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fet before him, to gratify his fenfes, to employ his understanding, to entertain his imagination, to cheer and gladden his heart!

The hope of future happiness is a perpetual source of confolation to good men. Under trouble, it fooths their minds; amidit temptation, it fupports their virtue; and, in their dying moments, enables them to say, “O death! where is thy fting? O grave! where is thy victory ""

SECTION VII.

AGESILAUS, king of Sparta, being afked, "What things he thought moft proper for boys to learn," answered, "Thofe which they ought to practise when they come to be men.' A wifer than Agefilaus has inculcated the fame fentiment: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

An Italian philofopher expreffed in his motto, that "time was his eftate." An eftate which will, indeed, produce nothing without cultivation; but which will always abun dantly repay the labours of industry, and fatisfy the most extenfive defires, if no part of it be fuffered to lie waste by negligence, to be overrun with noxious plants, or laid out for fhow, rather than use.

When Aristotle was asked, "What a man could gain by telling a falfehood," he replied, "Not to be credited when he speaks the truth."

L'Etrange, in his Fables, tells us that a number of frolickfome boys were one day watching frogs, at the fide · of a pond; and that, as any of them put their heads above the water, they pelted them down again with tones. One of the frogs, appealing to the humanity of the boys, made this ftriking observation; "Children, you do not confider, that though this may be sport to you, it is death to us."

Sully, the great statesman of France, always retained at his table, in his moft profperous days, the fame frugality to which he had been accustomed in early life. He was frequently reproached, by the courtiers, for this fimplicity; but he used to reply to them in the words of an ancient philosopher: "If the guests are men of fenfe, there is fufficient for them if they are not, I can very well difpenfe with their company."

Socrates, though primarily attentive to the culture of his mind, was not negligent of his external appearance. His cleanliness refulted from those ideas of order and decency,

which governed all his actions; and the care which he took of his health, from his defire to preserve his mind free and tranquil.

Eminently pleafing and honourable was the friendship between David and Jonathan. "I am diftreffed for thee, my brother Jonathan," said the plaintive and furviving David ; "very pleasant haft thou been to me: thy love for me was wonderful; paffing the love of women."

Sir Philip Sidney, at the battle near Zutphen, was wounded by a musket ball, which broke the bone of his thigh. He was carried about a mile and a half, to the camp; and being faint with the lofs of blood, and probably parched with thirst through the heat of the weather, he called for drink. It was immediately brought to him: but as he was putting the veffel to his mouth, a poor wounded foldier, who happened at that inftant to be carried by him, looked up to it with wifhful eyes. The gallant and generous Sidney took the bottle from his mouth, and delivered it to the foldier, faying, "Thy necessity is yet greater than mine."

Alexander the Great, demanded of a pirate, whom he had taken, by what right he infefted the feas?"By the fame right," replied he, "that Alexander enslaves the world. But I am called a robber, because I have only one fmall veffe and he is styled a conquerer, because he commands great meets and armies." We too often judge of men by the fplendour, and not by the merit of their actions.

Antoninus Pius, the Roman Emperor, was an amiable and good man. When any of his courtiers attempted to inflame him with a paffion for military glory, he used to. anfwer: "That he more defired the prefervation of one fubject, than the destruction of a thousand enemies."

Men are too often ingenious in making themselves miferable, by aggravating to their own fancy, beyond bounds, all the evils which they endure. They compare themselves with none but those whom they imagine to be more happy; and complain, that upon them alone has fallen the whole load of human forrows. Would they look with a more impartial eye on the world, they would fee themselves furrounded with fufferers; and find that they are only drinking out of that mixed cup, which Providence has prepared for all." I will reftore thy daughter again to life," faid the eastern fage, to a prince who grieved immoderately for the lofs of a beloved child, "provided thou art able to engrave on her tomb, the names of three perfons who have

never mourned "

The prince made inquiry after fuch persons; but found the inquiry in vain, and was filent.

SECTION VIII.

He that hath no rule over his own fpirit, is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

A foft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words ftir up anger.

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a stalled ox, and hatred therewith.

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Hear counfel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be truly wise.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Open rebuke is better than fecret love. Seeft thou a man wife in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.

