you again be happy in the enjoyment of those scenes your eyes so fondly regret. Only by victory can Athenians re-erect the extensive power of the Athenian state from its present fallen condition. For they are men, who constitute a state, not walls, nor ships, by men abandoned."

Thucydides.

PART IV.

RELIGIOUS PIECES.

UNION OF PIETY AND MORALITY.

In every age has prevailed, too much, the practice of substituting certain appearances of piety, in the place of the great duties of humanity and mercy. Too many there have always been, who flatter themselves with the hope of obtaining the favour of their Creator, though they neglect to do justice to their fellow-creatures. But such persons may be assured, that their supposed piety is altogether of a spurious kind. It is an invention of their own; unknown to reason, unknown in the word of God. In the sacred Scripture, we are admonished to try our faith by our works; our love of God, by our love of man. The union of devotion to God, and charity to men, forms the consistent, the graceful, the respectable character of the real Christian, the man of true worth. He who fears God, and is, at the same time, just and beneficent to men, exhibits religion to the world in all her natural beauty. She adorns his conduct with inexpressible splendour. Her rays throw a glory around him. His character is above reproach; is, at once, amiable and venerable.

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Malice is afraid to attack him. Even the worst of men, respect and honour him, in their hearts.

This, too, is the man, whose life will be most peaceful and happy. He who fails materially, either in piety or morality, is always obnoxious to the anguish of remorse. His partial goodness may flatter him in the day of superficial observation; but when solitude or distress, awakens the powers of reflection, he shall be made to feel, that one part of duty performed, atones not for another which is neglected. Conscience will be to him, the hand writing on the wall, "Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting." Whereas, he who holds both faith and a good conscience, who attends equally to the discharge of his duty towards God and towards man, enjoys, as far as human imperfection allows, the sense of fairness and consistency in conduct, of integrity and soundness of heart. When beneficence and piety are united, they pour upon the man, in whom they meet, the full pleasures of a good and pure heart. His alms connect him with men, his prayers with God. All nature has, to him, a benign aspect. If engaged in active life, he is the friend of man; and he is happy in the exertions of that friendship. If left in retirement, he walks among the works of nature, as with God. Every object is enlivened to him, by the sense of the divine presence. Everywhere, he traces the beneficent hand of the Author of nature; and everywhere, with glowing heart, he hears and answers his secret voice. When he looks up to heaven, he

rejoices in the thought, that there dwells the God whom he honours and serves; the Saviour in whom he trusts; the Spirit of grace, from whose inspiration his piety and his charity flow. When he looks around him on the world, he is soothed with the pleasing remembrance of good offices which he has done, or studied to do, to many who dwell there. Life, passed under the influence of such dispositions, naturally leads to a happy end. It is not enough to say that faith and piety, joined with active virtue, constitute the requisite preparation for heaven. They, in truth, begin the enjoyment of heaven. In every state of our existence, they form the chief engredients of happiness. What can I say more in praise of this blessed character, than that it is what God delights to honour? Men single out as the objects of distinction, the great, the brave, or the renowned. But he who seeth not as man seeth, passing by those qualities which often shine with false splendour to human observation, looks to the inward principles of action; to those principles which form the essence of a worthy character; and which, if called forth, would give birth to whatever is laudable or excellent in conduct.

Is there one, though in humble station, who feareth God and worketh righteousness; whose prayers and alms, proceeding in regular unaffected tenor, bespeak the upright, the tender, the devout heart? Those alms and prayers come up in memorial before that God, who is no respecter of persons.

The Almighty beholds him from his throne,

with complacency. Divine illumination is ready to instruct him. Angels minister unto him. They, now, mark him out on earth, as their future associate. For him, they make ready in paradise, the white robes, the palms, and the sceptres of the just. To this honour, to this blessedness, let our hearts continually aspire; and throughout the whole of life, let these solemn, sacred, words sound in our ears, and be responded from the bottom of our hearts; "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Blair.

CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES.

ALL that Christ did, and all that he suffered, he did and suffered, because he loved us; not for his own advantage, but for the happiness and salvation of men. Because man, by temptation, was seduced to disobedience, Jesus encountered and overcame temptation, by the word of God; and by love, kept the commandments. Jehovah, by his prophet Isaiah, had foretold of him, "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant render many righteous." The end of his knowledge, was to be the justification of his chosen; and the promise was fulfilled; for, having increased in wisdom, he went about doing good. His supernatural knowledge produced not morose self