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except that of amufement; if you allow yourselves to float loofe and carelefs on the tide of life, ready to receive any direction which the current of fashion may chance to give you; what can you expect to follow from such beginnings? While fo many around you are undergoing the fad confequences of a like indifcretion, for what reafon fhall not those confequences extend to you? Shall you at tain fuccefs without that preparation, and efcape dangers without that precaution which is required of others? Shall happiness grow up to you, of its own accord, and folicit your acceptance, when, to the rest of mankind, it is the fruit of long cultivation, and the acquifition of labour and care? Deceive not yourselves with fuch arrogant hopes. Whatever be your rank, Providence will not, for your ake, reverfe its eftablifhed order. The Author of your being hath enjoined you to "take heed to your ways to ponder the paths of your feet; to remember your Creator in the days of your youth." He hath decreed, that they only "who feek after wifdom, fhall findit; that fools fhall be afflicted, because of their tranfgref fions; and that whoever refufeth inftruction, fhall deftroy his own foul." By liftening to thefe admonitions, and tempering the vivacity of youth with a proper mixture of ferious thought, you may enfure cheerfulness for the rest of life; but by delivering yourselves up at prefent to gid dinefs and levity, you lay the foundation of lafting heavi nefs of heart.

When you look forward to thofe plans of life, which either your circumstances have fuggefted, or your friends have propofed, you will not hesitate to acknowledge, that in order to purfue them with advantage, fome previous difcipline is requifite. Be affured, that whatever is to beyour profeffion, no education is more neceffary to your fuccefs, than the acquirement of virtuous difpofitions and habits. This is the univerfal preparation for every char-acter, and every station in life. Bad as the world is, refpect is always paid to virtue. In the ufual courfe

of human affairs, it will be found, that a plain underftanding, joined with acknowledged worth, contributes more to profperity, than the brightest parts without probity or honour. Whether fcience or bufinefs, or public life, be your aim, virtue ftill enters, for a principal fhare

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into all thofe great departments of fociety. It is connected with eminence, in every liberal art; with reputation, in every branch of fair and useful business; with distinction, in every public ftation. The vigour which it gives the mind, and the weight which it adds to character; the generous fentiments which it breathes; the undaunted fpirit which it infpires; the ardour of diligence which it quickens; the freedom which it procures from pernicious and dishonourable avocations; are the foundations of all that is highly honourable, or greatly fuccefsful among

men.

Whatever ornamental or engageing endowments you now poffefs, virtue is a neceffary requifite, in order to their thining with proper luftre. Feeble are the attractions of the fairest form, if it be fufpected that nothing within.cor refponds to the pleafing appearance without. Short are the triumphs of wit, when it is fuppofed to be the vehicle of malice. By whatever means you may at first attract the attention, you can hold the esteem, and fecure the hearts of others, only by amiable difpofitions, and the accomplishments of the mind. Thefe are the qualities whofe influence will last, when the luftre of all that once sparkled and dazzled has paffed away.

Let not then the feafon of youth be barren of improvements, fo effential to your future felicity and honour. Now is the feed time of life; and according to "what you fow, you fhall reap." Your character is now, under Divine affiftance, of your own forming; your fate is, in fome measure, put into your own hands. Your nature is as yet pliant and foft. Habits have not established their dominion. Prejudices have not preoccupied your understanding. The world has not had time to contract and debase your affections. All your powers are more vigorous, difembarraffed, and free, than they will be at any future period. Whatever impulse you now give to your defires and paffions, the direction is likely to continue. It will form the channel in which your life is to run; nay, it may determine its everlafting iffue. Confider then the employment of this important period, as the highest truft which shall ever be committed to you; as in a great meafure, decifive of your happiness, in time, and in eternity. As in the fucceffion of the feafons, each, by the invariable laws

of nature, affects the productions of what is next in courfe ; fo, in human life, every period of our age, according as it is well or ill fpent, influences the happiness of that which is to follow. Virtuous youth gradually brings forward accomplished and flourishing manhood; and fuch manhood paffes of itself, without uneafinefs into refpectable and tranquil old age. But when nature is turned out of its regular course, disorder takes place in the moral, just as in the vegetable world. If the fpring put forth no blossoms, in fummer there will be no beauty, and in autumn, no fruit fo, if youth be trifled away without improvement, manhood will probably be contemptible, and old age miferable. If the beginnings of life have been "vanity," its latter end can fcarcely be any other than "vexation of spirit."

