LESSON CI.

Why are Springs enthroned so high?

1. WHY are springs enthroned so high,
Where the mountains kiss the sky?-
"Tis that thence their streams may flow
Fertilizing all below.

2. Why have clouds such lofty flight,
Basking in the golden light?-
'Tis to send down genial showers
On this lower world of ours.

3. Why does God exalt the great?
'Tis that they may prop the state;
So that Toil its sweets may yield,
And the sower reap the field.

4. Riches why doth He confer?—
That the rich may minister,
In the hour of their distress,
To the poor and fatherless.

5. Does He light a Newton's mind?-
"Tis to shine on all mankind.
Does He give to Virtue birth ?-
'Tis the salt of this poor earth.

6. Reader, whosoe'er thou art,
What thy God has given, impart ;
Hide it not within the ground;
Send the cup of blessing round.

7. Hast thou power?-the weak defend.
Light?-give light: thy knowledge lend
Rich-remember Him who gave.
Free?-be brother to the slave.

8. Called a blessing to inherit,

Bless, and richer blessings merit :
Give, and more shall yet be given:
Love, and serve, and look for Heaven

LESSON CII.

To an Infant.

1. THY bark now launched, with sails unfurled, Must oft by waves be tossed in danger; Yet welcome to this stormy world,

Thou helpless stranger.

2. Thy morning dawns, all cloudless-fair-
Thou restest on a waveless ocean;
And thou canst look on grief and care
Without emotion.

3. And many friends are watching near,
Of all its pangs thy heart beguiling;
Not all the world can make thee fear-

For all is smiling.

4. But do not let thy bosom dream

That thou canst live thus free from trouble; For thou must sail on sorrow's stream,

Thyself a bubble.

5. The cloudless heavens soon may lower,
And driving storms thy vessel sever :
Thy sun a few faint beams may pour,
Then set forever.

6. Or shouldst thou live a few short years,

Tossed by the storms of Passion's shapingThine eyes must oft be wet with tears

There's no escaping.

7. Thy friends must leave thee, one by one,
The grave around them darkly closing;
Thou must not hope such ills to shun-
Here's no reposing.

O! may some Angel guard thy way,
While o'er this stormy ocean driven—
And waft thee to the realms of day-

The shores of Heaven.

LESSON CIII.

The Family Bible.

1. How painfully pleasing the fond recollection
Of youthful connections and innocent joy,
When, blessed with parental advice and affection,
Surrounded with mercies, with peace from on high,
I still view the chair of my sire and my mother,

The seats of their offspring as ranged on each hand, And that richest of books, which excelled every otherThe Family Bible that lay on the stand;

The old-fashioned Bible, the dear blessed Bible,
The Family Bible that lay on the stand.

2. That Bible, the volume of God's inspiration,

At morning and evening could yield us delight,
And the prayer of our sire was a sweet invocation,
For mercy by day, and for safety by night.
Our hymns of thanksgiving, with harmony swelling,
All warm from the heart of a family band,
Half raised us from earth to that rapturous dwelling
Described in the Bible that lay on the stand;
That richest of books, which excelled every other-
The Family Bible that lay on the stand.

3. Ye scenes of tranquillity, long have we parted;

My hopes almost gone, and my parents no more;
In sorrow and sadness I live broken-hearted,

And wander unknown on a far distant shore.
Yet how can I doubt a dear Saviour's protection,
Forgetful of gifts from his bountiful hand!
O let me with patience receive his correction,
And think of the Bible that lay on the stand;
That richest of books which excelled every other-
That Family Bible that lay on the stand.

LESSON CIV.

The Evening Hymn of the Jewess.
1. WHEN Israel, of the Lord beloved,
Out of the land of bondage came,
Her fathers' God before her moved,
An awful guide, in smoke and flame.

2. By day along the astonished lands,
The cloudy pillar glided slow;
By night Arabia's crimsoned sands
Returned the fiery column's glow.
3. Then rose the choral hymn of praise,
And trump and timbrel answered keen,
And Zion's daughters poured their lays,
With priest's and warrior's voice between.
4. No portents now our foes amaze;

Forsaken Israel wanders lone;

Our fathers would not know Thy ways,
And Thou hast left them to their own.

5. But present still, though now unseen!
When brightly shines the prosperous day,
Be thoughts of Thee a cloudy screen,
To temper the deceitful ray.

6. And, oh, when stoops on Judah's path
In shade and storm the frequent night,
Be Thou long-suffering, slow to wrath,
A burning and a shining light!

7. Our harps we left by Babel's streams,
The tyrant's jest, the Gentile's scorn;
No censer round our altar burns,

And mute are timbrel, trump, and horn.
8. But Thou hast said, The blood of goat,
The flesh of rams, I will not prize;
A contrite heart, a humble thought,
Are mine accepted sacrifice.

LESSON CV.

Avoid Hasty Opinions.

1. In many things which we do, we ought not only to consider the mere naked action itself, but the persons who act, the persons toward whom, the time when, the place where, the manner how, the end for which, the action is done, together with the effects that must, or that may follow, and all other surrounding circumstances.

2. These things must necessarily be taken into our view, in order to determine whether the action, indifferent in

itself, is either lawful or unlawful, good or evil, wise or foolish, decent or indecent, proper or improper.

3. Let me give a plain instance for the illustration of this matter. Mario kills a dog; which, considered merely in itself, seems to be an indifferent action. Now, the dog was Timon's, and not his own. This makes it look unlawful. But Timon bid him do it. This gives it an appearance of lawfulness again.

4. It was done at church, and in time of divine service. These circumstances added, cast on it an air of irreligion. But the dog flew at Mario, and put him in danger of his life. This relieves the seeming impiety of the action. But Mario might have escaped by flying thence. Therefore, the action appears to be improper.

5. But the dog was known to be mad. This further circumstance makes it almost necessary that the dog should be slain, lest he might attack the assembly, and do much mischief. Yet again, Mario killed him with a pistol, which he happened to have in his pocket, since yesterday's journey. Now, hereby the whole congregation was terrified and discomposed, and divine service was broken off.

This car

ries in it an appearance of great indecency and impropriety.

6. But, after all, when we consider a further circumstance, that Mario, being thus violently assaulted by a mad dog, had no way of escape, and had no other weapon about him, it seems to take away all color of impropriety, indecency, or unlawfulness, and to allow, that the preservation of one or many lives may justify the act as wise and good. Now, all these concurrent appendices of the action ought to be surveyed, in order to pronounce with justice and truth concerning it.

7. There are a multitude of human actions in private life, in domestic affairs, in traffic, in civil government, in courts of justice, in schools of learning, &c., which have so many complicated circumstances, aspects, and situations, with regard to time and place, persons and things, that it is impossible for any one to pass a right judgment concerning them, without entering into most of these circumstances, and surreying them extensively, and comparing and balancing them all aright.

8. Whence, by the way, I may take occasion to say, how many thousands there are, who take it upon them to pass their censures on the personal and domestic actions of