124 The facts related in the Evangelists may be depended on Archbishop Synge 211 125 Superiority of the Gospel to all other writings, an argument of its truth Seed. 212 126 Various reasonings in favour of Chris- 127 Difficulties in the Word of God to be expected, with the duty of examin- 128 The information the Gospel gives 129 Christ and Mahomet compared 130 The state of idolatry, and the conduct of Socrates, and other wise men, re- 81 Gentleness best promoted by Religious 82 Gentleness to be assumed, as the Orna- ment of every Age and Station; but to be distinguished from polished or af- 63 Enthusiasm less pernicious to the Mind, than Coldness and Indifference in Re- 84 Of the Difference between the Extreme of Negligence and Rigour in Religion Ibid. 86 86 Religion the Foundation of Content: an 87 Bad company-meaning of the phrase— different classes of bad company-ill chosen company-what is meant by keeping bad company-the danger of it, from our aptness to imitate and catch the manners of others-from the 133 Our philosophical principles must be learnt from the book of Nature, our religious from the book of Grace Halifax. 224 88 Ridicule one of the chief arts of corrup- tion-bad company injures our charac- ters as well as manners-presumption the forerunner of ruin-the advantages of good company equal to the disad- vantages of bad-cautions in forming 136 The value of the Scriptures superior to all other books Sir William Jones. 235 137 Mosaic account of the Origin of Man- kind, and of the Deluge confirmed All the religious Knowledge in the Dean Bolton. 108 144 To the Sceptics and Infidels of the Ibid. 111 145 Instances of the Eloquence of the over the Stoical Ibid. 145 Ibid. 160 153 Ibid. 167 Beautiful Instances of Friendship in 154 Fine Morality of the Gospel Whiston. 181 156 The Christian Religion furnishes the 33 Of the Rise of Satire: Of Lucilius, 34 Of the flourishing State of Poetry mans ELEGANT EXTRACTS IN PROSE. BOOK THE FIRST. MORAL AND RELIGIOUS. 1. The Vision of Mirza, exhibit-and altogether different from any ing a Picture of Human Life. thing I had ever heard: they put me in mind of those heavenly airs that On the fifth day of the moon, which, are played to the departed souls of according to the custom of my fore- good men upon their first arrival in fathers, I always keep holy, after Paradise, to wear out the impressions having washed myself, and offered of the last agonies, and qualify them up my morning devotions, I ascend- for the pleasures of that happy place. ed the high hills of Bagdat, in order My heart melted away in secret rapto pass the rest of the day in medita- tures. tion and prayer. As I was here airing I had been often told, that the rock myself on the tops of the mountains, before me was the haunt of a genius; I fell into a profound contemplation and that several had been entertained on the vanity of human life; and with that music, who had passed by passing from one thought to another, it, but never heard that the musician Surely, said I, man is but a shadow, had before made himself visible. and life a dream. Whilst I was thus When he had raised my thoughts, musing, I cast my eyes towards the by those transporting airs which he summit of a rock that was not far played, to taste the pleasures of his from me, where I discovered one in conversation, as I looked upon him the habit of a shepherd, with a little like one astonished, he beckoned to musical instrument in his hand. As me, and, by the waving of his hand, I looked upon him, he applied it to directed me to approach the place his lips, and began to play upon it. where he sat. I drew near with that The sound of it was exceeding sweet, reverence which is due to a superior and wrought into a variety of tunes nature; and as my heart was entirely that were inexpressibly melodious, subdued by the captivating strains I No. 1. VOL. I. B |