" is gone out of the World, before it had learned ❝ the great Design of coming into it. A short"lived momentary Existence it received from

me; but no good Inftructions, no holy Admo"nitions, nothing to further its Well-being in "that everlasting State, upon which it is now "entered. The The poor Body is configned to the "Coffin, and carried out to confume away in "the cold and filent Grave. And what Reason "have I to fuppofe, that the precious Soul is in a "better Condition? May I not justly fear, that,. "fentenced by the righteous Judge, it is going, or gone away, into the Pains of endless Pu"nishment? Perhaps, while I am bewailing

its untimely Departure, it may be curfing, in "outer Darkness, that ever to be deplored, that "moft calamitous Day, when it was born of "fuch a careless ungodly Parent as I have been."

NOTHING, I think, but the Gnawings of that Worm which never dies, can equal the Anguifh of these felf-condemning Thoughts. The Tortures of a Rack must be an eafy Suffering, compared with the Stings and Horror of fuch a Remorfe. How earnestly do I wish, that as many as are intrusted with the Management of Children, would take timely Care to prevent thefe intolerable Scourges of Confcience, by endeavouring to conduct their Minds into an early Knowledge of Chrift, and a cordial Love of his Truth!

ON

ÖN this Hand is lodged one, whofe Sepulchral Stone tells a moft pitiable Tale indeed! Well may the little Images, reclin'd over the fleeping Afhes, hang down their Heads with that penfive Air! None can confider fo mournful a Story, without feeling fome Touches of sympathizing Concern. His Age Twenty-eight; his Death fudden; himself cut down in the Prime of Life, amidst all the Vivacity and Vigour of Manhood; "while his Breafts were full of Milk, and his "Bones moistened with Marrow.--Probably, he entertained no Apprehenfions of the evil Hour: And indeed, who could have fufpected, that fo bright a Sun fhould go down at Noon? To human Appearance his Hill stood frong: Length of Days feem'd written in his fanguine Countenance: He folaced himfelf with the Profpect of a long, long Series of earthly Satisfactions.-When, lo! an unexpected Stroke defcends! defcends from that mighty Arm, which "overturneth the "Mountains by the Roots, and crushes the "imaginary Hero* before the Moth;" as quickly, and more eafily, than our Fingers fqueeze fuch a feeble fluttering Infect to Death.

C 3

לפני עש .Job

PER

Fob iv. 19, wy. Ad infar, ad modun Tinta.I retain this Interpretation, both as it is

moft

PERHAPS, the nuptial Joys were all he thought on.--Were not fuch the Breathings of his enamoured Soul? "Yet a very little while, " and I fhall poffefs the utmost of my Wishes: "I fhall call my Charmer mine; and, in ber "enjoy whatever my Heart can crave."-In the midst of fuch inchanting Views, had fome faithful Friend but foftly reminded him of the opening Grave, and the End of all Things: how unfeafon able, would he have reckoned the Admonition; and how impertinent, the Perfon that administered it! yet, though all warm with Life, and rich in vifionary Blifs, he was even then tottering upon the Brink of both.--O! dreadful Viciffitude!

moft fuitable to my Purpose, and as it is patronized by fome eminent Commentators; efpecially the celebrated Schultens. Though I cannot but give the Preference to the Opinion of a judicious Friend, who would render the Paffage more literally, Before the Face of a Moth: Making it to represent a Creature fo exceedingly frail, that even a Moth, flying against it, may dafh it to Pieces.- -Which, befides its clofer Correfpondence with the exact Import of the Hebrew, prefents us with a much finer Image of the most extreme Imbecillity. For it certainly implies a far greater Degree of Weakness, to be crushed by the feeble Flutter of the feebleft Creature, than only to be crushed as eafily as that Creature, by the Hand of Man. The French Verfion is very expreffive and beautiful; à la Rencontre d'un Vermiffeau.

Viciffitude! to have the bridal* Feftivity turned into the funeral Solemnity. O! deplorable Misfortune! to be fhipwrecked even in the Haven! and perish in Sight of Happiness!What a memorable Proof is here of the Frality of Man, in his beft Eftate! Look, O, look on this Monument, ye Gay and Gareless! Attend to this Date; and boaft no more of To-morrow!

WHO can tell, but the Bride-maids, girded with Gladnefs, had prepared the Marriage-Bed? Had decked it with the richeft Covers, and dreffed it in Pillows of Down? When-Oh! truft not in Youth, or Strength, or in any Thing mortal; for there is nothing certain, nothing to be depended on, beneath the unchangeable GoDDeath, relentless Death, is making him another Kind of Bed in the Duft of the Earth. Unto this he must be conveyed, not with a fplenC 4

did

* A Diftrefs of this Kind is painted in very affecting Colours by Pliny, in an Epiftle to Marcellinus: O trifte planè acerbumque Funus! O Morte ipfa Mortis Tempus indignius! Fam deftinata erat egregio Juveni; jam electus Nuptiarum Dies; jam nos advocati. Quod Gaudium quo Mærore mutatum eft! Non poffum exprimere Verbis, quantum Animo Vulnus acceperim, quum audivi Fundanum ipfum (ut multa luftuofa Dolor invenit) præcipientem, quod in Veftes, Margaritas, Gem mas fuerat erogaturus, hoc in Thura, & Unguenta, & Odores impenderetur.

Plin. Lib. v. Epift. 16.

did Proceffion of joyous Attendants, but stretched in the gloomy Hearfe, and followed by a Train of Mourners. On this he must take up a lonely Lodging, nor ever be released, "till the Heavens are no more."--In vain does the confenting Fair-one put on her Ornaments, and expect her Spouse. Did the not, like Sifera's Mother, look out of the Lattice; chide the Delays of her Beloved; and wonder why his Chariot was fo long in coming ?? Little thinking, that the intended Bridegroom had for ever done with transitory Things! That now everlasting Cares employ his Mind, without one fingle Remembrance of his lovely Lucinda!

Go, disappointed Virgin! go mourn the Un-certainty of all created Blifs! Teach thy Soul to afpire after a fure and immutable Felicity! For the once gay and gallant Fidelio fleeps in other Embraces ; even in the icy Arms of Death! Forgetful, eternally forgetful, of the Worldand thee.

HITHERTO one is tempted to exclaim against the King of Terrors, and call him capriciously cruel. He feems, by beginning at the wrong End of the Register, to have inverted the Laws of Nature. Paffing over the Couch of decrepit Age, he has nipped Infancy in its Bud; blasted Youth in its Bloom; and torn up Manhood in its full Maturity.