they may descend upon your head, "in the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of peace." you To give their genuine lustre to all his other endowments, he was careful to maintain an humble mind. Though his friends might admire his superior abilities, or his acquaintance, applaud his exemplary behaviour, he saw how far he fell short of the mark of his high calling; saw, and lamented his defects; saw, and renounced himself; relying for a final acceptance, and endless felicity, on a better righteousness than his own; even on the transcendently perfect righteousness, and inconceivably precious death of JESUS the Redeemer. This was the rock of his hope, and the very crown of his rejoicing. These, Sir, are some of the distinguishing characteristics of your deceased parent. As had the misfortune to lose so valuable a relative, before you was capable of forming any acquaintance with his person; I flatter myself you wi will the more attentively observe his picture; this his moral picture; designed, not to be set in gold, or sparkle in enamel, but to breathe in your spirit, and to live in all your conduct. -Which, though it be entirely your own, calculated purely for yourself, may possibly (like the family pieces in your parlor, that glance an eye upon as many as enter the room) make some pleasing and useful impression on every beholder.-May every one, charmed with the beautiful image, catch its resemblance; and each in his respective sphere, "go, and do likewise!" But you, Sir, are peculiarly concerned to copy the amiable original. As the order of an indulgent providence has made you heir of the affluent circumstances, let not a gay and thoughtless inadvertence cut you off from the richer inheritance of these noble qualifications. These will be your security amidst all the glittering dangers, which are insepara ble from blooming years, and an elevated situation in lifeThese are your path, your sure and only path, to true great ness and solid happiness.-Tread in these steps, and you cannot fail to be the darling of your friends, and the favorite of heaven. Tread in these steps, and you will give inexpressible joy to one of the best of mothers; you will become an extensive blessing to your fellow creatures; and which, after such most engaging motives, is scarce worthy to be mentioned, you will be the delight, the honor, and the boast of, Dear Sir, Your very affectionate godfather, And most faithful humble servant, JAMES HERVEY. Weston-Favel, near Northampton, PREFACE. WE have already exercised our speculation on the Tombs and Flowers; surveying nature, covered with the deepest horror, and arrayed in the richest beauties. Allegory taught many of the objects to speak the language of virtue, while Imagination lent her coloring to give the lesson an engaging air. And this with a view of imitating that divine Instructor who commissioned the lily,* in her silver suit, to remonstrate in the ear of unbelieving reason; who sent his disciples (men ordained to teach the universe) to learn maxims of the last importance, from the most insignificant birds,* that wander through the paths of the air; from the very meanest herbs,* that are scattered over the face of the ground.† * Matth. vi. 26, 28, 29, 30. † Celebrated writers, as Demosthenes and Cicero, Thucydides and Livy, are observed to have a style peculiar to themselvesNow, whoever considers the discourses of CHRIST, will find him distinguishing himself by a style, which may properly be called HIS OWN. Majestic, yet familiar; happily uniting dignity with condescension; it consists in teaching his followers the sublimest truths, by spiritualizing on the most common occurrences; which, besides its being level to the lowest apprehen. sions, and admirably adapted to steal into the most inattentive heart, is accompanied with this very singular advantage, that it turns even the sphere of business into a school of instruction; and renders the most ordinary objects a set of monitors, ever soliciting our regard, because ever present to our senses.that, I believe, it may be said of this amiable method, in which Our LORD conveyed, as well as of tha powerful energy which -So Emboldened by the kind acceptance of the preceding sketches, I beg leave to confide in the same benevolence of taste, for the protection and support of the two remaining essays; which exhibit a prospect of still life, and grand operation; which moralize on the most composed, and most magnificent appearances of things.-In which Fancy is again suffered to introduce her imagery, but only as the handmaid of Truth, in order to dress her person, and display her charms; to engage the attention, and win the love even of the gay, and of the fashionable. Which is more likely to be effected by forming agreeable pictures of nature, and deriving instructive observations, than by the laborious method of long deduced arguments, or close connected reasonings.-—-— The contemplation of the heavens and the earth, of their admirable properties and beneficial changes, has always afforded the most exalted gratification to the human mind. In compliance with this prevailing taste, I have drawn my serious admonitions from the stupendous theatre, and variegated scenery of the universe: that the reader may learn his duty, from his very pleasures;-may gather wisdom, mingled with virtue, from the most refined entertainments, and noblest delights. attended his doctrines, that never man spake like this man. The harvest approaching, he reminds his disciples of a far more important harvest, John iv. 35. Matth. xiii. 29. when immortal beings reaped from the grave, and gathered in from all the quarters of the earth, when every human creature shall sustain the character of valuable wheat, or despicable tares; and accordingly be lodged in mansions of everlasting security, or consigned over to the rages of unquenchable fire.In his charge ermen, when they are commencing preachers, Matth. iv. 19. he exhorts them, conformably to the nature of their late occupation, to use the same assiduity and address in winning souls, as they were wont to exercise in catching the finny preythe farther illustration of this no less useful, than curious subject, I would refer my reader to a valuable note in Sir Isaac Newton's observations on the prophecies. p. 148, 4to. edition. to fish. For The evening drawing her sables over the world, and gently darkening into Night, is a season peculiarly proper for sedate consideration. All circumstances concur to hush our passions, and sooth our cares; to tempt our steps abroad, and prompt our thoughts to serious reflection. -Then is the time, For those whom wisdom, and whom nature charm, And soar above this little scene of things; To tread low thoughted vice beneath their feet; The favor I would solicit for the first of the following compositions, is, That it may be permitted to attend, in such retired and contemplative excursions; to attend, if not under the character of a friend, at least in the humble capacity of a servant, or a page ;-as a servant, to open the door of meditation, and remove every impediment to those best exercises of the mind, which blend advantage with amusement, and improve while they delight: :--as a page, to gather up the unstable fluctuating train of fancy; and collect her fickle powers into a consistent, regular and useful habit of thinking. The other, conversant among the starry regions, would lead the imagination through those beautiful tracts of unclouded azure, and point cut to the judgment some of those astonishing particulars, which so eminently singalize the celestial worlds. A prospect this, to which curiosity attracts our eyes, and to which scripture itself often directs our study: a prospect beyond all others most excellently calculated to enlarge the soul, and ennoble its conceptions ;to give the grandest apprehensions of the everlasting GoD, and create sentiments of becoming superiority, with relation to all transitory interests; in a word, to furnish faith with the surest * THOMSON'S Autumn, 1. 973. |