that are to come, rise too high; and your disappointments will be fewer, and more easily supported. To live long ought not to be our favorite wish, so much as to live well. By continuing too long on earth, we might only live to witness a greater number of melancholy scenes, and to expose ourselves to a wider compass of human wo. How many pass away some of the most valuable years of their lives, tossed in a whirlpool of what cannot be called pleasure, so much as mere giddiness and folly. Look around you with an attentive eye, and weigh characters well, before you connect yourselves too closely with any, who court your society. The true honor of man consists not in the multitude of riches, or the elevation of rank; for experience shows, that these may be possessed by the worthless, as well as by the deserving. Beauty of form has often betrayed its possessor. The flower is easily blasted. It is short lived at the best; and trifling at any rate, in comparison with the higher and more lasting beauties of the mind. A contented temper opens a clear sky, and brightens every object around us. It is in the sullen and dark shade of discontent, that noxious passions, like venomous animals, breed, and prey upon the heart. Thousands whom indolence has sunk into contemptible obscurity, might have come forward to usefulness and honor, if idleness had not frustrated the effect of all their powers. Sloth is like the slowly flowing, putrid stream, which stagnates in the marsh, breeds venomous animals, and poisonous plants; and infects with pestilential vapours, the whole country around it. Disappointments derange and overcome vulgar minds. The patient and the wise, by a proper improvement frequently make them contribute to their high advantage. Whatever fortune may rob us of, it cannot take away what is most valuable, the peace of a good conscience and the cheering prospect of a happy conclusion to all the trials of life in a better world. Be not overcome by the injuries you meet with, so as to pursue revenge; by the disasters of life, so as to sink into despair; by the evil examples of the world, so as to follow them into sin. Overcome injuries by forgiveness; disasters by fortitude; evil examples by firmness of principle. Sobriety of mind is one of those virtues, which the present condition of human life strongly inculcates. The uncertainty of its enjoyments checks presumption; the multiplicity of its dangers demands perpetual caution. Moderation, vigilance, and self-government are duties incumbent on all; but especially on such as are beginning the journey of life. The charms and comforts of virtue are inexpressible; and can only be justly conceived by those who possess her. The consciousness of Divine approbation and support, and the steady hope of future happiness communicate a peace and joy, to which all the delights of the world bear no resemblance. If we knew how much the pleasures of this life deceive and betray their unhappy votaries and reflected on the disappointments in pursuit, the dissatisfaction in enjoyment, or the uncertainty of possession, which every where attend them; we should cease to be enamoured with these brittle and transient joys;-and should wisely fix our hearts on those virtuous attainments, which the world can neither give or take away. What nothing earthly gives, or can destroy,, Whose trees in summer, yield him shade, The soul's calm sunshine, and the heartfelt In winter, fire. Bless'd, who can unconcern'dly find Sound sleep by night; study and ease Thus let me live, unseen, unknown, VITAL spark of heavenly flame ! Quit, O quit this mortal frame! Trembling, hoping, lingering, flying; Oh the pain, the bliss of dying; Cease, fond nature; cease thy strife, And let me languish into life. Hark! they whisper; angels say, The world recedes; it disappears! Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly! I AM monarch of all I survey, My right there is none to dispute; From the centre all round to the sea, I am lord of the fowl and the brute. O solitude! where are the charms That sages have seen in thy face? Better dwell in amidst of alarms, Than reign in this horrible place. I am out of humanity's reach, Society, friendship, and love Divinely bestowed upon man, O, had I the wings of a dove, How soon would I taste you again! My sorrows I then might assuage In the ways of religion and truth, Might learn from the wisdom of age, And be cheered by the sallies of youth LECTURES ON SYNTAX. LECTURE I. INTRODUCTORY. SYNTAX is derived from Syntaxis, which signifies the construction or connexion of the words of a language into sentences or phrases. It is the office of this part of grammar to consider the natural suitableness of words with respect to one another, in order to make them agree in gender, number, person, mood, &c.) The several parts of speech are, with regard to language, what materials are with regard to building. How well prepared soever they may be, they will never make a house, unless they be placed together conformably to the rules of architecture. It is properly the syntax that gives the form to language; and it is that, on which turns the most essential part of grammar. Now, Orthography teaches us how to spell words; Etymology teaches us their inflections or how to decline, compare, and conjugate them; and Syntax teaches us how to put them together, or to form them into sentences, in a proper manner. Thus, the first part of grammar treats principally of letters; the second of words; and the third of sentences. It may, therefore, be proper here to explain the nature of sentences more fully, than we have hitherto done. Sentences are denominated