Mind your own Bufinefs.

TERENCE.

AVE you fo much leifure from your own business, that you can take care of other people's that does not at all belong to you?

Miracles.

S it not extravagant to expect a miracle? Not at all. I believe we are affifted with many more

miracles than we are aware of. A man in a ftorm, prays that he may escape being wrecked. I defire to know whether he thinks it poffible for him to be the better for his devotions? If he does not, he is an impertinent atheift for ufing them: if he does, he muft believe that Providence will interpofe and difarm nature, or divert her violence. Now, to check fecond causes in their career, to change their motion, or to lay them afleep before they are spent, is no lefs a miracle than to act without them. JEREMY COLLIER.

2. THE evidence of our Saviour's miffion from Heaven is fo great, in the multitude of miracles he did, before all forts of people, (which the Divine Providence and Wisdom has fo ordered, that they never were, nor could be denied by any of the enemies and oppofers of Chriftianity) that what he delivered cannot but be received as the Oracles of God.-LOCKE.

3. THE miracles of our Lord are peculiarly eminent above the lying wonders of demons, in that they were not made out of vain oftentation of power, and to raise unprofitable amazement; but for the real benefit and advantage of men, by feeding the hungry, healing all forts of diseases, ejecting of devils and reviving the dead.-DR. BENT

LEY.

Moderation.

SET our life be moderate, our defires reasonable, our hopes little, our ends none in eminency and prelation above others. For as

the rays of light paffing through the thin air, end in a small and undifcernable pyramis; but reflected upon a wall are doubled and increase the warmth to a scorching and troublesome heat; fo the defires of man, if they pass through an even and an indifferent life towards the iffues of an ordinary and neceffary course, they are little and within command; but if they pass upon an end or aim of difficulty or ambition, they duplicate and grow to a difturbance; and we have seen the even and temperate lives of indifferent perfons continue in many degrees of innocence; but the temptations of bufy defigns is too great even for the beft of difpofitions. -JEREMY TAYLOR.

Monkish Hatred of Literature.

HE Emperor Manuel Comnenus endowed a monaftery founded by himself, with no eftates, fields or vineyards, but instead thereof affigned it a fixed income from the Imperial Treasury; and committed to the fecular

magistrates the management of all the other monaftic revenues, that the monks might not be feduced to busy themselves with things foreign to their profeffion. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Too many of ye, have turned monks for a livelihood and are totally ignorant of that Divine Wisdom, by which man is brought into connection with God; and poffefs a thorough hatred of literature. * If a man of literary attainments come to them to retire as into a haven from the ftorms of the world, they all look fhy upon him; fuch a fort of perfon, they fay, is of no use to them, they want no grammarian. They throw open their doors to ignorance and welcome it as a fit companion to their fanctity, yet they banish far away the scribes of the Kingdom of Heaven. NICENAS CHANIATES.

* μισολόγον τὸ τοιοῦτον φύλον. Lib. vii. p. 270.

Moral Effects of Seafons of Mourning upon Nations.

T is a fad calamity to fee a kingdom spoiled and a church afflicted; the priests flain with the fword,

and the blood of nobles mixed

with cheaper fand; religion made a cause of trouble, and the best men moft cruelly perfecuted; government turned and laws afhamed; judges decreeing in fear and covetoufness, and the minifters of Holy Things setting themselves against all that is facred. And what fhall make recompenfe for this heap of forrows when God shall send fuch fwords of fire? Even the mercies of God, which fhall then be made public, when the people fhall have fuffered for their fins. For fo I have known a luxuriant vine, fwell into irregular twigs and bold excrefcences, and spend itself in leaves and little rings, and afford but few clusters to the wine-prefs; but when the Lord of the Vineyard had caufed the dreffers to cut the wilder plant and make it bleed, it grew temperate in its vain expense