Wifdom, and experience age, ON HAPPINESS. LONG have I fought the wish of all, Which fome will wealth, fome pleasure call, Of want the doleful scene, Haft thou perform'd an honeft part? Muft raise a noble joy, Muft conftitute that happiness, Which nothing can destroy. O! THOU, whofe pow'r o'er moving worlds prefides, From thee, great God! we spring, to thee we tend, IT was a common faying among the Heathens, that the wife man hates nobody, but only loves the virtuous. The Christian owes a more general love. A Thought on Death. DEATH, to a good man, is but paffing through a dark entry, out of one little dusky room of his father's house, into another, that is fair and large, lightsome, glorious and divinely entertaining. THERE is nothing of greater importance to us, than to fift our thoughts, and examine all the dark receffes of the mind, if we would establish our fouls in fuch a folid and fubftantial virtue, as will turn to account in that great day, when it must stand the test of infinite wisdom and juftice. ALL the real pleasures and conveniencies of life, lie in a narrow compafs; but it is the humour of mankind, to be always looking forward, and ftraining after thofe who have got the start of them in wealth and honour. A GOOD confcience is to the foul, what health is to the body; it preferves a conftant eafe and ferenity within us, and more than countervails all the calamities and afflictions which can poffibly befal us. I know nothing fo hard for a generous mind to get over, as calumny and reproach; and cannot find any method of quieting the foul under them, befides this fingle one, of our being confcious to ourselves, that we do not deferve them. The Rural Scene. SWEET contemplation to purfue, The bleating herds, the lowing kine, Behold, Behold, O! youth, this fcene, and fee ; TO THE POOR. THE Providence of Almighty God has placed you under difficult circumstances of life, and daily reads you a leffon in a more particular manner to depend upon him. This you may be affured of for your comfort, that you are under God's conftant and immediate care: And one advantage you enjoy above the rich, in your journey to Heaven, is, that you are not clogged and hindered in your courfe thither, by thofe manifold incumbrances which lie on them; of whom our Saviour hath faid, "That it is very hard for them to enter into the kingdom of Heaven." Their temptations are propor tioned to their abundance; their cares are more, and their diftractions. greater; fo that you have no reason to envy them, nor repine at your own condition; and these are chiefly your temptations, and against these you muit be more particularly watchful. Certainly, if you confider things aright, you will find that your ftore-houfe is the most fure, your fupply moft certain; for you are immediately in the hands of God, of him who feedeth the ravens, and cloatheth the grafs of the field; fo that you may be much more affured that he will clothe you. Endeavour to be humble, holy, heavenly-minded; always remembering, that he is the poorest man, who is poor in grace. Your Saviour had not where to lay his head; let his example ferve to reconcile your low condition to you; and let your religious behaviour under it be the means to fanctify it. WHEREVER we turn our eyes, we find something to revive our curiofity, and engage our attention. In the dusk of the morning, we watch the rifing of the fun, and and fee the day diverfify the clouds, and open new profpects in its gradual advance. After a few hours, we fee the fhades lengthen, and the light decline, till the fky is refigned to a multitude of fhining orbs, different from each other in magnitude and splendour. The earth varies its appearance, as we move upon it; the woods offer their fhades, and the fields their harvests; the hill flatters with an extenfive view, and the valley invites with fhelter, fragrance and flowers. LET not the curious from your bofom steal GOD of my foul! without thy ftrength'ning grace, OUR follies, when difplay'd, ourselves affright, Pursue the road, forgetful of the end, Sin by mistake, and without thought offend. SHE who values not the virtue of modesty in her words and drefs, will not be thought to fet much price upon it in her actions. IN cafe of temptation, it is a prudent caution to avoid the encounter, when we are confcious of weaknefs, or unable to withstand it. MOST men are ready enough to reckon up the in come of their eftates, and compute how it will answer their several expences; but few employ their arithmetic to calculate the value of their life and time, or confider how they may be expended to the best advantage. In thefe the beggar has as large a revenue as the king, though they are justly accounted the more valuable treafure. THE foul, agitated with paffions, fares like a weak bird in a ftormy day; fhe is not able to make a straight flight, but is toffed from the track fhe would purfue, being loft and carried in the air at the pleasure of the winds. In this condition is the foul, till, by a conftant meditation on God, and application to him, it has obtained a strong and vigorous faith to ballaft and ftrengthen it, and enable it to maintain the ftraight and steady courfe of virtue. STILL as thro' life's meandring paths I ftray, RELIGION's facred lamp alone With unpolluted ray. Written on a Watch. WERE but our minds, like this machine, Sweet |