I GRANT, faid ADAM, that all this is juft, and I fubmit: But is there not yet another Way, befides. thefe painful Paffages, how we may fuffer DEATH, and mix with the Earth out of which we were made?

THERE is, reply'd MICHAEL, another Way not painful, if thou obferve the Rule well, of taking nothing to Excefs; but be careful to obferve Temperance in eating and drinking; feeking from thence, not to fatisfy a gluttonous Defire, but only due Nourishment: So may'ft thou live, 'till many Years pafs. over thy Head; 'till thou drop like ripe Fruit, down to thy Mother Earth; or being quite ripened for DEATH, be gather'd with Eafe, and not pluck'd harfhly. This is old Age; but then thou must outlive thy Youth, and all thy Strength and Beauty; all which will change, and thou be wither'd, weak, and grey-hair'd: Thy Senfes then will become unactive, nor have any Relifh of Pleasure, like what thou haft now; and, for the Air of Youth, (chearful and full of Hope and Joy) a melancholy Damp of Coldnes will reign in thy Blood, opprefs and weigh down thy Spirits; and laftly, confume the Balm, and extinguifh the Lamp of Life.

To whom our firft Anceftor replied: Henceforward, I will not fly from DEATH, nor would I much prolong Life; but rather be glad to know, how I might best and easiest get rid of this Load which I muft keep, 'till the Day appointed for me to render it up, and attend with Patience the Time of my Dif

folution!

To this MICHAEL replied: Neither love nor hate Life; but all the Time thou liveft, live well; whether for few or many Days, leave that to the Will

of

of GOD; and now prepare thyfelf to see another Sight,

ADAM look'd, and faw a fpatious Plain, upon which there were Tents (1) of different Size and Colours: By fome there were Cattle grazing; from others might be heard the melodious Sound of Inftruments; the Harp, and Organ; and he was feen, who mov'd their Stops and Chords, his nimble Fingers going through all Proportions, low and high, correfponded in all the Parts. In another Part stood One, (m) labouring at a Forge, who had melted two maffy Pieces of Iron and Brafs, (whether found where accidental Fire had destroy'd the Woods, upon fome Mountain or Valley, down to the Veins of the Earth; thence flowing hot to fome Cave's Mouth: Or whether wash'd by Streams from under Ground) he drained the liquid Ore into Molds fitly prepar'd; from which he first form'd the Tools he was to work with; and then what elfe might be wrought or caft in Metal. After thefe, on the hither Side of the Plain, a different Sort of People defcended from the high neighbouring Hills, which was their Habitation: By their Appearance they feem'd juft Men, and the whole Purpose of their Study to worship GoD rightly, and to know his Works, which are not hidden; nor to know thofe Things laft, which might preserve Free

(1) Tents; Fr. from the Lat. i. e. Holding or containing; because therein Men and their Houfhold-Stuff were contained: Or from Nata, Heb. i. e. Stret ched out; because they were moveable Habitations, extended upon the Ground. A military Term. Tabernacles, Booths, or Pavilions, with Coverings made of Canvas, to fhelter Men from the Injuries of the Air;

for Soldiers, when they are in the Field; then four or five of them lie in one Tent, &c. In the first Ages of the World Men liv'd in Tents only; and fo they do to this Day in many Parts of Afia and Africa; but through Europe they are only used for Soldiers.

(m) One; i. e. Tubal-Cain, the first Master of Smiths, Gen.

4. 22.

Freedom and Peace to MEN: They had not walk'd long upon the Plain, when behold a Company of fair Women iffued forth from the Tents, wantonly and gayly drefs'd, and adorn'd with Jewels; they fung foft amorous Songs to Inftruments of Mufick, and came on, dancing: The Men, though they were grave, ey'd them as they pafs'd, and let their Eyes rove without Restraint; 'till drawn by ftrong Paffion and Inclination, they began to like them, and each chose her he lik'd: And now they began to talk of Love, and let the Day pass on in nothing else; then grown warm, they light the nuptial Torch, and invoke HYMEN, then firft invok'd, to give a Sanction to Marriage Rites: All the Tents refound with Feftival and Mufick. Such happy Interview and Intercourse, the fair Confequence of Love and Youth not loft, Songs, Garlands, Flowers, and charming Symphonies touch'd the Heart of ADAM with Pleasure, who was foon inclin'd to admit of Delight; (which is indeed too much the Bent of Nature!) and he thus exprefs'd it:

