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to enjoy. In this sublunary sphere there is a tranquil path, un- 

 trod by the disciples of Epicurus, and little known to the philo- 

 sophers of the Stoa, shaded by umbrageous trees, with lovely 

 blossoms and delicious fruits. A perennial fountain refreshes ihe 

 aspiring passion-flower, the blushing rose, and lowly lily; emblems 

 of faith, hope, and charily, which adorn the borders, and perfume 

 the atmosphere. The rose, it is true, is not always without a thorn; 

 and the lily of the valley is sometimes crushed: but the passi flora 

 alata soars aloft, clings to a firm support, and smiles in cerulean 

 ether. 



This is that walk on which the Christian pilgrim may safely 

 tread; that happy medium which Stoics and Epicureans missed 

 in ancient times, and Carthusians and libertines equally mis- 

 take in the present day; it is the path of piety and virtue, which 

 led to the summum bonum of Plato and Socrates, and conducts 

 the Christian to the throne of God and the Lamb ! There we 

 shall find stability and peace; in every deviation from it turbu- 

 lence, fluctuation, and vanity ! 



! how does the Christian character ennoble man! Like the 

 sun, he rises to warm and enlighten all that come within the in- 

 fluence of his rays; in imitation of his divine master, he goes 

 about doing good; he knows that the end of the law is love, and 

 while he contributes to the happiness of others, he secures it within 

 his own bosom. But conscious that clouds and vapours often in- 

 tercept the brightest beams, he endeavours to anticipate that bliss- 

 ful empyrean, where there shall be a morning without clouds, a 

 day without night, and the Sun of peace and felicity shall shine for 

 ever ! Such is the path which convinces us that the Christian has 



