dazzle; and conceals with care that fuperiority, either of talents, or of rank, which is oppreffive to those who are beneath it. In a word it is that spirit and that tenure of › manners, which the gospel of Christ enjoins, when it commands us "to bear one another's burdens; to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with thofe who weep; to please every one his neighbour for his good; to be kind" and tender hearted; to be pitiful and courteous; to fup¡port the weak, and to be patient towards all men." BLAIR. CHAP. VI. PATHETIC PIECES. SECTION I. TRIAL AND EXECUTION OF THE EARL OF STRAFFORD, WHO FALL A SACRIFICE TO THE VIOLENCE OF THE TIMES, IN THE REIGN THE Earl of Strafford defended himself against the accufations of the houfe of Commons, with all the prefence of mind, judgment, and fagacity, that could be expected from innocence and ability. His children were placed befide him, as he was thus defending his life, and the cause of his royal master. After he had, in a long and eloquent speech, delivered without premeditation, confuted all the accufations of his enemies, he thus drew to a conclufion. "But, my Lords, I have troubled you too long: longer than I should have done, but for the fake of these dear pledges, which a faint in heaven has left me." Upon this he paused; dropped a tear; looked upon his children; and proceeded." What I forfeit for myself is a trifle : that my indifcretions fhould reach my posterity, wounds me to the heart. Pardon my infirmity. Something I fhould have added, but I am not able; and therefore I let it pass. And now, my Lords, for myfelf. I have long: been taught, that the afflictions of this life are overpaid by that eternal weight of glory, which awaits the innocent. And fo, my Lords, even fo, with the utmost tranquillity, I fubmit myself to your judgment, whether that judgment be life or death not my will, but thine, O God, be done!" His eloquence and innocence induced thofe judges to pity, who were the most zealous to condemn him. The king himself went to the house of Lords, and spoke for some time in his defence; but the fpirit of vengeance, which had been chained for eleven years, was now roufed; and nothing but his blood could give the people fatisfaction. He was condemned by both houfes of parliament; and nothing remained but for the king to give his confent to the bill of attainder. But in the prefent commotions, the confent of the king would very eafily be difpenfed with ; and imminent d danger might attend his refufal. Charles, however, who loved Strafford. tenderly, hesitated, and feemed reluctant; trying every expedient to put off fo dreadful an office, as that of figning the warrant for his execution. While he continued in this agitation of mind, and state of fufpenfe, his doubts were at lift filenced by an act of great magnanimity in the condemned lord. He received a letter from that unfortunate nobleman, defiring that his life might be made a facrifice to obtain reconciliation between the king and his people : "adding, that he was prepared to die; and that to a willing mind there could be no injury. This inftance of noble generosity was but ill repaid by his mafter, who complied with his request. He confented to fign the fatal bill by commiffion; and Strafford was beheaded on Tower-hill; behaving with all that compofed dignity of refolution, which was expected from his character. SECTION II. GOLDSMITH ÀN EMINENT INSTANCE OF TRUE FORTITUDE OF MIND. ALL who have been diftinguished as fervants of God, or benefactors of men; all who, in perilous fituations, have acted their part with fuch honour as to render their names illuftrious through fucceeding ages, have been eminent for fortitude of mind. Of this we have one confpicuous example in the apostle Paul, whom it will be inftructive for us to view in a remarkable occurrence of his life. After having long acted as the apoftle of the Gentiles, his miffion called him to go to Jerufalem, where he knew that he was to encounter the utmost violence of his enemies. Jutt before he fet fail, he called together the elders of his favourite church at Ephefus; and, in a pathetic speech, which does great honour to his character, gave them his last farewell. Deeply affected by their knowledge of the certain dangers to which he was expofing himself, all the affembly were filled with distress, and melted into tears. The circumstances were fuch, as might have conveyed dejection even into a refolute mind; and would have totally overwhelmed the feeble. They all wept fore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kifled him; forrowing moft of all for the words which he spoke, that they fhould fee his face no more." What were then the fentiments, what was the language, of this great and good man? Hear the words which spoke his firm and undaunted mind. "Behold, I go bound in the fpirit, to Jerufalem, not knowing the things that fhall befall me there; fave that the Holy Spirit witneffeth in every city, faying, that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me; neither count I my life dear to myfelf, fo that I might finith my courfe with joy, and the miniftry which I have received of the Lord Jefus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." There was uttered the voice, there breathed the spirit, of a brave and a virtuous man. Such a man knows not what it is to fhrink from danger, when confcience points out his path. In that path he is determined to walk; let the confequences be what they may. This was the magnanimous behaviour of that great apostle, when he had perfecution and diftrefs full in view. Attend now to the fentiments of the fame excellent man, when the time of his laft fuffering approached; and remark the majesty, and the eafe, with which he looked on death. "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight. I have finished my courfe. