Of Academus, is this falfe or true? Is Christ the abler teacher, or the schools? If Chrift, then why refort at ev'ry turn To Athens or to Rome, for wisdom short Of man's occafions, when in him refide Grace, knowledge, comfort, an unfathom'd ftore? Men that, if now alive, would fit content And humble learners of a Saviour's worth, Preach it who might. Such was their love of truth, Their thirst of knowledge, and their candour too. And thus it is, The pastor, either vain Or unenlighten'd, and too proud to learn, And And loofe example, whom he should inftruct, The nobleft function, and difcredits much The brightest truths that man has ever seen. Below the exigence, or be not back'd With fhow of love, at least with hopeful proof Or be dishonor'd in th' exterior form And mode of its conveyance, by fuch tricks The pulpit to the level of the stage, The weak perhaps are moved, but are not taught, Takes deeper root, confirm'd by what they fee. A relaxation of religion's hold Upon the roving and untutor'd heart Soon follows, and the curb of confcience fnapt, The The laity run wild.-But do they now? As nations, ignorant of God, contrive Some fifty or an hundred luftrums hence, Of whom I needs must augur better things, A monitor is wood. Plank fhaven thin. We wear it at our backs. There closely brac'd The prominent and most unfightly bones, And binds the fhoulders flat. We prove its use A form yore, A form not now gymnaftic as of From rickets and distortion, elfe, our lot. But thus admonish'd we can walk erect, Our habits coftlier than Lucullus wore, And by caprice as multiplied as his, Juft please us while the fafhion is at full, Finds one ill made, another obfolete, This fits not nicely, that is ill conceiv'd, Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor. We have run And studious of mutation still, discard A real 1 A real elegance, a little used, For monstrous novelty and strange difguife. We facrifice to drefs, till houfhold joys And comforts ceafe. Dress drains our cellar dry, And introduces hunger, froft, and woe, Where peace and hofpitality might reign. What man that lives, and that knows how to live, A form as fplendid as the proudeft there, A man o' th' town dines late, but foon enough, T' insure a fide-box ftation at half price. He picks clean teeth, and, bufy as he seems That |