WITH this very Motive, heightened by a Reprefentation of the moft charming Pieces of Morning Scenery, the Parent of Mankind awakes his lovely Confort. There is fuch a Delicacy in the Choice, and fo much Life in the Description, of these rural Images; that I cannot excufe myfelf, without repeating the whole Paffage.-Whisper it, fome friendly Genius, in the Ear of every One, who is now funk in Sleep, and loft to all these refined Gratifications!

Awake: the Morning fhines, and the fresh Field Calls you: Ye lofe the Prime, to mark how Spring The tended Plants, how blows the Citron Grove; What drops the Myrrh, and what the balmy Reed; How Nature paints her Colours; how the Bee Sits on the Bloom, extracting liquid Sweets*.

How delightful is this Fragrance! It is diftributed in the nicest Proportion; neither fo ftrong, as to oppress the Organs; nor so faint, as to elude them. We are foon cloyed at a fumptuous Banquet; but this Pleasure never lofes its Poignancy, never palls the Appetite.Here, Luxury itfelf is innocent; or rather, in this Cafe, Indulgence is incapable of Excefs.This balmy Entertainment, not only regales the Senfe, but f chears the very Soul; and, inftead

VOL. I.

Ο

* M ILT. Par. Loft. B. V. 1. 20.

+ Ointment and Perfume rejoice the Heart.

of

Prov. xxvii. 9.

of clogging, elates its Powers.-It puts me in mind of that ever memorable Sacrifice, which was once made in behalf of offending Mortals. I mean the Sacrifice of the bleffed JESUS; when He offered up Himfelf to GOD, "for a fweetsmelling Savour." Such the Holy Spirit ftiles that wonderful Oblation: as if no Image, in the whole fenfible Creation, was fo proper to give us an Idea of the ineffable Satisfaction; which the Father of Mercies conceived, from that unparalleled Atonement; as the pleafing Senfations, which fuch rich Perfumes are capable of raifing. "Thousands of Rams, and "ten Thousands of Rivers of Oil," from an apoftate World; the moft fubmiffive Acknowledgements, added to the most coftly Offerings, from Men of defiled Hands, and unclean Lips; what could they have effected? A Prophet reprefents the "High and Lofty One, that in"habiteth Eternity" turning Himself away from fuch filthy Rags; turning Himself away, with a difdainful Abhorrence, as from the noifomeSteams of a Dunghill.--But inCHRIST'S immaculate Holiness; in CHRIST'S confummate Obedience; in CHRIST'S moft precious Bloodfhedding; with what unimaginable Complacency, does Juftice reft fatisfied, and Vengeance acquiefce!-All thy Works, O Thou Surety for ruined Sinners! all thy Sufferings, O Thou flaughtered

* Amos v. 21, 22.

flaughtered Lamb of GoD! as well as all thy Garments, O Thou Bridegroom of thy Church! fmell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Caffia *! They are infinitely more grateful to the eternal Godhead, than the choiceft Exhalations of the Garden, than all the Odours of the spicy East, can be to the human Noftrils.

As the Altar of old fanctified the Gift; fo this is the great Propitiation, which recommends the obnoxious Perfons, and unprofitable Services of the believing World. In this, may my Soul be interested! By this, may it be reconciled to the Father!-There is fuch a leprous Depravity cleaving to my Nature, as pollutes whatever I perform. My moft profound Adorations, and fincereft Acts of Religion, must not prefume to challenge a Reward, but humbly implore Forgivenesst. Renouncing, therefore, myself in every Inftance of Duty; difclaiming all Shadow of Confidence in any Deeds of O 2

* Pfal xlv. 8.

my

+ A Writer of diftinguished Superiority, thus addreffes the great Obferver of Actions, and Searcher of Hearts; and vindicates my Sentiments, while he fo juftly and beautifully utters his own;

Look down, great GoD, with Pity's fofteft Eye,
On a poor breathing Particle in Duft.

His Crimes forgive; forgive his Virtues too,
Thofe fmaller Faults, half Converts to the Right.
Night-Thoughts, No IX.
45, in the Second Edition of a moft

+ See Page 44

&

my own; may I now, and evermore, be accepted through the Beloved!

WHAT Colours, what charming Colours, are here! These, fo nobly bold; and Thofe, fo delicately languid. What a Glow is enkindled in fome! what a Glofs fhines upon others! In one, methinks, I fee the Ruby with her bleeding Radiance; in another, the Sapphire with her Sky-tinctured Blue; in all, such an exquifite Richness of Dyes, as no other Set of Paintings in the Universe can boast*. With what a mafterly Skill, is every one of the varying

candid and evangelical little Treatife, called CHRISTIANITY the Great ORNAMENT of Human Life. If Chriftians happily avoid the dangerous Ex

treme, and too often fatal Rock, of a dead fruitless "Faith on the one hand, He [i. e. Satan] will endeavour, by all kind of plaufible Infinuations, to split them on the oppofite, viz. Spiritual Pride, Oftentation, and Dependence on their Works, as if THESE were the meritorious, or procuring Cause of all true Peace, Hope, "Confolation, and DivineAcceptance.-Now this SelfDependence may be ranked among the mofl dangerous of the infernal Politics, because the fatal Poifon lies deep, and too often undifcerned."

*

--Who can paint

Like Nature? Can Imagination boast,
Amid his gay Creation, Hues like these?
And can he mix them with that matchlefs Skilt,

And lay them on fo delicately fine,

And lofe them in each other, as appears

In ev'ry Bud that blows ?—

THOMS. Spring.

varying Tints difpofed! Here, they seem to be thrown on with an eafy Dafh, of Security and Freedom; there, they are adjusted by the niceft Touches, of Art and Accuracy. Those which form the Ground, are always fo judiciously chofen, as to heighten the Luftre of the fuperadded Figures; while the Verdure of the Impalement, or the Shadings of the Foliage, impart new Livelinefs to the Whole. Indeed; whether they are blended, or arranged; softened, or contrafted; they are manifeftly under the Conduct of a Tafte, that never mistakes; a Felicity, that never falls fhort of; the very Perfection of Elegance.-Fine, inimitably fine, is the Texture of the Webb; on which these shining Treasures are displayed. What are the Labours of the Perfian Looms, or the boasted Commodities of Bruffels, compared with these curious Manufactures of Nature? Compared with thefe, the moft admired Chintfes lofe their Reputation; even superfine Cambrics, appear coarfe as Canvafs in their Prefence.

WHAT a chearing Argument does our Saviour derive from hence, to ftrengthen our Affiance in GOD! He directs us to learn a Lesson of Heaven-depending Faith, from every Bird, that wings the Air; and from every Flower, that bloffoms in the Field. If Providence, with unremitted Care, fupports those inferior Creatures; and arrays thefe infenfible Beings,

Ó 3

with