humility; he executed every order with diligence and punctuality. He pretended not to be wiser than his directors; and he was a stranger to the odious malapertness, which is one of the distinguishing qualifications of contemptible modern valets. His long continuance in the family had contracted in his breast a tender affection, not only for his master and mistress, but also for their children and relations: and, at length, their interest was become so peculiarly his own, that he joyed in all their joys, and partook of all their

sorrows.

The fruits of his fidelity were the confidence and esteem of his master and mistress, the affection of the family, the reverence of his fellowservants, and a comfortable saving, on which he proposed to live, if he should have cause to quit the service; and which, dying in it, he had the pleasure to bequeath to a widow-sister and her children, whom it rescued from many difficulties and placed in a happy situation, above dependence and necessity.

Petrucio had a generous mind and was sensible of affectionate treatment. His master frequently

every day visited his chamber, and read and prayed by his bed-side: his mistress with her own hands administered his medicines, and took care to supply him with the most proper nourishment. His humility alone could equal his gratitude and thankfulness on such occasions; and when upon his expressing his great obligations, his mistress once said, that "this, and much more than this, was due for his faithful services," " "And that word, madam," said the honest fellow, with tears in his eyes, "that word is a reward sufficient for more than twenty times such services as mine."

(Dodd's Reflections on Death, p. 118.)

Thus died this useful, honest, worthy man : and to do all honour to him, his master buried him at his own expense, with all the decency and propriety conceivable. Six neighbouring farmers, tenants to his master, bore his pall: his master and mistress walked as chief mourners, the rest of the family attended in procession, and had mourning given them on the occasion; and so great was the esteem in which this faithful servant was held, that scarce a dry eye was seen at his funeral; and his death and funeral, I persuade

myself, have done more to reform the servants in that part of the world than twenty lectures to them could have achieved.

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THE JUDGMENT DAY.

(Dodd's Reflections on Death, p. 129.)

Alarming, important truth! What thinking creature can be indifferent to it? Picture the awful scene to your view: imagine yourself now called to the bar of inviolable justice! There, enthroned in glory unutterable, sits the Sovereign Judge, the gracious Redeemer! Thousand thousands standing before Him! See, the earth, once the seat of all your cares and fears, now wrapped in universal flame. Hark! the heavens are passing away with unsufferable noise: the sun is extinguished, the stars have started from their spheres, and all this system of created things is hastening into utter destruction! The trump, the awakening trump hath sounded, and all the dead, arising from their sepulchres, are summoned to appear before the impartial Judge!

THE WIDOW AND THE ORPHAN.

(Dodd's Reflections on Death, p. 33.)

As the Son of God was seen in the furnace

with the three Israelites, preserving them unhurt from the rage of the flames, so will He be present with peculiar protection, and shield with his fatherly providence the widow and her orphans. "Leave thy fatherless children," saith this kind God, "I will preserve them alive, and let thy widows trust in me He is the Father of the fatherless, and the husband of the widow 2" A reflection which surely must make every tender parent, every affectionate husband religious, and careful to obtain God's blessing, if they love their children, if they really have a regard for their wives; for that God hath shown all through his blessed word, how near and dear to Him are the interests of the orphan and the widow. He hath given peculiar laws, with much tenderness, respecting them; He hath urged as the greatest offence, the neglect and injury of them; He hath made it one of the characteristic parts of true and undefiled religion, "to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction 3."

1 Jer. xlix. 11.

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2 Psalm xlix. 5.

3 James i. 27.

ATHEISM.

(Lord Bacon's Essays. Atheism.)

The causes of Atheism are divisions in religion, if there be many; for any one main division addeth zeal to both sides, but many divisions introduce atheism. Another is, a custom of profane scoffing in holy matters, which doth by little and little deface the reverence of religion; and, lastly, learned times, especially with peace and prosperity; for troubles and adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.

They that, deny a God, destroy a man's nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body, and, if he be not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature. It destroys likewise magnanimity, and the raising human nature; for, take an example of a dog, and mark what a generosity and courage he will put on, when he finds himself maintained by a man, who is to him instead of God; which courage is manifestly such as that creature, without that confidence of a better nature than his own, could never attain. So man, when he resteth and assureth himself upon divine protection and favour, gathereth a force and faith, which human nature in itself could not obtain; therefore, as atheism is in

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