Page images
PDF
EPUB

31. Endeavour to be first in your profession, and let no one go before you in doing well. Nevertheless, do not envy the merits of another; but improve your own talents.

32. Never reveal your secrets to any, except it be as much their interest to keep them, as it is yours they should be kept. Entrust only thyself, and thou canst not be betrayed.

33. Glory, like a shadow, flieth him who pursueth it; but it followeth at the heels of him who would fly from it. If thou court it without merit, thou shalt never attain unto it; if thou deserve it, though thou hide thyself, it will never forsake thee.

34. Pursue that which is honourable, do that which is right; and the applause of thine own conscience will be more joy to thee, than the shouts of millions, who know not that thou deservest them.

35. Love labor. If you do not want it for food, you may for physic. The idle man is more perplexed to know what to do, than the industrious in doing what he ought. There are few who know how to be idle and innocent. By doing nothing, we learn to do ill.

36. Honour thy father with thy whole heart, and forget not the sorrows of thy mother. How canst thou recompense them the things which they have done for thee?

37. It is a mark of a depraved mind, to sneer at decrepit old age, or to ridicule any one who is deformed in his person or lacketh understanding. Who maketh one to differ from another?

38. The merciful man is merciful to his beast: and he, who takes pleasure in tormenting any of God's creatures, although ever so inferior, ought to be banished from human society, and ranked among the brutes.

39. Admonish thy friend; it may be he hath not done it; and if he hath, that he do it no more. Admonish thy friend; it may be he hath not said it; or if he hath, that he speak it not again. Admonish a friend; for many times it is a slander; and believe not every tale.

40. Be not forward in leading the conversation. This belongs to the oldest person in company. Display your learning only on particular occasions. Never oppose the opinion of another, but with great modesty.

On all occasions avoid speaking of yourself if pos sible. Nothing that we can say ourselves will varnish our defects, or add lustre to our virtues; on the contrary, it will often make the former more visible, and the latter obscure.

42. Without a friend, the world is but a wilderness. A may may have a thousand intimate acquaintances, and not a friend among them all. If you have one friend, think yourself happy.

43. There is but one way of fortifying the soul against all gloomy presages and terrors of the mind; and that is, by securing to ourselves the friendship and protection of that Being who disposes of events and governs futurity.

I

A HINT TO PARENTS.

T is to be wished that parents would consider what a variety of circumstances tend to render the evil reports of their children, respecting their teachers, false and exaggerated.

2. They judge hastily, partially, imperfectly, and improperly, from the natural defects and weakness of their age. They, likewise, too often intentionally misrepresent things. They hate those who restrain them; they feel resentment for correction; they love change; they love idleness, and the indulgencies of their home.

3. Like all human creatures, they are apt not to know when they are well, and to complain. Let parents then consider these things impartially, and be cautious of aspersing the character, and disturbing the happiness of those who may probably deserve thanks rather than ill usage; whose office is at best full of care and anxiety; and when it is interrupted by the injudicious interference or complaints of the parents, becomes intolerably burdensome.

4. If a father suspect his confidence to have been misplaced, it is best to withdraw it immediately. without altercation and without reproaches. I have often heard old and experienced instructors declare, that the whole business of managing a large school, and training pupils to learning and virtue, was nothing in comparison with the trouble which was given by whimsical and discontented parents.

A PARABLE

A PARABLE AGAINST RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION.

A

ND it came to pass after these things, that Abraham sat at the door of his tent, about the going down of the sun. And behold! a man bent with age, coming from the way of the wilderness, leaning on his staff. And Abraham arose, met him, and said unto him, turn in I pray thee, and wash thy feet, and tarry all night, and thou shalt arise early in the morning, and go on thy way.

2. And the man said Nay, for I will abide under this tree. But Abraham pressed him greatly; so he turned, and they went into the tent. And Abraham baked unlevened bread, and they did eat. And when Abraham saw that the man blessed not God, he said unto him, Wherefore dost thou not worship the most high God, Creator of Heaven and earth?

3. And the man answered and said, I worship the God of my fathers, in the way which they have appointed. And Abraham's zeal was kindled against the man, and he arose and fell upon him, and drove him forth with blows into the wilderness. And God called unto Abraham, saying, Abraham, where is the stranger?

4. And Abraham answered and said, Lord he would not worship thee, neither would he call upon thy name, therefore have I driven him out before my face into the wilderness. And God said, Have I borre with him these hundred and ninety years, and nourished him, and clothed him, notwithstanding his rebellion against me, and couldst not thou, who art thyself a sinner, bear with him one night?

5. And Abraham said. Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot against his servant, lo, I have sinned, forgive me I pray thee. And Abraham arose and went forth into the wilder erness, and sought diligen ly for the man, and found him, and returned with him to the tent, and when he had treated him kindly, he sent him away on the morrow with

gifts.

THE

THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH, ABRIDGED.

I

SRAEL loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he gave him a coat of many colours. But when his brethren saw their father's partiality to him, they hated him, and would not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, aud he told it to his brethren,

2. Behold, he said, we were binding sheaves in the field; and lo! my sheaf arose and stood upright; and your sheaves stood round about and made ebeisance, to my sheaf. And his brethren said unto him, shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? and they hated him the more for his dreams, and for his words.

3. It happened that his brethren went to feed their father's flock at Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren; but, when they saw him afar off, they conspired against him to slay him; and they said one to another, We will tell our father that some evil beast hath devoured him.

4. But Reuben wished to deliver him out of their hands; and he said, Let us not kill him, but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness. And they followed his counsel, and cast him into the pit, which then contained no water.

5. A company of Ishmaelites from Gilead, passed by at this time, with their camels, bearing spicery, balm and myrrh, which they were carrying into Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, Let us sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hands be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver.

6. And his brethren killed a kid, and dipped his coat in the blood thereof. And they brought it to their father, and said, this have we found. And Jacob knew it; and believing that Joseph was devoured by an evil beast, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and refused all comfort, saying, I will go down into the grave to my son mourning.

7. Thus wept his father for him. But Joseph was car

ried

ried into Egypt, and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. And the Lord was with him, and prospered him; and he found favor in the sight of his master. But by the wickedness of Potiphar's wife, he was cast into the prison, where the king's prisoners were bound.

8. Here also the Lord continued to shew him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And all the prisoners were committed to his care; amongst whom were two of Pharaoh's officers, the chief of the butlers, and the chief of the bakers.

9. And Joseph interpreted the dreams of the king's servants; and his interpretation being true, the chief butler re commended him to Pharaoh, who had dreamed a dream, which Joseph thus showed unto him. Behold there shall come seven years of great plenty, throughout al the land of Egypt. And there shall arise after them seven years of famine! and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine shall consume the land.

10. And the king said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shown you all this, thou shalt be over mine house; and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled. And Joseph gathered up all the food of the seven years, and Jaid up the food in the store houses. Then the seven years of dearth began to come, as Joseph had foretold.

11. But in all the land of Egypt there was bread; and people from all countries came unto Joseph to buy corn, because the famine was sore in all the lands. Now amongst those who came were the ten sons of Jacob, from the land of Canaan.

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly to them, saying, Ye are spies. And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

13. But Joseph said unto them, ye shall not go forth hence except your youngest brother come hither. Let one of your brethren be bound in prison, and go ye to carry corn for the famine of your houses, and bring your youngest brother unto me.

14. And their consciences reproached them; and they

« PreviousContinue »