"

Bleed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor flood in the way of finners, and hath not fat in the feat of the fcornful: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law

will be exer

cife himself day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-fide, that will bring forth his fruit in due feafon. His leaf alfo fhall not wither; and look, whatsoever he doeth it shall profper. As for the ungodly, it is not fo with them; but they are like the chaff, which the wind Scattereth away from the face of the earth.

TH

HE many fine allufions to rural life, in various parts of the holy fcripture, do, very beautifully, pourtray the innocency

and

and fimplicity of manners in the early ages of the world. In those happy ages, which, although figuratively, were, deservedly, called the golden, because free from that corroding care which, in these iron times, defaces our effential happiness; fweet liberty, with her attendant virtues, justice, mercy, and truth, was delighted with the view of her happy and contented votaries; she saw the mighty men of the earth employed in the labours of the field, and she distinguished even kings among the fhepherds. These great and good men wifely preferred tranquil and reasonable pleasures, before the voluptuous exceffes of a too civilized world; they lived long, and they flourished long; and therefore the Pfalmift doth, most aptly, compare the good man to a tree planted by the water-fide, which daily addeth strength to strength, until it arrive at the perfection of its nature.

"He bringeth forth his fruit in due season." At a proper time, the good man's integrity fhall be productive of inestimable good to himself and to all around him; and although perhaps it be late, yet it shall be abundant, and it fhall endure for ever.

"His leaf alfo fhall not wither." His goodness fhall draw down from heaven showers of bleffings upon his children; they shall not wither, although they be for a time even overwhelmed, by the gloomy blights from a malevolent world; they fhall not wither, but they shall be refreshed and preferved by an invifible, by an almighty power, who "fheweth his mercy unto generations of thousands of them that love him, and keep his commandments." How apt, alfo, to this argument is the 20th verfe of the xxxviith Pfalm, wherein the prophet says, "I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forfaken, nor his feed begging their bread." How exalted, how large is the idea that a good man's" leaf shall not wither!" how deep muft it fink into the mind of every tender parent! To do good to our tender shoots, to our dear little children, is the delightful exercise of that natural affection implanted in the human soul, which we do all feel, and which we must all acknowledge to be the effence of humanity. What more powerful motive to a good life can be offered, than the divine affurance that, by a juft performance of our duty, we shall

thereby

thereby fecure and perpetuate the welfare of

our pofterity.

"Whatfoever the good man doeth it shall profper." His virtuous conduct shall be amply rewarded, either in this life or in that which is to come. Whether or not this world smile or frown upon him, he shall, unqueftionably, realize to himself the greateft of all comforts, a mind at ease, and, in itself, happy. He may not indeed, nay, he cannot be, entirely, exempt from human calamity; for we are all "born to trouble as the fparks fly upwards;" but he shall, nevertheless, be exquifitely fenfible of the cherishing and protecting care of God, who will, in his good time, turn all his forrows into joy.

On the contrary, wicked men are not fufceptible of this heavenly comfort; they "feek reft but find none," for " they are as the chaff which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth. The many atrocious acts of their fordid and selfish fouls, whether by oppreffion, by fraud, by the. ruin of the innocent, by feduction, by rapine, by extortion, fhall, at laft, draw down upon them the dreadful vengeance of the

Lord;