Nor now conviction do I seek to find,

From the deep search of Tully's vig'rous mind
(With whom, at Tusculum's serene retreat,
Inquiring sages oft were wont to meet);
For this, the more it is discuss'd I know,
From vain Philosophy can never flow.
Some truths among its errors lie confus'd,
Like light and shade unorderly diffus'd;
But still in all its systems we can meet
No scheme consistent, regular, complete.
For its imperfect and corrupted lore,

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(Though gloss'd with eloquence elab'rate o'er)
Who leaves the blest enlighten'd Christian school, 70
Quits truth for dang'rous error; as a fool,
The constant light of faithful heav'n he leaves,
For a false fire of earth, a vapour that deceives.
If the Philosophy of ancient schools

For life's just conduct cannot give the rules,
From these if no conviction we receive,
The modern Sceptics will no comfort give:
Who to the gospei's purity averse,

Frame other systems hateful and perverse.
Such was bewilder'd Hobbes, who idly strove,

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'Twixt right and wrong no nat'ral line to prove;

Or Bolingbroke fallacious, who denies

Of just morality the sacred ties;

And though he grants there is a great First Cause,

Thinks that he only rules by gen'ral laws;

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Like Catiline endu'd with little sense,

Though grac'd with all the pow'rs of eloquence.

And less will Reason give her sober ear
To flimsy, faithless, profligate Voltaire ;

And less the dang'rous sophistries assume,

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The baleful principles of erring Hume;

Line 85. Bolingbroke allows a general, but denies a particular providence, and a future state of retribution.

Line 89. Candour, however, will compel us to acknowledge that Voltaire's wit and poetical talents were splendid, though his learning was not deep, and his principles and reasoning were unsound.

Line 90, &c. There are some admirable arguments against the Scepticism of Mr. Hume, and of other writers, in the celebrated

Who wish'd Jehovah from his throne to tear,
And his vain idol Chance to fancy there.

From these what mischiefs have aris'n to man, Of virtue and of happiness the bane! How their accurst contagion have they spread! Which is more horrid than that Pest'lence dread, Which oft its livid banner doth uprear, Where'er the Turks their fell dominion bear, And stalks, by fierce Destruction lacquey'd, and Despair.

And what is this auspicious Gospel's aim? What undiscover'd truths does it proclaim?— It clears the doubt of immortality,

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From which Philosophy was never free,
And which, at times obtrusive, would molest

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The expectations e'en of Tully's breast;
Convinces us the soul will always live,
From which incessant comfort we receive;

Gives the sound doctrines of the various schools,
Without their foolish or pernicious rules;
And adds some better and sublimer lore,
Than ere Philosophy had giv'n before.
It seeks to form, upon the justest plan,

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The temper, conduct, and the hope of man:

And while it fills his heart with highest aims,

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His weakness strengthens, and his fierceness tames;

Makes him undaunted his resolve maintain,
Unconquer'd or by pleasure or by pain;

And polishes his harsh asperity,

To mansuetude and gentle courtesy.
Each gen'rous manly virtue'twill impart,
And draw out all the venom from the heart:
But most to mild benevolence 'twill move,
And melt the steel'd obdurate mind to love.

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"Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth," by Dr. James Beattie. In our own days, Thomas Paine, though an ignorant man, has done much mischief, in spreading infidelity, as well as sedition, through the world.

Lines 123 and 124. One would imagine that the most unrelent ing insensibility would be softened by these heavenly injunctions of the apostle : "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from among you, with all

D

Lo! as we read, what new unknown control, 125 What sacred energy, assails the soul!

We seem to feel an impulse that's divine,

"Tis God himself that breathes from every line;
Curb'd or subdu'd our madding passions stand,
And own the force of an Almighty hand.
Ambition, burning with a fev'rish rage,

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Learns, hence, its dang'rous turbulence t' assuage:
And roving lust, with fires unholy fraught,
Is check'd or ere it wantons into thought.
It melts the heart, which unrelenting Pride,
Or ruthless Avarice, had petrified.

Revenge, that pants for mischief or for blood,
That breathes out threat'nings in his ireful mood,
And, wildly scorning Reason's soft controul,
Blazes, a conflagration of the soul;

Or broods delib'rate o'er its purpose fell,

And in its breast keeps down the smother'd hell,
That there in secret agony it hears,

Implacable by penitence or tears;

Lo! in obedience to the potent word,

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Resigns each cruel thought, and drops the thirsty

sword.

