thou that finishes the trial of men, and feals their characters, for happiness or misery for ever. Be thou then, death, our morning and evening meditation: let us learn from thee the vanity of all human things; and that it is the most amazing folly, to melt away time, and mil-apply talents, as the generality of reasonable beings do: that we were not made men, thinking, rational beings, capable of the nobleft contemplations, to spend all our thoughts and time in fenfe and pleafure, in dreffing, feeding, and fporting; or, in purchases, building and planting; but to prepare for a dying hour; that, when at the call of God, we go out of the body, not knowing whither we go, we may, like Abraham, travel by faith, and trust to the conduct of the Lord of all countries, Since we must die, and thy power, O death, we fee, is uncontrolable; fince to the duft we muft return, and take our trial at the bar of Almighty God, as intelligent and free agents; (for under moral government, and God is a perfectly wife and righteous governor, the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him, and the righteousness of the righteous will be upon him ;)-fince we must be numbered with the dead, and our circumstances and condition indicate a future judgment, furely we ought to remove our chief concern from this world to the other, and transfer our principal regard to the immortal fpirit; that in the hour of agony, a virtuous mind, purity of confcience, and good actions, may procure us the favour of God, and the guidance of his good fpirit to the manfions of the bleffed, where new pleafures are for ever fpringing up, and the happiness of the heavenly inhabitants is perpetually increafing. This is the one thing needful. Death demonftrates, that this world of darknefs and error, changes and chances, is not worth fixing our heart on. To fecure our paffage into the regions of perfect and eternal day, fhould be the employment of immortal mortals. §. 7. Thus did I reflect as I fat among the dead, with my eyes faftened on the breathIefs corps of Charlotte, and I wished, if it was poflible, to have leave to depart, and in the hofpitable grave, lie down from toil and pain, to take my laft repofe; for I knew not what to do, nor where to go. I was not qualified for the world; nor had I a friend, or even an acquaintance in it, that I knew where to find. But in vain I prayed; it was otherwife decreed: I must go on, or continue a folitary in the wild I was in. The latter it was not poffible for me to do, in the ftate of mind I was in; overwhelmed with forrow, and without a companion of any any kind; and therefore, I muft of neceffity go to fome other place. I fold all the living things I had to Fryar Fleming, and locked up my doors. My furniture, linen, clothes, books, liquors, and fome falt provifions, inftruments of various kinds, and fuch like things, I left in their several places. There was no one to take them, or probability that any one would come there to dif turb them; and perhaps, fome time or other, the fates might bring me back again to the lone place. Though it was then a defolate, filent habitation, a ftriking memento of the vanity and precarious exiftence of all human good things; yet it was poffible, that hearty friendship, feftivity, and focial life, might once more be feen there. The force and operation of cafualties did wonders every day, and time might give me even a relish for the folitude in a few years more. Thus did I fettle affairs in that remote place; and, taking leave of my friend, the fryar, with my lad O Finn, rode off. Auguft 4. 1727. The au from Or SECTION II. Collect thy powers divine, and then drive off Through life ftill cherish'd, and in death held faft. §. I. T Day Thoughts. HE fun was rifing, when we mounted our horfes, and I a thor's de- gain went out to try my fortune in the parture world; not like the Chevalier of La Mancha, ton-Lodge, in hopes of conquering a kingdom, or marfortune rying fome great Princefs; but to fee if I once more. could find another good country girl for a to try his wife, and get a little more money; as they were the only two things united, that could fecure me from melancholy, and confer real happiness. To this purpofe, as the day was extremely fine, and Finn had fomething cold, and a couple of bottles at the end of his valife, I gave my horfe the rein, and let him take what way his fancy chofe. For fome time, he gently trotted the path he had often gone, and over many a mountain made his road but at last, he brought me to a place I was quite a ftranger to, and made a full ftop at a deep and rapid water, which ran by the bottom of a very high hill I had not been up before. Over this river I made him go, though it was far from being safe, and in an hour's ride from that flood, came to a fine rural scene. earth a fells of §. 2. It was pafture-ground, of a large A delight. extent, and in many places covered with ful pot of groves of trees, of various kinds; walnuts, mong the chefnuts, and oaks; the poplar, the plane-moretree, the mulberry, and maple. There was land. likewife the Phænician cedar, the larix, the large-leafed laurel, and the cytiffus of Virgil. In the middle of this place were the ruins of an old feat, over-run with fhrubby plants; the Virginia creeper, the box-thorn, the jeffamine, the honey-fuckle, the periwinkle, the birdweed, the ivy, and the climber; and near the door was a flowing fpring of water, which formed a beautiful ftream, and babbled to the river we came from. Charming fcene! fo filent, fweet, and pretty, that I was highly pleased with the discovery. tion of Ba §. 3. On the margin of the brook, un- A defcripder a mulberry tree, I dined, on fomething fil Groves, which Finn produced from his wallet, tongue the feat of Charles and Henley, Efq; |