"that fo I may know no other will than "thine alone; and that the harmony of my particular mind with thy univerfal, be steady and uninterrupted through "the period of my existence.

may

"Yet fince to attain this height, this "tranfcendent height, is but barely pof"fible, if poffible, to the most perfect "humanity; regard what within me is "congenial to Thee; raife me above my"felf, and warm me into enthusiasm. But "let my enthusiasm be fuch as befits a "citizen of thy polity; liberal, gentle, "rational, and humane--- not fuch as to "debase me into a poor and wretched slave, "as if thou wert my tyrant, not my father; "much lefs fuch as to transform me into a

favage beaft of prey, fullen, gloomy, "dark, and fierce; prone to perfecute, to "ravage, and deftroy, as if the luft of "maffacre could be grateful to thy good"nefs. Permit me rather madly to avow

villainy in thy defiance, than impiously "to affert it under colour of thy service. "Turn my mind's eye from every idea of

"this character; from the servile, abject, "horrid, and ghaftly, to the generous, "lovely, fair, and godlike.

"Here let me dwell; --- be here my study and delight. So fhall I be enabled, " in the filent mirrour of contemplation, to "behold thofe forms which are hidden to "human eyes --- that animating wifdom "which pervades and rules the whole "that law irresistible, immutable, fupreme, "which leads the willing, and compels "the averfe, to co-operate in their station "to the general welfare; that magic divine "which, by an efficacy past comprehension, "can transform every appearance, the most "hideous, into beauty, and exhibit all

things fair and good to Thee, Effence "Increate, who art of purer eyes than ever "to behold iniquity.

"Be these my morning, these my evening "meditations --- with these may my mind "be unchangeably tinged --- that loving

"Thee with a love moft difinterested and fincere; enamoured of thy polity, and

"thy

thy divine administration; welcoming "every event with chearfulness and mag"nanimity, as being best upon the whole, "because ordained of Thee; propofing "nothing to myself, but with a reserve that "Thou permitteft; acquiefcing in every "obstruction, as ultimately referable to thy

providence --- in a word, that working "this conduct, by due exercife, into per"fect habit, I may never murmur, never

repine; never miss what I would obtain, "nor fall into that which I would avoid; "but be happy with that transcendent happiness, of which no one can deprive "me; and blest with that divine liberty, " which no tyrant can annoy."*

OOK attentively at this glass, and mark the variety of images which it exhibits? You will fee in it the haughty

*The paragraphs marked by inverted commas, have been copied, with a few variations, from Mr. Harris's Dialogue concerning Happiness.

and

and infolent courtier, awed into gentleness by the presence of the tyrant, whom he ferves: And the tyrant disturbed by fufpicion, fear and anxiety, whilft he receives with fmiles the incenfe of flattery, and glories in his fplendour and power: The envious man tortured at the heart, yet expreffing outward figns of pleasure, when the merits of his rival are extolled: The well-educated youth, who has been feduced by vicious companions, inwardly appalled during the hours of riot and jollity: The idle lounger, feemingly at eafe, but really fretful, difcontented, and unhappy.

---You are jocular, faid Alexis. I fee nothing but a glafs tumbler, containing about two parts of water and one of oil, fufpended by a cord, and fwung backwards and forwards by your hand. The oil appears perfectly fmooth and undif turbed, whilft the water below is in violent agitation.

And do you not perceive, answered ́ Euphronius, a ftriking analogy between

this internal ftorm but fuperficial calm, and the feveral characters which I have enumerated? I will diverfify the allufion, and vary the experiment by pouring out the oil, and supplying its place with water. The fluid, you obferve, now remains tranquil throughout, although the fame motion is given to the veffel as before. * Thus compofure of mind may be preserved amidst the agitations and tumults of life, if we cherish no paffions, that, like oil and water, are difcordant to each other.--Alexis acknowledged the propriety of these moral analogies; but expreffed his furprise and perplexity at the appearances from which they were deduced. He was desired to confider them attentively, and to exercife his genius in the folution of them.

I'

THE ROVING FISHES.

F folid happiness we prize,

Within our breast this jewel lies,

And they are fools who roam.-----

* See Dr. Franklin's Experiments and Obfervations on Electricity.