sacrifices to uprightness and the public good; that an oath is unheard in heaven; that secret crimes have no witness but the perpetrator; that human existence has no purpose, and human virtue no unfailing friend; that this brief life is every thing to us, and death is total, everlasting extinction: once let men thoroughly abandon religion, and who can conceive or describe the extent of the desolation which would follow? 3. We hope, perhaps, that human laws and natural sympathy would hold society together. As reasonably might we believe, that, were the sun quenched in the heavens, our torches could illuminate, and our fires quicken and fertilize, the creation. What is there in human nature to awaken respect and tenderness, if man is the unprotected insect of a day? and what is he more, if atheism be true! Erase all thought and fear of God from a community, and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole man. Appetite, knowing no restraint, and poverty and suffering, having no solace or hope, would trample in scorn on the restraints of human laws. Virtue, duty, principle, would be mocked and spurned as unmeaning sounds. A sordid self-interest would supplant every other feeling, and man would become, in fact, what the theory of atheism declares him to be, a companion for brutes. 1. LESSON XCVIII. RELIANCE ON GOD.- CASKET. If thou hast ever felt that all on earth Which man reposes on his brother man From time's up-heaving ocean, decked, perhaps, 2. 3. With here and there a rainbow, but full soon And place thy trust in God. The bliss of earth Is transient as the colored light that beams Yea, more than this; the mighty rocks that lift O'er all that thou canst see,-blot out the suns power That burn in yonder sky have poured their last, Still, God shall be the same, In majesty, in mercy: then rely the same in love, In faith on him, and thou shalt never find 1. 2. 3. LESSON XCIX. SPEAK NOT TO HIM A BITTER WORD.-ANON. Wouldst thou a wanderer reclaim, A wild and restless spirit tame,— Check the warm flow of youthful blood, And lead a lost one back to God? Pause, if thy spirit's wrath be stirred, If widely he hath gone astray But in the gentle tones of love. The lowering frown he will not bear; The ardent spirit will not brook The stinging tooth of sharp rebuke; Thou wouldst not goad the restless steed; To calm his fire or check his speed, 4. Then let no angry tones be heard,— Go kindly to him, make him feel Tell him the dangers thick that lay So shalt thou win him,— call him back LESSON C. FROM THE POOR GENTLEMAN.-COLMAN. [Characters-FREDERICK, SIR ROBERT BRAMBLE, HUMPHREY DOBBINS.] Frederick. Oh, my dear uncle, good morning! your park is nothing but beauty. Sir R. Who bid you caper over my beauty! I told you to stay in-doors till I got up. Fred. So you did, but I entirely forgot it. Sir R. And pray, what made you forget it. The sun. Sir. R. The sun! believe. you're mad!. -you mean the moon, I Fred. Oh, my dear uncle, you don't know the effect of a fine spring morning upon a fellow just arrived from Russia. The day looked bright, trees budding, birds singing, the park was so gay, that I took a leap out of your old balcony, made your deer fly before me like the wind, and chased them all around the park to get an appetite for breakfast, while you were snoring in bed, uncle. Sir R. Oh, oh! So the effect of English sunshine upon a Russian, is to make him jump out of a balcony and worry my deer. Fred. I confess it had that influence upon me. Sir R. You had better be influenced by a rich old uncle, unless you think the sun likely to leave you a fat legacy. Fred. I hate legacies. Sir R. That's mighty singular. They are pretty solid tokens, at least. Fred. Very melancholy tokens, uncle; they are posthumous dispatches affection sends to gratitude, to inform us we have lost a gracious friend. Sir R. How charmingly the rogue argues! Fred. But I own my spirits ran away with me this morning. I will obey you better in future; for they tell me you are a very worthy, good sort of a gentleman. Sir R. Now, who had the familiar impudence to tell you that? Sir R. Why, Humphrey, you didn't. Hum. Yes, but I did though. Fred. Yes, he did; and on that score I shall be anxious to show you obedience; for 't is as meritorious to attempt sharing a good man's heart, as it is paltry to have designs upon a rich man's money. A noble nature aims its attentions full-breast high, uncle; a mean mind levels its dirty assiduities at the pocket. Sir R. [Shaking him by the hand.] Jump out of every window I have in the house; hunt my deer into high fevers, my fine fellow! Ay, that's right. This is spunk and plain speaking. Give me a man who is always flinging his dissent to my doctrines smack in my teeth. Fred. I disagree with you there, uncle. Hum. And so do I. But come, let us go to the business of the morning. |