to one of these Comforters, as Auguftus did to his Friend who advised him not to grieve for the Death of a Perfon whom he loved, because his Grief could not fetch him again: It is for that very Reason, faid the Emperor, that I grieve.

ON the contrary, Religion bears a more tender Regard to human Nature. It prescribes to every miferable Man the Means of bettering his Condition; nay, it fhews him, that the bearing of his Afflictions as he ought to do will naturally end in a Removal of them: It makes him eafie here, because it can make him happy hereafter.

UPON the whole, a contented Mind is the greatest Bleffing a Man can enjoy in this World; and if in the prefent Life his Happiness arifes from the fubduing of his Defires, it will a rife in the next from the Gratification of them.

N° 575.

A

Monday, Auguft 2.

-Nec morti effe locum

PIONE you are in

ther World.

Virg.

Lewd young Fellow feeing an aged Hermit go by him barefoot, Father, fays he, you are in a very miferable Condition if there is not anoTrue Son, faid the Hermit; but what is thy Condition if there is? Man is a Creature defigned for two different States of Being, or rather, for two different Lives. His firft Life is fhort and tranfient; his fecond permanent and lafting. The Question we are all concerned in is this, In which of these two Lives it is our chief Interest to make our felves happy? Or, in other Words, Whether we fhould endeavour to fecure to our felves the Pleafures and Gratifications of a Life which is uncertain and precarious, and at its utmoft Length of a very inconfiderable Duration; or to fecure to our felves the Pleasures of a Life which is fixed and

fet

fettled, and will never end? Every Man, upon the first hearing of this Queftion, knows very well which Side of it he ought to close with. But however right we are in Theory, it is plain that in Practice we adhere to the wrong Side of the Question. We make Provifions for this Life as tho' it were never to have an End, and for the other Life as tho' it were never to have a Beginning.

SHOULD a Spirit of fuperior Rank, who is a Stranger to human Nature, accidentally alight upon the Earth, and take a Survey of its Inhabitants; what would his Notions of us be? Would not he think that we are a Species of Beings made for quite different Ends and Purposes than what we really are? Muft not he imagine that we were placed in this World to get Riches and Honours? Would not he think that it was our Duty to toil after Wealth, and Station, and Title? Nay, would not he believe we were forbidden Poverty by Threats of eternal Punishment, and enjoined to pursue our Pleasures under pain of Damnation? He would certainly imagine that we were influenced by a Scheme of Duties quite

op

opposite to those which are indeed prefcribed to us. And truly, according to fuch an Imagination, he muft conclude that we are a Species of the moft obedient Creatures in the Univerfe; that we are conftant to our Duty; and that we keep a fteddy Eye on the End for which we were fent hither.

BUT how great would be his Aftonishment, when he learnt that we were Beings not defigned to exift in this World above threefcore and ten Years? and that the greatest Part of this bufie Species fall fhort even of that Age? How would he be loft in Horrour and Admiration, when he should know that this Sett of Creatures, who lay out all their Endeavours for this Life, which fcarce deferves the Name of Existence, when I fay, he should know that this Sett of Creatures are to exift to all Eternity in another Life, for which they make no Preparations? Nothing can be a greater Disgrace to Reason, than that Men who are perfwaded of these two different States of Being, fhould be perpetually employed in providing for a Life of threefcore and ten Years, and neglecting to make

Pro

Provifion for that, which after many Myriads of Years will be still new, and still beginning; efpecially when we confider that our Endeavours for making ourselves great, or rich, or honourable, or whatever else we place our Happiness in, may after all prove unsuccessful; whereas if we conftantly and fincerely endeavour to make our felves happy in the other Life, we are fure that our Endeavours will fucceed, and that we shall not be disappointed of our Hope.

THE following Question is started by one of the Schoolmen. Suppofing the whole Body of the Earth were a great Ball or Mafs of the finest Sand, and that a fingle Grain or Particle of this Sand fhould be annihilated every thousand Years. Suppofing then that you had it in your Choice to be happy all the while this prodigious Mass of Sand was confuming by this flow Method till there was not a Grain of it left, on condition you were to be miferable for ever after; or, fuppofing that you might be happy for ever after, on condition you would be miserable till the whole Mafs of Sand were thus annihilated at the rate of one

Sand