Her defolate father was defirous of attending the funeral, but, on my knees, I diffuaded him from it, as I was affured it would burft in twain the already overftretched thread of his age and infirmities. He then infifted on having the lid of the coffin removed, and bending over, he caft his old body on the corpfe: again he rofe and gazed upon it; and clapping his hands with a fhout, Is this my world, he cried, the whole of my poffeffions? Are you the one that was once my little prattling Matty, the play-fellow of my, knees, the laugher away of care, who brought cheer to my heart and warmth to my bofom? Are you the one for whom, alone, I spent my nights in thought and my days in application? Is this all that is left, then, of my length of labours? O, my fpark of life is quenched! in thee, my Matty, my Matty, the flowing fountain of my existence is dried up for ever.

There is fomething exceedingly folemn and affecting, my coufin, in the circumftances and apparatus of our funerals; they are oppreffive even to minds that are no way concerned or interefted in the death of the party lamented. Though I grieved no more for my Matty, though I was as affured of her blifs as I was of my own being; yet, when the gloom of the pro

ceffion

ceffion was gathered around me; when I heard the wailing of the many families whom her charity had fuftained; when I heard the bitter fobbings of the fervants, whom her sweetness had fo endearingly attached to her perfon; when all joined to bewail themselves as loft in her lofs; my heart died, as it were, within me, and I should have been fuffocated on the spot, had I not given instant way to the swell of my forrows.

The tempeft of the foul, Madam, like that of the elements, can endure but for a feafon. The paffion of Mr Golding, on the interment of every joy and of every hope that he could look for upon earth, within a few weeks fubfided, or rather funk into a folid but fullen peace; a kind of peace that seemed to fay, there is nothing in this universe that can disturb me.

Harry, faid he, one evening, I have been thinking of the vision that I have had. Vision, Sir, faid I, has my Matty then appeared to you? Yes, he answered, she was the principal part of my vifion for these twenty years paft, The vifion that I mean, my Harry, is the dream of a very long and laborious life. Here have I, by the toil of fifty years application, fcraped together and accumulated as much as, in these times, would fet kings at con

tention,

tention, and be accounted a worthy caufe for fpilling the blood of thousands; and yet what are these things to me, or of what value in themselves more than the ftones and rubbish that make our pavement before the door? I have been hungering and thirsting after the goods of this world, Ihave acquired all that it could give me, and now my foul, like a fick ftomach, difgorges the whole. I then took one of his hands, and preffing it tenderly between mine, O, my father, I cried, my dear, dear father, O, that I might be made fons and daughters, and every fort of kindred to you! all that I am and have fhould gladly be fpent in bringing any kind of comfort to you my father!

In about a fortnight after, as I entered his apartment to bid him good-morrow, Í obferved that his countenance had much altered from what it was the evening before, that he looked deeply dejected, and feemed to breathe with difficulty.

Are not you well, Sir? No, fays he, my fpirits are greatly oppreffed. I find. that I must leave you fhortly; I believe that I must go fuddenly; but where to? That is the question, the very terrible question; the only queftion of any importance in heaven or on earth. Sure, Sir, faid I, that can be no question to you, whofe

whole

whole life has been a continual courfe of righteoufness, of daily worship to God, and good will to all men. If you have any fins to account for, they must be covered tenfold by the multitude of your charities.

Talk not, Harry, said he, of the filthy rags of my own righteoufnefs. I am far from the confidence of the boastful Pharifee; alas, I have not even that of the poor and humble publican, for I dare not look up to fay, "Lord, be merciful to me a fin"ner!" wherefore then do you speak of having finished my course toward God and toward man? It is but lately, very lately that I fet out upon it, and I am cut fhort before I have got within fight of the goal. Yes, Harry, I fear, I know, I feel, that there is no falvation for me.

You amaze me, Sir, said I, you terrify me to death. If there is not falvation for fuch as you, what a depth of perdition opens for the reft of mankind?

I would you could convince me, he cried. I want to be comforted; I defire comfort, any kind of confolation : but I feel my condemnation within myself. Moreover, I fee every text of the gospel of the words of life terribly marthailed and fet in broad array againft me. What text, Sir? faid I; I am fure I know of no VOL. III.

D

texts

texts that bring terror or condemnation to the juft. Ah, Harry, he replied, justice is of the law and the circumcifion, and has nothing to do with the new covenant or the new man. For, what fays the great apoftle?" Circumcifion availeth nothing, "neither uncircumcifion, but a new crea"ture." And Chrift himself had faid, "Except a man be born again, he can"not fee the kingdom of God." Again, the fame apofile faith, "I delight in the "law of God after the inward man :” and again," My little children of whom "I travail in birth again, until Chrift be "formed in you." Now, if all these correfponding expreffions of being "born again,

a new creature, a new man, an inward "man, Chrift formed in us," &c. are to be gloffed and explained away, as meaning little more than a ftate of moral fentiments and moral behaviour, there can be nothing of real import in the gospel of Chrift.

Again, hear what the Redeemer faith: "Except ye be converted and become as "little children, ye fhall not enter into "the kingdom of heaven." Again, "If 66 any man will come after me, let him "deny himself and take up his cross and

follow me." Again, "Whosoever he

" be