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awaken within the heart thofe latent fuggeftions, which the world had overpowered and fuppreffed.

Amusement often becomes the bufinefs, inftead of the relaxation, ef young perfons: it is then highly pernicious.

He that waits for an opportunity, to do much at once, may breathe out his life in idle wishes; and regret, in the laft hour, his ufelefs intentions and barren zeal.

fpirit of true religion breathes mildnefs and affability. It gives a native, unaffected eafe to the behaviour. It is social, kind, and cheerful: far removed from that gloomy and illiberal superftition, which clouds the brow, fharpens the temper, dejects the spirit, and teaches men to fit themfelves for another world, by neglecting the concerns of this.

Reveal none of the fecrets of thy friend. Be faithful to his interests. Forsake him not in danger. Abhor the thought of acquiring any advantage by his prejudice.

Man, always profperous, would be giddy and infolent; always afflicted, would be fullen or defpondent. Hopes and fears, joy and sorrow, are, therefore, fo blended in his life, as both to give room for worldly purfuits, and to recall, from time to time, the admonitions of confcience.

SECTION IV.

TIME once paft never returns: the moment which is loft, is loft forever.

There is nothing on earth fo ftable, as to affure us of undifturbed reft; nor so powerful, as to afford us conftant protection.

The house of feafting too often becomes an avenue to the house of mourning. Short, to the licentious, is the interval between them.

It is of great importance to us, to form a proper estimate of human life; without either loading it with imaginary evils, or expecting from it greater advantages than it is able to yield.

Among all our corrupt paffions, there is a strong and intimate connection. When any one of them is adopted into our family, it feldom quits until it has fathered upon us all its kindred.

Charity, like the fun, brightens every object on which it fhines; a fenforious difpofition cafts every character into the darkeft fhade it will bear.

Many men mistake the love, for the practice of virtue; and are not fo much good men, as the friends of goodness.

Genuine virtue has a language that speaks to every heart throughout the world. It is a language which is underftood by all. In every region, every climate, the homage paid to it is the fame. In no one fentiment were ever mankind more generally agreed.

The appearances of our fecurity are frequently deceitful. When our sky seems moft fettled and ferene, in some unobferved quarter gathers the little black cloud in which the tempeft ferments, and prepares to discharge itself on our head.

The man of true fortitude may be compared to the castle built on a rock, which defies the attacks of furrounding waters the man of a feeble and timorous fpirit, to a hut placed on the fhore, which every wind fhakes, and every wave overflows.

Nothing is fo inconfiftent with felf-poffeffion as violent anger. It overpowers reafon; confounds our ideas; diftorts the appearance, and blackens the colour of every object. By the ftorms which it raises within, and by the mifchiefs which it occafions without, it generally brings on the paffionate and revengeful man, greater mifery than he can bring on the object of his refentment.

The palace of virtue has, in all ages, been reprefented as placed on the fummit of a hill; in the afcent of which, labour is requifite, and difficulties are to be furmounted; and where a conductor is needed, to direct our way, and to aid our steps.

In judging of others, let us always think the best, and employ the spirit of charity and, candour. But in judging of ourselves, we ought to be exact and fevere.

Let him, who defires to fee others happy, make hafte to give while his gift can be enjoyed; and remember, that every moment of delay takes away fomething from the value of his benefaction, And let him who propofes his own happiness reflect, that while he forms his purpose, the day rolls on, and "the night cometh, when no man can work." To fenfual perfons, hardly any thing is what it appears to be and what flatters molt, is always farthest from reality. There are voices which fing around them; but whole ftrains allure to ruin. There is a banquet fpread, where poifon is in every difh. There is a couch which invites them to repofe; but to slumber upon it, is death.

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If we would judge whether a man is really happy, it is not folely to his houses and lands, to his equipage and his

retinue we are to look. Unless we could fee farther, and difcern what joy, or what bitterness, his heart feels, we can pronounce little concerning him.

The book is well written; and I have perused it with pleasure and profit. It fhows, firft, that true devotion is rational and well founded; next, that it is of the highest importance to every other part of religion and virtue; and, lastly, that it is most conducive to our happiness.

There is certainly no greater felicity, than to be able to look back on a life ufefully and virtuously employed; to trace our own progrefs in existence, by fuch tokens as excite neither shame nor forrow. It ought therefore to be the care of those who wish to pass the last hours with comfort, to lay up fuch a treasure of pleafing ideas, as shall support the expenfes of that time, which is to depend wholly upon the fund already acquired.

SECTION V.

WHAT avails the fhow of external liberty, to one who has loft the government of himself?

He that cannot live well to day, (fays Martial,) will be lefs qualified to live well to-morrow.

Can we esteem that man profperous, who is raised to a fituation which flatters his paffions, but which corrupts his principles, diforders his temper, and finally oversets his virtue?

