himself, and his Maker, too well to adopt the language of those boafters that used to harangue about defying adverfity, and provoking the utmost rigour of fortune. But, as he defpifes not the chaftening "of the" fovereign Parent, fo "he faints "not when rebuked of him." The ftorms of life may shake the fabric of his happinefs, but they cannot deftroy it: for it is built upon a rock;" and that rock lies within, fuftained by the power of the Omnipotent. When Nature would fhrink from the lot affigned her, Religion comes in to her affiftance. The tear of forrow is often transformed into the tear of rapture, while the eye that sheds it is lifted to Heaven. "The cup which my Father has given me to drink, fhall I not drink it?" is a thought that was never cordially entertained, without leaving fome impreffion of gladnefs or ferenity. We must not forget to fubjoin, that when Virtue fuffers, the compaffionate acquaintance, the amiable companion, the zealous friend, are fure to administer relief or comfort, to fuccour by substantial services, or to footh by kind condolance. What is the refult of all? New degrees of acquiefcence in the unerring order, higher afpirations after the joys of eternity, a happier progrefs in the fchool of Wifdom, and a quicker fenfibility to the claims of fympathy and goodness. You will understand, that what I have now faid refers to the inevitable ills of life, thofe which must be borne as the ftrokes of an irrefiftible Providence, or which cannot be avoided without the forfeiture of a good confcience. Whatever calamities may be fairly prevented or remedied, it is the part of fortitude, no less than of prudence, to obviate or remove. To be refigned, is not to be fpiritless s and patience and indolence are very diffe rent qualities. To lie fupinely under miffortune, is not equanimity, but cowardice: to expect from the Almighty help or deli verance, without any active endeavour to obtain it, is not faith, but fanaticifm,. prefumption, and floth united. He is the right believer who performs his duty with vigour, and waits the event with chearfulness. Religion promises nothing to the idle, but much to the diligent. And why fhould not he beftir himfelf in every honeft way, who may thus hope for the divine patronage? Why should not industry and capacity be employed under an adminiftration that generally profpers them, to encourage their exertion; though it fometimes denies fuccefs, to teach humility and dependence? But indeed the greater part, at least among the higher ranks of life, are become languid and daftardly together. Inordinate pleasure has relaxed the finew of application, and weakened the nerve of endurance. Of those who have hurt their health or their fortune by extravagance, how few poffefs the courage: of voluntarily retrenching, for their own fake, or or that of their connexions! It may be added, that a manly and a christian spirit lead to the same behaviour, in scenes of suffering, as well as of action. They are neither of them tame; but both include an ultimate fuperiority to thofe external poffeffions, which no virtue can univerfally attain, and no wisdom can always infure the petty vexations hourly. incident to men, they learn to despise: they pity the imbecillity of being dif compofed with trifles: they condemn alike the folly of creating imaginary, and of magnifying real diftreffes: they both remember, that "fufficient for the day is : the evil thereof," and both confider that the world is a state of probation, in which not he who meets the fewest trials, but he who bears thofe appointed' him in the best manner, is the happieft man. It deferves to be remarked, that in this inftance Philofophy and Christianity have the same scope, though the principles of the one are inferior to thofe of the other; and that they agree in giving fortitude the name of Virtue, by way of preference to all other qualities; probably, because above all others it has felf-denial for its ground, and because its ftructure is above all others diftinguished for ftrength and elevation. A virtuous man rifing above his misfortunes, like fome impregnable rock, which ftands unmoved by all the winds and waves that beat upon it, has been an object of univerfal respect and complacence from age to age; one of those images, on which the minds of men have dwelt with a kind of reverential pleasure. Who, that has heard of the fufferings and patience of Job, can help thinking of him with that facred and awful delight, which one would feel on furveying the remains of fome venerable temple? But put the case of a perfon fupporting, with unwearied conftancy, evils which he might elude by a compliance with difhonourable terms; fuppofe him unalterably refolved to fuftain yet worse, to fuftain the very worst that |