expressed surprise at the fatigue he was able to endure in his profession, he said, "my morning hour of prayer and meditation, gives me spirit and vigour, for the toils or trials of the day."

The practice from which he derived such benefit, he urged others, especially the young, to adopt. "Nothing, said he, more conduces to health of body, or tranquillity of mind. Indeed, I know of nothing, which is able to support me, and my fellow-creatures, under the various distresses of life, but a well-grounded confidence in a Supreme Being, resting on the principles of Christianity."

Feeling that a religious physician has it in his power to do good to the soul as well as the body, he made the excellence of the Christian religion, a frequent theme of discourse, and on every proper occasion, asserted the divine origin of the Scriptures, and their efficacy in making men "wise unto salvation."

He constantly and feelingly affirmed, that a strict obedience to the doctrines, and a diligent imitation of the examples of our blessed Saviour, was the foundation of true happiness. He asserted, that submission to the will of God, without repining, or searching after hidden reasons, was the duty of a Christian.

His last illness, was lingering and painful. But his fortitude and patience, never forsook him. He intermitted neither the necessary care of life, nor the serious preparation for its close. The piety which he had cherished from early years, was a fountain of joy and hope, when about to take his departure from all earthly things.

A short time before his dissolution, he received a

visit from an excellent clergyman, and after joining with him in fervent prayer, spoke in a most interesting manner, of the nature of the soul. He remarked, that the infirmities of his body, had no power over the mind, that the strongest pains neither oppressed, nor vanquished it. Hence he drew an affecting proof of its immortality.

He asserted, that amid the keenest sufferings which had been appointed him, his soul had been always master of itself, always resigned to the pleasure of its Maker. Confirming in sickness, what he had asserted in health, he added, "he who loves God, ought to think nothing desirable, but what is most pleasing to the Supreme Goodness."

As death approached, his cheerful trust seemed to increase, and his spirit to rise still more, above the influence of pain. He died on the 25th of September, 1738, in the seventieth year of his age, honoured and lamented. His works were afterwards published in five large quarto volumes, and the city of Leyden erected a monument to his memory, bearing his own favourite, and characteristic motto, “Truth unarrayed."

EVENING THOUGHT.

Written while at school, at a distance from home.

WINTRY tempest, wild and loud,
Scattering snow-wreaths from the cloud,
Through my sleeted pane, I see

Many a drift uprear'd by thee,

Where the traveller's foot may fail,
As he breasts the northern gale.

Yet stay, thou rude and sweeping blast,
That o'er my native rocks hast past,
And tell me if my parents dear
Listen'd like me,-thy voice to hear.
Oh tell me if their eve was spent
In comfort, and in calm content,
If glow'd their eye with gladness mild,
Or spoke they of their absent child.
Thou wilt not for my question stay,
Thou dost not know, or canst not say.
But speed'st unpitying, on thy path,
In cold contempt, and headlong wrath,
Yet is the fate of those I love

Dear to the Power who rules above.

THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS.

"Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." Num. xxiii. 10.

I LOOK'D upon the righteous man,

And saw his parting breath,
Without a struggle or a sigh

Yield peacefully to Death,
There was no anguish on his brow,
No terror in his eye,

The Spoiler launch'd a fatal dart,

But lost the victory.

I look'd upon the righteous man,
And heard the holy prayer

Which rose above that breathless clay
To soothe the mourner's care,
And felt how precious was the gift,

He to his dear ones gave,
The stainless memory of the just,
The wealth beyond the grave.

I look'd upon the righteous man,
And all our earthly trust,
Its pleasure-vanity, and pride,
Seem'd lighter than the dust,
Compar'd with his eternal gain,
A home above the sky!-
O grant us, Lord, his life to live,
That we his death may die.

-

DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, was the youngest son of a family of seventeen children, and born in Boston, Massachusetts, January 17th, 1706. His parents desired to give him a good education, and at the age of eight years, placed him at school, where by his readiness to learn, he soon reached the head of his class, and bade fair to become a distinguished scholar.

But his father being obliged to labour for the support of a numerous family, found himself unable to

bear the expenses of continuing him at school, and took him at ten years of age, to assist in his own trade of a tallow-chandler. While he was industriously employed in the work of the shop, his mind was meditating upon the books he had perused, and devising how to get time to read others.

Among the very few volumes which his father possessed, was an old, worn copy of Cotton Mather's "Essays to do Good." This he read and pondered, until its contents were impressed upon his memory. It so strongly influenced his character, that, in later years, when he had become distinguished by deeds of philanthropy, he said the foundation was laid in his mind, by the perusal of that book.

All the little money that he was able to obtain, he laid by, for the purchase of books. The first that he was able to buy, were the works of John Bunyan. His strong taste for reading, determined his father to bind him apprentice to an elder brother, who was a printer. He was then eleven years old, and being active and diligent, made himself very useful in the business.

He was much happier in his new trade, because he had better opportunities to borrow useful books. These, he was careful to keep perfectly clean, and return in a short time, though he frequently had to borrow some hours from sleep, in order to read them. He soon began to write his thoughts, sometimes in poetry, and sometimes in prose.

His father praised him for the correctness of his spelling and punctuation, but told him his sentences were rough and unpolished, and recommended to him to study the writings of Addison. By a careful