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For me, in that dread hour, when all around
The light'nings flash, and thunders fhake the ground,
My homely cot be then my bleft retreat,

(Where calm contentment holds her peaceful feat,)
Whofe humble roof excludes the rushing rain,
Its fhelter, woods, when whirlwinds fweep the plain;
While Delia here obferves the light'nings blaze,
And her quick throbbing breaft her fear betrays,
Be mine the task thefe tumults to allay,

And from her cheek to chafe pale fear away.

MANY moralifts have compared life to the ocean: which how smooth foever it may feem to invite us to its furface, the calm is deceitful, and will not long continue; ftorms and tempefts will arife and tofs the troubled vessel. While we fail through life, we must not expect a perpetual ferenity: difficulties, trials, and afflictions await all mankind; and happy they, who can steer their vessel safe amidst them into the harbour of everlasting reft!

SOME men are apt to conceive too high an opinion of the benefits they confer; they view them in too ftrong a light, and expect more in return than reason or justice will warrant.

THE great mind, as it finds the moft fatisfactory delight in obliging, is never hurt more than when its kindneffes are repeatedly mentioned; it enjoys greater pleasure from the noble reflection on the good it does, than from the felfish pride of the return it receives.

WHEN we confider. that as foon as this paffing moment of life is done, an immortality awaits us; when eternal good or evil must be the confequence of our con duct in this life; how abfurd, as well as criminal, does it render the actions of thofe, who, with unwearied anxiety, labour to gratify their worldly or fenfual paffions.

THERE is a peculiar charm in the ferene and tranquil air of virtue, which enlightens all around it in the midit of the darkeft fcenes, and the greatest calamities.

ADVICE in WINTER.

1.

THE needy poor demand our care,
To fcreen them from th' inclement air,
And turn the form afide,

From cots where oft disease and age
Unfhelter'd, bear its piercing rage,
And modeft worth refide,

II.

Where many an honeft couple dwell,
With num'rous offspring, once as well
As you with plenty bleft;

Who now in tatter'd rags confin'd
To fcanty meals of coarfeft kind,
Do fcarce a comfort tafte.

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While you enjoy the cheerful blaze m
In houfes tight, with beds of eafe,

Think then, how ftrong their claim,
To comforts with which you abound,
And which difpens'd to them, rebound,
And fettle whence they came.

MEN in the greatest profperity are often like trees laden with fruit, that break with the weight of their boughs, and are ruined by their own greatnefs.

TIME is given us, that we may take care of eternity; and eternity will not be too long to regret the loss of our time, if we have mifpent it.

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"OUR light afflictions, which are but for a moment," are fent for the wifeft purposes, and intended for our greatest good, by taking off our affections from earthly things, and fetting them on things above: they are the mean, through the biefing of God, of fitting us for the blefled enjoyment of him in the manfions of bleffednefs. en high..

QUR

OUR abode on earth is very precarious and uncertain: This night thy foul may be required of thee;" if so, be always ready to attend the fummons at a moment's warning.

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"THE kingdom of heaven," or grace in the heart, is truly that pearl of great price," which the good man only knows the value of, and enjoys with thankfulnefs and praise; it comes from God, leads to him, and terminates in the full enjoyment of him in the realms of blifs.

NOTHING can be more proper for a creature that borders upon eternity, and is hafting continually to his final audit, than daily to flip away from the circle of amufements, and frequently to relinquish the hurry of bufinefs, in order to confider and adjust the things that belong to his eternal peace."

THE ftarting tear in pity's eye,

Outfhines the diamond's brightest beams;
And the sweet blush of modesty,

More beauteous than the ruby seems.

IT is a proof of wisdom, frequently to meditate on the eternity of the foul, and to confider that the body muft foon fuffer a diffolution. Beauty is a flower which foon withers, health changes, and strength abates; but innocency is immortal, and a comfort both in life and death.

GOD, who is liberal and generous in all his other gifts, teaches us, by the wife oeconomy of his providence, how circumfpect we ought to be in the right management of our time; for he never gives us two moments together, he gives us only the fecond as he takes away the firft, and keeps the third in his hands, leaving us in an abfolute uncertainty whether it fhall ever be ours or not,

SOME

SOME virtues are only feen in affliction, and fome in profperity; fome in a private, and others in a publick capacity. But the great Sovereign of the world beholds every perfection in its obfcurity: and not only fees what we do, but what we would do.

ONCE

THE ENTHUSIAST.

I remember well the day,
'Twas e'er the blooming fweets of May
Had loft their fresheft hues;

When ev'ry flow'r on ev'ry hill,
In ev'ry vale, had drank its fill
Of funfhine and of dews.

In fhort, 'twas that sweet season's prime,
When spring gives up the reins of time
To fummer's glowing hand:
And doubting mortals hardly know
By whofe command the breezes blow
Which fan the fmiling land.

'Twas then befide a green wood fhade,
Which cloth'd a lawn's afpiring head,
I wing'd my devious way;
With loit'ring fteps regardless where,
So foft fo genial was the air,

So wond'rous bright the day.

And now my eyes with tranfport rove
O'er all the blue expanfe above,

Unbroken by a cloud :
And now beneath delighted pafs,
Where winding thro' the deep green grafs
A full brim'd river flow'd.

I ftop, I gaze, in accents rude
To thee, ferenest folitude,

Burfts forth th' unbidden say,

Begone vile world, the learn'd, the wife,

The great, the bufy, I defpife,

And pity ev'n the gay.

Thefe,

Thefe, these are joys alone I

'Tis here divine Philofophy

cry;

Thou deign'ft to fix thy throne:
Here contemplation points the road
Through nature's charms to nature's God;
Thefe, thefe are joys alone.

Adieu, ye vain low-thoughted cares,
Ye human hopes, and human fears,
Ye pleasures, and ye pains!
While thus I fpeak, o'er all my foul
A philofophick calmnefs ftole,
A ftoic ftillnefs reigns.

The tyrant paffions all fubfide,
Fear, anger, pity, fhame, and pride,
No more my bofom move:
yet I felt, or feem'd to feel,
A kind of vifionary zeal,

But

Of univerfal love.

When, lo! a voice, a voice, I hear;
'Twas reason whifper'd in my ear
These monitory strains :

What mean't thou man? wouldst thou unbind
The ties which conftitute thy kind,
The pleasures and the pains.

The fame almighty power unfeen,
Who fpreads the gay or folemn scene
To contemplation's eye:
Fix'd ev'ry movement of the foul,
Taught ev'ry wifh its deftin'd goal,
And quicken'd ev'ry joy.

He bids the tyrant paffions rage;
He bids them war eternal wage,
And combat each his foe;

'Till from diffention's concord rise,
And beauties from deformities,

VOL. II.

And happiness from woe.
E

Art

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