to human capacity, appear to be agreeable to the purest truth, and the foundest morality. All the genius and learning of the Heathen world; all the penetration of Pythagoras, Socrates, and Aristotle, had never been able to produce fuch a fyftem of moral duty, and fo rational an account of Providence and of man, as are to be found in the New Testament. Compared, indeed, with this, all other moral and theological wisdom

Lofes, discountenanc'd, and like folly shows. !

Reflections occafioned by a Review of the Bleffings, pronounced by Chrift on his Difciples, in his Sermon on the Mount.

WHAT abundant reafon have we to thank God, that this large and instructive discourse of our bleffed Redeemer, is fo particularly recorded by the facred hiftorian. Let every one that "hath ears to hear" attend to it: for furely no man ever spoke as our Lord did on this occafion. Let us fix our minds in a pofture of humble attention, that we may "receive the law from his mouth."

He opened it with bleffings, repeated and most important bleffings. But on whom are they pronounced? and whom are we taught to think the happiest of mankind? The meek and the hume ble; the penitent and the merciful; the peaceful and the pure; thofe that hunger and thirst after rightcoufnefs; those that labour, but faint not, under perfecution ! Lord! how different are thy

maxims from thofe of the children of this world! They call the proud happy; and admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. But let a vain world take its gaudy trifles, and drefs up the foolish creatures that pursue them. May our fouls fhare in that happiness which the Son of God came to recommend and to procure! May we obtain mercy of the Lord; may we be owned as his children; enjoy his prefence; and inherit his kingdom! With thefe enjoyments, and thefe hopes, we will cheerfully welcome the loweft, or the most painful circumftances

Let us be animated to cultivate thofe amiable virtues, which are here recommended to us; this humility and meeknefs; this penitent sense of fin; this ardent defire after righteoufnefs; this compaffion and purity; this peacefulness and fortitude of foul; and, in a word, this univerfal goodness which becomes us, as we fuftain the character of "the falt of the earth," and "the light of the

world."

Is there not reafon to lament, that we anfwer the character no better? Is there not reason to exclaim, with a good man in former times, "Bleffed Lord! either thefe are not thy words, or we are not Chriftians !" Oh, feafon our hearts more effectually with thy grace! Pour forth that divine oil on our lamps! Then fhall the flame brighten; then fhall the ancient honours of thy religion be revived; and multitudes be awakened and animated, by the luftre of it, to glorify our Father in heaven."

DODDRIDGE.

SECTION X.

Schemes of Life often illufory.

OMAR, the fon of Huffan, had paffed feventyfive years, in honour and profperity. The favour of three fucceffive califs had filled his house with gold and filver; and whenever he appeared, the benedictions of the people proclaimed his paffage.

Terreftrial happiness is of fhort continuance. The brightness of the flame is wasting its fuel; the fragrant flower is paffing away in its own odours. The vigour of Omar began to fail; the curls of beauty fell from his head; ftrength departed from his hands; and agility from his feet. He gave

back to the calif the keys of truft, and the feals of fecrecy; and fought no other pleafure for the remains of life, than the converfe of the wife, and the gratitude of the good.

The powers of his mind were yet unimpaired. His chamber was filled by vifitants, eager to catch the dictates of experience, and officious to pay the tribute of admiration. Caled, the son of the viceroy of Egypt, entered every day early, and retired

late.

He was beautiful and eloquent: Omar admired his wit, and loved his docility. "Tell me," faid Caled, "thou to whofe voice nations have liftened, and whofe wifdom is known to the extremities of Afia, tell me how I may resemble Omar the prudent. The arts by which thou haft gained power and preferved it, are to thee no longer neceffary or ufeful: impart to me the fecret of thy

conduct, and teach me the plan upon which thy wifdom has built thy fortune."

"Young man," faid Omar, "it is of little ufe to form plans of life. When I took my first furvey of the world, in my twentieth year, having confidered the various conditions of mankind, in the hour of folitude I faid thus to myfelf, leaning against a cedar, which spread its branches over my head: Seventy years are allowed to man: I have yet fifty remaining. Ten years I will allot to the attainment of knowledge, and ten I will pafs in foreign countries: I fhall be learned, and therefore fhall be honoured; every city will fhout at my arrival, and every ftudent will folicit my friendship. Twenty years thus paffed, will store my mind with images, which I fhall be bufy, through the rest of my life, in combining and comparing. I fhall revel in inexhauftible accumulations of intellectual riches; I fhall find new pleafures for every moment; and shall never more be weary of myfelf. I will not, however, deviate too far from the beaten track of life; but will try what can be found in female delicacy. I will marry a wife beautiful as the Houries, and wife as Zobeide: with her I will live twenty years within the fuburbs of Bagdat, in every pleasure that wealth can purchase, and fancy can invent. I will then retire to a rural dwelling; pass my days in obscurity and contemplation; and, lie filently down on the bed of death. Through my life it fhall be my fettled refolution, that I will never depend upon the fmile of princes; that I will never ftand expofed to the artifices of courts; I will never pant for public honours, nor difturb my quiet with the affairs.

of state.' Such was my fcheme of life, which I impreffed indelibly upon my memory."

"The first part of my enfuing time was to be spent in fearch of knowledge, and I know not how I was diverted from my defign. I had no visible impediments without, nor any ungovernable paffions within. I regarded knowledge as the highest: honour, and the most engaging pleafure; yet day ftole upon day, and month glided after month, till I found that feven years of the first ten had vanished and left nothing behind them. I now poftponed my purpose of travelling; for why fhould I go abroad, while fo much remained to be learned at home? I immured myself for four years, and ftudied the laws of the empire. The fame of my skill reached the judges: I was found able to speak upon doubtful questions; and was commanded to stand at the footstool of the calif. I was heard with attention; I was confulted with confidence; and the love of praise faftened on my heart."

"I ftill wished to fee diftant countries; liftened with rapture to the relations of travellers; and refolved fome time to ask my dismiflion, that I might feaft my foul with novelty but my prefence was always neceffary; and the stream of bufinefs hurried me along. Sometimes I was afraid left I fhould be charged with ingratitude; but I ftill propofed to travel, and therefore would not confine myfelf by marriage."

"In my fiftieth year, I began to fufpect that the time of travelling was paft; and thought it bett to lay hold on the felicity yet in my power, and indulge myself in domestic pleafures. But at