Unmanly Fear, with abject thoughts deprest,

To courage brightens his aspiring crest.
The Christian should disdain improper fear,
For cowardice is a destructive snare.
'Tis better in a worthy cause to die,
Than live in wickedness and infamy.
And why should he of dying be afraid,

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Who knows his peace with his Creator made? 'Tis like an exile backward to go home,

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A captive fearing his release should come;

"Tis like a seaman troubled in a storm,

Loth that his ship the voyage should perform.
And Fortitude, the truest Fortitude,

With more than Stoic steadiness endu❜d,

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malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians, iv. 31, 32.

Firm, patient, calm, determin'd, and resign'd,
Spreads her impervious shield around the mind.
In pain and danger hence undaunted be,
And tread upon the Roman constancy;
And be than all their vaunted heroes more,
Above their history, their fable, soar.

Though some, but few, to worthy praise aspir'd,
With gen'rous love of sacred Virtue fir'd:

(For still, from early prejudice inclin'd,

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We praise too much the scourges of mankind :) 170 As learned Cicero, a splendid name,

And moral Seneca, of lasting fame,

Whom well-directing conscience sometimes mov'd

To what enlighten'd Christians have approv'd.
And I will grant, insensible to fear,
By freedom fir'd, the people's mad career,
And an usurping traitor's lust of pow'r,
Conspicuous and unshaken, like a tow'r;
Cato, awhile with noble zeal withstood,
Collected in himself, and obstinately good.
But like a coward at the last he died,
A voluntary sacrifice to pride;

By one rash act his mighty name profan'd,
And wither'd every laurel he had gain'd.

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O! had these doctrines touch'd, inspir'd his mind, 185
The tyrant's rage he would have met resign'd;
Like Zion unremov'd he would have stood,
And brav'd the storm, and the descending flood;
And though Fate all her gloomy terrors hurl'd,

Have liv'd, and smil'd at grief, at Cæsar, and the

world!

But let us, with the temper that is meet, With humble awe, affectionate, replete,

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Line 177. Cæsar could not be justified in trampling upon the laws, though Cicero and Cato aimed to maintain an impracticable form of government. It would have been happy for Rome, if she had known such a form of government as the British consti. tution, which is calculated to give, permanently, order with liberty.

Line 185, &c. Judas, who betrayed our Lord, committed suicide; but none of the other apostles, in the severest afflictions, appeared in the least inclined to this horrible crime.

The more this joyful Gospel to display,
Its heav'n-sprung Author's holy life survey.
He, when the great progenitors of man

Had fall'n from bliss, through their delusions vain,

'By which their whole unhappy future race,

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Would have been banish'd from their Maker's grace,
Although the first in his great Father's love,
And all the arch-angelic pow'rs above,
Yet freely chose to die for their offence,
Through the excess of his benevolence.
Superior Spirits, in amazement mov'd,
The dear intent with highest praise approv❜d,
Which by blest voices was harmonious sung,
And Heav'n with loudest hallelujahs rung.
His life as an example was applied:
A willing sacrifice for sin he died.
Forbear then, Sceptic, insolent as vain,
For this, eternal justice to arraign;
For what spontaneously he chose to do,
It could not be injustice to allow.
Nor weakly think, if thy obdurate soul
No gen'rous love can soften or controul,
That some great spirits, for the public good,
Will not with cheerfulness resign their blood;
Whose souls sublime, e'en when with pain opprest,
Feel bliss, if conscious 'twill make others blest.

We Christ but partly know, like strangers sent
To dwell upon a spreading continent,
Who, check'd by fear and sloth, at first abide
Upon the ocean's low and marshy side.

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We now, by Faith embolden'd more and more,
Th' interior of the country should explore;
To see its mountains and its fertile plains,
What wealth as well as beauty it contains;
What streams majestic through its valleys flow;
What trees a shelter and a shade bestow;
What flow'rs it bears, the sight and sense to please;
What herbs, what plants, to medicine disease.
But how this life mysterious shall we scan?
How trace the wond'rous steps of God and man?

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