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefs." How many years of life does fuch a dying moment overbalance? Who would not choofe, 'in this manner, to go off the itage, with fuch a fong of triumph in his mouth, rather than prolong his existence through a wretched old age, ftained with fin and thame ? SECTION III. THE GOOD MAN'S COMFORT IN AFFLICTION. BLAIR. THE religion of Christ not only arms us with fortitude against the approach of evil; but, fuppofing evils to l K upon us with their heaviest preffure, it lightens the load by many confolations to which others are Itrangers. While bad men trace, in the calamities with which they are vifited, the hand of an offended Sovereign, Christians are taught to view them as the well intended chaftisements of a merciful Father. They hear amidft them, that fill voice which a good confcience brings to their ear: "Fear not, for I am with thee; be not difinayed, for I am thy God." They apply to themselves the comfortable promifes with which the gofpel abounds. They discover in thefe the happy iffue decreed to their troubles; and wait with patience till Providence fhall have accomplished its great and good defigns. In the mean time, Devotion opens to them its bleffed and holy fanctuary: that fanctuary in which the wounded heart is healed, and the weary mind is at reft; where the cares of the world are forgotten, where its tumults are hufhed, and its miferies difappear; where greater objects open to our view than any which the world prefents; where a more ferene fky fhines, and a fweeter and a calmer light beams on the afflicted heart. In thofe moments of devotion, a pious man, pouring out his wants and forrows to an almighty Supporter, feels that he is not left folitary and forfaken in a vale of wo. God is with him; Chrilt and the Holy Spirit are with him; and, though he should be bereaved of every friend on earth, he can look up in heaven to a friend that will never desert him. SECTION IV. THE CLOSE OF LIFE. BLAIR. WHEN We contemplate the clofe of life; the termination of man's defigns and hopes; the filence that now reigns among those who a little while ago, were fo bufy, or fo gay; who can avoid being touched with fenfations at once. awful and tender? What heart but then warms with the glow of humanity? In whofe eye does not the tear gather, on revolving the fate of paffing and shortlived man? Behold the poor man who lays down at laft the burden of his wearifome life. No more fhall he groan under the load of poverty and toil. No more fhall he hear the infolent calls of the mafter, from whom he received his fcanty wages. No more fhall he be raised from needful flumber on his bed of straw, nor be hurried away from his homely meal, to undergo the repeated labours of the day. While his humble grave is preparing, and a few poor and decayed neighbours are carrying him thither, it is good for us to think, that this man too was our brother; that for him the aged and deftitute wife, and the needy children, now weep; that, neglected as he was by the world, he poffeffed perhaps both a found understanding, and a worthy heart; and is now carried by angels to rest in Abraham's bosom. At no great distance from him, the grave is opened to receive the rich and proud man. For, as it is faid with emphafis in the parable," the rich man alfo died, and was buried." He also died. His riches prevented not his fharing the fame fate with the poor man; perhaps, through luxury, they accelerated his doom.then, indeed," "the mourners go about the streets ;" and while, in all the pomp and magnificence of wo, his funeral is preparing, his heirs, impatient to examine his will, are looking on one another with jealous eyes, and already beginning to difpute about the divifion of his fubftance. One day, we fee carried along the coffin of the fmiling infant; the flower juft nipped as it began to bloffom in the parent's view: and the next day, we behold the young man, or young woman, of blooming form and promifing hopes, laid in an untimely grave. While the funeral is attended by a numerous unconcerned company, who are difcourfing to one another about the news of the day, or the ordinary affairs of life, let our thoughts rather follow to the houfe of mourning, and represent to themselves what is paffing there. There we fhould fee a difconfolate family, fitting in filent grief, thinking of the fad breach that is made in their little fociety; and, with tears in their eyes, looking to the chamber that is now left vacant, and to every memorial that prefents itself of their departed friend. By fuch attention to the woes of others, the felfifh hardness of our hearts will be gradually foftened, and melted down into humanity. Another day, we follow to the grave, one who, in old age, and after a long career of life, has in full maturity funk at laft into reft. As we are going along to the manfion of the dead, it is natural for us to think, and to difcourfe, of all the changes which fuch a perfon has feen during the courfe of his life. He has paffed, it is likely, |