3. On EASTER-DAY.

Ion that aulpicious Mom;

F Angels fung a Saviour's Birth,

Then let us imitate their Mirth,

Now he again is born.
Himself he humbled to the Grave,
Made Flesh like us: to fhew
That we as certainly fhall have
A Refurrection too.

4. On WHIT-SUNDAY, or fending the HOLY GHOST, commonly called PENTECOST.

C

OME, HOLY SPIRIT, come and breathe
Thy fpicy Odour on the Face

Of our dull Region here beneath,

And fill our Souls with thy fweet Grace. Come and root out the pois'nous Weeds, Which over-run and choak our Lives; And in our Hearts plant thine own feeds, Whofe quick'ning Power our Soul revives.

VERSES upon Various Occafions, and proper for WRITING-PIECES.

I. ADVICE.

EARN to contemn all Praife betimes,

LEARN to conte na au

With early Virtue plant thy Breast,

The fpecious Arts of Vice deteft.

Like foften'd Wax, moft Youth with Eafe will take
Those Images that firft Impreffions make:
If thofe are fair, their Actions will be bright;
If foul, they'll clouded be with Shades of Night.

^3. VIRTUE. Virtue's the chiefeft Beauty of the Mind," The noblest Ornament of Human Kind: Virtue's our Safeguard, and our guiding Star, That ftirs up Reason when our Senses err.

4. RELIGION. Religion prompts us to a future State,

The laft Appeal from Fortune and from Fate; Where GOD's all righteous Ways will be declar'd, The Bad meet Punishment, the Good Reward.

5.

LEARNING.
From Art and Study true Content must flow,
For 'tis a God-like Attribute to know:

He most improves who ftudies with Delight,
And learns found Morals while he learns to write.

Flee Sloth, the Canker of Good Senfe and Parts, Of Health, of Wealth, of Honour, and of Arts: Thofe that court Fame muft not their Senses please, Her Chariot lags when drawn by Sloth and Eafe.

7.

IDLENESS.

The firft Phyficians by Debauch were made,
Excefs began, and Sloth fuftains the Trade;
By Work our long liv'd Fathers earn'd their Food,
Toil ftrung their Nerves, and purify'd their Blood.

8.

HONESTY.

Convince the World that you are juft and true,
Be juft in all you fay, and all you do;
Whatever be your Birth, you're fure to be
A Man of the firft Magnitude to me.

9. CUSTOM.

Ill Cuftoms by Degrees to Habits rife,
Ill Habits foon become exalted Vice;
Ill Customs gather by unfeen Degrees,
As Brooks make Rivers, Rivers fwell to Seas.

Of all the naufeous complicated Crimes,
That both infect and ftigmatize the Times,
There's none that can with impious Oaths
Where Vice and Folly have an equal Share.

II.

compare,

FRIENDSHIP.

Tell me, ye knowing and difcerning few,
Where I may find a Friend both firin and true;
Who dares ftand by me when in deep Diftrefs,
And then his Love and Friendship moft exprefs.

12. FRUGALITY.

Nor trivial Lofs, nor trivial Gain despise,
Mole Hills, if often heap'd, to Mountains rife:
Weigh ev'ry fmali Expence, and nothing wafte,
Farthings, if fav'd, amount to Pounds in hafte.

こ

13. GAMING.

All Cheats at Games keep gaping for their Prey,
Quarrels create, and Mifchiefs follow Play:
It lofes Time, difturbs the Mind and Seufe,
Whilft Qaths and Lies are oft the Confequence,
And Murder, fometimes, follows Log of Pence.

14. PRIDE.

Of all the Cafes which confpire to blind
Man's erring Judgment, and mifguide the Mind,
What the weak Head with ftrongeft Bias rules,
Is Pride, the never-failing Vice of Fools.

A

A Collection of Alphabetical Sentences Profe, proper for Writing-Pieces.

CTION keeps both Soul and Body in Health; but Idleness corrupts and rufts the Mind and the Understanding: Thus a Man of good natural Parts and great Abilities, may, by Sloth and Idlenefs, become fo mean and defpicable, as to be an Incumbrance to Society, and even a Burthen to himleif.

Aurelius often used to fay, that he would not part with that little he had Learnt for all the Gold in the World; and that he had more Satisfaction from what he had read and written, than from all the Victories he had won, and all the Realms he had conquered.

B. Be always cautious of that Man's Company, who has no Regard for his own Reputation; for 'tis evident, if he values not his own, he will never mind yours.

Be always ready to communicate any Thing to your Friend, that may improve his Mind or his Morals. Knowledge, like Wealth, is a Talent given us of God; and as we have nothing but what we receive from him, we fhould imitate his Love to us, by being always ready and willing to Communicate his Gifts to others.

C. Children, like young Twigs, may be bent any Way: Therefore all fuch as have the Care of them fhould infiil into their little Minds early No. tions of Piety and Virtue, as they naturally will grow as they are fashioned. Compare the Miseries on Earth with the Joys of Heaven, and the Length of the one with the Eternity of the other; then will the Journey feem short, and your Trouble little.

