ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

ing make fuch glorious Creatures for fo mean a Purpose? Can he delight in the Production of fuch abortive Intelligences, fuch fhort-lived reasonable Beings? Would he give us Talents that are not to be exerted? Capacities that are never to be gratified? How can we find that Wisdom which fhines through all his Works, in the Formation of Man, without looking on this World as only a Nurfery for the next, and believing that the feveral Generations of rational Creatures, which rife up and disappear in fuch quick Succeffions, are only to receive their firft Rudiments of Existence here, and afterwards to be tranfplanted into a more friendly Climate, where they may spread and flourish to all Eternity?

THERE is not, in my Opinion, a more pleafing and triumphant Confideration in Religion than this, of the perpetual Progrefs which the Soul makes towards the Perfection of its Nature, without ever arriving at a Period in it. To look upon the Soul as going on from Strength to Strength, to confider that he is to fhine for ever with new Acceffions of Glory, and brighten to all Eternity; that he will be ftill adding Virtue to Virtue, and Knowledge to Knowledge; carries in it fomething wonderfully agreeable to that Ambition which is natural to the Mind of Man. Nay, it must be a Profpect pleafing to God himself, to fee his Creation for ever beautifying in his Eyes, and drawing nearer to him, by greater degrees of Refemblance.

METHINKS this fingle Confideration, of the Pro grefs of a finite Spirit to Perfection, will be fufficient to extinguifh all Envy in inferior Natures, and all Contempt in fuperior. That Cherubim which now appears as a God to a human Soul, knows 'very well that the Period will come about in Eternity, when the human Soul fhall be as perfect as he himself now is: Nay, when she shall look down upon that degree of Perfection, as much as fhe now falls fhort of it. It is true, the higher Nature fill advances, and by that means preferves his Distance and Superiority in the Scale of Being; but he knows how high foever the Station is of which he ftands poffeffed at prefent, the inferior Nature will at length mount up to it, and fhine forth in the fame Degree of Glory,

WITH what Aftonishment and Veneration may we look into our own Souls, where there are fuch hidden Stores of Virtue and Knowledge, fuch inexhaufted Sources. of Perfection? We know not yet what we shall be, nor will it ever enter into the Heart of Man to conceive the Glory that will be always in Reserve for him. The Soul confidered with its Creator, is like one of thofe Mathematical Lines that may draw nearer to another for all Eternity without a Poffibility of touching it: And can there be a Thought fo Transporting, as to confider our felves in thefe perpetual Approaches to Him, who is not only the Standard of Perfection but of Happiness!

[ocr errors]

I

Monday, July 9.

Αθανάτες με πρῶτα θεὸς, νόμῳ ὡς διάκειται,
Τιμά
Pyth.

L

Am always very well pleafed with a Country Sunday, and think, if keeping holy the Seventh Day were only a human Inftitution, it would be the best Method that could have been thought of for the polifhing and civilizing of Mankind. It is certain the Country-People would foon degenerate into a kind of Savages and Barbarians, were there not fuch frequent Returns of a stated Time, in which the whole Village meet together with their beft Faces, and in their cleanlieft Habits, to converfe with one another upon indifferent Subjects, hear their Duties explained to them, and join together in Adoration of the Supreme Being, Sunday clears away the Ruft of the whole Week, not only as it refreshes in their Minds the Notions of Religion, but as it puts both the Sexes upon appearing in their moft agreeable Forms, and exerting all fuch Qualities as are apt to give them a Figure in the Eye of the Village. A Country-Fellow diftinguifhes himfelf as much in the Church-yard, as a Citizen does upon the Change, the whole Parifh-Politicks being generally difcuffed in that Place either after Sermon or before the Bell rings.

MY

[ocr errors]

MY Friend Sir ROGER being a good Church-man, has beautified the Infide of his Church with feveral Texts of his own chufing: He has likewife given a handsome Pulpit-Cloth, and railed in the Communion-Table at his own Expence. He has often told me, that at his coming to his Eftate he found his Parishioners very irregular; and that in order to make them kneel and join in theRefponfes, he gave every one of them a Haffock and a Commonprayer Book and at the fame Time employed an intinerant Singing-Mafter, who goes about the Country for that Purpose, to inftruct them rightly in the Tunes of the Pfalms; upon which they now very much value themfelves, and indeed out-do moft of the Country Churches that I have ever heard.

