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POETRY.

'Tis here the folly of the wise,-
Through all his art we view;
And while his tongue the charge denies,
His conscience owns it true.

Bound on a voyage of awful length,
And dangers little known,
A stranger to superior strength,
Man vainly trusts his own.

But ours alone can ne'er prevail,

To reach the distant coast;

The breath of Heaven must swell the sail,
Or all the toil is lost.

THE DYING CHRISTIAN.

YE objects of sense and enjoyments of time,
Which oft have delighted my heart,

I soon shall exchange you for scenes more sublime,
And joys that shall never depart.

Thou Lord of the day, and Queen of the night,
To me ye no longer are known;

I soon shall behold with increasing delight,
A Sun that shall never go down.

Ye wonderful orbs that astonish mine eyes,
Your glories recede from my sight:

I soon shall contemplate more beautiful skies,
And stars more transcendently bright.

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Ye mountains and valleys, groves, rivers, and plains ; Thou earth, and thou ocean, adieu!

More permanent mansions, where righteousness reigns,
Present their bright hills to my view.

My lov'd habitation, and garden, adieu !
No longer my footsteps ye greet;

A mansion celestial stands full in my view,
And paradise welcomes my feet.

My weeping relations, and brethren, and friends,
Whose souls are entwin'd with my own,

Adieu for the present; my spirit ascends
Where friendship immortal is known.

My cares and my labours, my sickness, my pain,
And sorrows, are now at an end;

The summit of bliss I shall speedily gain,

The height of perfection ascend.

The sight of transgressors shall grieve me no more, 'Midst foes I no longer abide;

My conflict with sin and with sinners are o'er,
With saints I shall ever reside.

The vale of affliction my footsteps here trod,
With trembling, with grief, and with tears,
I joyfully quit for the mountain of GoD;
There! there its bright summit appears!

No lurking temptations, defilement, or fear,
Again shall disquiet my breast;

In JEsU's full image I soon shall appear,
For ever ineffably blest.

My Sabbaths below, ye have been my delight,

And thou, the blest Volume divine;

Ye have guided my footsteps, like stars during night,
Adieu! my conductors benign!

The Sun that illumines the region of light
Now shines on mine eyes from above;

But O how transcendently glorious the sight!
My soul is all wonder and love.

Thou tottering seat of disease and of pain,
Adieu! my dissolving abode;

But I shall behold and possess thee again,

A beautiful " building of God."

Come, Death! when thy cold hands my eye-lids shall

close,

And lay my pale corpse in the tomb;

My soul shall enjoy an eternal repose,

Above in my heavenly home.

But O! what a life, what a rest, what a joy,
Shall I know when I've mounted above;

Praise, praise shall my triumphing powers employ!
My God, I shall burn with thy love!

Come, come, my REDEEMER! this moment release
The soul thou hast bought with thy blood,
And bid me ascend the pure regions of peace,
To feast in the smiles of my GOD!

Printed by T. Cordeux, 14, City-Road, Loudon,

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REPRESENTATION OF A MERMAID,

Caught on the North Coast of China, and lately arrived in London.

THE

YOUTH'S INSTRUCTER

AND

GUARDIAN.

No. 71.] NOVEMBER, 1822. [VOL. VI.

ACCOUNT OF A MERMAID,

Said to be caught on the North Coast of China, and now arrived in London.

(WITH A WOOD-CUT.)

THE following curious account of a Mermaid has been lately given to the public in an extract of a letter from the REV. DR. PHILIP, Representative of the London Missionary Society, at Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, dated April 28, 1822:

"I have to-day seen a Mermaid, now exhibiting in this town. I have always treated the existence of this creature as fabulous ; but my scepticism is at length removed. As it is probable no description of this extraordinary creature has yet reached England, the following particulars respecting it may gratify your curiosity and amuse you.-The head is almost the size of that of a baboon. It is thinly covered with black hair, hanging down, and not inclined to frizzle. On the upper lip and on the chin there are a few hairs, resembling those upon the head. The cheek-bones are prominent. The forehead is low; but except in this particular, the features are much better proportioned, and bear a more decided resemblance to the human countenance, than those of any of the baboon tribes. The head is turned back, and the countenance has an expression of terror, which gives it an appearance of a caricature of the human face; but I am disposed to think that both these circumstances are accidental, and have arisen VOL. VI.

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