"although friendship is certainly productive of utility, yet utility is not the primary motive of friendship." Those selfish sensualists, therefore, who, lulled in the lap of luxury, presume to maintain the reverse, have surely no claim to attention; as they are neither qualified by reflection, nor experience, to be competent judges of the subject. 17. Is there a man upon the face of the earth, who would deliberately accept of all the wealth, and all the affluence this world can bestow, if offered to him upon the severe terms of his being unconnected with a single mortal whom he could love, or by whom he should be beloved? This would be to lead the wretched life of a detested tyrant, who, amidst perpetual suspicions and alarms, passes his miserable days a stranger to every tender sentiment; and utterly precluded from the heart-felt satisfactions of friendship. Melmoth's translation of Cicero's Lælius. SECTION VI. a E-stab-lish, è-stab'-lish, to settle, fix 1 Nur-ser-y, når'-sår-rẻ, a plantation of b Im-ma-te-ri-al-i-ty, im-má-tè-rè-ål'-è tè, distinctness from body c E-vince, è-vinse', to prove, to show e Ve-rac-i-ty, vè-rás'-è-tè, moral truth, f Progress, prog'-grês, course, ad vancement g Arrive, år-rive', to reach a place by travelling young trees m Suc-ces-sion, sok-sêsh'-ån, an order ly series, line of order h. Dis-cov-er-y, dis-kåv'-år-è, the finds ing or revealing any thing i Suc cess-or, såk-sês'-år, one that follows another j A-bor-tive, a-bor'-tiv, bringing forth nothing k. Ca-pac-i-ty, ká-pås'-è-tè, power, ability, condition Ru-di-ment, rô8'-de-ment, the first part of education Ac-ces-sion, åk sêsh'-on, increase, p Beau-ti-fy, bù'-tè-fl, to adorn, em- r Fi-nite, fi'-nite, limited, bounded cause u Math-e-mat-i-cal, máth-e-mât’-è-kál, relating to mathematicks v Trans-port, tråns'-port, conveyance, rapture, a vessel of carriage On the immortality of the soul. 1. I was yesterday walking alone, in one of my friend's woods; and lost myself in it very agreeably, as I was running over, in my mind, the several arguments that establish this great point; which is the basis of morality, and the source of all the pleasing hopes, and secret joys, that can arise in the heart of a reasonable creature. I consid 67320B ered those several proofs drawn, first, from the nature of the soul itself, and particularly its immateriality; which, though not absolutely necessary to the eternity of its duration, has, I think, been evinced to almost a demonstration. 2. Secondly, from its passions and sentiments; as particularly, from its love of existence; its horror of annihilation; and its hopes of immortality; with that secret satisfaction which it finds in the practice of virtue; and that uneasiness which follows upon the commission of vice. Thirdly, from the nature of the supreme Being, whose justice, goodness, wisdom, and veracity,' are all concerned in this point. 3. But among those, and other excellent arguments for the immortality of the soul, there is one drawn from the perpetual progress of the soul to its perfection, without a possibility of ever arrivings at it; which is a hint that I do not remember to have seen opened and improved by others, who have written on this subject, though it seems to me to carry a very great weight with it. 4. How can it enter into the thoughts of man, that the soul, which is capable of immense perfections, and of receiving new improvements to all eternity, shall fall away into nothing, almost as soon as it is created? Are such abilities made for no purpose? A brute arrives at a point of perfection, that he can never pass in a few years he has all the endowments he is capable of; and were he to live ten thousand more, would be the same thing he is at present 5. Were a human soul thus at a stand in her accomplishments; were her faculties to be full blown, and incapable of farther enlargements; 1 could imagine she might fall away insensibly, and drop at once into a state of annihilation. But can we believe a thinking being that is in a perpetual progress of improvement, and travelling on from perfection to perfection, after having just looked abroad into the works of her Creator, and made a few discoveries of his infinite goodness, wisdom, and power, must perish at her first setting out, and in the very beginning of her inquiries? 6. Man, considered only in his present state, seems sent into the world merely to propagate his kind. He provides himself with a successori; and immediately quits his post to make room for him. He does not seem born to enjoy life, but to deliver it down to others. This is not surprising to consider in animals, which are formed for our use, and which can finish their business in a short life. 7. The silk-worm, after having spur her task, lays her eggs and dies. But a man cannot take in his full measure of knowledge, has not time to subdue his passions, estab lish his soul in virtue, and come up to the perfection of his nature, before he ishurried off the stage. Would an infinitely wise Being mike such glorious creatures for so mean a purpose? Canne delight in the production of such abortive intelligence, such short-lived reasonable beings? Would he give us taents that are not to be exerted? capacities that are neer to be gratified? 