a light brighter than the sun, and such as mortals cannot behold; then, with your eyes wonderfully perfect, you will contemplate the stupendous structure of the excellent heavens and their admirable adorning, and the glorious bodies of the saints that have arisen; glorious and happy yourself, you will behold the very Saviour of the world, to whose unspeakable love are owing all those delights; you will see, and (unless I am mistaken) with countenance much more joyful than you have ever yet beheld it, each pious companion whom you at any time most dearly loved; you will see, also, never again to be separated from you, your parents, and all others whom you loved on earth, if they, by a real faith in Christ, and sincere repentance, shall have rendered themselves fit for the joys of heaven. With your ears you will eagerly draw in the sweetest strains of the heavenly choir, and the perfect harmony of the holy assembly; most delighted yourself, you will have an increase of joy whilst you celebrate with them the boundless goodness, the infinite wisdom, the Almighty power, and

all other perfections of the Deity, whilst with sweet voice and grateful heart you alternately shout with them the praises of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God, my little child, will banish from that happy place whatever might disturb your quiet, or molest your ears; never will you hear there the confused noise of a rabble, the unpleasant clamour of soldiers; you will never hear the sad messengers of slaughter, neither the unbecoming strife of wranglers, nor the profane voices of blasphemers, nor lying scoffs of the envious, nor the unseasonable folly of the praters: whatever is heard there partakes of love, and will greatly increase your gratitude and happiness, and, that I may express all in few words, when you shall inhabit that blessed region, all the faculties of your soul and body will be perfected beyond the utmost wish you can conceive, and will for ever and ever be satisfied, but without weariness, with objects most acceptable. And now I would, my little child, that you should tell me whether you would not willingly exchange this present for that

future life; whether you would not rather, if the choice were now given you, immediately hasten unto God, than by this life being prolonged, expose yourself to the danger of losing all these joys?"

The Curate may also exhort a little child of this description, that he should unceasingly repeat those little prayers which his memory retains, and especially the Lord's Prayer, which contains in itself, on a small tablet as it were, all those petitions which ought to be offered unto God.

An Appendix respecting the various modes in which the sick may be brought to an acknowledgment, and, when necessary, to a confession of their sins.

Although there is apparently no command of God, by which any one is bound to reveal to any priest all those secret sins which he has at any time committed against God, his neighbour, and himself, it is nevertheless ne- The necessity cessary, and, indeed, in accordance with the amination of

of private ex

the conscience, and

tage of

confession.

divine precepts, that every one should disthe advan- charge his conscience, and by how much the more distinctly he discerns his secret faults, that he should subject it to a close examination; and it is also not unfrequently desirable, and of great advantage to the sick, be he who he may, that he should disclose to a confidential Curate, who is as it were his spiritual physician, the secret diseases of his soul, and subject them to be closely examined; for cases very frequently occur, in which he who has kept them cautiously concealed, cannot rationally expect wholesome advice. But men Men, for the for the most part are so indisposed towards are averse to this just and needful care of their soul's health, that it seldom happens that any one willingly ventures upon the unpleasant undertaking of rightly unburdening himself in this matter, or of disclosing to his Pastor (being possessed with a foolish bashfulness) those wounds of conscience which he ought to expose, in order that they may be healed; and, therefore, to every one who has the cure of formance of souls, it is a work of the utmost skill to be

most part,

either.

The Curate should endeavour to

lead the sick

to the per

both.

to say by

he can ac

this.

able to lead such reluctant persons to these unpleasant duties; yet how he may be able It is difficult to bring them, whether they be willing or not, what method to an acknowledgment of their sins, and how complish he may, nevertheless, himself, whenever the sick would conceal them, obtain a knowledge of their former habits, which knowledge will indeed be necessary, in order that he may benefit them by his advice; and, finally, by what method he may at last proceed in order to bring every sick person, naturally more averse than he should be, to a due sense of his faults, and thereby be enabled expertly to discover the things which it is desirable he should know, I cannot easily determine; for when they who greatly dislike and avoid a due examination of conscience, endeavour to conceal those sins which they ought to disclose, being influenced by a variety of motives, it is scarcely possible to bring them all by one and the same method to a discharge of this duty; nay, rather, according to the various motives which influence their minds will the modes of discoursing with them be also vari