THOUGHTS ON DEATH.

IN Youth, by hope remov'd to distant days,
Death's fhadowy form no glancing eye difmays;
In warring age, the palfied hand of fear,
With all his terrors brings the spectre near;
Then fancy, skilful in the painter's art,

Shapes the grim feature, and projects the dart.
Man! wretched man, whom lengthened woes attend,
Still clings to life, and fears th' approaching end;
Of pain and want tenacious, gafps for breath,
And tir'd and reftlefs, dreads the fleep of death.
By age, and age's wants, and woes, grown wife,
I view thee death, tho' near, with placid eyes.
Thy haft'ning ftrides let fuperftition dread,
And vice, too late repenting, hide her head.
With joy the failor, long by tempests toft,
Spreads all his canvas for the rifing coaft;
With joy the hind, his daily labour done,
Sees the broad fhadows, and the fetting fun;
With joy the flave, worn out with tedious woes,
Beholds the hand that liberty bestows.

So death with joy my feeble voice fhall greet,
My hand fhall beckon, and my wish shall meet.

ADVICE to the FAIR SEX.

TO reason, ye fair ones, affert your pretence, Nor hearken to language beneath common fenfe. When angels, men call you, and homage would pay If you credit the tale, you're as faulty as they.

Ten thousand gay scenes are presented to view;
Ten thousand oaths fworn, yet none of them true:
Such paffions, O heed not, unless to deride,
Left victims you fall to an ill grounded pride.

Prefer ye the dictates of virtue, to found,

True bleffings can ne'er without goodness be found;
Leave folly and fafhions, mifguiders of youth,
And stick to their oppofites, Virtue and Truth.

VOL. II.

S

IN

IN doing benevolent things, there is, both as to the time and the manner, a propriety which gives value even to the leaft. The manner, in particular, has a marvellous effect. A charitable action, gracefully done, is twice done. fome people one would be willing to owe almost every thing, fo handfomely do they confer kindnefs; while from others a favour for the oppofite reason is a load.

Го

IT is not he who poffeffes, but he who enjoys, his fortune, that can be called the real proprietor of it: the former is only the fteward to pofterity, the latter the right

heir.

WERE it as fashionable to adorn the heart, as it is in the prefent age to disfigure the head, imitation then would be laudable-but to comply with fashion at the expenfe of our understanding, and render ourfeives ridiculous in compliment to others, is neither laudable nor juft.

THE humble tribute of obedience, from a fincere heart, is more acceptable to the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, than the molt pompous difplay of ceremonious worthip. The mental afpirations of an humble heart are as intelligible to the facred ear, as the loudeft exclamations of vocal prayer.

WHEN thou discovereft any faults in others, make the righ use of um; which is to correct and amend the like failures in thyfelf.

THE benefits in focial life, which arise from a cultivation of friendthip, can only be conceived by those who delight in acis of generofity and benevolence.

TEMPERANCE has thofe particular advantages above all other means of preferving health, that it may be practifed by all ranks and conditions at any feafon, or in any place: it is a kind of regimen which every man may obferve without interruption to buinefs, expenfe of money, or lofs

of time.

A THINKING

A THINKING man, is doubtlefs very much embarrassed in a crowd; because a multitude and a noife are great enemies to reflection: but fuch a man will, perhaps derive, from the enjoyment of his thinking powers, double fatisfaction when he gets out of it.

REFLECTIONS on a DYING PLOVER.

ARRESTED in her mid career,
See where a hapless Plover falls.
Her tortur'd fides, in pangs fevere,
Confefs the quick, impurpled balls.

How oft with quiv'ring wing the tries
To gain, once more, her lofty courfe;
But ah!its help the wing denies,

And down fhe drops,-her last resource.

The fportfman views his bleeding prey,
Exulting, lifts her from the ground;
While dark'ning fhades involve her day,
And death her ftruggles doth confound.

She who before, perhaps, had been
The happiest of the brumal throng,
Here meets her fate, quite unforeseen,
Nor can her shorten'd life prolong.

Ah! would but youth the hint pursue,
Of life they'd not be too fecure; "
They'd keep their latter end in view,'
And calmly wait their final hour.

HOW guarded fhould we be when we speak to the unhappy, whofe forrow and dejection are apt to dispose the heart to interpret into an unkind and bitter sense every expreffion that does not breathe the greatest gentleness and affection.

"Give me neither Riches nor Poverty."

The PRAYER of AGAR.

O THOU, whofe dictates rule this penfile ball,
Who didft privation into being call;

With bounteous grace thy fervant's pray'r allow;
Attend propitious to my humble vow;

Some comfort give, that in the bounded space,
Of human life, may cheer its fleeting race!
Permit, great God, my happy mean to lie
Far from indecent want, and penury.
Reftrain my open hands and ready tongue,
From impious murmurs, and injurious wrong;
Keep me remote from riches and their train
Of empty pleasures, infolent and vain;
Left my full foul amid her flowing store,
Forget at once her Maker, and the poor.
Or left the fire of youth, when I rejoice
In wealth and grandeur, filence virtue's voice;
Impofe on reafon by a poor pretence;
Make vice for wit, and folly pafs for sense;
Unthinking whence that wit and reafon flow'd.
Can man reflect, and then forget his God?
As thy wife bounty has difpos'd my fate,
Above the vulgar, and below the great;
To future years proportion'd bleffings grant,
Remov'd alike from luxury and want:
That peaceful wishes, and defires fupprefs'd
By thy eternal laws may rule my breast;
So fhall the feries of my future days
Attend thy fervice, and proclaim thy praife.

THAT perfon will beft command when fortune calls, who knows how to obey when duty binds.

THE finest beauty, like a fresh tulip, foon withers and fades away; kingdoms have their times of exaltation; empires their ages of glory; and commonwealths thofe days in which all their grandeur shall terminate.

NO

NO man in his wits would purchase an eftate for his child at the expenfe of his life; why then will he do it at the price of his foul?-One must have faint ideas of future rewards and punishments thus to mifplace his judgment and efteem!

WHEREIN confifts the Submiffion of a Chriftian?

In a firm perfuafion of mind, that nothing happens to us, but by the will and permiffion of God-that he loves us. better than we do ourfelves-and that therefore, we should acquiefce in all events, how much foever they may thwart thofe fchemes of happinefs and enjoyment which we have framed to ourselves.

WHEREIN confifts our entire Dependance upon God?"

In expecting, in all our dangers, temporal and fpiritual, by a ferious and diligent discharge of our own duty, relief from his almighty power, which is able to help us; and from his infinite goodnefs, which has promifed to affift us: and therefore not to difquiet ourselves with the apprehenfions of dangers and calamities that may never happen, or. if they do, may be over-ruled to our advantage..

WHEREIN confifts the Contempt of the World? In looking on all worldly enjoyments as little and inconfiderable, meer empty nothings, in comparison of that happiness which God hath prepared for thofe that love him. In being content with that portion of the good things of this life, which he in mercy hath allotted for its fupport. and accommodation.

IN all evils which admit a remedy, impatience is to be avoided, because it waftes that time and attention in complaints, that if properly applied might remove the cause.

THE Arabians fay, that " the wife man's foul repofes at the root of his tongue, but the fool's is ever dancing on. the tip."