Univerfe; and among other Peculiarities he has his Own Enjoyments; which 'tis his Business not only to be Contented with as being what is allotted him by Providence, and not to be mended by his Miflikes; but to Improve as much as poffible. If Another Man has Enjoyments which I have not, I have thofe He is a Stranger to; but whether I have or no, 'tis my Own, hot His I am to be concern'd about: Thofe I have are neither More, nor Lefs; they are not Otherwife than they Are, be His what they will. I would gladly be as great a Painter as Rafaelle, but Providence did not appoint Me to be Rafaelle, nor Rafaelle Me, I must acquiefce in its appointment; By the Grace of God I am what I am; and will endeavour to Enjoy, and Improve my Own Lot; So endeavour to Improve it as all the while to Enjoy, and fo Enjoy as not neglecting to Improve, an shavin Z .. We We have another kind of Property, and that is the Prefent time. We poffefs but one Single Point, the whole Circumference of Eternity belongs to Others. We talk of Years, we are Creatures but of a Day, a Moment! the Man I was Yesterday is now no more; If I live till to Morrow, That Man is not yet born: What that Self fhall be is utterly unknown; what Ideas, what Opinions, what Joys, what Griefs, nay what Body, all is yet hid in the Womb of Time; but This we are fure of, I fhall not be the Same, the present Fabrick will be demolish'd for ever. What is past we know, but 'tis vanish'd as a Morning Dream, we are moving on; and every Step we take is a Step in the Dark. As when a Comet from the Sun is thrown S This is our Condition; we have nothing left, nothing in fore; we live (as they fay) from Hand to Mouth, The Prefent is the Subftance, Paft, and to Come are mere Shadows. If an Enjoyment is gone, it has had its Duration, which was as much a Property of it as any other: A Picture I was very much delighted with for about 20 Years was defac'd by an Accident; I confider'd I had enjoy'd it fo many Years, and was thankful for that, twas all (it feems) that Providence defign'd when 'twas bestow'd on me, and 'twas a Noble Gift, it would have been an Inftance of Goodness if it had been but for a Month. If the Enjoyments of to Day are not Equal to thofe of Yesterday, thofe of to Day are not the Lefs, nor less to be enjoy'd; muft I leffen the Account ftill by Teazing my felf with the remembrance of God's extraordinary Goodness to me Then; inZ z stead ftead of being Thankful for That, and for what I still Enjoy? There is a perpetual Change, and Succeffion of our Enjoyments; So that we have a New Set every Day; Some indeed continue feveral Years, Others have a much fhorter Duration, and many there are which spring up, and wither imme diately. And if (as it often happens) instead of those that are Expir'd, and Vanish'd; Others More, and Greater have fucceeded, this will add to the Folly, and Ingratitude of him who repines at what is gone, and overlooks what he Has. To imbitter Prefent Enjoyments with the Fears of what May be is a nother Piece of Mifmanagement, and very commonly practis'd: Perhaps Something I am now delighted with may be Snatch'd from me, or fome New Evil may arrive; but the Date of the Enjoyment is not yet expir'd, nor the unwelcome Gueft Come: come: the Prefent is what it Is, and should not be alter'd by what May, or May not be Hereafter, Of all the Fears that are Enemies to our Happiness that of Death is the most Terrible and with good reason, the Lofs we fear being Greater than any Other Lofs can be: But the Cafe is the fame with the great Comprehenfive Bleffing Life as with any particular Enjoyments, it has its Duration; and we may as well regret 'twas not 1000 Years inftead of threefcore and ten; as that it was but 50, 40, 30, or whatever leffer Number of Years, and not the full Age of fome men: He that dies at what Age foever had the Duration allotted to that individual Being, which 'twas as impoffible to alter as for a Fly to live as long as an Elephant. What the Angel in Milton fays to Adam with a little variation of the Senfe, (as being spoken on another Occafion) 18 |