What mifery does the vicious man fecretly endure !Adverfity! how blunt are all the arrows of thy quiver, in comparison with thofe of guilt!

When we have no pleasure in goodness, we may with certainty conclude the reason to be, that our pleasure is all derived from an oppofite quarter.

How ftrangely are the opinions of men altered, by a change in their condition!

How many have had reafon to be thankful, for being disappointed in defigns which they earnestly pursued, but which, if fuccefsfully accomplished, they have afterwards feen would have occafioned their ruin !

What are the actions which afford in the remembrance a rational fatisfaction? Are they the purfuits of fenfual pleafure, the riots of jollity, or the difplays of fhow and vanity? No: I appeal to your hearts, my friends, if what you recollect with most pleasure, are not the innocent, the vir tueus, the honourable parts of your past life.

The prefent employment of time fhould frequently be an object of thought. About what are we now bufied? What is the ultimate fcope of our prefent pursuits and cares? Can we justify them to ourfelves? Are they likely to produce any thing that will furvive the moment, and bring forth fome fruit for futurity?

Is it not trange (fays an ingenious writer,) that fome perfons fhould be so delicate as not to bear a difagreeable picture in the houfe, and yet, by their behaviour, force every face they fee about them, to wear the gloom of uneafinefs and discontent?

If we are now in health, peace and safety; without any particular or uncommon evils to afflict our condition; what more can we reasonably look for in this vain and uncertain world? How little can the greateft profperity add to fuch a ftate? Will any future fituation ever make us happy, if now with fo few caufes of grief, we imagine ourselves miferable! The evil lies in the state of our mind, not in our condition of fortune; and by no alteration of circumstances is likely to be remedied.

When the love of unwarrantable pleasures, and of vicious companions, is allowed to amuse young perfons, to engross their time, and to ftir up their paffions; the day of ruin,let them take heed, and beware!-the day of irrecoverable ruin begins to draw nigh. Fortune is fquandered; health is broken; friends are offended, affronted, eftranged; aged parents, perhaps, fent afflicted and mourning to the duft.

On whom does time hang fo heavily, as on the slothful and lazy? To whom are the hours fo lingering! Who are fo often devoured with fpleen, and obliged to fly to every expedient, which can help them to get rid of themfelves? Instead of producing tranquillity, indolence produces a fretful restleffness of mind; gives rife to cravings which are never satisfied; nourishes a fickly, effeminate delicacy, which fours and corrupts every pleasure.

SECTION VI.

We have feen the husbandman fcattering his feed upon the furrowed ground! It fprings up, is gathered into his barns, and crowns his labours with joy and plenty -Thus the man who diftributes his fortune with generofity and prudence, is amply repaid by the gratitude of thofe whom he obliges, by the approbation of his own mind, and by the favour of Heaven.

Temperance, by fortifying the mind and body, leads to happiness intemperance, by enervating them, ends generally in mifery.

Title and ancestry render a good man more illuftrious; but an ill one, more contemptible. Vice is infamous, though in a prince; and virtue honourable, though in a peafant.

An elevated genius, employed in little things appears (to ufe the fimile of Longinus) like the fun in his evening declination: he remits his splendour, but retains his magnitude; and pleases more, though he dazzles lefs.

If envious people were to ask themselves, whether they would exchange their entire fituations with the persons envied, (I mean their minds, paffions, notions, as well as their perfons, fortunes, and dignities)-I prefime the self-love, common to human nature, would generally make them prefer their own condition.

We have obliged fome perfons: very well! what would we have more? Is not the conscioufnefs of doing good, a fufficient reward?

Do not hurt yourfeives or others, by the purfuit of pleafure. Confult your whole nature. Confider yourselves not only as fenfitive, but as rational beings; not only as rational, but focial; not only as focial, but immortal.

Art thou poor? Show thy felf active and industrious, peaceable and contented. Art thou wealthy? Show thy. felf beneficent and charitable, condefcending and humane.

Though religion removes not all the evils of life, though it promises no continuance of undisturbed prosperity, (which indeed it were not falutary for man always to enjoy,) yet if it mitigates the evils which neceffarily belong to our state, it may justly be faid to give "reft to them who labour and are heavy laden "

What a smiling afpect does the love of parents and children, of brothers and filters, of friends and relations, give to every furrounding object, and every returning day! With what a luftre does it gild even the fmall habitation, where this placid intercourfe dwells! where fuch fcenes of heartfelt fatisfaction fucceed uninterruptedly to one another!

How many clear marks of benevolent intention appear every where around us! What a profufion of beauty and ornament is poured forth on the face of nature! What a magnificent fpectacle prefented to the view of man! What fupply contrived for his wants! What a variety of objects

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