and in return for fufpecting and hating, he will incur fufpicion and hatred. Befides the external evils which he draws upon himself, arifing from alienated friendship, broken confidence, and open enmity, the fufpicious temper itself is one of the worft evils which any man can fuffer. If " in all fear there is torment," how miferable muft be his ftate who, by living in perpetual jealoufy, lives in perpetual dread! Looking upon himself to be furrounded with spies, enemies, and defigning men, he is a stranger to reliance and trust. He knows not to whom to open himself. He dreffes his countenance in forced fmiles, while his heart throbs within from apprehenfions of fecret treachery. Hence fretfulness and ill-humour, difguft at the world, and all the painful fenfations of an irritated and embittered mind.

So numerous and great are the evils arising from a fufpicious difpofition, that, of the two extremes, it is more eligible to expofe ourfelves to occafional difadvantage from thinking too well of others, than to fuffer continual mifery by thinking always ill of them. It is better to be fometimes impofed upon, than never to truft. Safety is purchased at too dear a rate, when, in order to fecure it, we are obliged to be always clad in armour, and to live in perpe tual hoftility with our fellows. This is, for the fake of living, to deprive ourselves of the comfort of life. The man of candour enjoys his fituation, whatever it is, with cheerfulnefs and peace. Pru dence directs his intercourfe with the world; but no black fufpicions haunt his hours of reft. Accustomed to view the characters of his neighbours in the most favourable light, he is like one who

dwells amidst thofe beautiful fcenes of nature, on which the eye refts with pleasure. Whereas the fufpicious man, having his imagination filled with all the fhocking forms of human falfehood, deceit, and treachery, refembles the traveller in the wildernefs, who difcerns no objects around him but fuch as are either reary or terrible; caverns that open, ferpents at hifs, and beasts of prey that howl.

1

SECTION VI.

Comforts of Religion.

BLAIR

THERE are many who have paffed the age of youth and beauty; who have refigned the pleafures of that fmiling feafon; who begin to line into the vale of years, impaired in their Health, depressed in their fortunes, ftript of their friends, their children, and perhaps still more tender connexions. What refource can this world afford them? I prefents a dark and dreary waste, through which there does not iffue a fingle ray of Comfort Every delufive prospect of ambition is now at end; long experience of mankind, an experience very different from what the open and generous foul of youth had fondly dreamt of, has rendered the heart almoft inacceffible to new friendships. The principal fources of activity are taken away, when thofe for whom we labour are cut off from us; those who animated, and those who fweetened all the toils of life. Where then can the foul find refuge, but in the bofom of Religion? There he is admitted to thofe prof

pects of Providence and futurity, which alone can warm and fill the heart. I speak here of fuch as retain the feelings of humanity; whom misfortunes have foftened, and perhaps rendered more delicately fenfible: not of fuch as poffefs that ftupid infenfibility, which some are pleafed to dignify with the name of Philofophy.

It might therefore be expected, that those philofophers, who think they stand in no need themfelves of the affiftance of religion to fupport their virtue, and who never feel the want of its confolations, would yet have the humanity to confider the very different fituation of the rest of mankind; and not endeavour to deprive them of what habit, at least, if they will not allow it, to be nature, has made neceffary to their morals, and to their happinefs It might be expected, that humanity would prevent them from breaking into the laft retreat of the unfortunate, who can no longer be objects of their envy or refentment; and tearing from them their only remaining comfort. The attempt to ridicule religion may be agreeable to fome, by relieving them from restraint upon their pleasures; and may render others very miferable, making them doubt those truths, in which they were most deeply interested; but it can convey real good and happiness to no one individual.

GREGORY,

SECTION VII.

Diffidence of our Abilities, a Mark of Wisdom.

IT is a fure indication of good fenfe, to be diffident of it. We then, and not till then, are

growing wife, when we begin to difcern how weak and unwife we are. An abfolute perfection of understanding, is impoffible: he makes the nearest approaches to it, who has the fenfe to difcern, and the humility to acknowledge, its imperfections, Modefty always fits gracefully upon youth; it covers a multitude of faults, and doubles the luftre of every virtuehich it feems to hide the perfections of men being like thofe flowers which appear more beautiful, when their leaves are a little contracted and folded up, than when they are full blown, and difplay themfelves, without any referve, to the view.

We are fome of us very fond of knowledge, and apt to value ourfelves upon any proficiency in the fciences: one fcience, however, there is, worth more than all the reft, and that is, the fcience living well; which fhall remain, when "tongues hall ceafe," and, "knowledge fhall vanish away.". As to new notions, and new doctrines, of which this age is very fruitful, the time will come, when we fhall have no pleasure in them: nay, the time fhall come, when they fhall be exploded, and would have been forgotten, if they had not been preferved in thofe excellent books, which contain a confutation of them; like infects preferved for ages in amber, which otherwife would foon' have returned to the common mafs of things. But a firm belief of Chriftianity, and a practice fuitable to it, will fupport and invigorate the mind to the laft; and most of all, at laft, at that important hour, which must decide our hopes and apprehenfions and the wifdom, which, like our Saviour, cometh from above, will, through his me

rits, bring us thither.

All our other studies and

purfuits, however different, ought to be fubfervient to, and centre in, this grand point, the purfuit of eternal happinefs, by being good in ourfelves, and ufeful to the world.

SEED.

SECTION VIII.

On the Importance of Order in the Distribution of our Time.

TIME we ought to confider as a facred trust committed to us by God; of which we are now the depositaries, and are to render account at the laft. That portion of it which he has allotted us, is intended partly for the concerns of this world, par for thofe of the next.

Let each of thefe

our time, that space

Let not the hours

occupy, in the diftribution of which properly belongs to it. of hofpitality and pleasure interfere with the dif charge of our neceffary affairs; and let not what we call neceffary affairs, encroach upon the time which is due to devotion.

To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven. If we delay till to-morrow what ought to be done to-day, we overcharge the morrow with a burden which belongs not to it. We load the wheels of time, and prevent them from carrying us along fmoothly. He who every morning plans the tranfactions of the day, and follows out that plan, carries on a thread which will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life. The orderly arrangement of his time is like a ray of light, which darts itself through all his affairs.