rates, the discovery and reproach of the world, and the just displeasure of Heaven. His fears he is obliged to conceal; but while he affumes theappearance of intrepidity before the world, he trembles within himself; and the bold and steady eye of integrity frequently darts terror into his heart. There is, it is true, a fort of conftitutional courage, which fometimes has rendered men daring in the most flagitious attempts. But this fool-hardinefs of the rafh, this boldness of the ruffian, is altogether different from real fortitude. It arifes merely from warmth of blood, from want of thought, and blindness to danger. As it forms no character of value, fo it appears only in occafional fallies; and never can be uniformly maintained. It requires adventitious props to support it; and, in fome hour of trial, always fails.— There can be no true courage, no regular perfevering conftancy, but what is connected with principle, and founded on a consciousness of rectitude of intention.

.

THE

DIVINE SUPPORT.

HE good man knows, that he is acting under the immediate eye and protection of the Almighty. Behold my witness is in heaven; and

my

my record is on high. The confcioufnefs of such an illustrious spectator, invigorates and animates him. He trufts, that the eternal lover of righteousness not only beholds and approves, but will ftrengthen and affift; will not fuffer him to be unjustly oppreffed, and will reward his conftancy in the end, with glory, honour, and immortality. A good confcience, thus fupported, beftows on the heart a much greater degree of intrepidity than it could otherwife infpire. One who refts on an almighty, though invifible, Protector, exerts his powers with double force; and acts with vigour not his own.

ENVY.

NVY is a fenfation of uneafinefs and dif

ENVY

quiet, arifing from the advantages which others are fupposed to poffefs above us, accompanied with malignity towards those who poffefs them. This is univerfally admitted to be one of the blackest paffions in the human heart. In this world we depend much on one another; and were therefore formed by God to be mutually, ufeful and affifting. The inftincts of kindness and compaffion which belong to our frame, fhew how much it was the intention of our Creator that

N

that we should be united in friendship. If any infringe this great law of nature, by acts of causelefs hoftility, refentment may juftly arife, No one is to be condemned for defending his rights, and fhewing difpleasure againft a malicious enemy. But to conceive ill-will at one who has attacked none of our rights, nor done us any injury, folely because he is more profperous than we are, is a difpofition altogether unnatural; it fuits not the human conftitution, and partakes more of the rancour of an evil fpirit. Hence, the character of an envious man is univerfally odious. All difclaim it; and they who feel themselves under the influence of this paffion, carefully conceal it.

THE

EFFECTS OF INDOLENCE.

HE human mind cannot remain always unemployed. Its paffions muft have fome exercife. If we fupply them not with proper employment, they are fure to run loofe into riot and diforder. While we are unoccupied by what is good, evil is continually at hand; and hence it is faid in Scripture, that as foon as Satan found the houfe empty, he took poffeffion, and filled it with evil fpirits. Every man who recollects his

conduct,

conduct, may be fatisfied, that his hours of idlenefs have always proved the hours most dangerous to virtue. It was then that criminal defires arofe; guilty purfuits were fuggefted; and defigns were formed, which, in their iffue, have difquieted and embittered his whole life. If feafons of idleness be dangerous, what muft a continued habit of it prove? Habitual indolence, by a filent and fecret progrefs, undermines every virtue in the foul. More violent paffions run their course, and terminate. They are like rapid torrents, which foam, and fwell, and bear down every thing before them. But after having overflowed their banks, their impetuofity fubfides. They return, by degrees, into their natural channel; and the damage which they have done can be repaired. Sloth is like the flowly-flowing, putrid ftream, which stagnates in the marfh, breeds venomous animals, and poisonous plants; and infects with peftilential vapours the whole country round it. Having once tainted the foul, it leaves no part of it found; and, at the same time, gives not thofe alarms to confcience, which the eruptions of bolder and fiercer emotions often occafion. The disease which it brings on, is creeping and infidious; and is, on that account, more certainly mortal.

HE

ADVANTAGES OF LABOUR.

E who knows not what it is to labour, knows not what it is to enjoy. The felicity of human life depends on the regular profecution of fome laudable purpose or object, which keeps awake and enlivens all our powers. Our happiness confifts in the purfuit, much more than in the attainment, of any temporal good. Rest is agreeable; but it is only from preceding labours that reft acquires its true relifh. Whent the mind is fuffered to remain in continued inaction, all its powers decay. It foon languishes and fickens; and the pleasures which it proposed to obtain from reft, end in tediousness and infipidity. To this, let that miserable set of men bear witness, who, after spending great part of their life in active industry, have retired to what they fancied was to be a pleafing enjoyment of themselves, in wealthy inactivity, and profound repofe. Where they expected to find an elyfium, they have found nothing but a dreary and comfortless wafte. Their days have dragged on, in uniform languor; with the melancholy remembrance often returning, of the cheerful hours they paffed, when they were engaged in the honest bufinefs and labours of the world.

THE