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union to Christians; the badge by which they know each other; their allying point, the standard of their host. Beside public worship they have no means of effectual discrimination. To preserve this to us is a prime interest and duty. In no way can we so preserve, or so announce to others, our character as christians; or so effectually prevent our nakedness and shame from being seen by our enemies..

6. Now, more than ever, we are “not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Now, more than ever, are we to stand forth to the eye of our enemies, and of the world, as open, determined christians; as the followers of Christ, as the friends of God. Every man, therefore, who loves his country or his religion, ought to feel; that he serves or injures both, as he celebrates or neglects the sabbath.

7. By the devout observation of this holy day he will reform himself, increase his piety, heighten his love to his country, and confirm his determination to defend all that merits his regard. He will become a better man, and a better citizen.

8. The house of God is also the house of prayer. Here nations meet with God, to ask, and to receive, national blessings. On the sabbath, and in the sanctuary, the children of the Redeemer will, to the end of the world, assemble for this glorious purpose. Here he is ever present to give more than we can ask. If we faithfully unite here in seeking his protection, “no weäpon formed against us will prosper."

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE OCEAN AND THE RIVERS.A FABLE.

1. THE Rivers, having long paid their voluntary tribute to the Ocean, were at length spirited up to opposition by some stagnant pools, which, being formed. into canals, had found their way to the grand reservoir of waters. These upstart gentlemen, with a character istic pride, began to exclaim, "What! shall we, who have been collected with so much care, and conducted hither with so much expense and art, lose our freshness in the briny wave?

"Were we rivers of magnitude, like the Nile, the Danube, the Ganges, the Mississippi, and Rio de la Plata, we would soon teach the Ocean to be a little more

such tameness.

reasonable and polite; and, instead of converting every thing to its own filthy purposes without acknowledgement, we would make it known to whom it is indebted for its consequence: for our parts we are ashamed of Does not the ocean deprive us of our sweetness and purity, and yet monopolize the gratitude of surrounding nations, which is due to us alone? It it will not allow us to assert our natural rights in the scale of social union, we are determined immediately to withdraw our support from the voracious abyss, that swallows us up without mercy and without thanks."

3. From this mean source the murmurs of discontent arose. These collected puddles had influence enough to spread disaffection among the noble streams. Some of the latter hoped to usurp the dominion of the whole, and therefore sided in the quarrel. Each had his private views in what he did or wished to do. Committees were formed, resolutions were passed, and dep utations appointed. Memorials, remonstrances, and all the artillery of political manoeuvres were determined to be played off against the venerable head.

4. The Ocean heard of these meditated attacks, but heard them unmoved. It knew the general good, even the order of nature, had sanctioned, and would maintain its supremacy; and on this account it did not fear the blind malice of impotent opposition. When deputations, however, arrived from the principal Rivers to state grievances, and to demand redress, they were respectfully received The firmness that will not yield to idle murmurs of discontent, and the pride that despises them, are very different qualities.

5. Having patiently listened to futile and unmeaning complaints, the mighty chief thus tried to silence them "Gentlemen," said the Ocean, "after having enjoyed the uninterrupted liberty of falling into my bosom, where, by my chemical power, I preserve you from corruption, and render you not only harmless but useful in promoting the intercourse of nations, it is with surprise I hear your clains. Were I to refuse taking you under my protection, what would be the consequence? You must, in that case, overflow your banks, and deluge the countries you now beautify and delight. Your streams would run counter one to the other; you

would become tainted; and mankind would be destroyed by your unbridled violence, or your pestilential effluvia." 6. What is mankind to us?"-exclaimed a little scanty stream. "Hold !-replies the Ocean;" it is useless, I see, to waste words. If argument and mildness cannot bring you to reason, force, however unpleasant to me, must. Till you agree to flow in your accustomed channels, I will cut off every secret communication that supplies your springs, and thus feeds your pride. Know you are entirely in my power; the favours I receive from you are amply and gratefully repaid. From me at first you came, and to me you must again return."

CHAPTER XXX.

THE FORCE OF IMAGINATION.

1. MAN must have something for his affections to anchor on. There is no getting forward pleasantly in the journey of life, without having certain preeminent objects to which the thoughts may recur, whenever we grow languid by the way, or our path becomes rugged and perplexed.

2. The past appertains to the dominion of memory; the future is the inheritance of hope; and the present, which only is our own, by that property of the mind which we term imagination, may be pushed aside to make way for its own illusions, when she wishes to enliven the prospect, and spread a sunshine which the present does not offer.

