
The lamp of reafon feldom gilds the skies,
With luftre equal to direct my way.

But there's an hour when all these ftorms fhall cease,
The darkness fly, and rifing fcenes appear,
My bark be fhelter'd in the port of peace,

And ride eternal at an anchor there.

IT is folly in youth to place too ftrong a reliance on long life; it is weakness in age to be over folicitous about it. In the former cafe, the expectation is indulged with uncertainty; in the latter, the defire is attended by anxiety, becaufe the chances of probability are intirely against it. All that we are fure of in this life is, that we mult quit it, we know not when; and all that it most behoves us to do, is to be prepared for that call, to which wifdom and virtue conftantly admonish us. It little matters how long we live in this world, but it greatly does in what manner we live in it.

THE brighteft fcenes of worldly profperity and grandeur are contemptible, when they do not accord with virtue and piety. Death in a few years, blends the prince and the meaneft fubject, the conqueror and the flave, the statesman, the warrior, and the most infignificant, in one promifcuous ruin; and the fchemes, the competitions, and the interefts,

interefts, which have engaged the chief attention of the world, are brought to nothing, and appear, too often, ridiculous but righteoufnefs is unchangeably glorious, and in the univerfal ruin receives no detriment: when all human power and policy will be extinct, concealed piety, and perfecuted virtue will again appear, and be owned as his by the Lord of Hoits in that day when he maketh up his jewels. I will love thee, therefore, O Lord, my ftrength; yea, I will love thee: and it ever fhall be my heart's defire, that my foul may behold by faith in itself, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, able and ready to change it into the fame image from glory to glory, reflected upon, and conveyed to it by the Spirit of the Lord. May my portion here be this bleffed transforming union, that I may be made partaker of the divine nature, by impreffions from it. fhall then have all I wish, and all I want. With a fettled indifference I fhall then look upon the highest advantages of this world. I fhall have nothing to hope or to fear. The will of God will be to me unmixed felicity.

TOO rarely feen is that gratitude which looks backward, and generously fubfifts on favours paft, without fresh claims and aliment; how much more common is that which muft be kept up by daily benefits, and when bereft of such food, expires?

THERE are many creatures in the creation of whose nature and usefulnefs we are ignorant, which might poffibly be made for the fake of contemplation to carry us forth into admiration of the great Creator.

CHARITY and fine-dreffing are things very different, but if men give alms for the fame reasons that others drefs fine, only to be feen and admired, charity is then but like the vanity of fine cloaths.

HE that believes that every thing happens to him for the beft, cannot poffibly complain for want of fomething that is better.