simple, which contain but one finite verb and compound, which contain more finite verbs than one. It is not, there fore, the number of words in a sentence that makes it compound; but the circumstance of its having more than one finite verb, i. e. a verb agreeing with a nominative case. The following sentence, Grass grows in great abundance in all the Northern States, particularly in New England,) contains but one finite verb, viz. grows, agreeing with grass; and is therefore a simple sentence. But the following, though short, are compound sentences; Grass grows and water runs ;' Men who are prudent, speak little.' Each of these sentences contains two simple sentences, joined together by a connective word; the first, grass grows, water runs, connected by the copulative conjunction, and; the second, men speak little, who are prudent, connected by the relative pronoun who. The members of a compound sentence must be connected by a conjunction, or a relative pronoun; if they are connected by a preposition, the sentence remains simple. As sentences themselves are divided into simple and compound, so the members of sentences may be divided likewise into simple and compound members; for whole sentences, whether simple or compounded, may become members of other sentences, by means of some additional connexion; as, 'The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people do not consider.' This sentence consists of two compounded members, each of which is subdivided into two simple members, which are properly called clauses. There are three sorts of simple sentences; the explicative, or explaining; the interrogative, or asking; the imperative, or commanding. An explicative sentence is when a thing is said to be or not to be, to do or not to do, to suffer or not to suffer, in a direct manner; as, 'I am; thou writest; Thomas is loved.' If the sentence be negative, the adverb not is placed after the auxiliary, or after the verb itself when it has no auxiliary; as, 'I did not touch him;' or, 'I touched him not.' In an interrogative sentence, or when a question is asked, the nominative case follows the principal verb or the auxiliary; as, ' Was it he? Did Alexander conquer the Persians?' In an imperative sentence, when a thing is commanded to be, to do, to suffer, or not, the nominative case likewise follows the verb or the auxiliary; as, 'Go, thou traitor! Do thou go; Haste ye away;' unless the verb let be used; as, 'Let us be gone.' 6 To produce the agreement and right disposition of words in a sentence, the following rules and observations should be carefully studied. These rules are numbered according to the General View; but arranged here according to the order of the parts of speech to which they relate. LECTURE II.-OF THE ARTICLES. RULE 1.-Articles must agree with the nouns, which they limit or define; as, A man ; a sweet apple; the house; the principal rivers." Remarks. 6 The article a or an, agrees with nouns in the singular numberjonly, individually or collectively) as, A christian, an infidel, a score, a thousand.' The definite article the, may agree with nouns (in the singular and plural number; as, the garden, the houses, the stars. The articles are often properly omitted; when used, they should be justly applied, according to their distinct nature; as, 'Gold is corrupting; the sea is green; a lion is bold.' 1.7 As the articles are often misapplied, it may be useful to exhibit a few instances of misapplication; And I persecuted this way unto the death. The apostle does not mean any particular sort of death, but death in general; the definite article, therefore, is improperly used; it ought to be, ' unto death,' without any article. 6 'When he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth;’ that is, according to this translation, into all truth whatsoever, into truth of all kinds;' very different from the meaning of the evangelist, and from the original, 'into all the truth; that is, into all evangelical truth, all truth necessary for you to know.' 'Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?' it ought to be, the wheel,' used as an instrument for the particular purpose of torturing criminals. The Almighty hath given reason to a man to be a light unto him ;' it should rather be to man' in general. 'This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham; it ought to be a son of Abraham,'- These remarks may serve to show the great importance of the proper use of the article, and the excellence of the English language in this respect; which by means of its two articles, does most precisely determine the extent of the signification of common nouns. Exercises in False Syntax. — The fire, the air, the earth, and the water, are four elements of the philosophers. Reason was given to a man to control his passions. We have within us an intelligent principle, distinct from body and from matter. A man is the noblest work of creation. Wisest and best men sometimes commit errors. Beware of drunkenness; it impairs understanding; wastes an estate; destroys a reputa tion; consumes the body; and renders the man of the brightest parts the common jest of the meanest clown. He is a much better writer than a reader. The king has conferred on him the title of a duke. There are some evils of life which equally affect prince and people. Such qualities honor the nature of a man. Purity has its seat in the heart; but extends its influence over so much of outward conduct, as to form the great and material part of a character. The profligate man is seldom or never found to be the good husband, the good father, or the beneficent neighbor. True charity is not |