Nor stopp'd, till in the sacred page he saw
Himself obnoxious to God's righteous law;
Though in attainments high, in soul abas’d,
His holy lore the flow of genius grac'd,
And touch'd with glowing energy divine,
He joy'd to see a Savior's glory shine,
Imbu'd with piety his noblest lays,
And taught the British muse a heav'nly phrase.

Prompt, yet profound; though varied, constant still,
On virtue's side his labor and his skill.
His wit and wisdom infidels confound,
Or combat Locke on metaphysic ground;
In verse sublime to Sinai's summit soar,
Amid the bick’ring flame, and thunder's roar:
But love, the grace supreme, still meek and kind,
A kindred inmate in his gentle mind,
Could change the lofty for more soothing strains,
To Christians ever dear while verse remains;
Or lower stoop, to teach in artless lays
E'en lisping infants their Redeemer's praise.
Benignly copious, so, refreshing show'rs
Invig’rate trees and shrubs, meads, herbs, and flow'rs,
Revive the drooping plants, the strong mature,
Cherish the tender bud, and future fruit ensure.

ON OBTAINING A PORTRAIT OF JOHN BUNYAN.

FAITHFUL resemblance of that man of God,
Who saw in dreams, what course the pilgrim trod,
Who could so well his various toils recount,
From his own birthplace to the heav'nly mount.
Before my eyes, within these walls reside,
And while I gaze, or mem'ry shall abide,
I'll think of him, who, by the holy word,
Was led from devious paths to seek the Lord.

Who, like th' apostles, call'd from mean employ,
Made sinners tremble, fill’d the saints with joy;
Became, so heav'n ordain'd, the pilgrim's guide,
Like his brave Great Heart, to the river's side;
Till call’d, at length, the gloomy stream,
He sees the city now without a dream.
Near to the Lamb, before the throne divine,
Among his shining ones, behold him shine!
While saints and angels join his heavenly lay,
Pilgrims still moving in the narrow way,
Charm’d by his vision, mark the path he drew,
And keep the heav'nly city full in view.
Both wit and judgment in his page unite,
With truth to instruct, and fancy to delight.
The lab’rer reads, nor thinks the lessons hard,
That please the scholar and the lofty bard.*
The child, who scarcely knows it from romance,

Loves to behold the pilgrim's tribe advance; * Cowper. The following are his beautiful lines on the Pilgrim,

While those, who bend beneath the weight of age,
Still, smiling, draw instruction from his page.

Lord, what am I, that thou should'st bid me lead,
In the same narrow way, the present seed
Of Bunyan's Christians? Teach me now to cry,
Amid destruction's sons, “The end is nigh!"
To warn them, with the ardor they require,
That soon their city must be burnt with fire.
Oh, give me grace to bring a goodly train,
To fly from wrath; eternal life io gain;
To follow those who follow'd Christ before,
And join them, when their pilgrimage is o’er.
Then, when my work is done, give me a scat
Somewhere beneath the holy dreamer's feet,
There to rejoice, as other pilgrims come,
Weary and wet, to rest themselves at home.

ON A HALF LENGTII PORTRAIT OF COWPER.

The hand that half of Cowper drew,

Most prudent may we call;
The artist, when he painted, knew

That none could paint the whole.

FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES.

ABU: HANIFAH, a most celebrated doctor among the orthodox mussulmen, having causelessly received a mali. cious and violent blow on the face,spoke thus to him who struck him; "I could return you injury for the injury you have done me; but I will not, I could also inform against you to the Khaliff; but I will poi be an informer. I could in my prayers and addresses to God, represent the outrage done me; but I will forbear that. In fine, I could, at the day of judgment, desire God to revenge it; but far be it from me; nay, should that terrible day arrive at this

very moment, and could my intercession then prevail, I would not desire to enter paradise without you!” How noble an instance of a calm, serene, and forgiving mind! How happy would it be for all Christians, and how honorable to the name of Jesus, were there more frequent exercises of this grace of forgiveness, like this wise and virtuous Mahometan; and more especially like Himn, who, upon the cross, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

A FICTITIOUS DREAM ABOUT FACTS; OR, OCCURREN.

CES OF EVERY DAY.

A SCENE which I beheld in my sleep, some time ago, has occupied my waking thoughts ever since As the cir. cumstances which then seemed to happen, certainly take place every day, the recital may both please and edify, and stamp a solemnity upon time, which was not obser ved be. fore. The remembrance of it has both moderated my joy and regulated my sorrow, upon various occasions.

lo my sleep, I supposed myself seated in a balloon,and carried up an immense height into the air, when all at once it became stationary. An angel then presented me with a telescope and an ear trumpet. “With the one," said he, you will be able to see every thing that happens today in one half of the world; the other will con. vey the words spoken by the persons you see.”

When I put my eye to the telescope, the scene which was presented was grand beyond conception; and the glass had this peculiar property, that it disclosed the transactions wbich passed within the houses, as well as without them. The variety which I beheld in the various coun. tries of the world, the numberless cities, towns, villages, palaces, &c. filled my mind with such confusion, that I could not for some time fix my attention upon any par. ticular spot, so as to observe what was going forward.

The first object to which I particularly directed my at. tention was, a prince sitting in his bed.chamber, who, for the first time, had felt the symptoms of a mortal disease. 66 There! There!” said he, “is a summons to leave all my pleasures, my riches, my honors! How quickly have my days passed away! Life appears only like a dream!” He sends for his physician, who feels his pulse. At first his countenance indicated alarm.

The prince, perceiving this, hastily asked his opinion. This he declined, but advised him to retire to bed; there I saw him laid, and there I left him, to turn my glass towards some other object.

In an adjoining house I perceived a large company assembled, to congratulate the family in consequence of a large fortune, which had been left them by an uncle, who had died a few days before. Their mirth was excessive. Wines and all the delicacies of the season were presented; when they drank to the memory of the deceased, without regretting his removal. None remarked the transitory na. ture of temporal things, nor warned the family not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who is the only permanent possession.

A ship at sea, in a furious storm, nest attracted my at. {ention; it was full of passengers.

These were in the ut. most perturbatior, every moment expecting a waterygrave! I beheld a husband clasping his beloved wife in his arms,

VOL. I. 24