magnified in their proportions, so that she can difcern their nature more truly, and thus adapt her conduct to the circumftances of the cafe. In this manner fhe applies her wisdom to practice. She carries alfo, in her left, a mirror, by which he is enabled to detect objects that are behind her. A lion is difcovered defcending from the mountains, hungry, and ravening for its prey. Nor in her attention to remoter objects is the regardless of thofe nigh at hand; fhe efpies concealed behind a rose-bush a serpent; it is of the dangerous kind. By her timely difcovery, the faves herself from its poisonous fang.

This is an emblem of Prudence; for what is prudence but wifdom applied to practice? Wifdom enables us to determine what are the best ends, likewise what are the best means to be used in order to attain those ends. But prudence applies all this to practice, fuiting words and actions to time, place, circumstance, and manner. O! how neceffary is prudence for the purposes of the present life. Without prudence, the mighty become enfeebled, the wife become foolish, and the wealthy, inhabitants of the poor-house.

There are duties to be done, pleasures to be enjoyed, dangers to be guarded against all of which cannot be effected unless prudence guides the helm. Pleasures and dangers are so artfully mingled together, as the ferpent among the roses, that the prudent only can poffibly detect the fnare. The youth cannot be rich in experience; ftill he can cultivate prudence, which will beget

an habitual presence of mind, ever watchful and awake. Miffortunes are common to all; the prudent, confidering that he is not exempt from the common lot of mortals, will guard against them; and, as if they were fure to come, he will prepare himself to endure them. Like the mariner, who, when failing in windy latitudes, weeps the horizon with his telescope to fee if there are figns of fqualls: towards evening he fhortens fail, fets his watch, and keeps a good

look-out.

Now, if prudence is so neceffary and profitable when applied to the things of this life, it is much more fo when applied to the life which is to come, because the foul is of more value than the body, and eternity of more importance than time. Events not contingent, but certain, will come upon us, against which, if we are prudent we fhall provide events folemn, momentous, and deeply interesting. What more folemn than death? What more momentous than the judgment to come? What more interesting to an immortal spirit than the final iffues of that judgment? Shall I my everlasting days with fiends or angels spend? "The prudent man

foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself. The fimple pass on, and are punished.

"Oh may thy Spirit guide my feet
In ways of righteoufnefs!

Make every path of duty straight
And plain before my face.

"The righteous fhall never be removed."-PROV. x. 30. "Behold, we count them happy who endure."-JAMES V. 11.

FORTITUDE AND CONSTANCY.

As ftands the pillar on the folid ground,
Nor heeds the tempeft that prevails around,
Unmoved, though tempefts blufter from on high,
And thunders rolling fhake the trembling sky:
So Fortitude is ftrong in Virtue's cause,
Nor fears contempt, nor covets vain applaufe;
But when the ftorms of evil tongues prevail,
And envy rifes like a furious gale,

She bears on high her ample spotlefs fhield,
Her own fair fame, and ftill difdains to yield :
Enduring greatly, till the ftorm is gone,
Then fees triumphant, that her caufe is won.

BEHOLD here the emblems of Fortitude and Conftancy. The pillar ftands upright amidst the ftorm, and upright in the midft of funfhine,

bearing the fummer's heat and the winter's cold, by night and by day; ftill it ftands, regardless of paffing events, and answering at the fame time the end of its erection. Thus Conftancy continues at the poft of duty. Fortitude is feen ftanding by the pillar of Conftancy. See how fhe braves the fury of the tempeft!

Winds

whistle, thunders roll, and night seems gathering together a magazine of ftorms to let loofe upon her head; yet the continues at the poft of patient endurance; with her fhield fhe is enabled to protect herself against all the ftorms which beat around.

Courage refifts danger; fortitude endures pain, either of the body or of the mind, or both. True fortitude is always connected with a holy, a righteous caufe. Adverfity, or oppofition, is the teft of fortitude and conftancy; it is the fiery trial which tries the virtuous; they come out of it as gold seven times purified, lofing nothing fave the alloy. Holiness of character, faith in God's word, constitute the fhield of Fortitude, and render her altogether invulnerable.

It is eafy for a man to profess attachment to a good caufe, when that caufe meets with the general approbation. It is an easy thing to boast of virtue that has never been tried by temptation, and to exult in fortitude that has never had to bear the ftorm of oppofition; but true fortitude is found to confift in fupporting evils with refignation, and in enduring oppofition with refolution and dignity. "He that lofeth wealth," say the