H'

EUDOX US.

IS window falutes the Eaft. The valleys must be gilded by the morning rays, by the time I get to Eudoxus, for already have they made the uplands fmile, and the face of nature chearful. With this folilo. quy in his mouth, Philemon sprang from bed, and, hurrying on a dress calculated for convenience rather than fhow, fallied out to call on his friend Eudoxus.

The freshness of the air, the verdure of every field and tree, the enamel of the meadows, the mufic of the birds, that with melodious and chearful voices welcomed fo fair a morning, the curious orient streaks with which the rifing fun embellished the eastern part of Heaven, and, above all, that fource of light, who, though he fhews us all that we fee of glorious and fair, fhews us nothing fo glorious and fair as himself, quite charmed and tranfported Philemon. He was roufed from his extacy by a female songstress, whose voice, though not governed by skill, did, by its native sweetness, so repair the want of it, that art was abfent without being miffed.

Curiofity prompted him to fee who was the poffeffor of fo much power to please, whom he foon difcovered in the habit of a milk-maid. The fair creature had the blushes of the morning in her cheeks, the fplendour of the fun in her eyes, the freshnefs of the fields in her looks, the whitenefs of the milk she was expreffing in her skin, the melody of the lark in her voice. Her cloaths were almost as coarse as cleanly, and though they fuited her condition, were very ill matched with her beauty.

Having liftened a while attentively to this artless syren, he pursued his way, when, in a narrow path, his eyes were faluted by a far different object; an epitome of human ftature, a fuperannuated figure of mortality, whofe fhrivelled meagre face, hollow eye, and tattered fqualid rags, recalled to his imagination the customary ingredients neceffary to make a witch, when fuperftition, mistake and malice are difpofed for fuch a work.

This miferable object was crawling to her wretched home, under a burthen too much for her strength to bear, though confifting but of the refufe of boughs which the wind of the preceding night had snapped from the lofty trees of a neighbouring avenue. A few anfwers fatisfied Philemon of the reality of her fufferings; and, influenced by the tendereft and most powerful instinct of nature, compaffion, he haftened to relieve her diftrefs, and to gratify himself in the exquifite rapEUROP. MACG.

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tures that flow from compaffion and benevo lence.

He foon arrived at the habitation of Eudoxus, who had, in the course of two months, buried an affectionate wife, and a promising amiable fon. He found the worthy Divine (for fuch he was) with a book before him, in which he feemed to read attentively. At the fight of Philemon he sprang forward, and, embracing him, placed him on a feat befide him; when, wiping away a tear that would' force itself into his eye, he thanked him for his friendly vifit. Philemon faw with pleafure the Chriftian deportment of this holy mourner. No fallying into loud complaints; no wringing of the hands, or beating of the breast, or wishing himself unborn, which are but the ceremonies of forrow, the pomp and oftentation of an effeminate grief, which speaks not fo much the greatnefs of the mifery, as the littleness of the mind.

To whom Philemon.-I thought it my duty to come, feeing we are not born for ourfelves only, but by the very condition of our nature are obliged to confecrate our lives to the fervice of others: It is a reciprocal debt, from which no mortal is free. I rejoice to find you fo compofed, after fo fevere a vifitation, and could almost wish to ask on what confiderations that comfort is founded, that fo much exceeds the expectations even of your friends.

I am forry, replied Eudoxus, if any reafons are thought neceffary for my present compofure; but I will faithfully give them all.

And I will begin by confeffing, that I did, at first, fincerely wish to follow, where all I held dear, was gone before. For who can either marvel at, or blame, the defire of advantage? Can any thing be more natural than that the weary traveller fhould long for reft, the prifoner for liberty, and the banished for home? But I recollected what I had fo often myself preached to others, that, in general, we should only hope in this world for content; that if we aim at any thing higher, we fhall chiefly meet with grief and difappointment; that our endeavours, as rational beings, should be principally directed at making ourselves eafy now, and happy hereafter; as mifery and affliction are not lefs natural in this world, than forrow, hail, storm, and tempeft; and it were as reasonable to hope for a year without winter, as for a life without trouble. Life, however sweet it feems, is a draught mingled with bitter ingredients. Some drink deeper than others, before they come at them; but, if they do not swim at Eee

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the top for youth to tafte them, it is ten to one but old age will find them thicker at the bottom; and it is the employment of faith and patience, and the work of wisdom and virtue, to teach us to drink the fweet part with thankfulness and pleasure, and to fwallow the bitter without reluctance and repining. Nay, I have told my flock, that we stand indebted to Divine Providence for our phyfic, as well as our food; that the contempt they experience from men, is a wholesome purge for pride, their poverty a cure for luxury and wanton defires, and that fickness makes us duly grateful for health.

