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of anguish, bidding those who are just expiring the last adieu.

Never adventure on too near an approach to what is evil. Familiarife not yourfelves with it, in the flightest inftances, without fear. Liften with reverence to every reprehenfion of conscience; and preferve the most quick and accurate fenfibility to right and wrong. If ever your moral imprefsions begin to decay, and your natural abhorrence of guilt to lefsen, you have ground to dread that the ruin of virtue is fast approaching.

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By disappointments and trials the violence of our passions is tamed, and our minds are formed to fobriety and reflection. In the varieties of life, occafioned by the vicissitudes of worldly fortune, we are inured to habits both of the active and the fuffering virtues. How much foever we complain of the vanity of the world, facts plainly show, that if its vanity were lefs, it could not answer the purpose of falutary difcipline. tisfactory as it is, its pleasures are still too apt to corrupt our hearts. How fatal then must the confequences have been, had it yielded us more complete enjoyment? If, with all its troubles, we are in danger of being too much attached to it, how entirely would it have feduced our affections, if no troubles had been mingled with its pleasures?

In feafons of diftrefs or difficulty, to abandon ourfelves to dejection, carries no mark of a great or a worthy mind. Instead of finking under trouble, and declaring "that his foul is weary of life," it becomes a wife and a good man, in the evil day, with firmness to maintain his poft; to bear up against the storm; to have recourse to thofe advantages which, in the worst

of times, are always left to integrity and virtue; and never to give up the hope that better days may yet arife.

How many young perfons have at first set out in the world with excellent difpofitions of heart; generous, charitable, and humane; kind to their friends, and amiable among all with whom they had intercourfe! And yet, how often have we seen all those fair appearances unhappily blafted in the progrefs of life, merely through the influence of loofe and corrupting pleafures; and thofe very perfons, who promifed once to be blessings to the world, funk down, in the end, to be the burden and nuifance of fociety!

The most common propenfity of mankind, is, to store futurity with whatever is agreeable to them; efpecially in those periods of life, when imagination is lively, and hope is ardent. Looking forward to the year now beginning, they are ready to promife themfelves much, from the foundations of profperity which they have laid; from the friendships and connexions which they have fecured; and from the plans of conduct which they have formed. Alas! how deceitful do all these dreams of happinefs often prove! While many are faying in fecret to their hearts, "To-morrow fhall be as this day, and more abundantly," we are obliged in return to fay to them; "Boaft not yourselves of tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring forth!"

.CHAPTER II.

NARRATIVE PIECES.

SECTION I.

No Rank or Possessions can make the guilty Mind happy.

DIONYSIUS, the tyrant of Sicily, was far from being happy, though he pofsefsed great riches, and all the pleafures which wealth and power could procure. Damocles, one of his flatterers, deceived by thefe fpe. cious appearances of happinefs, took occafion to compliment him on the extent of his power, his treasures, and royal magnificence; and declared that no monarch had ever been greater or happier than Dionyfius. "Haft thou a mind, Damocles," fays the King, "to tafte this happiness; and to know, by experience, what the enjoyments are, of which thou haft fo high an idea?" Damocles, with joy, accepted the offer. The King ordered that a royal banquet fhould be prepared, and a gilded fofa, covered with rich embroidery, placed for his favourite. Side-boards, loaded with gold and filver plate of immenfe value, were arranged in the apart ment. Pages of extraordinary beauty were ordered to attend his table, and to obey his commands with the utmost readinefs, and the most profound fubmifsion. Fragrant ointments, chaplets of flowers, and rich perfumes, were added to the entertainment. The table was loaded with the most exquifite delicacies of every kind. Damocles, intoxicated with pleafare, fancied

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himself amongst fuperior beings. But in the midst of all this happiness, as he lay indulging himself in ftate, he fees let down from the ceiling, exactly over his head, a glittering fword hung by a fingle hair. The fight of impending deftruction put a speedy end to his joy and revelling. The pomp of his attendance, the glitter of the carved plate, and the delicacy of the viands, ceafe to afford him any pleasure. He dreads to ftretch forth his hand to the table. He throws off

the garland of roses. He haftens to remove from his dangerous fituation; and earneftly entreats the king to reftore him to his former humble condition, having no defire to enjoy any longer a happiness fo terrible.

By this device, Dionyfius intimated to Damocles, how miferable he was in the midst of all his treasures; and in pofsession of all the honours and enjoyments which royalty could bestow.

CICERO.

SECTION 11.

Change of external Condition often adverfe to Virtue.

IN the days of Joram, King of Ifrael, flourished the prophet Elifha. His character was fo eminent, and his fame fo widely spread, that Benhadad the King of 'Syria, though an idolater, sent to confult him, concerning the iffue of a diftemper which threatened his life. The meffenger employed on this occafion was Hazael, who appears to have been one of the princes, or chief men, of the Syrian court. Charged with rich gifts from the king, he prefents himself before the prophet; and accofts him in terms of the highest respect. During the conference which they held together, Elisha fixed his eye

Redfaftly on the countenance of Hazael; and difcerning, by a prophetic spirit, his future tyranny and cruelty, he could not contain himself from bursting into a flood of tears. When Hazael, in furprife, inquired into the cause of this fudden emotion, the prophet plainly informs him of the crimes and barbarities, which he forefaw that hereafter he would commit. The foul of Hazael abhorred, at this time, the thoughts of cruelty. Uncorrupted, as yet, by ambition or greatnefs, his in dignation rofe at being thought capable of fuch favage actions, as the prophet had mentioned; and, with much warmth, he replies; "But what? is thy fervant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha makes no return, but to point out a remarkable change, which was to take place in his condition; "The Lord hath fhown me that thou shalt be king over Syria." In courfe of time, all that had been predicted came to pafs. Hazael afcended the throne, and ambition took pofsefsion of his heart. "He fmote the children of If rael in all their coafts. He opprefsed them during all the days of king Jehoahaz:" and, from what is left on record of his actions, he plainly appears to have proved. what the prophet forefaw him to be, a man of violence, cruelty, and blood.

In this passage of history, an object is prefented, which deferves our ferious attention. We behold a man who, in one ftate of life, could not look upon certain crimes without furprise and horror; who knew fo little of himfelf, as to believe it impofsible for him ever to be concerned in committing them; that fame man, by a change of condition, and an unguarded state of mind, transformed in all his fentiments; and as he rofe in greatnefs rifing alfo in guilt; till at last he com

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