Behold! with green no meads are clad;
Behold the thrush fits mute and fad;
No lively fongfter's warbling throat
Pours joy or mufick in his note.
How bare, how naked feems yon bed!
The pink is gone, the tulip dead.
Where is the gay, the od'rous flower
That blush'd fo late in yonder bower ?
So fades the glories of the year,
They bloffom fair and disappear:
And (melancholy truth) fond man!
Thy life's a flow'r, thy days a span!
Almighty Sov'reign, bounteous pow'r,
Whom ev'ry clime and tongue adore;
Whose fiat form'd earth's verdant plain,
And ocean's fpacious vaft domain.
Proftrate before thy throne we bow,
Parent of circling seasons thou!
Haften far happier days-and bring
"One glorious and eternal fpring."

WEALTH, employed in the fervice of merely temporal indulgencies, gives no pleasure in the retrospect, and can procure no favour from the juft Judge of actions.

A TRUE friend unbofoms freely, advises justly, affists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.

IN every ruffling ftorm without, poffefs your fpirit in patience, and let all be calm and ferene within. Clouds and tempefts are only found in the lower skies; the heavens above are ever bright and clear. Let your heart and hope dwell much in these ferene regions; live as a ftranger here on earth, but as a citizen of heaven, if you will maintain a foul at ease.

SCEPTICISM and credulity are equally unfavourable to the acquifition of knowledge. The latter anticipates," VOL. II.

C

and

and the former precludes all inquiry. One leaves the mind fatisfied with error, the other with ignorance.

HOW vain are the defigns of man!-unmindful of this tranfitory ftate, he lays plans of permanent felicity. He fees the purpose of his heart ready to profper, the air-drawn building rifes, he watches it with a beating heart, it touches the very point at which he aimed, the very fummit of imagined perfection, when an unforeseen ftorm arifes, and the fmiling deceitful structure of hope is dashed in one moment to the ground.

The COMMANDMENTS.

ONE GOD there is, him only shalt thou fear,
Nor make to fculptur'd idols fruitless pray'r.
Take not thy awful Maker's name in vain,
Nor the grand fabbath of thy GOD profane.
Honour thy parents-bleffings crown the deed.
Nor by thy murd'ring hands let others bleed,
Shun with the wife unlawful lewd delight,
Nor dare ufurping steal another's right.
Falfe witnefs bear not, and thy oath revere;
Nor madly covet what thy neighbours share.

BEING common place is perhaps generally lefs a proof of a thing's being too obvious and trivial, than of its being striking and important; for how ftriking muft that obfervation be which every body makes? and at the fame time how neceffary is it still to inculcate the leffon contained in it, which has never yet been carried into practice.

IT is as poffible to become pedantic by fear of pedantry, as to be troublesome by ill-timed civility.

IT is a falfe ambition which leads men to aim at excellencies, however valuable in themselves, that are inconfiftent with their ftation, character, or profeffion; or which in the acquifition must interfere with other purfuits of more importance.

SENSUALITY

SENSUALITY is a vice which contaminates the body, depreffes the understanding, deadens the moral feelings of the heart, and degrades the human fpecies from the exalted rank which they hold in the creation.

KNOWLEDGE is intrinfically valuable, as it elevates the mind, and qualifies us for higher degrees of felicity, both in the prefent, and in a future life. But with refpect to others, it affords no claim of diftinction, unless it be applied to their emolument,

SINCE all thy ways, O Providence, are bleft,
And all thy difpenfations fpeak thy pow'r,
Come, Refignation, forrow-foothing gueft,
To calm th' emotions of this painful hour.
But can I e'er forget the mournful day?

Oh, much-lov'd youth, thy parents fond delight!
When thy remains, confign'd to kindred clay,
Fill'd the dark grave to moulder thro' its night.
Oh may the awful thought turn ev'ry mind
From vanity to feek the paths of truth;
While fuch example with fuch virtues join'd
Endear the memory of thy blooming youth.
Had God been pleas'd to grant a longer day,
Till ripen'd manhood had each promife crown'd,
How might temptations have perplex'd thy way,
In paths where only fin and forrow's found.
But heav'ns high King has early call'd thee hence,
From fhort probations to be known no more,
And gracious bade thy happinefs commence,
Where angels reverence, and where faints adore.
How firm the union of congenial fouls,

Which time nor diftance foon can separate; For ftill foft fympathy its tenor holds,

Tho' death hath clos'd the period of thy date.

If e'er my heart, to vain purfuits inclin'd,
Should prompt in pleasure's dang'rous walks to fray,
Thy happier conduct let me call to mind,
And learn from thee to choose a better way.

For the great end t'inftruct and humble man,
Perhaps are forrows oft in mercy fent;
And if this fruit's produc'd, 'tis not in vain
Our bleeding hearts thy early lofs lament,

Tho' verfe like mine can no eulogiums give,
By which fome bards have ris'n to lafting fame;
Yet may this artless humble tribute live

A juft memorial, which thy virtues claim.

AS the one purfuit of us all is happiness, by whatever different tracts we follow the chace, furely it might be well worth our labour to confult a little for the improvement of that heart felt fatisfaction, which arifes from the exercife of humanity and benevolence. See that poor creature, juft expiring in the streets for hunger;-go into that cottage, the husband is lately dead; the miferable widow, ftunned with the clamours of her little hungry orphans, fits weeping on the ground, in the bitterness of diftrefs! What an exalted joy would it be to feed those hungry; to wipe the tears away from thofe weeping eyes, to gladden the mifery of this defolate family?

IN order to keep out evil thoughts, always be employed in good ones. It is a true and pertinent obfervation, "Let the devil catch a man idle, and he will affuredly "fet him to work." From hence learn the benefits of employment, and the advantages of fociety, bufinefs, and meditation.

LET the creature lead you to the Creator, the stream direct you to the fountain, and God be difcerned in all. Let gratitude, for the mercies you enjoy, infpire you with devotion, and fill your heart with thankfulness and praife.

THE

THE MISÉR.

HE would fain keep his riches to himself, without fetting others partake of the bleffings he enjoys; every fhilling he parts with, though for common neceffaries, pierces his very heart, and feems to wound the inmoft receffes of his foul.-Deluded mortal! for whom art thou laying up thefe golden treasures, and starving thyself in the midft of plenty? In a little time, death will fummon thee to the bar of the Almighty; whofe then will all thy riches be?

Anfwer to a Perfon who advised RETIREMENT.

YOU little know the heart that you advise 3
I view this various fcene with equal eyes:
In crowded courts I find myself alone,
And pay my worship to a nobler throne.
Long fince the value of this world I knew,
Pity'd the madness, and defpifed the fhew.
Well as I can, my tedious part I bear,
And wait for my difmiffion without fear.
With forrow mark mankind's unhappy ways,,
Not hearing cenfure, nor affecting praife;.
In humble hope, my future itate I trust
To that fole Being, merciful and juft.

POWER, abftractedly confidered, is of little eftimation; and may either dignify or degrade the poffeffor.—— If you wish to derive honour from it, be careful to render it fubfervient to the happiness of all around you; and. enjoy with gratitude, not with affected fuperiority, the exalted privilege of doing good..

THE rewards of virtue, and the punishments of vice; have generally their commencement here; but we look to the world that is to come, for their completion.

PAIN is often fubfervient to pleasure; and the evils which we undergo, for the moft part, contribute to our improvement and perfection.

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MEER