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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 those 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 peasant.

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

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

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

Do not hurt yourselves or others, by the purfuit of pleasure. 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 thyfelf active and induftrious, peaceable and contented. Art thou wealthy?-Show

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thyfelf beneficent and charitable, condefcending and humane.

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

What a fmiling afpect does the love of parents and children, of brothers and fifters, 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 fuch 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 supply contrived for his wants! What a variety of objects fet before him, to gratify his fenses, to employ his understanding, to entertain his imagination, to cheer and gladden his heart!

The hope of future happiness is a perpetual fource of confolation to good men. Under trouble, it fooths their minds; amidft temptation, it fupports their virtue; and, in their dying moments, enables them to fay, "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," anfwered, "Thofe which they ought to practife 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 exprefsed in his motto, "that "time was his eftate." An estate, indeed, which will produce nothing without cultivation; but which will always abundantly repay the labours of industry, and fatisfy the most extenfive defires, if no part of it be fuffered to lie wafte by negligence; to be over-run with noxious plants; or laid out for fhow, rather than ufe.

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

L'Estrange, 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 ftones. One of the frogs, appealing to the humanity of the boys, made this ftriking obfervation: "Children, you do not confider, that though this may be fport to you, it is death to us."

Sully, the great statesman of France, always retained at his table, in his most 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 philofopher: "If the guests are men of fenfe, there is fufficient for them: if they are not, I can very well difpenfe with their company."

ance.

Socrates, though primarily attentive to the culture of his mind, was not negligent of his external appearHis cleanlinefs refulted from thofe ideas of order and decency, which governed all his actions: and the care which he took of his health, from his defire to preferve his mind free and tranquil.

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

Sir Philip Sidney, at the battle near Zutphen, was wounded by a mufket-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 thirft through the heat of the weather, he called for drink. It was immediately brought to him: but, as he was putting the vessel 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 Sydney took the bottle from his mouth, and delivered it to the foldier, faying, "Thy necefsity 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 small vessel; and he is styled a conqueror, be

caufe he commands great fleets and armies." We too often judge of men by the fplendour, and not by the merit of their actions.

Antoninus Pius, the Roman Emperour, was an amiable and good man. When any of his courtiers attempted to inflame him with a passion for military glory, he used to answer: "That he more defired the prefervation of one subject, than the deftruction 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 restore 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 persons who have never mourned." The prince made inquiry after fuch perfons; but found the inquiry 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.

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

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