I fhall finifh this addrefs, with calling your attention to that dependence on the bleffing of heaven, which, amidst all your endeavours after improvement, you ought continually to preferve. It is too common with the young, even when they refolve to tread the path of virtue and honour, to fet out with prefumptuous confidence in themfelves. Trufting to their own abilities for carrying them fuccefsfully through life, they are carelefs of applying to God, or of deriving any affiftance from what they are apt to reckon the gloomy difcpline of religion. Alas! how little do they know the dangers which await them? Neither human wifdom, nor human virtue, ünfupported by religion, is equal to the trying fituations which often occur in life. By the fhock of temptation, how frequently have the most virtuous intentions been overthrown? Under the preffure of disaster, how often has the greateft conftancy fank?"every good, and every perfect gift, is from above." Wisdom and virtue, as well as "riches and honour, come from God." Destitute of his favour, you are in no better fituation, with all your boafted abilities, than orphans left to wander in a tracklefs defert, without any guide to conduct them, or any shelter to cover them from the gather ing form. Correct, then, this ill founded arrogance. Expect not, that your happinefs can be independent of Him who made youth. By faith and repentance, apply to the Redeemer of the world. By piety and prayer, feek the protection of the God of heaven. I conclude with the

folemn words, in which a great prince delivered his dying charge to his fon; words which every young perfon ought to confider as addreffed to himself, and to engrave deeply on his heart: "Solomon, my fon, know thou the God of thy fathers; and ferve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. For the Lord fearches all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou feek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off for ever."

BLAIR.

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An account of this dreadful earth quake, is given by the celebrated Father Kircher. It happened whilft he was on his journey to vifit Mount Etna, and the rest of the wonders that lie towards the fouth of Italy. Kircher is confidered, by fcholars, as one of the greatest prodigies of learning.

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Having hired a boat, in company with four more, (two friars of the order of St. Francis, and two feculars,) we launched, from the harbour of Meffina, in Sicily; and arrived, the fame day, at the promontory of Pelorus. Our deftination was for the city of Euphemia, in Calabria; where we had fome bufinefs to tranfact; and where we defigned to tarry for fome time. However, Providence feemed willing to cross our defign; for we were obliged to continue three days at Pelorus, on account of the weather; and though we often put out to fea, yet we were as often driven back. At length, wearied with the delay, we refolved to profecute our voyage; and, although the fea feemed more than ufually agitated, we ventured forward. The gulf of Charybdis, which we approached, feemed whirled round in fuch a manner, as to form a vast hollow, verging to a point in the centre. Proceeding onward, and turning my eyes to Etna, I faw it caft forth large volumes of fmoke, of mountainous fizes, which entirely covered the

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island, and blotted out the very fhores from my view. This, together with the dreadful noife, and the fulphurous ftench which was ftrongly perceived, filled me with apprehenfions, that fome more dreadful calamity was impending. The fea itself feemed to wear a very unusual appearance; they who have feen a lake in a violent fhower of rain, covered all over with bubbles, will conceive fome idea of its agitations. My furprise was still increafed by the calmness and ferenity of the weather; not a breeze, not a cloud, which might be fuppofed to put all nature thus into motion. 1 therefore warned my companions, that an earthquake was approaching; and after fome time making for the fhore, with all poffible diligence, we landed at Tropea, happy and thankful for having efcaped the threatening dangers of the fea."

"But our triumphs at land were of fhort duration; for we had fcarcely arrived at the Jefuit's College, in that city, when our ears were ftunned with a horrid found, resembling that of an infinite number of chariots, driven fiercely forward; the wheels rattling, and the thongs cracking. Soon after this a meft dreadful earthquake enfued; fo that the whole tract upon which we ftood, feemed to vibrate, as if we were in the fcale of a balance, that continued wavering. This motion, however, foon grew more violent; and being no longer able to keep my legs, I was thrown proftrate upon the ground. In the mean time, the univerfal ruin round me redoubled my amazement. The crafh of falling houses, the tottering of towers, and the groans of the dying, all contributed to raise my terror and defpair. On every fide of me, I faw nothing but a fcene of ruin; and danger threatening wherever I fhould fly. I commended myself to God, as my laft great refuge. At that hour, O how vain was every fublunary happiness! Wealth, honour, empire, wifdom, all mere ufelefs founds, and as empty as the bubbles of the deep! Juft standing on the threshold of eternity, nothing but God was my pleafure; and the nearer I approached, I only loved him the more. After fome time, however, finding that I remained unhurt, amidst the general concuffion, I refolved to venture for fafety; and, running as fast as I could, I reached the fhore, but almost terrified out of my reafon. I did not fearch long here, till I found the boat in which I had landed; and my compan

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