5. Sweet illusions! Amiable deeeivers! How cheerfully have ye led my eager steps through the state of youth, and solaced me as I journeyed forward with a thousand visionary scenes from the classic page! Having gained the ascent of life, and shut up my books to read the more complicated volume of the world; when I have found hope disappointed-confidence betrayedkindness forgotten-and seen around me characters. that convinced me vice was not fiction, then have ye been as a lantern to my feet, dissipated the gloom that darkened my course, by lighting me on to new objects of pleasure, glowing with the alluring graces of undis

sembled virtue.

4. Bounteous imagination! be still my guide, my companion, my friend! Thy sensibility may sometimes black

en the storm, or give added strength to the blow of affliction but thou bestowest in counterpoise a thousand beams of radiant joy which are ever playing round minds thou inhabitest: they feel them reflected from each delicacy of sentiment-each act of humanityeach triumph of honour! every thing, from the summit of the mountain to the depth of the vale, lives and blossoms for them; the immense round of creation is theirs!

5. It is by thy power, now sitting among my fellow mortals, far separated from the object I once adored, as the fond partner of my joys, that I can place her image before me, as I last beheld it, without losing one tint of colouring-I see the look of tenderness with which she bid me adieu-hear the last accents of her voice-still feel the impression of her last sad and affectionate embrace-nor wilt thou suffer a single line of the picture to beeffaced,till our re-union shall givethee a happier subject.

SIR,

CHAPTER XXXI.

ADVENTURES OF A HALF-PENNY.

1. "I SHALL not pretend to conceal from you the illegitimacy of my birth, or the baseness of my extractions; and, though I seem to bear the venerable marks of old age, I received my birth at Birmingham not six months ago. Hence I was transported, with many of my brethren of different dates,characters,and configurations, to a Jew pedlar, in Duke's place, who paid for us in specie scarce a fifth part of our nominal and intrinsic value.

2. "We were soon after separately disposed of, at a moderate profit, to coffee-houses, chop-houses, chandler's shops, and gin shops. I had not been long in the world before an ingenious transmuter of metals laid violent hands on me; and, observing my thin shape and fat surface, by the help of a little quicksilver, exalted me into a shilling. Use, however, soon degraded me again to my native low station; and I unfortunately fell into the possession of an urchin just breeched, who received me as a Christmas box of his god-mother.

3. "A love of money is ridiculously instilled into children so early, that, before they can possibly comprehend the use of it, they consider it of great value. I lost,

therefore, the very essence of my being in the custody of a hopeful disciple of avarice and folly; and was kept only to be looked at and admired: but a bigger boy after a while snatched me from him, and released me from my confinement.

4. “I now underwent various hardships among his playfellows, and was kicked about, hustled, tossed up, and chucked into holes, which very much battered and impaired me: but I suffered most by the pegging of tops, the marks of which I have borne about me to this day. I was in this state the unwitting cause of rapacity, -strife, envy, rancor, malice, and revenge, among the little apes of mankind; and became the object and the nurse of those passions which disgrace human nature, while I appeared only to engage children in innocent pastimes. At length I was dismissed from their service by a throw with a barrow woman for an orange.

5. "From her, it is natural to conclude, I posted to the gin shop; where it deed it is probable I should have immediately gone, if her husband, a foot soldier, had not wrested me from her, at the expense of a bloody nose, black eye, scratched face, and torn reimentals. By him I was carried to the Mall, in St. James's Park, where I am ashamed to tell how I parted from him; let it suffice that I was soon after deposited in a night cellar.

6 "Hence I got into the coat pocket of a blood, and remained there with several of my brethren for some days unnoticed. But one evening, as he was reeling home from the tavern, he jerked a whole handful of us through a sash window into the dining room of a tradesman, who he remembered had been so unmannerly to him the day before as to desire payment of his bill. We reposed in soft ease on a fine Turkey carpet till the next morning, when the maid swept us up; and some of us were allotted to buy tea, some to purchase snuff, and I myself was immediately trucked away at the door for the sweetheart's delight.

7. "It is not my design to enumerate every little ac cident that has befallen me; but suffice it to say, that the poor acknowledge me as their constant friend ; and the rich, though they affect to slight me, and treat me with contempt, are often reduced by their follies to distresses which it is even in my power to relieve.

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