affaults of fortune and the elements. It is within ourselves Our difordered hearts, our

that mifery has fixed its feat. guilty paffions, our violent prejudices, and mifplaced defires, are the inftruments of the trouble which we endure. Thefe fharpen the darts which adverfity would otherwife point in vain against us.

While the vain and the licentious are revelling in the midft of extravagance and riot, how little do they think of thofe fcenes of fore diftrefs which are paffing at that moment throughout the world; multitudes ftruggling for a poor fubfiftence, to fupport the wife and the children whom they love, and who look up to them with eager eyes for that bread which they can hardly procure; multitudes groaning under fickness in defolate cottages, untended and unmourned; many, apparently in a better fituation of life, pining away in fecret with concealed griefs; families weeping over the beloved friends whom they have lost, or, in all the bitterness of anguifh, bidding those who are just expiring the laft adieu,

Never adventure on too near an approach to what is evil. Familiarize not yourfelves with it, in the frighteft inflances, without fear. Liften with reverence to every reprehenfion of confcience; and preferve the most quick and accurate fenfibility to right and wrong. If ever your moral impreffions begin to decay, and your natural abhorrence of guilt to leffen, you have ground to dread that the ruin of virtue is fact approaching.

By disappointments and trials the violence of our paffions is tamed, and our minds are formed to fobriety and reflection. In the varieties of life, occafioned by the viciffitudes 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. Unfatisfactory as it is, its pleasures are fill too apt to corrupt our hearts. How fatal then mut 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 ourselves

to dejection, carries no mark of a great or a worthy mind. Inftead 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 firmnefs to maintain his poft; to bear up against the storm; to have recourfe to thofe advantages which, in the worft 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 fet 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 feen all thofe fair appearances unhappily blafted in the progrefs of life, merely through the influence of loofe and corrupting pleafures; and thofe very perfons, who promised once to be bleflings 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 thofe periods of life, when imagination is lively, and hope is ardent. Looking forward to the year now beginning, they are ready to promise themselves 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 thefe dreams of happiness often prove! While many are faying in fecret to their hearts, "Tomorrow fhall be as this day, and more abundantly," we are obliged in return to fay to them; "Boaft not yourfelves of tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth !??

CHAP. II.

NARRATIVE PIECES.

SECTION I.

NO RANK OR POSSESSIONS CAN MAKE THE GUILTY MIND HAPPY.

Di IONYSIUS, the tyrant of Sicily, was far from being happy, though he poffeffed great riches, and all the pleaf

ures which wealth and
power could
procure. Damocles,
one of his flatterers, deceived by thefe fpecious appearances
of happiness, took occafion to compliment him on the ex-
tent 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 ut-
most readiness, and the most profound fubmiffion. Frag-
rant ointments, chaplets of flowers, and rich perfumes,
were added to the entertainment. The table was loaded
with the most exquifite delicacies of every kind. Damo-
cles, intoxicated with pleasure, fancied 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
freedy end to his joy and revelling. The pomp of his at-
tendance, the glitter of the carved plate, and the delicacy
of the viands, cease to afford him any pleasure. He dreads
to ftretch forth his hand to the table. He throws off the
garland of rofes. He haftens to remove from his danger-
ous fituation; and carneftly entreats the king to restore
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 poffeffion of all the honours and enjoyments which royalty could beftow.

SECTION II.

CICERO.

CH INGE OF EXTERNAL CONDITION OFTEN ADVERSE TO VIRTUE.

IN the days of Joram, king of Ifrael, flourished the prophet Elisha. His character was fo eminent, and his fame fo widely fpread, that Benhadad the king of Syria,

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though an idolater, fent to confult him, concerning the fiffue of a distemper 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, Elifha fixed his eyes steadfastly on the countenance of Hazael; and difcerning, by alprophetic, fpirit, his future ftyranny and cruelty, he could not contain himself from bursting into a flood of tears. When Hazael, in furprife, inquired into the caufe of this fudden emotion; the prophet plainly informed him of the crimes and barbarities, which he forefaw that he would afterwards commit. The foul of Hazael abhorred, at this time, the thoughts of cruelty. Uncorrupted, as yet, by ambition or greatnefs, his indignation)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 " Elifha 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 fhalt be king over Syria." In courfe of time, all that had been/predicted came to pass. Hazael afcended the throne, and ambition took poffeffion of his heart. "He fmote the children of Ifrael in all their coafts. He oppreffed 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 paffage of history, an object is prefented, which deferves our ferious attention. We behold a man who, in one state of life, could not look upon certain crimes without furprise and horror; who knew fo little of himself, as to believe it impoffible for him ever to be concerned in committing them; that fame man, by a change of condition, and an unguarded fate of mind, transformed in all his fentiments; and as he rofe in greatnefs rifing alfo in guilt, till at laft he completed that who e character of ini quity, which he once detefted.

BLAIR

3

SECTION III.

HAMAN; OR, THE MISERY OF PRIDE.

AHASUERUS, who is fuppofed to be the prince known. among the Greek hiftorians by the name of Artaxerxes, had advanced to the chief dignity in his kingdom, Haman, an Amalekite, who inherited all the ancient enmity of his race to the Jewifh nation. He appears, from what is recorded of him, to have been a very wicked minister. Raised to greatnefs without merit, he employed his power folely for the gratification of his paffions. As the honors which he poffeffed were next to royal, his pride was every day fed with that fervile) homage,) which is peculiar to Afiatic courts; and all the fervants of the king proftrated themselves before him. In the midst of this general adulation, one perfon only ftooped not to Haman. This was Mordecai the Jew; who, knowing this Amalekite to be an enemy to the people of God, and, with virtuous indignation, defpifing that infolence of profperity with which he faw him lifted up, "bowed not, nor did him reverence.3 On this appearance of difrespect from Mordecai, Haman 66 was full of wrath: but he thought fcorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone." Perfonal revenge was not fufficient to fatisfy him. So violent and black were his paffions, that he refolved to exterminate the whole nation to which Mordecai belonged. Abufing, for this cruel purpose, the. favour of his credulous fovereign, he obtained a decree to be fent forth, that, against a certain day, all the Jews throughout the Perfian dominions fhould be put to the fword. Meanwhile, confident of fuccefs, and blind to approaching ruin, he continued exulting in his profperity. Invited by Ahasuerus to a royal banquet, which Efther the queen had prepared, "he went forth that day joyful, and with a glad heart." But behold how flight an incident was fufficient to poison his joy! As he went forth, he faw Mordecai in the king's gate; and obferved, that he Aill refused to do him homage: "He ftood not up, nor was moved for him ;" although he well knew the formidable defigns, which Haman was preparing to execute. One private man, who defpifed his greatnefs, and dif dained fubmiflion, while a whole kingdom trembled before him; one fpirit, which the utmoft ftretch of his power