He that is slow to anger, is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his fpirit, than he that taketh a city.

He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord: that which he hath given, will he pay him again.

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat ; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.

He that planted the ear, fhall he not hear? He that formed the eye, fhall he not fee?

I have been young, and now I am old; yet have I never feen the righteous forfaken, nor his feed begging bread. It is better to be a door-keeper in the houfe of the Lord, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I have feen the wicked in great power; and fpreading himfelf like a green bay tree. Yet he paffed away: I fought him, but he could not be found.

Happy is the man that findeth wifdom. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand, riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace.

How good and how pleafant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like precious ointment: Like the dew of Hermon,, and the dew that descended upon the mountains of 'Zion.

The sluggard will not plough by reafon of the cold; he fhall therefore beg in harvest, and have nothing,

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding: and lo! it was all grown over with thorns; nettles had covered its face; and the ftone wall was broken down. Then I faw, and confidered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time; nor that which is measured by number of years :But wisdom is the gray hair to man; and an unspotted life is old age.

Solomon, my fon, know thou the God of thy fathers; and ferve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. If thou feek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off forever.

SECTION IX.

THAT every day has its pains and forrows is univerfally experienced, and almoft univerfally confessed. But let us not attend only to mournful truths: if we look impartially about us, we fhall find, that every day has likewife its pleafures and its joys.

We fhould cherith fentiments of charity towards all men. The Author of all good nourishes much piety and virtue in hearts that are unknown to us; and beholds repentance ready to fpring up among many, whom we confider as reprobates.

No one ought to confider himself as infignificant in the fight of his Creator. In our feveral stations we are all fent forth to be labourers in the vineyard of our heavenly Father. Every man his work allotted, his talent committed to him; by due improvement of which he may, in one way or oth ferve God, promote virtue, and be useful in the world.

The love of praise fhould be preferved under proper fubordination to the principle of duty. In itself, it is a useful motive to action; but when allowed to extend its influence too far, it corrupts the whole character, and produces guilt, difgrace, and mifery. To be entirely deftitute of it, is a-defect. To be governed by it, is depravity. The proper adjustment of the feveral principles of action in human nature is a matter that deferves our highest attention. For when any one of them becomes either too weak or too strong, it endangers both our virtue and our happiness.

The defires and paffions of a vicious man, having once obtained an unlimited fway, trample him under their feet.

They make him feel that he is fubject to various, contradictory, and imperious mafters, who often pull him different ways. His foul is rendered the receptacle of many repugnant and jarring difpofitions; and refembles fome barbarous country, cantched out into different principalities, which are continually waging war on one another.

Difeafes, poverty, difappointment, and fname, are far from being, in every inftance, the unavoidable doom of man. They are much more frequently the offspring of his own mifguided choice. Intemperance engenders difease, sloth produces poverty, pride creates difappointments, and dishonesty exposes to shame. The ungoverned paffions of men betray them into a thousand follies; their follies into crimes; and their crimes into misfortunes.

When we reflect on the many diftreffes which abound in human life; on the fcanty proportion of happiness which any man is here allowed to enjoy; on the small difference which the diverfity of fortune makes on that fcanty proportion; it is furprifing, that envy fhould ever have been a prevalent paffion among men, much more that it fhould have prevailed among Christians. Where fo much is fuffered in common, little room is left for envy. There is more occafion for pity and sympathy, and inclination to affift each other.

At our first fetting out in life, when yet unacquainted with the world and its fnares, when every pleasure enchants with its smile, and every object fhines with the glofs of novelty, let us beware of the feducing appearances which furround us; and recollect what others have fuffered from the power of headstrong defire. If we allow any paffion, even though it be esteemed innocent, to acquire an abfolute afcendant, our inward peace will be impaired. But if any, which has the taint of guilt, take early poffeffion of our mind, we may date, from that moment, the ruin of our tranquillity.

Every man has fome darling paffion, which generally affords the first introduction to vice. The irregular gratifications, into which it occafionally feduces him, appear under the form of venial weakneffes; and are indulged in the beginning with fcrupulousness and reserve. But, by longer practice, these reftraints weaken, and the power of habit grows. One vice brings in another to its aid. By a fort of natural affinity they connect and entwine them

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