with fo much Splendor; furely, He will in no-wife with-hold, from his elect Children, "Bread to eat, and Raiment to put on."-Ye faithful Followers of the Lamb, difmifs every low Anxiety, relating to the needful Sustenance of Life. He that feeds the Ravens, from an inexhauftible Magazine; He that paints the Plants, with fuch furpaffing Elegance; in fhort, He that provides fo liberally, both for the animal and vegetable Parts of His Creation; will not, cannot, neglect His own People. Fear not, little Flock, ye peculiar Objects of Almighty Love! it is your Father's good Pleafure, to give you a Kingdom*. And, If He freely gives you, an everlasling Kingdom hereafter; is it poffible to fuppofe, that he will deny you any neceffary Conveniencies here? ONE cannot forbear reflecting, in this Place, on the too prevailing Humour, of being fond and oftentatious of Drefst. What an abject and * Luke xii. 32. + Mr. Addifon has a fine Remark on a female Warrior, celebrated by Virgil. He obferves, that with all her other great Qualities, this little Foible mingled itfelf. Because, as the Poet relates, an intemperate Fondness for a rich and fplendid Suit of Armour, betrayed her into Ruin. In this Circumftance, our Critic difcovers a Moral concealed; this He admires, as a neat, though oblique Satire, on that trifling Paffion. Spect. Vol. I. No. 15. I would and mistaken Ambition is this! How unworthy the Dignity of immortal, and the Wisdom of rational Beings! Efpecially, fince thefe little Produc I would refer it to the judicious Reader, whether there is not a Beauty of the fame Kind, but touched with a more mafterly Hand, in the Song of Deborah.-Speaking of Sifera's Mother, the facred euchariftic Ode reprefents Her, as anticipating, in her fond Fancy, the Victory of her Son; and indulging the following Soliloquy-Have they not fped? Have they not divided the Prey? To Sifera a Prey of divers Colours; a Prey of divers Colours of Needle-work; of divers Colours of Needle-work on both Sides; meet for the Necks of them that take the Spoil?—She takes no Notice of the fignal Service, which her Hero would do to his Country, by quelling fo dangerous an Infurrection. She never reflects on the present Acclamations, the future Advancement, and the eternal Renown, which are the Tribute ufually paid to a Conqueror's Merit. She can conceive, it feems, nothing greater, than to be clad in an embroidered Vefture; and to trail along the Ground, a Robe of the richest Dyes. This is, in her Imagination, the most lordly Spoil, He can win; the moft ftately Trophy, He can erect.It is alfo obfervable, how She dwells upon the trivial Circumftance; reiterating it again and again. It has fo charmed her ignoble Heart; fo intirely engroffed her little Views: that She can think of nothing elfe; fpeak of nothing elfe; and can hardly ever defift from the darling Topic. Is not this a keen, tho' delicately couchedCenfure, on that poor, contemptible, groveling Tafte; which is enamoured with filken Finery, and makes the Attributes of a Butterfly the Idol of its Affections? How confpicuous, is the elevated and magnificent Spirit of that venerable Mother in Ifrael; when viewed Productions of the Earth, have indifputably the Pre-eminence, in fuch outward Embellifhments.-Go; cloathe thyself with Purple, and fine Linen; trick thyfelf up in all the gay Attire, which the Shuttle or the Needle can furnish. Yet know, to the Mortification of thy Vanity, that the native Elegance of a common Daify, eclipfes all this elaborate Finery. Nay, wert thou decked like fome illuftrious Princess, on her Coronation-day, in all the Splendor of royal Apparel; couldst thou equal even Solomon, in the Height of his Magnificence and Glory; yet, would the meaneft among the flowery Populace outfhine thee. Every discerning Eye, would give the Preference, to thefe Beauties of the + Ground.-Scorn then to borrow thy Recommendations, from a neat Difpofition of Threads, and a curious in Comparison with the low, the defpicable Turn of this Canaanitish Lady!-Such ftrong and beautiful Contrafts are, I think, fome of the most striking Excellencies of poetic Painting: and in no Book are they more frequently used, or expreffed with greater Life, than in the Sacred Volumes of Infpiration. * Peaceful and lowly in their native Soil, They neither know to fpin, nor care to toil; PRIOR. + Mr. Cowley, with his ufual Brilliancy of Imagination, ftiles them Stars of Earth. curious Arrangement of Colours. Affume a becoming Greatnefs of Temper. Let thy Endowments be of the immortal Kind. Study to be all-glorious within. Be cloathed with Humility. Wear the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit. To fay all in a Word; Put on the LORD JESUS CHRIST: Let His Blood be fprinkled upon thy Confcience, and it shall be whiter than the virgin Snows. Let His Righteoufnefs, like a fpotless Robe, adorn thy inner Man; and thou fhalt be amiable, even in the most distinguishing Eye of GOD. Let his bleffed Spirit dwell in thy Heart; and, under His fanctifying Operations, thou fhalt be made Partaker of a Divine Nature. THESE are real Excellencies; truly noble Accomplishments these. In this manner be arrayed, be beautified; and thou wilt not find a Rival, in the Feathers of a Peacock, or the Foliation of a Tulip. These will exalt thee, far above the low Pretenfions of Lace and Embroidery. These will prepare thee to ftand in the beatific *How beautifully does the Prophet defcribe the Furnilure of a renewed and heavenly Mind; under the Similitude of a rich and complete Suit of Apparel! I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my Soul fhall be joyful in my Gon; for he hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation: He hath covered me with the Robe of Righteoufnefs, as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments, and as a Bride adorneth herfelf with her Jewels. Ifa. Ixi. 10. + Rom. xiii. 14. beatific Prefence, and to take thy Seat among the Angels of Light. WHAT an inchanting Situation is this! One can scarce be melancholy within the Atmosphere of Flowers. Such lively Hues, and delicious Odours, not only address themfelves agreeably to the Senses; but touch, with a furprising Delicacy, the sweetest Movements of the Mind. --To the Heart infpiring Vernal* Delight and Joy. MILT. B. IV. How often have I felt them diffipate the Gloom of thought, and transfuse a sudden Gaiety thro' the dejected Spirit! I cannot wonder, that Kings to "I would have my Reader endeavour "MORALIZE this natural Pleasure of the Soul, and to improve this vernal Delight, as Milton calls it, "into a Chriftian Virtue. When we find ourselves in fpired with this pleasing Instinct, this fecret Satisfac"tion and Complacency, arifing from the Beauties of "the Creation, let us confider, to Whom we ftand in"debted for all these Entertainments of Senfe; and Who "it is, that thus opens his Hand, and fills the World "with Good.--Such an habitual Difpofition of Mind confecrates every Field and Wood; turns an ordinary Walk into a morning or evening Sacrifice; and will "improve thofe tranfient Gleams, which naturally brighten up and refresh the Soul on fuch Occafions, into an inviolable and perpetual State of Blifs and Hap"pinefs." Spect. Vol. V. No 394. |