God's word. Things eternal may have the afcendant in our practical judgment, and then with pleasure we become followers of them, who through faith and patience inhe rit the promises.

Good Sir, this is all our fowing time, and whatsoever a man foweth, that fhall he also reap. He that foweth to his flesh, fhall of his flesh reap corruption; but he that foweth to the fpirit, fhall of the spirit reap everlasting life. And therefore, whether your lot be caft in the happy middling state, or you were born to thousands a year, let wisdom be your rule, and prefer that happiness which has everlasting duration, in the realms of light above, to any prefent good that can come in competition with it. Do not spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which fatisfieth not. Do not employ your pains for that which hath vanity written upon it, by the word of God, by the teftimony of the wifeft men, and by frequent experience; but let your principal regard be for your immortal foul, when nothing can be given in exchange for the foul. Implore the light and grace of the good fpirit, and by the quickening influences of the Father of the univerfe, and the exertion of your whole ftrength, let it be the principal labour of your every day, to make advances in the divine life, and be a bleffing to fociety. wherever

“”།

wherever you come. In virtue and charity may you excel.

You will pardon old Ribble, I hope, good Sir, and excufe his addreffing himself to you in this manner. It is an odd conclufion, I own, to a discourse on metals and femi-metals; but it is from an extreme regard I have conceived for you, that I talk as I do, and prefume to call upon you, (as you are a young man of fortune, I fuppofe) to confider ferioufly of that decree, which is the refult of unerring wisdom, and the will of the Rector of the universe, to wit, that we are all under the law of death, and through that gate muft pafs, perhaps at a day's, an hour's warning, to the refurrection of the dead, to be adjudged to happiness or nifery, as time has been employed, and life fpent here. This is the decree of the Moft High God, and of confequence, it is incumbent on us, to prepare for the awful bereafter, and endeavour by good actions, and a virtuous mind, by purity of conscience, and an exalted piety, to come off well in judgment. Happy-thrice happy they that do fo.

Here little Ribble the Chemist had done, and I had reafon to return him my very hearty thanks for the favour of his whole difcourfe. I was vaftly obliged to him for the knowledge he had given me, in relation to the philofophy of metals, and taking him by the hand,

promised

A charming vale,

in Notting

Mr.Monck

202.

promised him, that I would ever gratefully remember his moral conclufion. This pleafed the old gentleman, and at four in the afternoon we parted.

§. 3. Reflecting on the wonders of the and coun- metals, which I had heard old Ribble fo well try house, difcourfe of, and being more intent on what bambire, had been told me of these things, that I the feat of might never forget fuch ufeful learning, I trotted on for feveral hours without minding the road, and arrived as the fun was fetting in a deep and melancholy vale, through which a pleasant river run, that by the murmur of its ftreams, feemed to be marked out for the rendezvous of the thoughtful, who love the deep receffes, and embowring woods, with the foft thrillings of gliding ftreains, as much as the fprightly court the gayeft scenes. In this fweet fpot, I found a pretty country houfe, and not knowing where I was, rid up to the door, to enquire my way. A gentleman, who feemed to be about forty, immediately appeared, let me know I was at a confiderable distance from any town, and as it was near ten, told me I had beft reft with him that night, and I was moft heartily welcome. This was humane and civil. I accepted the kind invitation, and immediately went in with him. He brought me into a decent room, and gave me a handfome meal. We

had

had a couple of bottles after fupper, talked of a thousand things, and then withdrew to wind up the machines. He would not let me stir the next morning, and after dinner we became well acquainted. Six days this gentleman prevailed with me to stay at his houfe, and then I left him with regret. He was fo generous, fo civil, and in every thing fo agreeable, that I could not avoid admiring him, and/regarding him to an extreme degree. His name was Monckton.

Monckton.

§. 4. Avery Monckton had seen the world, Character when he was a young man, and by reading of Mr. much, and thinking a great deal, had ac quired an extenfive knowledge, and a deep penetration. In him the gentleman and the fcholar were vifible. He feemed fuperior to folly, and his philofophy appeared to be an affiduous examination of his ideas, fancies, and opinions, in order to render them true and juft. His religion confifted in a chearful fubmiffion to the divine pleasure, with refpect to all things independent of us, or abfolutely external to us; and in a continued exertion of benevolence, in doing all the good he could. What the theology of fects was, and the notions of divines, he never minded. It was his opinion, that an active charity is the only thing that can liken and approve us to the original benevolent mind:

and

and that it is reafonable to fubmit to all his difpenfations, fince the providence of an infinitely perfect Being, muft do all for the best in the whole. This was Avery Monckton, Efq. In his perfon he was tall, and very thin.

This gentleman told me the following re markable ftory relating to himself, on my afking him, if he had ever been married?→→ Yes, Sir, he replied: When I was about five and twenty, a young lady came in my way, who had all the external charms that ever adorned a woman, and I thought her mind as perfect in goodness of every kind, as minds can be on this earth. I made my addreffes to her, and with fome difficulty perfuaded her to accept of a good jointure, and be a wife; for fhe had got it into her head, that chriftian perfection confifted in a virgin-life.. I loved her to an extreme degree, and fancied myfelf beyond mortals happy, as her fondness feemed equal to my paffion, and the expreffed it in a moft tranfporting way. Three months paffed on in this delightful manner, and I fhould have thought an age but minutes, if the scene was to have no change. But every thing must have an end in this poor ftate. Bufmefs called me one morning early into the city, and till it was late at night, I thought not to return: Back however I was compelled to

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go