several children clinging to their father, begging him to save them; his silent sighs and tears strongly expressed his inability. In a few minutes the vessel was invisible, and every soul on board had perished.

I then looked to a humble cottage, the master of which was reading the 14th chapter of the gospel by St. John. I overheard him say, "My soul doth magnify the Lord; and all that is within me is stirred up to praise him." He laid down the book, and looking towards heaven, said, "My soul seems as if within the veil, viewing my dearly beloved Lord, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!" "Happy man!" said I, "thrice happy man! The aggregate riches of both the Indies could not give rise to such life, joy, and peace. In a few more hours, or years, that humble, unnoticed cottager shall stand before the throne of God and of the Lamb,and join for ever in the hallelujahs of the glorified!"

How differently is yonder miser employed, counting his money in that garret, trembling lest it should be seized by the hands of some robber! But I perceive a danger of which he is not aware; the under story of his house is in flames; but his attention to his treasure prevents his perceiving it, till too late to escape. He leaps from the window, is killed on the spot; and his property is consumed by the undistinguishing fire. My soul! Set thy affections on things that are above, where destruction shall be unknown for ever; where separation from the object of thy affections can never happen.

I next turned to a gaming company. To appearance they were all happy and cheerful. Some were losing, others gaining. A thoughtless young man lost his whole property at one throw of the dice! He slipped away to an

other apartment, and seemed ready to tear out his very heart. He had several brothers and sisters entirely dependent upon him for support, who had all been brought up in the first style. How to reveal his ruin to his friends he knew not; but do it he must. He called the gentleman aside who had gained his property, and begged him as a friend, to allow him only to retain a few thousand pounds, to prevent his utter ruin; but the love of money rendered this gentleman deaf to his proposal.

I saw a stack of chimnies blown down in one of the principal streets in Vienna, and five or six persons were buried in the rubbish! The relations of one of them lived on the other side of the street. It was affecting to hear their shrieks, and observe their anguish!

In an upper room of a house in Berlin, I observed an af fectionate mother taking leave of her numerous weeping children. She committed them to the care of her heav enly Father; commended the amazing love of God in his Son Jesus to their constant consideration; charged them to depart from iniquity, and to live obedient to their God; declaring, if they did not, her instructions and warnings would witness against them in the day of God. She stopped suddenly, closed her eyes, saying, "I go to God my Savior!" and died.

In South America, I beheld ten captives dragged to the mines, to remain under ground for life. As they entered the mouth of the pit, they looked back to the sun with sorrowful countenances, to bid a final adieu to that fair luminary. I followed them with an eye of pity many hundred yards down, and saw them instantly put to work. I next viewed a ship wrecked upon a barbarous coast. The mariners reached the shore with nothing more than

their lives. They scrambled up the rocks, and witnessed their vessel beat into a thousand pieces. A party of sava ges appeared from behind some,bushes, and barbarously slew these forlorn strangers. Perhaps at this very time the parents of some of them were in the midst of mer. riment, ignorant of the awful situation of their sons; others looking anxiously every day for the arrival of this ship, in which was a beloved father or brother, whom they had not seen for many years; nor will they ever be able to obtain intelligence respecting their fate.

Here, is a person put into prison, who lived in affluence and respectability all his days. He never, till now, was in a room from which he could not, or durst not, depart. His family at home resolve to visit him, but are denied admission; even a letter dare not pass between him and his dearest friends. True, his own folly brought him to this misery; but still he has the feelings of a man.

There, is a merchant lamenting the loss of a valuable ship and cargo. Here, one rejoices in the safe arrival of his vessel, and hopes for abundant profit from the sale of his goods. Here is one hurled from the pinnacle of opulence, into the valley of poverty. Here is a court favorite thrown into disgrace; and another is raised to his place. In that palace lies the man who made the world to trem ble, unable to move himself upon his bed, ready to experience death, which he often inflicted without remorse upon others! Thousands are preparing to congratulate his successor the moment his breath is gone. He receives no wholesome admonition respecting that eternity into which he is about to enter. To him it is a leap in the dark. His numberless avocations during health, left him no leisure to

look into the word of truth for instruction about his soul's salvation; he waited for a more convenient season; while foolishly doing so, the heavenly decree that he should die went forth from the Lord. He sickened, he trembled, he groaned, he died.

In that house to which I now look, lives a family overwhelmed with poverty; they have not a morsel to eat; being strangers in the town, they have no friends to apply to for assistance. Having seen better days, their situation is more distressing. A few doors from them I see a family living in the utmost profusion; their dishes at table are so numerous, they can hardly taste half of them, and yet they are not thankful! They say, "This fowl is too old; that one is not well cooked; this pudding is bad, and that trifle is intolerable." The patience of Job could not bear with the constant ingratitude of such creatures; yet God has patience to bear with such persons for many years; but if his goodness does not lead them to repentance, his wrath will begin to burn.

Now the angel who provided the telescope and trumpet, made his appearance. He asked me how many people were at this moment, within my view, in the agonies of death? After turning my glass to twenty or thirty cities, I said I supposed there might be twenty thousand in all the kingdoms which were visible. "Ah," said he, "there are more than a hundred thousand who will not live twenty four hours! There are also many thousands of these people who are running about in perfect health, who will be dead before the week expires!"

He remarked, that God was every minute creating hundreds of souls and bodies for their habitation, and summonVOL, I.

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ing about the same number to appear at his judgment bar. Had you powers capable of distinguishing spirits, you would perceive a constant flight of souls leaving the world; some for the mansions of the blessed, others bound for the abodes of the wretched!

The angel, after taking from me the telescope and trumpet advised me to dwell as a pilgrim and stranger in that miserable world, till my time for departing should come; daily to bewail the direful effects which sin has produced; to forsake every evil way myself, and warn others to do the same; assuring them, from God's word, that believers in Jesus have the promise of the life that now is, and the life that is to come. "Go in peace," said he, "and may the God of love and peace be with you."

On this I awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. But, surely, there has not been a day since the world was generally peopled, but similar scenes have taken place. Such contemplations have certainly a practical tendency; if they have not this effect, we are mere speculators.

LINES INTENDED FOR A WATCH PAPER.

MOMENTS Swiftly fly away!

Nothing can compel their stay;

Whither are they leading me?

To a vast eternity;

To a heav'n of perfect bliss,

Or a dreadful dark abyss!

What, my soul, then canst thou do,

With such prospects in thy view?

Flee to Jesus, flee away;

Not tomorrow, come today;

Come this moment; for, to thee

It now may be eternity!