houfed your pleasant Plant, and removed into Shelter a tender Flower, before the Thunders roared: before the Lightnings flew before the Tempeft poured its Rage?-O remember! they are not loft, but taken away from the Evil to come *

AT the fame time, let Survivors, doomed to bear the Heat and Burden of the Day, for their Encouragement reflect-That it is more honourable to have entered the Lifts, and to have fought the good Fight, before they come off Conquerors. They who have bore the Cross, and fubmitted to afflictive Providences, with a chearful Refignation; have girded up the Loins of their Mind, and performed their Master's Will, with an honeft and perfevering Fidelity: -Thefe, having glorified their Redeemer on Earth, will, probably be as Stars of the firft Magnitude in Heaven. They will fhine with brighter Beams, be replenished with ftronger Joys, in their LORD's everlasting Kingdom.

HERE lies the Grief of a fond Mother, and the blafted Expectation of an indulgent Father. -The Youth grew up, like a well-watered Plant; he fhot deep, rofe high, and bid fair for Manhood. But juft as the Cedar began to tower; and promised, ere long, to be the Pride of the Wood, and Prince among the neighbouring

*Ifa. lvii. I.

Trees

Trees-Behold! the Ax is laid unto the Root; the fatal Blow ftruck; and all its branching Honours tumbled to the Duft.-And did he fall alone? No: The Hopes of his Father that begat him, and the pleafing Profpects of her that bare him, fell, and were crufhed together with him.

DOUBTLESS, it would have pierced one's Heart, to have beheld the tender Parents, following the breathlefs Youth, to his long Home. Perhaps, drowned in Tears, and all overwhelmed with Sorrows, they ftood, like weeping Statues, on this very Spot.-Methinks, I fee the deeply-diftreffed Mourners attending the fad Solemnity. How they wring their Hands, and pour Floods from their Eyes!--Is it Fancy? or do I really hear the paffionate Mother, in an Agony of Affliction, taking her final Leave of the Darling of her Soul? Dumb she remained, while the awful Obfequies were performing; dumb with Grief, and leaning upon the Partner of her Woes. But now the inward Anguish ftruggles for Vent; it grows too big to be repreffed. She advances to the Brink of the Grave. All her Soul is in her Eyes. She faftens one more Look upon the dear doleful Object, before the Pit fhuts its Mouth upon him. And as fhe looks, fhe cries:-in broken Accents, interrupted by many a rifing Sob, fhe cries" Farewel, my Son! my Son! my C 3

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only Beloved! Would to Go D I had died for thee!-Farewel, my Child! and farewel all my earthly Happiness!-I fhall never "more fee Good, in the Land of the Living.Attempt not to comfort me.- I will "mourning, all my Days, till my grey Hairs come down, with Sorrow to the Grave."

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FROM this affecting Representation, let Parents be convinced, how highly it concerns them to cultivate the Morals, and fecure the immortal Interefts of their Children.-Ifyou really love the Offspring of your own Bodies; if your Bowels yearn over those amiable Pledges of conjugal Endearment; fpare no Pains; give all Diligence, I intreat you, "to bring them up "intheNurture andAdmonition of the LORD." Then, may you have Joy in their Life, or Confolation in their Death. If their Span is prolonged; their unblameable and ufeful Gonduct, will be the Staff of your Age, and a Balm for declining Nature. Or, if the Number of their Years be cut off in the midft; you may commit their Remains to the Duft, with much the fame comfortable Expectations, as you fend the Survivors to Places of genteel Education. You may commit them to the Duft, with chearing Hopes of receiving them again to your Arms, inexpreffibly improved in every noble and endearing Accomplishment.

'Tis certainly a fevere Trial; and much more afflictive, than I am able to imagine; to resign a lovely blooming Creature, sprung from your own Loins, to the gloomy Receffes of Corruption. Thus to refign Him, after having been long dandled upon your Knees; united to your Affections by a thousand Ties of Tenderness; and now become, both the Delight of your Eyes, and the Support of your Family! -To have fuch a one torn from your Bofom, and thrown into Darkness; doubtless, it must be like a Dagger in your Hearts.--But O! how much more cutting to you, and confounding to the Child, to have the Soul separatedfrom God; and, for fhameful Ignorance, or early Impiety, tranfmitted to Places of eternal Torment! How would it aggravate your Distress and add a distracting Emphafs to all your Sighs, if you fhould follow the pale Corpfe with these bitter Reflections!"This Dear Creature, though long ago capable of knowing Good from Evil, is gone out of the World, before it had learned the great Defign of coming into it. A 66 fhort-lived momentary Existence, it received "from me; but no good Inftructions, no holy Admonitions, nothing to further its Wellbeing in that everlasting State, upon which it is now entered. The poor Body is configned to the Coffin, and carried out to con

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"fume away, in the cold and filent Grave. "And what Reafon have I to fuppofe, that the precious Soul is in a better Condition? May I not justly fear, that, fentenced by the righteous Judge, it is going, or gone "away, into the Pains of endless Punishment? -Perhaps, while I am bewailing its untimely Departure; it may be curfing, in outer Darkness, that ever to be deplored, that most calamitous Day, when it was born of such "a careless, ungodly Parent, as I have been."

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NOTHING, I think, but the Gnawings of that Worm which never dies, can equal the Anguish of these self-condemning Thoughts. The Tortures of a Rack muft be an eafy Suffering, compared with the Stings and Horror of fuch a Remorfe. How earneftly do I wifh, that as many as are entrusted with the Management of Children, would take timely Care to prevent thefe Scourges of Confcience; by endeavouring to conduct their Minds into an early Knowledge of Chrift, and a cordial Love of his Truth!

On this Hand is lodged One, whofe Sepulchral Stone tells a moft pitiable Tale indeed! Well may the little Images, reclined over the fleeping Afhes, hang down their Heads with that penfive Air! None can confider fo mournful a Story, without feeling fome Touches of

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