Yet further: does our Young Man hear others approved, or fee them advanced, in preference to him? What will be his fenfations then? Here indeed is no flight trial of Humility. Yet that felf-denying virtue will teach him, either to acquiefce in the event with a generous complacence, or not to be at reft till he attains fuch a height; in other words, till he is difpofed to obey the apoftolical precept, " In ho"nour esteeming others better than him"felf."

But how, you will afk, is this poffible, fince, from what we have already seen, he appears to be a character of fingular excellence? The answer is eafy. It will be natural for a perfon of his difpofitions to reflect, that one may be more learned than himself, another more eloquent, another more witty, another more discreet, another more beneficent, and fo of the reft. Without much penetration he will be able, and with far lefs Humility than

his he will be willing, to comprehend that his own faults are certainly known to himself, and in their worst aggravations; the faults of his neighbours, only by uncertain report, or without the circumftances that might ferve to alleviate them.

As he doubts not, but those about him may be endowed with some valuable qualities, to which he has no pretenfion, fo if he should in other refpects poffefs a manifeft fuperiority, far from boasting like the Pharifee in the parable, he will piously remember, "who has made him to differ," and will fully understand St. Paul's queftion, "What haft thou that thou haft "not received? Why therefore shouldeft "thou boaft, as if thou hadst not received. " it?"

With regard to the felicity of others, it will give this amiable youth pleasure wherever he beholds it; and if he alfo is profperous. he will study to promote the

increase and continuance of their fatisfaction. But if he is difciplined by adverfity, he will conclude, that he has deferved it, or that it was neceffary to fchool him into wisdom. At the fame time, he will be ready to embrace any opportunity of obtaining for his friends, those advantages which Providence has withheld from himfelf.

But fuppofe he falls into miftake, indifcretion, mifconduct. Who, alas! is exempt from them? The inftant he perceives it, he will feel a juft concern. Senfible of his imperfection in general, the flightest hint will fhow him wherein he has erred, fhould his own apprehenfive mind not immediately fuggeft it; nor will he be forward to justify himself. The humble man alone has the magnanimity of confeffing his faults freely, instead of attempting to deny, to excufe, or to palliate them. But ftill it fhould be underftood, that this man will never, for the

fake of being thought humble, acknowledge mifcarriages of which he is not conscious.

As for attention, docility, a defire to liften and to learn, a deference to the wifdom of years, to the counfels of friendship, to the authority whether of divine or human laws; these are qualities effential to fuch a youth. And how will he stand affected to Friendship? Of all men alive, he will cultivate this fublime affection with the highest relish, and exert it with the nobleft zeal; becaufe, of all men alive, he will be the readieft to prefer his friend to himfelf. For the fame reason, he will alfo be found, beyond comparifon, the most tender and generous of lovers. To fay the truth, a felf-conceited, self-enamoured coxcomb is wholly incapable of fo fine a paffion. He is too much his own admired object, to be attached, from real fentiment or esteem, to any woman upon earth.

And now, what fay ye of this Picture? It is drawn from obfervation, from reason, and from holy writ, from the laft chiefly; nor do the two firft contribute a single feature that disagrees with the representation of the other. Tell me then, ye fons of candour and ingenuity, Does the beautiful Original merit, in your opinion, the treatment she has received from the author before cited? Does the, in your opinion, "serve no manner of purpose? Instead "of rendering the man" who has wedded her," a more valuable member of fociety, "or qualifying him for company, or in"creafing his power of felf-enjoyment," is the formed, think ye, "to cross all "these defireable ends, to ftupify his un"derstanding and harden his heart, to ob"fcure his fancy and four his temper?" Do you apprehend in good earnest, that Humility, as now fet forth, and as always fet forth by those who speak upon the fubject without the influence of scepti