Can any one then contemplate fuch awful attributes, and not venerate them; fuch infinite perfections, and not

adore them?

TIME is alarmingly fhort and fleeting: great need have we to husband well the precious minutes, which are to determine our eternal lot.

MAKE good ufe of time if you love eternity; reflect that yesterday cannot be recalled, to-morrow cannot be affured, to-day is only ours, which, if we procraftinate, we lofe; which loft, is loft for ever: one day present is worth two to come.

HOW unthinking muft thofe unhappy perfons be, who make it a common excufe for idle and pernicious amusements, that they do it to kill time?

HOW beautiful, how worthy of imitation, is the example of Epictetus, who guided only by reafon, and under a weight of afflictions that nothing could exceed but the providence which attended them, and his own virtue, breaks out into these natural, these devout strains of fubmiffion: "Dare to lift up thy eyes to God, and fay, Ufe me as thou pleafeit; I am of the fame mind "with thee; and perfectly indifferent as to all events "Lead me wherefoever thou thinkeft fitting, I am "ready to obey-I will defend thy providence before "men, in every one of thy difpenfations, and demonftrate the nature and reafonablenefs of them."

CLOSE your ear against him that fhall open his mouth fecretly against another; if you reject his words, they fly back and wound the reporter; if you receive them, they fly forwards, and wound you.

AGESILAUS, that great king of the Lacedemonians, ufed to admonish his friends against the immoderate defire of riches, fo common to most people, telling them, "They "should not study fo much the means to enrich themfelves

"in money as in virtue and fortitude; becaufe, faid he, they purchase money to little purpose, who are void of "the real endowments of the mind."

ONE of the most illuftrious, but at the fame time one of the most difficult, of the chriftian duties, is, “ to "love our enemies," and to pray for the welfare and amendment of them "who defpitefully ufe and per"fecute us."-As therefore love and charity towards all fuch is fo repeatedly and ftrongly enjoined us by our bleffed Lord, we are under indifpenfible obligation to comply with it; and if we duly obferve this precept, we fhall foon find the beneficial effects of it.

TRUE repentance is that faving grace wrought in the foul by the Spirit of God, whereby a finner is made to fee and be fenfible of his fin, is grieved and humbled before God on account of it; not fo much for the punishment to which fin has made him liable, as that thereby God is difhonoured and offended, his laws violated, and his own foul polluted and defiled: and this grief arifes from love to God, and is accompanied with an hatred of fin, a fixed refolution to forfake it, and an hope of favour and forgivenefs through the merits of Chrift.

TRUE merit is not afraid of being effaced by that of others.

PROFESS religion only to honour God, to do good to men, to fanctify and fave thy own foul; but by ne means make it fubfervient to bare ends.

WERE men fenfible of the happiness that results from true religion, the voluptuous man would there feek his pleafure, the covetous man his wealth, and the ambitious man his glory.

PHOCION being fentenced to die by the Athenians, from whom he had merited the best of treatment, when he received his deadly potion, one of his friends asked

him if he chofe to speak with his fon, who was there prefent: "Yes, by all means," replied he, Then addreffing himself to the youth, he fays, "Son, I com"mand and conjure thee, to forget the ill treatment thy "father meets with from the Athenians." The diftant hope, that their death will be avenged, is generally the chief confolation of fuch as fuffer in this manner; but it was his laft defire, that his fon fhould entertain no thoughts of revenging his father's unjuft fufferings.

THIS, at least, is the prefent reward of virtuous conduct, that no unlucky confequence can oblige us to repent it.

SWEET religion, cheerful, mild,
Pleafure's fource, and reafon's child,
Come, array'd in heavenly sheen,
Come and cheer the difmal scene;
Hope bright beaming in thine eye,
Bid despair and horror fly.
Let us fee thy beauteous face,
Come and dwell with human race;
Be but thou our helpmate dear,
We'll begin our heaven here.

LIKE leaves on trees the life of man is found, Now green in youth, now with'ring on the ground.. One race of men another race fupplies;

They fall fucceffive, and fucceffive rife.

AH! what a wond'rous likeness may we trace
Between the falling leaves, and mortal race!
Yet, yet how few the folemn truth receive!
Vain in purfuit, and high in hope they live;
A thoufand fruitlefs fchemes their thoughts engage,
Alike forgetful, or of death, or age;

Toiling, while health and ftrength their pow'rs fupply,.
With bufy, reftlefs, fond anxiety!

Ah fools and vain! and will they not be wife,

Nor know, that youth's fair flower foon fades and dies; And life's quick moment, like a fhuttle, flies?

AS the branches of a tree return their fap to the root, from whence it arofe; as a river poureth his ftreams to the fea, whence his fpring was fupplied, fo the heart of a grateful man delighteth in returning a benefit received.

INVITATION to the FEATHERED RACE.
AGAIN the balmy zephyr blows,
Fresh verdure decks the grove,
Each bird with vernal rapture glows,
And tunes his notes to love.

Ye gentle warblers hither fly,

And fhun the noon-day heat,
My fhrubs a cooling thade fupply,
My groves a fafe retreat.

Here freely hop from spray to spray,
Or weave the mossy neft;
Here rove and fing the live long day,
At night here fweetly reft.

Amidft this cool tranflucent rill,

That trickles down the glade,

Here bathe your plumes, here drink your fill,
And revel in the shade.

No fchool boy rude to mischief

E'er fhews his ruddy face,

prone

Or twangs his bow, or hurls a stone,
In this fequefter'd place.

Hither the vocal thrush repairs,
Secure the linnet fings;

The goldfinch dreads no flimy fnares,
To clog her painted wings.

Sad Philomel! ah quit thy haunt,
Yon diftant woods among;

And round my friendly grotto chaunt,
Thy fweetly plaintive fong.

Let not the harmlefs red-breaft fear
Domestic bird! to come

And feek a fure afylum here,

With one that loves his home.

My

My trees for you, ye artless tribe,
Shall ftore of fruit preferve,
Oh let me thus your friendship bribe;
Come feed without referve.

For you thefe cherries I protect,
To you thefe plumbs belong;

Sweet is the fruit that you

have peck'd,

But fweeter far your fong.

Let then this league betwixt us made
Our mutual interefts guard :
Mine be the gifts of fruit and shade,
Your fongs be my reward.

AS the tradefman generally endeavours not only to attract the attention, but gain the cuftom of the paffenger, by expofing in his windows fome of the best commodities, fo let every one endeavour, by his amiable conduct and behaviour, not only to attract the notice, but gain the friendship and efteem of all around.

WHATEVER thoughts give the mind a rational or religious pleasure, and tend to improve the heart and understanding, are to be favoured, often recalled, and carefully cultivated; nor fhould we difmifs them, till they have made fome impreffions on the mind which are like to abide there.

RELIGION, fays Dr. Whichcote, doth poffefs and affect the whole man: in the understanding, it is knowledge; in the life, it is obedience; in the affections, it is delight in God; in our carriage and behaviour, it is modefty, calmnefs, gentlenefs, quietnefs, candour, ingenuity; in our dealings, it is uprightnefs, integrity, and correfpondence with the rule of righteoufnefs: religion makes men virtuous in all inftances.

LET your recreation be manly, moderate, feafonable, and lawful if your life be fedentary, let it be more tending to the exercise of your body; if active, more to

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