I next reflected that my vifitations were not like those of Job, fudden, and treading on the heels of each other, but were gradual and forefeen; and fo much as an evil touches on the means, fo much help it yields to wards patience. Every degree of forrow is a preparation for the next; but when we pass to extremes without the means, we want the benefit of recollection, and must truft entirely to our own ftrength. To come from all things to nothing, is not a descent, but a downfall, where it is a rare case not to be maimed at laft.

I next confidered the force of example how great is the facred office I bear; which puts it in my power, not only to excufe, but almoft to canonize the worft actions; which ought, therefore, to make me remarkably ftrict and wary ir. all my behaviour: fince many of my parishioners, thinking it, perhaps, impoflible to fail, in imitating me, my faults may contract a deeper guilt, by being precedents, than by being fins.

Laftly and principally, my friend, I fupport myself in knowing, that through the merits of my Redeemer, the day will shortly come, that will caft no clouds upon my mind, nor ftir the leaft breath of inordinate paffion in my foul; when I fhall be always ferene, have the happiness to live in a conftant tranquility and unruffled repose, without pain, fickness, or infirmity, in the prefence of the Divine Majesty and the blessed Jefus; in the fociety of glorious Angels, and good men made perfect; to partake of a felicity great as God's goodness could design, his wifdom contrive, or his power effect, for my entertainment.

Such a noble inftance of pious refignation, fuch a fpecimen of rational comfort, kept, for a while, even Philemon filent; which Eudoxus interpreting as a mark of his not being fufficiently convinced by what he had yet faid, he added:-Some pious men, Phile

on, have gone much farther than this, and have afferted, that to be corrected by fuch a father as God, aud with fo much love, doth put us rather into a need of humility for

moderating that joy, which we fhall be apt to conceive from his charity towards us, than of the virtue of patience, whereby to endure the punishment that he lays upon us; for though he fometimes gives a pardon without correction, yet never correction without an intent to pardon. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, bleffed be the name of the Lord.

Eudoxus was now fo compofed, that he preffed his friend to stay and breakfast with him, and while it was preparing, propofed walking with him a little into the fields, during which he expressed fuch fatisfaction at every thing about him, as convinced Phile. mon his mind was entirely at peace. A very short walk brought them in fight of a handfome houfe, which the good Divine pointed to with a figh. Being asked the reafon, he replied, There lives Varanes, a youth whofe faults are more the effect of a remifs education and the contagion of loose company, than the product of a bad heart. As foon as I am able, my first visit must be there. The indecency and intemperance of his conduct demands my friendly interpofition. He has but lately taken that house, and, this circumitance excepted, I have no reason to complain of my fituation. I have rather reason to think myself happy. Zachary and Elizabeth, we read, had good neighbours, who did not envy their happiness, but rejoiced with them when they rejoiced, and, doubtlefs, would have wept with them, had they wept. A preacher that liveth among fuch, hath obtained a fair benefice, and may well acknow. ledge with David, "that the lot is fallen unto him in a fair ground, and that he hath a goodly heritage." But woe to that Zachary, as an old writer emphatically fays, who is brother to dragons, and a companion unto oftriches; constrained to dwell with Mefkech, and to have his habitation among the tents of Kedar.

I have fometimes thought, faid Philemon, this is one of the principal hardships of your function. Your preferment may be advantageous, and the fituation healthy and delightful, while the perfons with whom you must associate, may chance to be perfectly difagreeable; or, which is much worse, and yet very frequent, difpofed to quarrel upon every occafion, if not with you, at leaft with one another.

Of all that is commanded us, faid Eudoxus, there is nothing more contrary to our wicked nature, than to love our neighbour as ourfelves. We can with eafe envy him if he be rich, or fcorn him if he be poor-but, to love him-the Devil hath more craft than fo. It were hard for him to prevail over so many, if men fhould once begin to love one another.

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