But chance is not ; or is not where thou reign'ft: *Thy providence forbids that fickle pow'r (If pow'r she be that works but to confound) To mix her wild vagaries with thy laws. Yet thus we doat, refusing while we can Instruction, and inventing to ourselves Gods such as guilt makes welcome, Gods that

sleep,
Or disregard our follies, or that sit
Amus'd spectators of this bustling stage.
Thee we reject, unable to abide
Thy purity, 'till pure as thou art pure,
Made such by thee, we love thee for that cause
For which we shunn'd and hated thee before.
Then we are free. Then liberty like day
Breaks on the foul, and by a flash from heav'n
Fires all the faculties with glorious joy.
A voice is heard that mortal ears hear not
"Till thou haft touch'd them; 'tis the voice of

song,
A loud Hosanna fent from all thy works,
Which he that hears it with a fhout repeats,
And adds his rapture to the gen'ral praise.
In that bleft moment, nature throwing wide
Her veil opaque, disclofes with a smile
The author of her beauties, who, retir'd
Behind his own creation, works unseen
By the impure, and hears his pow'r deny’d.

Thou

Thou art the source and centre of all minds,
Their only point of rest, eternal Word!
From thee departing, they are loft and rove
At random, without honour, hope, or peace.
From thee is all that sooths the life of man,
His high endeavour, and his glad success,
His strength to suffer and his will to serve.
But oh thou bounteous giver of all good,
Thou art of all thy gifts thyself the crown!
Give what thou can'ft, without thee we are poor ;
And with thee rich, take what thou wilt

away.

ARGUMENT of the Sixth Book.

Bells at a distance — Their effict.-A fine noon in

winter.—A sheltered walk.--Meditation better than books.-Our familiarity with the course of nature makes it appear less wonderful than it is.The transformation that spring effets in a forubbery described.--A mistake concerning the course of nature corrected.-God maintains it by an unremitted act.-The amusements fashionable at this hour of the dry reproved.--Animais happy, a delightful fight.--Origin of cruelty to animals. That it is a great crime proved from scripture.—That proof illustrated by a tale.--A line drawn between the lawful and unlawful destruction of them. Their good and useful properties insisted on.-Apologies for the encomiums bestowed by the author on animals.- Instances of man's extravagant praise of

The groans of the creation Mall have an end. A view taken of the restoration of all things.-An invocation and an invitation of him who shall bring it to pass. The retired man vindicated from the charge of uselessness.-Conclufion.

man.