BLEST Angel! and one of the chief of Heaven! true Opener of my Eyes! this Vision feems much better than those two pafs'd, and foretells more Hope of peaceful Days: Those were full of Hate and DEATH, or Pains and Diseases much worfe; here NATURE feems to have all her Ends anfwer'd:

To whom MICHAEL fpoke in this Manner: Never judge of what is beft by Pleasure, though it may feem conformable to NATURE; feeing thou art created to a nobler End, holy and pure, and in Conformity with GOD! Thofe Tents thou faweft, which appear'd fo pleasant, they were the Tents of Wickednefs; in which his Race fhall dwell, who flew his Brother; they appear ftudious of Arts, that polish and adorn Life; and are Inventors of rare and curious

Things;

Things; unmindful of their MAKER; though his Spirit taught them, but they acknowledge none of his Gifts: Yet they fhall beget a beauteous Offfpring; for that fair female Troop thou faweft there, they that feem'd like Goddeffes, fo blyth, so smooth, and gay; are yet deftitute of all Good, wherein confifts the domeftick Honour and chief Praife of a Woman; but these are bred up only and accomplish'd to the Taste of finful Defire, and learn to dance, and dress, and lifp, and glance with their Eyes. That sober Race of Men (whofe religious Lives make them be call'd the Sons of GoD) fhall ignobly yield up all their Virtue, and all their Fame, to the Arts and Smiles of these fair Atheists; and now fwim in Joy and laugh, though Judgment is near at Hand, and all their Laughing to be turn'd into Tears!

To whom ADAM made Anfwer, convinc'd of the Falseness of his Joy on the Sight of Pleasure: O what a Pity and Shame! that they who live good Lives, and begin fo well, fhould turn afide to tread indirect Paths, or faint by the Way! But ftill I fee the Tenor of MAN'S Mifery holds on the fame, and is to begin from WOMAN,

Ir begins, faid the Angel, from the effeminate Slackness of MAN, who by Wisdom, and the fuperior Gifts he hath receiv'd, fhould hold his Place bet ter: But now prepare thyfelf for another Sight.

ADAM look'd, and faw a wide Territory fpread before him; Towns, and large Countries between them; Cities with lofty Gates and Towers, full of Inhabitants arm'd and gather'd together, with fierce Faces threatening War: They were great Giants, and fit for bold Enterprizes; Part wielded their Arms, and Part curb'd the War-horfes; for there was both Horfe and Foot, in a good Rank and Order of Bat

tle:

tle: One Way a felect Band drove a Herd of fair Cattle from foraging in a fat Meadow Ground, or elfe a Flock of Sheep and Lambs over the Plain, which they had taken as their Booty: The Shepherds fcarcely can efcape with their Lives; but when fled they call Affiftance, which makes a bloody Fray. The Squadrons join in Battle; and now where the Cattle lately graz'd, the bloody and deferted Field lies fcatter'd with Carcaffes and Arms. Others encamp'd lay Siege to a strong City, affaulting it by Battery, Scaling, and Mining: Others defend it from the Walls with Darts, Javelins, Stones, and fulphurous Fire; Slaughter and War raging on every Side. In the other Part, the Heralds call to Council at the Gates of the City; and prefently affemble grey-headed and grave Men mix'd with Warriors; and they make Harangues: But Faction foon makes Oppofition; 'till at laft one ENOCH (2) rifing up, of middle Age, diftinguish'd from the reft by his wife Deportment, fpoke much of Right and Wrong, of Juftice, Religion, Truth, Peace, and Judgment from above; both young and old exploded him, and had laid violent Hands upon him, had not a Cloud defcended, and amidst the Throng fnatch'd him thence unfeen: So Violence and Oppreffion, and Sword-law proceeded through all the Plain, and there was no Refuge to be found. ADAM was all in Tears to fee it, and full of fad Lamentation faid thus to his Guide:

O! WHAT are these? These are DEATH's Minifters, not MEN! who thus inhumanly deal DE ATH to MEN, and ten-thoufand-fold multiply the Sin of

(n) Enoch, or Hanoch; Heb. i. e. Dedicated. The Son of Jared, and the feventh Patriarch from Adam, born A. M. 622. He liv'd 365 Years in the middle Age of the World, between

him

the Creation to the Flood; and the middle Age of Men in thofe Days; and was tranflated into Paradife, without tafting of Death and Mortality.