huge Promontory, and tore its rugged Brow. See! how the rocky Fragment is tumbling, with impetuous Bound, from Cliff to Cliff.The Waters, lafhed by furious Winds, heave and tofs their tumultuous Billows. Here, they rife in rolling Ridges; there, they rage in devouring Whirls.-Amidst these horrible Commotions, You behold a Vessel in all the Extremity of Diftrefs. Straining under the Blast, battered and half overwhelmed by the Surge, fhe can no longer maintain the unequal Conflict; fhe yields to the refistless Flood; and begins, evidently begins to fink.plexed, amazed, and at their Wit's End, the Disciples run to and fro. They shift the Tackling; lighten the Stowage; try every Expedient; and find, to their inexpreffible Aftonishment, every Expedient ineffectual.

-Per

We caft our Eye forward, and their divine MASTER appears, fedately rifing from a gentle Slumber. He fees the Perplexity and Horror of his Companions, without the leaft Emotion of Alarm. He fees Deftruction approaching, Heaven and Earth mingling, and, instead of being dismayed, enjoys the elemental War. What Composure in his Mien! What Dignity in his Attitude! What Majesty, fweetened with Compaffion, in his Afpect! Such as could arise from no other Cause, but a confcious and undoubted Certainty, that not

a Soul of the Crew fhould be loft; not a Hair of their Head perish; and that all this mighty Uproar of Nature, fhould end in a Demonftration of his mightier Power, and a Confirmation of his Difciples Faith.He looks abroad into the mutinous Sky, and the turbulent Deep. He waves, with an authoritative Air, his facred Hand; and adds the great commanding Word, PEACE: BE STILL.-Do You inquire after the Effect? Let Milton declare it;

Confufion heard his Voice, and wild Uproar
Stood rul'd.

This is expreffed in another Draught. Where all is hufhed: the tremendous Agitations ceafe, and the moft profound Tranquillity takes Place. The Water is fmooth as Glass; We have the Picture of a perfect Calm; and view thofe very Perfons, who, a little while ago, were in the wildest Distraction, and in the very Jaws of Ruin, furrounding their LORD as Men alive from the Dead *.

Their

The Circumftances of this Miracle, as related by the Evangelifts, are truly wonderful, and to the laft Degree picturefque.

Mafter! Mafter! We perifh! How concife, how abrupt, and how ardent is this Exclamation! Therefore how ftrongly fignificant of imminent Danger, and of the utmoft Diftreis! They have not Time to be explicit. A Moment's Delay may be fatal. What they utter is Concifeness itself, and all Ra

pidity.

Their Confternation is turned into Wonder, and their Pangs of Fear into Extafies of Joy. They acknowledge the Omnipotence, and adore the Goodness of JESUS.

Eug. Well may they acknowledge his Omnipotence; fince Winds and Waves obey Him. Great Reason have they to adore his Goodness, fince He rescued them from the very Jaws of Death; that worst of Deaths, perishing in the stormy Deep.

Afp. If JESUS CHRIST had vouchsafed fuch a Deliverance to my Eugenio; What

would

pidity. Luke viii. 24.-This is Nature: this is the genuine Language of the Heart: this is true hiftoric Painting. Every impartial Reader muft admire this exquifitely juft and fine Stroke, far beyond the diffuse and (I had almost faid, impertinently) florid Speech, which Virgil puts into the Mouth of his Hero on a like Occafion. En. I. 98.

Σιωπα, πεφίμωσο. What a Majefty in this Command ! 'Tis admirable 'tis inimitable: 'tis worthy of GOD.—I think, We may obferve a peculiarly proper Word, addreffed and adapted to each Element: the first injoining a Ceffation of the Winds, the fecond a Quiescence of the Waves: Silence in all that roared, Compofure in all that raged. As though (to give a fhort Paraphrafe on the grand Injunction) it had been faid; Winds, be hush'd; Waves, be calm. Mark iv. 39.

The Effect on the Difciples is defcribed, with all the Force of Imagination, and all the Energy of Diction. To reprefent in Colours, what the evangelical Hiftorian has left upon Record, would be a Subject fit for the immortal Raphael; and perhaps not to be equalled even by his mas terly Pencil. Λιαν εκ περισσω εν εαυτοις εξίσαντο και εθαυμα Gov-auμa Cov, they were amazed-15 avro, they were tranfported with Amazement-av, to the very greatest DegreeEX TEGIσ08, exceeding all that Language can exprefs. Mark vi. 51.

would He have thought, or how would He have been affected?

Eug. I fhould have thought myself inexpreffibly obliged; and that I could never shew fufficient Gratitude to so great a Benefactor.

Alp. Affure yourself then, my dear Sir, that He has done infinitely more for You.-He has delivered You, not indeed from being fwallowed up by the raging Billows, but from finking into the Pit of everlafting Perdition. -He has not only rescued You from endless Deftruction, but obtained eternal Life and heavenly Happiness for You.-This He has done, not by fpeaking a Word, or iffuing a Command; but by bearing your Guilt, fuffering your Punishment, and dying the Death, the most ignominious and tormenting Death, in your Stead.-Should You not then unfeignedly love HIM? Study to please HIM? and make it the reigning Endeavour of your Life to glorify HIM?

Here, Theron returned, and the young Student withdrew; after receiving some affectionate and encouraging Compliments from Afpafio. Who was going to enlarge upon the excellent Taste of his Friend; the inftructive Stile of his Pictures; the good Senfe and great Proficiency of his Son. But Theron, far from coveting the Praife, and fully fatisfied with

the

the Consciousness, of acting the becoming Part, prevented his Difcourfe, by stepping to a Pair of Glass Folding-Doors: which, thrown open, admitted them into the Study.

A Chimney-Piece of grey Marble, with plain, but bold and protuberant Mouldings, formed a very handsome Appearance.-In various little Niches, were fixed elegant Busts; and on the several Interftices, hung beautiful Prints; representing many of the most eminently learned Men, who were the Ornaments and Bleffings, both of antient and modern Times. The Shelves, all around, were accommodated, not encumbered with Books. Afpafio, running over the letter'd Backs, observed a Collection of the most valuable Authors, in History and Natural Philosophy, in Poetry and Divinity.

You will easily perceive, faid Theron, that I am fomewhat fingular in furnishing my Study, as well as in ornamenting the Avenue. My Books are not for Shew, but Use; and claim a Regard, rather on Account of their Worth, than their Number.-An immenfe Multitude of Volumes, I have always thought, is more likely to embarrass the Attention, than to improve the Understanding. A huge Library seems to resemble a perplexing Labyrinth; and often bewilders the Mind, instead of leading it expeditiously to the Acquifition of Truth.

When