[ocr errors]

AS Sir ROGER is Landlord to the whole Congregation, he keeps them in very good Order, and will fuffer no Body to fleep in it befides himfelf; for if by Chance he has been furprized into a fhort Nap at Sermon, upon recovering out of it he ftands up and looks about him, and if he fees any Body elfe nodding, either wakes them himfelf, or fends his Servant to them. Several other of the old Knight's Particularities break out upon thefe Occafions: Sometimes he will be lengthening out a Verfe in the Singing-Pfalms, half a Minute after the rest of the Congregation have done with it; fometimes, when he is pleased with the Matter of his Devotion, he pronounces Amen three or four times to the fame Prayer; and fometimes ftands up when every Body elfe is upon their Knees, to count the Congregation, or fee if any of his Tenants are miffing.

I was Yesterday very much furprized to hear my old Friend, in the midft of the Service, calling out to one John Matthews to mind what he was about, and not difturb the Congregation. This John Matthews it seems is remarkable for being an idle Fellow, and at that Time was kicking his Heels for his Diverfion. This Authority of the Knight, though exerted in that odd Manner which accompanies him in all Circumstances of Life, has a very good Effect upon the Parish, who are not polite enough to fee any thing ridiculous in his Behaviour; befides that, the general good Senfe and Worthinefs of his Character, make his Friends obferve thefe little Singularities as Foils that rather let off than blemish his good Qualities.

AS

AS foon as the Sermon is finished, no Body prefumes to ftir till Sir ROGER is gone out of the Church. The Knight walks down from his Seat in the Chancel between a double Row of his Tenants, that ftand bowing to him on cach Side; and every now and then enquires how fuch an one's Wife, or Mother, or Son, or Father do, whom he does not fee at Church; which is understood as a fecret Reprimand to the Perfon that is abfent.

THE Chaplain has often told me, that upon a Catechifing-day, when Sir ROGER has been pleafed with a Boy that answers well, he has ordered a Bible to be given him next Day for his Encouragement; and fometimes accompanies it with a Flitch of Bacon to his Mother. Sir ROGER has likewife added five Pounds a Year to the Clerk's Place; and that he may encourage the young Fellows to make themselves perfect in the Church-Service, has promifed upon the Death of the prefent Incumbent, who is very old, to bestow it according to Merit.

THE fair Understanding between Sir ROGER and his Chaplain, and their mutual Concurrence in doing Good, is the more remarkable, becaufe the very next Village is famous for the Differences and Contentions that rife between the Parfon and the 'Squire, who live in a perpetual State of War. The Parfon is always preaching at the 'Squire, and the 'Squire to be revenged on the Parfon never comes to Church. The 'Squire has made all his Tenants Atheists and Tithe-Stealers; while the Parfon inftructs them every Sunday in the Dignity of his Order, and infinuates to them in almost every Sermon, that he is a better Man than his Patron. In fhort, Matters are come to fuch an Extremity, that the 'Squire has not faid his Prayers either in publick or private this half Year; and that the Parfon threatens him, if he does not mend his Manners, to pray for him in the Face of the whole Congregation.

FEUDS of this Nature, though too frequent in the Country, are very fatal to the ordinary People; who are fo used to be dazled with Riches, that they pay as much Deference to the Understanding of a Man of an Estate, as of a Man of Learning; and are very hardly brought to regard any Truth, how important foever it may be, that

is preached to them, when they know there are feveral Men of five hundred a Year who do not believe it.

L

N° II3.

I

Tuesday, July 10.

Harent infixi Pectore vultus.

Virg.

N my first Description of the Company in which I pafs most of my Time, it may be remembred that I mentioned a great Affliction which my Friend Sir ROGER had met with in his Youth; which was no less than a Difappointment in Love. It happened this Evening, that we fell into a very pleafing Walk at a Distance from his Houfe: As foon as we came into it, Itis, quoth 'the good old Man, looking round him with a Smile, very hard, that any Part of my Land should be fettled upon one who has used me fo ill as the perverfe Widow did; and yet I am fure I could not fee a Sprig of any Bough of this whole Walk of Trees, but I fhould reflect upon her and her Severity. She has certainly the finest Hand of any Woman in the World. You are to know this was 'the Place wherein I used to mufe upon her; and by that 'Custom I can never come into it, but the fame tender 'Sentiments revive in my Mind, as if I had actually walked with that beautiful Creature under thefe Shades. I 'I have been Fool enough to carve her Name on the Bark ' of several of thefe Trees; fo unhappy is the Condition ' of Men in Love, to attempt the removing of their Paffion by the Methods which ferve only to imprint it deeper. She has certainly the fineft Hand of any Woman in the 'World.

[ocr errors]

HERE followed a profound Silence; and I was not difpleafed to obferve my Friend falling fo naturally into a Difcourfe, which I had ever before taken Notice he industriously avoided. After a very long Paufe, he entered upon an Account of this great Circumftance in his Life, with an Air which I thought raised my Idea of him above what I had ever had before; and gave me the Picture of that chearful Mind of his, before it received that Stroke

which

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »