Judge, and have given in their Evidence. An Evidence, registred in Heaven; and to be produced, at the great Audit. Happy They, whofe Improvement has kept pace with the paffing Minutes. Who have seized them as they advanced ; and engaged them in the Purfuit of Wisdom, or the Service of Virtue.

า

How is the Day gone, almost as soon as it dawned!--The filent Moments flip away infenfibly. No Thief steals more unperceived from the pillaged House. Where-ever we are, however employed, Time purfues his inceffant Course. Though we are liftlefs and dilatory; the great Meafurer of our Days preffes on; ftill preffes on, in his unwearied Career; and whirls our Weeks, and Months, and Years away.-Is it not then surprisingly ftrange, to hear People complain of the Tedioufness of their Time, and how heavy it hangs upon their Hands? To see them contriving a Variety of amufing Artifices, to accelerate its Flight, and get rid of its Burden? Ah! thoughtless Mortals! Why need you urge the headlong Torrent? Your Days are swifter than a Poft; which, carrying Dispatches of the laft Importance, with unremitted Speed fcours the Road. They pass away like the nimble Ships ; which have the Wind in their Wings, and skim along the watery Plain. They haften to their deftined Period, with the Rapidity of an Eagle; VOL. II. which

C

which leaves the stormy Blaft behind Her, while She cleaves the Air, and darts upon her Prey *.

AND now it is gone, how fhart it appears! When my fond Eye beheld it in Perspective, it feemed a very confiderable Space. Minutes

crouded upon Minutes, and Hours ranged behind Hours, exhibited an extenfive Plan, and flattered me with a long Progreffion of Pleafures. But, upon a retrospective View, how wonderfully is the Scene altered? The Landscape, large and fpacious, which a warm Fancy drew, brought to the Teft of coal Experience, farinks into a Span. Juft as the Shores vanish, and Mountains dwindle to a Spot; when the Sailor, furrounded by Skies and Ocean, throws his laft Look on his native Land.-How clearly do I now dif cover the Cheat? May it never impose upon my unwary Imagination again! I find, there is nothing abiding on this Side Eternity. A long Duration,

*Job ix. 25, 26. By thefe Three very expreffive Images, the infpired Poet reprefents the unintermitted and rapid Flight of Time. The Paffage is illuftrated with great Judgment, and equal Deli cacy, in Dr. Grey's most ingenious Abridgment of Schultens.- Que tribus in elementis velociffima, biç admirabili cum emphafi congeruntur. In terris, nil pernicius curfore, & quidem læti quid ferente. Rapidius tamen adhuc undas, non fecant, fed fupervolant, navigiola papyro contexta. Omnium rapidiffime aerem grandibus alis permetitur aquila, præcipiti lapfu rucus in prædem.

ration, in a State of finite Existence, is mere IlLufion.

PERHAPS, the Healthy and the Gay may not readily credit the ferious Truth; especially from a young Pen, and new to its Employ. Let us then refer ourfelves to the Decifion of the Ancient. Afk fome venerable old Perfon, that is juft marching off the mortal Stage, How many bave been the Days of the Years of thy Life? It was a Monarch's Question, and therefore can want no Recommendation to the fashionable World.--Obferve how He fhakes his hoary Locks, and from a deep-felt Conviction replies; "Fourfcore Years have finished their Rounds, "to furrow these Cheeks, and cloathe this Head "in Snow. Such a Term may feem long and ❝large, to inconfiderate Youth. But Oh! how "fhort, how fcanty, to one that has made the "Experiment! Short, as a Gleam of tranfient "Sunshine; fcanty, as the Shadow that de"parteth.' Methinks, it was but Yesterday, "that I exchanged my childish Sports, for "manly Exercises; and now I am refigning "them both, for the Sleep of Death. As foon "as we are born, we begin to draw to our "End; and how small is the Interval, between "the Cradle and the Tomb?"-O! may we believe this Teftimony of mature Age! May

every Evening bring it, with clearer Evidence, to our Minds! And may we form fuch an Efti mate of the little Pittance, while it is upon the advancing Hand '; as we shall certainly make, when the Sands are all run down.

LET me add one Reflection on the Work to be done, while this Shuttle is flying through the Loom. A Work of no fmall Difficulty, and yet of the utmoft Confequence.-Haft Thou not feen, haft Thou not heard of, the Excellent of the Earth, who were living Images of their Maker? His Divine Likeness was transfused into their Hearts, and beamed forth in all their Conduct. Beamed forth in the Meekness of Wisdom, and Purity of Affection; in all the tender Officès of Love, and all the noble Efforts of Zeal. To be ftampt with the fame beautiful Signature, and to be Followers of Them, as They were of CHRIST; this, this is thy Bufinefs. On the Accomplishment of this, thy eternal All depends. And, will an Affair of fuch unspeakable Weight admit of a Moment's Delay, or confift with the least Remisness ?-Efpecially, fince much of thy appointed Time is already elapfed, and the Remainder is all Uncertainty, save only that it is in the very Act to fly. Or fuppofe, thou hadft made a Covenant with the Grave, and waft affured of reaching the Age of Methuselah; how foon would even fuch a. Leafe expire !-Extend

it, if you please, ftill farther, and let it be co exiftent with Nature itself: Yet how speedily will the Confummation of all Things commence! For, yet a very little while, and the commiffioned Archangel lifts up his Hand to Heaven, and fwears by the Almighty Name, That Time shall be no longer. Then, abused Oppor tumities will never return; and new OpportuniC-3

===

ties

This alludes to the Beginning of Revelations the xth; which, abftracted from its spiritual Meaning, and confidered only as a stately Piece of Mahinery, well deferves our Attention; and, I will venture to fay, has not its fuperior, perhaps not its equal, in any of the most celebrated Masters of Greece and Rome, All that is gloomy or beautiful in the Atmosphere, all that is ftriking or magnificent in every Element, is taken in to heighten, the Idea. Yet nothing is disproportionate, but an uniform-Air of ineffable Majefty greatens, exalts, ennobles the Whole. Be pleafed to obferve the Afpe of this auguft Perfonage. All the Brightnefs of the Sun fhines in his Countenance, and all the Rage of the Fire burns in his Feet. See his Apparel. The Clouds compofe his Robe, and the Drapery of the Sky floats upon his Shoulders., The Rainbow forms his Diadem, and that which compaffeth the Hea

ven with a glorious Circle," is the Ornament of his Head. Behold his Attitude. One Foot ftands on the Ocean, and the other refts on the Land The wide-extended, Earth, and the World of Was ters, ferve as Pedestals for thofe mighty Columns.

Confider the Action. His Hand is lifted up to the Height of the Stars. He speaks and the Re gions of the Firmament echo with the mighty Ace

cents,