affes, dies in a mistake as grofs and fatal as that wherein he lived. Indeed, to the honour of the Proteftant church, we must obferve, that this most destructive of all errors is feldom found within her pale; at least, in comparison with its frequency in the Romish church; where the religious orders are led to deceive even the fouls of dying men, for the fake of accumulating wealth to their own focieties. Shocking and dreadful! how contrary to the tenor of that Gospel, by which we are affured, that the truly humbled heart, and penitent defire, a lively faith, and undissembled forrow, can alone recommend us to the Father of Heaven, through the merits and interceffion of his only begotten Son! Before I conclude this chapter, let me point out to my reader a noble penitent of the Proteftant communion, as a contrast to this Cardinal of the church of Rome: the late Earl of Rochefter, I mean; whofe life was defiled with every vice, but whofe death was diftinguished by the most exemplary repentance-a repentance, not shown by external gifts, and the appointment of repeated maffes for his foul; but by inward contrition, and a real forrow for his paft fins, by a defire to undo all the evil he had done, and to ftop the current of all the mifchief which unhappily owed its fource to him ;-by an unfeigned application to the only Redeemer of loft finners, and a fixed refolution to amend his life (if that life fhould be fpared), and to be as exemplary in holinefs, as he had been infamous in every practice of vice. This is true repentance ;* and fuch a penitent, Chrift will affuredly redeem, as well from the guilt, as from the defilement of all accumulated iniquities. True repentance is a bleffed token of the forgiveness of fins, none ever truly repented of fin without its being pardoned, through the merits of Jefus's blood, which cleanses from all fin. CHA P. XV. Take phyfic, pomp: Expofe thyfelf to feel what wretches feel, That thou may'ft shake the fuperflux to them, SHAKESPEARE. HIGH in health, and recumbent on the downy breaft of profperity and indulgence, Securus rejects our reflections with difdain, and will not, cannot bear to hear of death, the cruel fpoiler of all his earthly comforts. "Away with the melancholy ftrain (he cries); I cannot endure the voice of this gloomy contemplative. Let him not approach to difturb my repofe, nor like the hoarfe and ill-boding raven, croak his fatal admonitions in my ears." Ah, mistaken mortal,what troubles art thou treasuring up for a future moment! Pity him, Heaven, who has no pity for himfelf!-We will leave him then, though with forrow and compaffionate regret, and intreat thy attendance, Oh ferious and Chriftian reader, (who art not afraid to view thefe mournful but inftructive fcenes) to the fick, the dying bed of the poor man, now that we have vifited together, the fuperb vault of the affluent and noble. If thou art rich, perhaps thou haft never been called to fo fad a scene, and the fight of it may teach thee gratitude and content: if thou art poor, it will affect thy heart, and lead thee to a serious concern for futurity, that both Carry me, my feet, to the temple of the Lord; to the beds of the fick; and the houses of the poor. HERVEY'S MEDITATIONS. We are incited to the relief of mifery, by the conscioufnefs that we have the fame nature with the fufferer; that we are in danger of the fame diftreffes; and may fome time be obliged to im lore the fame afsistance. JOHNSON'S IDLER. temporal Drawn by Rorbould Turn round and view upon the floor Vide chap 199. REFLECTIONS ON DEATH Engraval by Warren. temporal and eternal evils may not be thy deplorable lot! Come then, and let me lead thee up thefe narrow and miferable ftairs, to the wretched apartment, whither I myfelf was ere while led, and where the poor man lies. languishing on the bed of emaciating difeafe! Seeft thou this difmal dwelling, foul, wretched, and offenfive! Hear, the wind whiftles through the fhattered cafement, ill defended by vile rags and darkened paper, fure mark of penury and diftrefs.* Seeft thou that wretched object, pale and meagre, with haggard, ftaring eyes, and beard unfhaven, ftretched upon thofe flocks, with not a curtain round him, and with fcarce a cover to conceal his wafted body? Turn round and view upon the floor another miferable heap of tatters. It is the bed of two poor children of this afflicted fufferer! and this, this place of woe, is the only habitation which receives and hides the heads of thefe poor and helplefs children, with their wretched mother and himself! That woman, bathed in tears, and clothed in the ragged garments of poverty, is the wife, the mother of thele unfortunate children-hapless wife! and ftill more hapless mother! But though narrow this apartment, though offenfive and foul,it would well fuffice,and be but little complained of, did not want, cruel want, here too fix her dreary abode; could the mother fupply the importunate demands of her hungry children, or alleviate the pains and fufferings of her oppreffed husband. But alas! the parish withholds relief from aliens to its rights, and how shall the charity of the beneficent find out in their obfcure retreats, the ftranger and unknown! Nay, but even poverty itfelf, with all its dire neceffities, might patiently be borne,well, very well, if fiducial dependance upon God, was but found in the Sore pierc'd by wintry winds, THOMSON'S SEASONS, I 2 fufferer's |