He who would act like a wife man, and build his houfe on the rock, and not on the fand, fhould contemplate human life, not only in the funshine, but in the fhade.

Let usefulness and beneficence, not oftentation and vanity, direct the train of your pursuits.

To maintain a steady and unbroken mind, amidst all' the fhocks of the world, marks a great and noble fpirit.

Patience, by preferving compofure within, refifts the imprefsion which trouble makes from without.

Compassionate affections, even when they draw tears from our eyes for human mifery, convey fatisfaction to the heart.

They who have nothing to give, can often afford relief to others, by imparting what they feel.

Our ignorance of what is to come, and of what is really good or evil, fhould correct anxiety about worldly fuccefs.

The veil which covers from our fight the events of fucceeding years, is a veil woven by the hand of mercy.

The beft preparation for all the uncertainties of futurity, confifts. in a well-ordered mind, a good conscience, and a cheerful fubmifsion to the will of Hea

ven.

SECTION II.

THE chief misfortunes that befal us in life, can be traced to fome vices or follies which we have committed.

Were we to furvey the chambers of sickness and diftrefs, we should often find them peopled with the victims of intemperance and fenfuality, and with the children of vicious indolence and floth.

To be wife in our own eyes, to be wife in the opinion of the world, and to be wife in the fight of our Creator, are three things fo very different, as rarely to coincide.

Man, in his highest earthly glory, is but a reed floating on the stream of time, and forced to follow every new direction of the current.

The corrupted temper, and the guilty paffions of the bad, fruftrate the effect of every advantage which the world confers on them.

The external misfortunes of life, difappointments, poverty, and ficknefs, are nothing in comparison of thofe inward diftrefses of mind, occafioned by folly, by pafsion, and by guilt.

No ftation is fo high, no power fo great, no character fo unblemished, as to exempt men from being attacked by rafhness, malice, or envy.

Moral and religious inftruction derives its efficacy, not fo much from what men are taught to know, as from what they are brought to feel.

He who pretends to great fenfibility towards men, and yet has no feeling for the high objects of religion, no heart to admire and adore the great Father of the universe, has reason to distrust the truth and delicacy of his fenfibility.

When, upon rational and fober inquiry, we have eftablished our principles, let us not fuffer them to be fhaken by the fcoffs of the licentious, or the cavils of the fceptical.

When we obferve any tendency to treat religion or morals with disrespect and levity, let us hold it to be a fure indication of a perverted understanding, or a depraved heart.

Every degree of guilt incurred by yielding to temptation, tends to debafe the mind, and to weaken the generous and benevolent principles of human nature.

Luxury, pride, and vanity, have frequently as much influence in corrupting the fentiments of the great, as ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice, have in mifleading the opinions of the multitude.

Mixed as the prefent ftate is, reafon and religion pronounce, that generally, if not always, there is more happiness than mifery, more pleasure than pain, in the condition of man.

Society, when formed, requires diftinctions of property, diversity of conditions, fubordination of ranks, and a multiplicity of occupations, in order to advance the general good.

That the temper, the fentiments, the morality, and, in general, the whole conduct and character of men, are influenced by the example and difpofition of the perfons with whom they affociate, is a reflection which has long fince paffed into a proverb, and been ranked among the ftanding maxims of human wisdom, in all ages of the world.

SECTION III.

THE defire of improvement difcovers a liberal mind; and is connected with many accomplishments, and many virtues.

Innocence confers eafe and freedom on the mind; and leaves it open to every pleafing fenfation.

Moderate and fimple pleafures relith high with the temperate in the midft of his ftudied refinements, the voluptuary languishes.

Gentlenefs corrects whatever is offenfive in our manners; and, by a conftant train of humane attentions, ftudies to alleviate the burden of common mifery.

That gentlenefs which is the characteristic of a good man, has, like every other virtue, its feat in the heart: and, let me add, nothing except what flows from the heart, can render even external manners truly pleafing.

Virtue, to become either vigorous or useful, must be habitually active: not breaking forth occafionally with a tranfient luftre, like the blaze of the comet; but regular in its returns, like the light of day: not like the aromatic gale, which fometimes feasts the sense; but like the ordinary breeze, which purifies the air, and renders it healthful.

The happiness of every man depends more upon the state of his own mind, than upon any one external circumftance; nay, more than upon all external things put together.

In no ftation, in no period, let us think ourselves fecure from the dangers which fpring from our paffions. Every age, and every station they befet; from youth to grey hairs, and from the peafant to the prince.

Riches and pleasures are the chief temptations to criminal deeds. Yet thofe riches, when obtained, may very pofsibly overwhelm us with unforeseen miferies. Thofe pleasures may cut fhort our health and life.

He who is accustomed to turn aside from the world, and commune with himself in retirement, will, fometimes at least, hear the truths which the multitude do not tell him. A more found inftructer will lift his voice, and awaken within the heart those latent fug geftions, which the world had overpowered and fupprefsed.

Nothing can be more amiable than a conftant defire to please; and an unwillingness to offend or hurt.

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

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

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

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