Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Rom. v. 12.

IS

S Man, who once so noble was,
An heir of hell and wrath?

TO

Did Man transgress his Maker's laws,
And was the sentence death?,
And does offended justice plead!

Oh! Nature, heave a sigh,

That Man so late immortal made
Shall now be born to die.

Yes-law condemns, and justice pleads,
And vengeance claims his due;
Death aims his shafts, the victim bleeds;
Thus ills on ills ensue.

O'er ev'ry land, in ev'ry age,

Where'er we turn our eye,

That sentence stands, in ev'ry page,
Let Man be born to die.

When time at first began its course,
E'er mankind had increas'd,
The stream of life, so near the source,
With length of days was bless'd:
A race from Adam down to Noah,
Could boast longevity:

But still a thousand years could show
That Man was born to die.

What

The Progress of Vice;

OR

THE FATAL EFFECTS OF STROLLING DLY ABOUT ON THE
LORD'S DAY, EXEMPLIFIED BY THE FATE OF A YOUNG
MAN, WHO WAS EXECUTED ON THE MOOR OF SPYNIE,
NEAR SPEYMOUTH, 14TH NOVEMBER, 1810.

THRICE had rung in the solemn peals
Of Sabbath's gladsome bells;

That cheer fair Scotia's happy vales,
Where pious fervour dwells.
When loud resounding songs of praise
To great Jehovah's name,
Did to celestial mansions raise
The glorious grand acclaim.

Then Satan, ever on the watch,
Stalk'd through the fields to see
If he could catch a careless wretch
Unguarded-and found me.

Then, O beware! ye thoughtless hearts,
From virtue's paths that stray:
Whoever from his God departs,
Will curse that hapless day.

Had I in reading spent the day,
Nor idly rov'd abroad,

Or gone to church to sing and pray,
And raise my mind to God,
I ne'er upon that rueful hour
Temptation's paths had trod,
Nor ever cropt that virgin flow'r,
Nor bath'd my hands in blood.

The roaring lion found his prey
Right easy to devour ;

I found the helpless maid that day
A victim-in my power.

But, ah! should I the tale relate,

"Twould shock the stoutest frame;

Should I the horrid story state,
You'd shudder at the same.

Yet it may sooth the wreathing pangs
That wring each inward part,
And happ❜ly blunt th' envenom'd fangs
That gnaw my tortur'd heart,

To

To warn all thoughtless youths to shun
The rock that shatter'd me:

E'er hung, when life's short race I've run,
A BEACON, on a tree.

The deed was done, discover'd too-
For murder will not hide;
I tried to fly it would not do,

So forc'd was to abide.

My crimes confess'd,-in iron's hung
When justly I shall be,

Let each dry bone, and parents tongue
Thus warn posterity:

That, as some little sparks of fire
May mighty cities burn ;-
Sin, conflagration spreads more dire,
It makes its millions mourn.
Tell them to reverence the Lord,
Nor e'er forget to pray,

But often read his Holy Word,

And holy keep his day.

July 17th, 1813.

A. H.

NOTES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

WHEN any communication is noticed, and not afterwards inserted, the writer may rest assured that the publishers have some particular reason, although it may not be stated.

If" A SUBSCRIBER" will have the goodness to look again, he will find that it is Anecdotes levelled against particular prevailing vices cur correspondent speaks of in No. 8; and we shall be happy to have something of this nature, suitable to our plan, occasionally from his pen.

The admirers of The BEACON will be gratified to learn that the Observant Pedestrian has apologized sufficiently for his long silence, and will appear again in our next number.

The EVENING LAY, and the favours of F.-R. P.-A. P.~Typographicus, and Philomathicus, are received.

HADDINGTON:

Printed and Published, MONTHLY, by G. MILLER & SON.

[VOL. I.

OLD FRIAR AUGUSTINE, &c.

IN WHICH

SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES THAT FLOW FROM THE CALAMITIES OF LIFE ARE CLEARLY STATED AND POINTED OUT.

The miseries, the calamities, the heart-rendings, and the tears, which are so intimately interwoven by the Great Artist in cur natures, as not to be separated in a single instance, are, in the first place, our security of a future state, and, in the next place, serve to slope the way before us."

To the Editors of The CHEAP MAGAZINE.

THERE is not a greater failing incident to humanity, than the propensity that one man has to impute the conduct of another to improper motives, and while you seem to have barboured the idea that I might have been offended at the hint you gave me "to be a little more brief in future," it is not improbable, that some of your correspondents, particularly