D. Difcretion does not fhew itfelf in Words only, but in all the Cir. cumftances of Action: In fhort, it is the Handmaid of Providence, to gide and direct us in all the common Concerns of Life

Do as much Good as you can to all Mankind in general, as well to your Enemies as to your Friends; and what is not in your Power, pray GOD to. do for them.

E. Education, grounded on good Principles, teaches us not to be overjoyed in Profperity, nor too much dejected in Adverfity. It will not fuffer us to be dillofute in our Pleafure; and will keep us in our Anger from being transported into a Fury that is brutal.

Every Man is fond of Happiness; and yet how few are there that confider their eternal Welfare: This plainly fhews how our corrupt Nature is at Variance with itself.

F. Friendship may very properly be called the Child of Love and Esteem: For it is a frong Tie, and an habitual Inclination between two Perfons, to pomote the real Good and Happiness of each other.

Few take Care to live well, but many to live long; though it is in a Man's Power (in all moral Duties) to do the former, but in none to do the latter. G. Good Nature is Beneficence accompanied with good Sense: It is the Produc of right Reason, which always gives Allowance for the common Failings of others, by confidering that there is nothing perfect in Mankind.

GOD gives us the greatet Encouragement to be good, by promifing us mare Happiness than we can exprefs, or all the World can afford; and he alfo declares, that if we continue in Sin, and difobey him, he will punish us for ever and ever. If then, neither thefe Promifes nor Threatenings will do, we are unavoidably loft.

H. Humility is the grand Virtue that leads to Contentment; for it cuts off both the Envy and Malice of Inferiors and Equals, and makes us patiently bear the unjust Insults of Superiors.

He is not like to pafs hts Life with much Eafe who gives heed to every Thing he hears: Therefore every Wife Man will take Care that such diffonant Sounds fhall go no further than in at one Ear and out at the other.

1. Idlenefs and Sloth, like Vultures, eat up our Health. For if we look back upon the Lives of our Forefathers, we fhall find that their Vigour was owing to their Exercife, Sprightliness, Industry, and Activity.

Ingratitude must be a very great Sin, as it is quite contrary to the Nature of that Divine Being, who always delights in Mercy, and whofe Vengeance always follows fuch as repay Evil for Good.

K. Knowledge fills the Mind with entertaining Views, and adminifters it a perpetual Series of Gratifications. It gives Eafe to Solitude, fills a

public ftation with fuitable Abilities, and when it is mixed with Compla cency, it adds luftre to fuch as are poffeffed of it.

L. Labour not only to know what you ought, but to practise it; and be always ready to make others better by your good Advice; at least, be very careful not to make them worfe by your bad Example.

M. Moral Virtues themselves, without Religion, are cold, lifeless, and infipid; and it is very evident, that the latter far furpaffes the former: for a Man may be moral, and not religious; but no Man can be truly religious without being moral.

N. Never try to be diverting without being useful; say nothing that may offend a chafte Ear, nor fuffer a rude Jeft to intrude upon good Manners; for the practice of Indecency not only discovers Wickedness, but even the very Want of common Senfe.

Ó. Opportunity loft cannot be recalled; therefore 'tis the highest Wisdom in Youth, to make all the fenfible Improvements they can in their early Days; for a young overgrown Dunce feldom makes a Figure in any Branch of Learning in his old Days.

P. Pitch upon fuch a Courfe of Life as is excellent aud praife-worthy, and Custom will foon make it both easy and delightful.

Q. Quiet-minded Men have always Peace within; for though the natu ral Paffions of human Nature do accompany them, yet they are always calm and easy, because they are ever content with the Dispensations of Diving Providence.

R. Religion of itself never hinders us from any Duty; for it actually makes Men in public Affairs more serviceable; it makes Governors apter to rule with a good Confcience, and Inferiors, for Confcience Sake, more willing to obey. S. Some People are loft for want of good Advice, others for want of giving good Heed to it; and fome there are, who take up a Refolution before-hand, never to mend.

t

T. There is no Safety nor Security in wicked Company, where the Good are often made bad, and the Bad always worse: If your Business indeed calls you into fuch Company, go you muft; but take Care you do not flay long. U. Useful Attainments in your early Days will procure you great Advan❤ tages in Maturity: of which Writing and Arithmetic are the two greateft. V. Vicious Men may divert us, and crafty Men betray us for their own Intereft; but it is only among fober, wife, and just Men, that we can find Friendship, and a lafting Entertainment.

W. We may as well expect that GOD fhould make us rich without Indufry, as make us good without our constant Endeavours.

X. Xenophon commended the Perfians for the prudent Education of their Children, who would not fuffer them to effeminate their minds with idle and amorous Stories; being fully convinced of the Danger of adding Weight to the Bias of corrupt Nature."

Y. You may as well feed a Man without a Mouth, as give good Advice to one who has no Difpofition to receive it, and whofe Bent and Inclination is only to Wickedness.

Z. Zeal, when directed by proper Rules, and reduced within the Bounds of Reason and Prudence, is cominendable; but terminates in Frenzy and En thufiafin, if fuffered to run riot, and degenerate into extravagant Excefs.