8. How can we hd that wisdom which shines through all his works, in th formation of man, without looking on this world as oly a nursery' for the next; and without believing that he several generations of rational creatures, which rise p and disappear in such quick successions, are only receive their first rudiments" of existence here, and terwards to be transplanted into a more friendly climate where they may spread and flourish to all eternity? per 9. There is nt, in my opinion, a more pleasing and triumphant conideration in religion, than this of the petual progress which the soul makes towards the perfection of its nture, without ever arriving at a period in it. To look uon the soul as going on from strength to strength; to onsider that she is to shine for ever with new accessio of glory, and brighten to all eternity; that she wille still adding virtue to virtue, and knowledge to knodedge; carries in it something wonderfully agreeable to hat ambition, which is natural to the mind of man. 10. Nay, must be a prospect pleasing to God himself, to see is creation for ever beautifying in his eyes; and drawin nearer to him, by greater degrees of resemblance. Methinks this single consideration, of the progress of a niter spirit to perfection, will be sufficient to extinguishall envy in inferior natures, and all contempt in superio. 11. Tht cherub which now appears as a god to a human soul knows very well that the period will come about in cernity, when the human soul shall be as perfect as he hitself now is: nay, when she shall look down upon that legree of perfection, as much as she now falls short of it. lis true, the higher nature still advances, and by that means preserves his distance and superiority in the scale of beng; but he knows that, how high soever the station is of which he stands possessed at present, the inferior, nature will, at length, nount up to it; and shine forth in the same degree of glory, 12. With what astonishment and veneration, may we look into our own souls, where there are such hidden stores of virtue and knowledge, such inexhausted sources of perfection! We know not yet what we shall be; nor will it ever enter into the heart of man to conceive the glory that will be always in reserve for him. 13. The soul, considered with its Creator, is like one of those mathematical" lines, that may daw nearer to another for all eternity, without a possibility otouching it: and can there be a thought so transporting" is to consider ourselves in these perpetual approachesto HIM, who is the standard not only of perfection, but ohappiness? ADDISON. CHAPTER V. Descriptive Piecs. SECTION 1. a Reg-u-lar-i-ty, rêg-ù-lår'-è-tè, method, certain order the general apearance of any action, the who mixture of objects b O-be-di-ence, d-bè'-jè-ênse, submis-i Cot-tage, kôt'-táj a hut, a mean hab sion to authority itation c Dis-crim-i-nate, dis-krim'-è-nåte, to j Gran-a-ry, gráni-rè, a store-house, mark, select, separate d Un-de-light-ful, an-de-lite'-fül, notk e In-stance, in'-stánse, importunity, mo- mit ▲ Scene, sèèn, the stage part of a play,! 1. AMONG o for corn Car-ni-val, kår-nyál, a feast Be-nig-nant, be-n'-nánt, gracious, A-dapt, &-dapt', tot, proportion The Seasons. MONG the great blessings and woners of the ereation, may be classed the regularities of imes and seasons. Immediately after the flood, the sacred promise was made to man, that seed-time and harvest, cold ' and heat, summer and winter, day and night, should continue to the very end of all things. Accordingly, in obediences to that promise, the rotation is constantly presenting us with some useful and agreeable alteration and all the pleasing novelty of life arises from these natural changes: nor are we less indebted to them for many of its solid comforts. 2. It has been frequently the task of the moralist and poet, to mark, in polished periods, the particular charms and conveniences of every change; and, indeed, such discriminate observations upon natural variety, cannot be undelightful; since the blessing which every month brings along with it, is a fresh instance of the wisdom and bounty of that Providence, which regulates the glo ries of the year. We glow as we contemplate; we feel a propensity to adore, whilst we enjoy. 3. In the time of seed-sowing, it is the season of confidence; the grain which the husbandman trusts to the bosom of the earth, shall, haply, yields its seven-fold rewards. Spring presents us with a scene of lively expec tation. That which was before sown, begins now to dis cover signs of successful vegetation. The labourer observes the change, and anticipates the harvest; he watches the progress of nature, and smiles at her influence; while the man of contemplation walks forth with the evening, amidst the fragrance of flowers, and promises of plenty; nor returns to his cottage till darkness closes the scene upon his eye. 4. Then cometh the harvest, when the large wish is satisfied, and the granaries of nature are loaded with the means of life, even to a luxury of abundance. The powers of language are unequal to the description of this happy season. It is the carnival of nature; sun and shade, coolness and quietude,' cheerfulness and melody, love and gratitude, unite to render every scene of summer delightful. 5. The division of light and darkness is one of the kindest efforts of Omnipotent Wisdom. Day and night yield us contrary blessings; and, at the same time, assist each other, by giving fresh lustre to the delights of both. Amidst the glare of day, and bustle of life, how could we sleep? Amidst the gloom of darkness, how could we labour? |