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thofe forrows which are compenfated by a reverse of joy the transition was almost inftantaneous; for when the babe began to revive, he brought it down out of the chamber into the houfe, and delivered it into the defiring arms of its weeping mother. Were words ever calculated to express such a stroke of transport? it must have been a blifs which trod hard upon the very heels of agony. Parents may, perhaps, paint it to themselves: they may fee (through the mirror of a fympathetic fancy) the poor widow receiving her child from the healing hand of the prophet-a child fresh blooming in the beauties of a second birth. They may imagine they behold the joyful woman as it were in a frenzy of felicity, kneeling, first to the invifible reforer, then to Elijah, and laft bathing the cheek of the child with tears of tenderness, unutterable. The prophet, indeed, faid little; for language was unneceffary; the thing spoke for itself, the lovely eye was again gently opened on the light, the dimple refumed its refidence, and all its little fenfibilities

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fenfibilities were fully reftored. cried Elijah,-"thy fon liveth." He fubmitted the truth of the affertion (without any tedious explanation of the means by which the recovery had been effected) to the pleafing evidence of her own fenfes. He had now fully rewarded her former kindness, and evinced his gratitude for the divifion of her last meal, by raising the treafure of her foul, even from the dead. I fhall fay no more on this charming story, but juft obferve, that every gentle heart will have its own commentary, and pursue the hints I have given, till they have long indulged themselves in the elegant reflection which fo mafterly and interefting a fcene excites.

CHARACTER of SOLOMON.

PASSAGE.

AND JUDAH AND ISRAEL DWELT

SAFELY, EVERY MAN,

UNDER HIS VINE. AND UNDER HIS FIG-TREE, FROM DAN, EVEN TO BEER-SHEBA, ALL THE DAYS OF So

LOMON.

THERE is, perhaps, as much moral fenfe, and literary beauty, comprised in this paffage, as ever was conveyed to the human understanding, by the hand of tradition. What a paradifaical picture does it give us of the reign of Solomon ! Majesty and mildness, power and pleasure, feem to have been the grand fupporters of his throne and we read the hiftory of his times, with a mixture of joy and admiration.

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The very first inftance of his wisdom, gave to mankind the moft delightful earn

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eft of what might be expected from him. I fpeak of his judgment betwixt the two harlots. How finely did he diftinguish the fimplicity of natural forrow, from the whineing complaint of advantitious woe: he faw the real parent, in her fears, her wifhes, and her tears; and he detected, the impofture, by every action. The begin ning of the reign exhibits this illuftrious heir of the noble David in all the glory of fublunary greatnefs; "For he had domi"nion over all the region, on this fide the river, from Tiphfhah, even to Azzah, "over all the kings on this fide the river :" and in the midst of fo extenfive an authority, he maintained peace on all fides around him "Every man dwelt fafely under his "vine, and under his fig-tree," from one end of his realms to the other, "from Dan "even to Beer-fheba."

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What a profpect was here for the people! What a joyful promife for the pub1c heart! But with what energy-I had almoft faid-enchantment-is the difpofi

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