the paffengers defcribe the fhore at which he first embarked.

Before me, and on either fide, was an expanse of waters violently agitated, and covered with fo thick a mist, that the most perfpicacious eye could fee but a little way. It appeared to be full of rocks and whirlpools; for many funk unexpectedly while they were courting the gale with full fails, and insulting those whom they had left behind. So numerous, indeed, were the dangers, and fo thick the darkness, that no caution could confer fecurity. Yet there were many, who, by falfe intelligence, betrayed their followers into whirlpools, or by violence pushed those whom they found in their way against the rocks.

The current was invariable and insurmountable; but though it was impoffible to fail against it, or to return to the place that was once paffed, yet it was not fo violent as to allow no opportunities for dexterity or courage, fince, though none could retreat back from danger, yet they might often avoid it by oblique direc

tion.

It was, however, not very common to fteer with much care or prudence; for, by fome universal infatuation, every man appeared to think himself safe, tho' he faw his conforts every moment finking round him; and no fooner had the waves clofed over them, than their fate and their mifconduct were forgotten; the voyage was pursued with the fame jocund confidence ; every man congratulated himself upon the foundness of his veffel, and believed himself able to ftem the whirlpool in which his friend was fwallowed, or glide over the rocks on which he was dafhed: Nor was it often obferved that the fight of a wreck made any man change his courfe; if he turned for a moment, he foon forgot the rudder, and left himself again to the disposal of chance.

This negligence did not proceed from indifference, or from weariness of their prefent condition; for not one of those who thus rufhed upon destruction failed,

when

when he was finking, to call upon his affociates for that help which could not now be given him: And many spent their laft moments in cautioning others against the folly by which they were intercepted in the midst of their course. Their benevolence was fometimes praised, but their admonitions were unregarded.

The veffels in which we had embarked being confeffedly unequal to the turbulence of the ftream of Life, were vifibly impaired in the course of the voyage, fo that every paffenger was certain, that how long foever he might, by favourable accidents or by inceffant vigilance, be preserved, he must fink at last.

This neceffity of perishing might have been expected to fadden the gay, and intimidate the daring, at least to keep the melancholy and timorous in perpetual torments, and hinder them from any enjoyment of the varieties and gratifications which nature offered them as the folace of their labours; yet in effect none seemed lefs to expect deftruction than thofe to whom it was moft dreadful; they all had the art of concealing their danger from themselves; and those who knew their inability to bear the fight of the terrors that embarraffed their way, took care never to look forward, but found fome amusement of the prefent moment, and generally entertained themselves by playing with Hope, who was the conftant afsociate of the Voyage of Life.

Yet all that Hope ventured to promise, even to those whom the favoured moft, was, not that they fhould escape, but that they should fink laft; and with this promife every one was fatisfied, though he laughed at the reft for feeming to believe it. Hope, indeed, apparently mocked the credulity of her companions; for, in proportion as their veffels grew leaky, she redoubled her affurances of fafety; and none were more busy in making provifion for a long voyage, than they whom all but themselves faw likely to perish foon by irreparable decay.

In the midft of the current of Life was the gulph of Intemperance, a dreadful whirlpool, interfperfed with C 2 rocks,

rocks, of which the pointed crags were concealed under water, and the tops covered with herbage, on which Eafe spread couches of repofe; and with fhades, where Pleasure warbled the fong of invitation. Within fight of these rocks, all who failed on the ocean of Life muft neceffarily pafs. Reafon indeed was always at hand to fteer the paffengers through a narrow outlet, by which they might escape; but very few could, by her intreaties or remonftrances, be induced to put the rudder into her hand, without ftipulating that fhe, fhould approach so near unto the rocks of Pleasure, that they might folace themselves with a fhort enjoyment of that delicious region, after which they always determined to pursue their course without any other deviation.

Reason was too often prevailed upon fo far by these promises, as to venture her charge within the eddy of the gulph of Intemperance, where, indeed, the circumvolution was weak, but yet interrupted the course of the veffel, and drew it, by infenfible rotations, towards the centre. She then repented her temerity, and with all her force endeavoured to retreat; but the draught of the gulph was generally too ftrong to be overcome; and the paffenger, having danced in circles with a pleafing and giddy velocity, was at last overwhelmed and loft. Thofe few whom Reason was able to extricate, generally fuffered fo many fhocks upon the points which fhot out from the rocks of Pleasure, that they were unable to continue their courfe with the fame strength and facility as before, but floated along timorously and feebly, endangered by every breeze, and fhattered by every ruffle of the water, till they funk by flow degrees, after long struggles and innumerable expedients, always repining at their own folly, and warning others against the gulph of Intemperance.

There were artists who profeffed to repair the breaches and stop the leaks of the veffels which had been shattered on the rocks of Pleafure. Many appeared to have great confidence in their skill, and fome, indeed, were preferved by it from finking, who had received only a

fingle blow; but I remarked that few veffels lafted long which had been much repaired, nor was it found that the artifts themselves continued afloat longer than those who had leaft of their affiftance.

The only advantage which, in the Voyage of Life, the cautious had above the negligent, was, that they funk later, and more fuddenly; for they paffed forward till they had fometimes feen all thofe in whofe company they had iffued from the ftraits of Infancy, perish in the way, and at last were overfet by a crofs breeze, without the toil of refiftance, or the anguifh of expectation. But fuch as had often fallen against the rocks of Pleasure, commonly fubfided by fenfible degrees, contended long with the encroaching waters, and haraffed themselves by labours that scarcely Hope herself could flatter with fuccefs.

As I was looking upon the various fate of the multitude about me, I was fuddenly alarmed with an admonition from fome unknown power: Gaze not idly upon others, when thou thyfelf art finking. Whence is this thoughtlefs tranquillity, when thou and they are equally endangered! I looked, and, feeing the gulph of Intemperance before me, ftarted and awaked.

The Necessity of forming religious Principles at an early Age.

S foon as you are capable of reflection, you must perceive that there is a right and wrong in human actions. You fee that those who are born with the fame advantages of fortune, are not all equally profperous in the course of life. While fome of them, by wife and steady conduct, attain diftinction in the world, and pass their days with comfort and honour; others of the fame rank, by mean and vicious behaviour, forfeit the advantages of their birth, involve themselves in much mifery, and end in being a difgrace to their friends, and a burden on fociety. Early, then, you may learn that it is not on the external condition in which you find yourselves placed, but on the part which you are to act, that your welfare or unhappinefs, your honour or infamy, depend. Now, when beginning to act that part, what can be of greater moment, than to regulate your plan of conduct with the most serious attention, before you have yet committed any fatal or irretrievable errors? If, instead of exerting reflection for this valuable purpose, you deliver yourfelves up, at fo critical a time, to floth and pleasure ; if you refuse to listen to any counsellor but humour, or to attend to any purfuit except that of amusement; if you allow yourselves to float loofe and carelefs on the tide of life, ready to receive any direction which the current of fashion may chance to give you; what can you expect to follow from fuch beginnings? While fo many around you are undergoing the fad confequences of a like indifcretion, for what reafon fhall not these confequences extend to you? Shall you only attain fuccefs without that preparation, and efcape dangers without that precaution, which is required of others? Shall happiness grow up to you of its own accord, and

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