RESIGNATION. How calmly do those glide through all, even the roughest events, who can but make a right estimate of the happiness, as well as the virtue of a governable will, resigned to God's. How does it enervate and enfeeble any calamity! nay, indeed, it triumphs over it, and by that conjunction with Him that ordains it, may be said to command even what it suffers. It was a philosophical maxim, that a wise moral man could not be injured, could not be miserable. But sure it is much more true of him who has that divine wisdom of Christian resignation that twines and enwraps all his choices with God's; and is neither at the pains nor the hazards of his own election, but is secure unless omniscience can be deceived and omnipotence defeated, he shall have what is really best for him.

Palmer's Aphorisms.

VICE. No vassalage so ignoble, no servitude so miserable, as that of vice; mines and galleys, mills and dungeons, are words of ease, to the service of sin; therefore, the bringing sinners to repentance, is so noble, so tempting a design, that it drew even God himself from heaven to prosecute it.-Ibid.

Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent.

Ask thought for joy, grow rich and hoard within. Night Thoughts.

The failings of good men are commonly more published in the world, than their good deeds; and one fault of a deserving man, shall meet with more reproaches, than all his virtues praise; such is the. force of ill-will and ill-nature.

ADVICE. Whoever thinks his own knowledge sufficient for discerning, and with certainty determining the part he ought to act on many occasions of life, must have had very little experience. He will often see his presumption punished by mistakes which he would have avoided had he taken prudent counsel. A good plan is often improved in consequence of the inquiry and discussion of two persons actuated by the same desire of success; if one does not perceive the deficiency of the project which he has formed, the other does, and they both act jointly in correcting it. The mind is enlightened by contradictions when these arise from a natural desire of seeking and discovering the truth.

Torcy's Memoirs.

DIDEROT.-There were moments in which this professed friend and admirer of Voltaire, notwithstanding his avowed impiety, seems to have been compelled by the force of truth, to pay homage to the New Testament. An acquaintance found him one day explaining a chapter of it to his daughter, with all the apparent seriousness and energy of a believer. On expressing his surprise, Diderot replied, "I understand your meaning; but after all, where is it possible to find better lessons for her instruction?" The devils believe and tremble. At the close of life he showed some signs of contrition, but the barbarity of his philosophic friends, under a pretence that a change of air would promote his restoration to health, secretly removed him into the country, resolving that he should die without repentance, and never left him until he expired. Lord Teignmouth.

Just praise is only a debt-flattery is a present.

THE LIVING AUTHOR'S EPITAPH.
Translated from the Latin of Cowley.
"From life's superfluous cares enlarg'd,
His debt of human toil discharg'd,
Here Cowley lies, beneath this shed
To ev'ry worldly interest dead;
With decent poverty content;
His hours of care not idly spent;
To fortune's goods a foe profess'd,
And hating wealth, by all caress'd.
'Tis sure he's dead; for lo! how small
A spot of earth is now his all!
O! wish that earth may lightly lay,
And ev'ry care be far away!

Bring flow'rs, the short liv'd roses bring,
To life deceased fit offering!

And sweets around the poet strow,
Whilst yet with life his ashes glow."

The Scripture surpasses the most ancient Greek authors vastly, in native simplicity, liveliness and grandeur. Homer himself never reached the sublimity of Moses' Songs, especially the last, which all the Israelitish children were to learn by heart.Never did any ode, either Greek or Latin, come up to the loftiness of the Psalms, particularly that which begins, "The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken," this surpasseth the utmost stretch of human invention. Neither Homer or any other poet ever equalled Isaiah describing the Majesty of God, in whose sight, "the nations of the earth are as small dust, yea less than nothing and vanity," seeing it is he that stretcheth out the heavens "like a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in." Sometimes this prophet has all the sweetness of an eclogue in the smiling images he gives us of peace, and sometimes he soars so high as to leave every thing below him. What is there in antiquity that can be compared to the lamentations of Jeremiah when he tenderly deplores the misery of his coun

try? Or the prophecy of Nahum, when he foresees in spirit the proud Nineveh fall under the rage of an invincible army? We fancy that we see the army and hear the noise of arms and chariots. Every thing is painted in such a lively manner as strikes the imagination-the prophet far outdoes Homer. Read likewise Daniel denouncing to Belshazzar, the Divine vengeance ready to overwhelm him, and try if you can find any thing in the most sublime originals of antiquity, that can be compared to those passages of sacred writ. As for the rest of scripture every portion of it is uniform and constant, every part bears the peculiar character that becomes it. The history, the particular detail of laws, the descriptions, the vehement and pathetic passages, the mysteries and prophecies, and moral discourses, in all these appears a natural and beautiful variety. In short there is as great a difference between the Heathen poets and the prophets, as there is between a false enthusiasm and the true. The sacred writers being truly inspired, do in a sensible manner express something divine, while the others, striving to soar above themselves, always show human weakness in their loftiest flights.

Cambray's Dialogues upon Eloquence.

BRIDGE.-The reason why the very word or name of bridge appears not in all the Scriptures is, because the rivers of Palestine were either so shallow they were passable by fords, or so deep they were ferried over.-Palmer's Aphorisms.

WAR.-The holy war lasted one hundred and ninety years; the costliest that ever was, both for time, blood and money. No conflict is so fierce and cruel as when religion animates the war, and makes it piety to be irreconcilable.-Ibid.

A THUNDER STORM.

It thunders! Sons of dust, in reverence bow!
Ancient of days! Thou speakest from above:
Thy right hand wields the bolt of terror now!
That hand which scatters peace and joy and love.
Almighty! trembling like a timid child,

I hear thy awful voice-alarmed-afraid-
I see the flashes of Thy lightning wild,
And in the very grave would hide my head.

Lord! what is man? Up to the sun he flies-
Or feebly wanders through earth's vale of dust:
There is he lost midst heaven's high mysteries,
And here in error and in darkness lost:
Beneath the storm-clouds, on life's raging sea,
Like a poor sailor-by the tempest tost
In a frail bark-the sport of destiny,

He sleeps and dashes on the rocky coast.

Thou breathest:—and the obedient storm is still:
Thou speakest;-silent the submissive wave:
Man's shattered ship the rushing waters fill,
And the hushed billows roll across his grave.
Sourceless and endless God! compared with Thee
Life is a shadowy momentary dream:
And Time when view'd through Thy eternity,
Less than the mote of morning's golden beam.
Russian Anthology.

'Tis better to be judge, said Bias, between strangers than between intimates; for by the first, one is sure to gain a friend, and by the other an enemy. Fuller.

It is as great a point of wisdom to hide ignorance, as to discover knowledge.

Bias, one of the seven wise men, being in a storm with wicked men, who cried mightily to God, "Hold your tongues," said he, "it were better he knew not you were here.”