up to

he will take us under his guardian care. He defcended from Heaven, to deliver us from everlasting ruin, he purchased us with the price of his own blood, and if we live the word of truth, he will conduct us fafely through life and death, into the abode of holy and happy fpirits, and at length raise our bodies from the duft, and fix our compleat perfons in a state of immortal glory and felicity. This is my fenfe of reli gion. Where I am wrong, I fhall ever be glad to be fet right.

Mrs. Price made no reply, and fo ended this remarkable converfation. On whofe fide the truth is, the reader is to judge. What the fays for fupernatural operation is ftrong and pious to be fure: and confidering Mrs. Price had no learning, and was almost with out any reading, I thought it very wonderful to hear her on this, and many other fubjects. She was fuch another genius as Chubb, but on the other fide of the question; if she had been able to write as fenfibly and correctly as the talked on several articles of religion, fhe would have made a good author. So much goodness and good fenfe I have not very often found in her kind. They merit a memorial in a journal of the curious things that have occurred to me in my life time.

28. The 13th of June 1725, I took my leave of my friend, John Price, and his admirable wife, promifing to vifit them again as M 2 foon

ture from

a farther

of this wild

world.

My depar- foon as it was in my power, and proceeded on Lafco in my journey in queft of Mr. Turner. I would Stanemore, not let Price go with me, on second thoughts, defcription as many fad accidents might happen in this and folitary rough and defolate part of the world, and no part of the relief in fuch cafe to be found. If I fell, there was no one belonging to me to fhed a tear for me: but if a mischief should befall Jack Price, his wife would be miferable indeed, and I the maker of a breach in the sweetest fyftem of felicity that love and good sense had ever formed. This made me refuse his repeated offers to accompany me. All I would have was a boy and horfe of his, to carry fome provisions wet and dry, as there was no public house to be found in afcending those tremendous hills, or in the deep vales through which I must go; nor any house that he knew of beyond his own.

With the rifing fun then I fet out, and was charmed for feveral hours with the air and views. The mountains, the rocky precipices, the woods and the waters, appeared in various ftriking fituations every mile I travelled on, and formed the most astonishing points of view. Sometimes I was above the clouds, and then crept to inchanting vallies below. Here glins were seen that looked as if the mountains had been rent afunder to form the amazing scenes: and there, forests and falling ftreams covered the fides of the hills. Rivers in many places, in the most

beau

beautiful cafcades, were tumbling along; and cataracts from the tops of mountains came roaring down. The whole was grand, wonderful, and fine. On the top of one of the mountains I paffed over at noon; the air was piercing cold, on account of its great height, and fo fubtle, that we breathed with difficulty, and were a little fick. From hence I saw feveral black fubjacent clouds big with thunder, and the lightning within them rolled backwards and forwards, like shining bodies of the brightest luftre. One of them went off in the grandeft horrors through the vale below, and had no more to do with the pike I was on than if it had been a summit in another planet. The fc ene was prodigious fine. Sub pedibus ventos & rauca tonitrua

calcat.

Till the evening, I rid and walked it, and in numberless windings round unpaffable hills, and by the fides of rivers it was impoffible to cross, journeyed a great many miles: but no human creature, or any kind of house, did I meet with in all the long way, and as I arrived at laft at a beautiful lake, whose banks the hand of nature had adorned with vaft old trees, I fat down by this water in the fhade to dine, on a neat's tongue I had got from good Mrs. Price; and was fo delighted with the ftriking beauties and ftillness of the place, that I determined to pass the night in this fweet retreat. Nor was it one night

M 3

A refles.

tion.

night only, if I had my will, that I would have refted there, Often did I wish for a convenient little lodge by this sweet water fide, and that with the numerous fwans, and other fowl that lived there, I might have pent my time in peace below, till I was removed to the established seat of happiness a bove.

29. Had this been poffible, I fhould have avoided many an affliction, and had known but few of thofe expectations and difappointments, which render life a scene of emptiness, and bitterness itself. My years would have rolled on in peace and wifdom, in this fequeftered, delightful fcene, and my filent meditations had been productive of that good temper and good action, which the refur rection of the dead, the diffolution of the world, the judgment day, and the eternal ftate of men, require us to have, Free from the various perplexities, and troubles I have experienced by land and fea, in different parts of the world, I fhould have lived, in this paradice of a place, in the enjoyment of that fine happiness, which eafy country bufinefs and a ftudious life afford; and might have made a better preparation for that hour which is to difunite me, and let my invifible spirit depart to the fhades of eternity. Happy they, who in fome fuch rural retirement, can employ fome useful hours every day in the management of a little comfortable farm, and devote

the

the greater portion of their time to facred knowledge, Heavenly piety, and angelick goodnefs; which cannot be diffolved when the thinker goes, nor be confined to the box of obfcurity, under the clods of the earth: but will exift in our fouls for ever, and enable us to depart in peace to the happy regions. This has ever made me prefer a retired country life, when it was in my power to enjoy it. But be it town or country, the main bufinefs, my good readers, fhould be to fecure an inheritance in that eternal world, where the fanctified live with God and his Chrift. Getting, keeping, multiplying money; dress, pleasure, entry; are not only little things for fuch beings as we are: they are indeed fad principal work for creatures that are paffing away to an everlasting state; there to lament their loft day, and talents mifapplied, in dreadful agonies, in the habitations of darkness;

-or, to remain for ever in the habitations of light, peace, and joy; if you have laboured to obtain, and improve in the graces and virtuous qualities which the gospel recommends. These are the treasure and poffeffion worth a christian's acquiring. Thefe only are portable into the eternal world; when the body that was cloathed in purple and fine linen, and fared fumptuously every day, is laid in a cold and narrow cave. Take my advice then, reader. Be ready. Let us fo think and act in this firft ftate, that in the next, we