t ed, and tranfported at fo great and marvelous a difplay of the rich and fovereign grace of God, in the falvation of Philetus, faid, nothing lefs than eternity can fuffice, to record the wonders of redeeming love, nor can eternity itself fuffice to utter all his praise. And now my dear Sirs, fupper is already upon the table, and ceremony with us would be unfeemly, permit me the pleasure of conducting you. Philoxenus, who esteemed it the duty of every man to be a priest in his own houfe, in offering prayer, and praife to God in behalf of his family, performed the fervice of reasonable and dependant creatures, all whofe wants are fupplied by the rich liberality of heaven. In the provifions of the table, might be seen the œconomist, and the christian; profufion, and parfimony were fo well attempered, that there was plenty without fuperfluity, and a kind of penury without want. Supper being ended, the family was called in, and the tranfactions of the day were concluded with reading a portion of fcripture, prayer and thanksgiving to almighty God. After After a little ufeful converfation, Amyntas propofed going to bed, saying, he was quite averfe to late hours, for fays he, I hold it good to be moderate in all the actions of life; I have found excefs in all things to be pernicious both to body and foul, therefore I carefully avoid all extremes, of exercise, reft, feafts, and fasts. The beds being prepared, they mutually wifh'd a good night, and each commended himfelf to the care and keeping of the watchful shepherd of Ifrael. DIALOGUE DIALOGUE V. HELTERED under the fhaS dow of the Almighty's wings, protected by the guardian care of attendant angels, and bleft with foft repofe, they paft the night; nor did the eye-lids of the morning difclose the chearing light before Amyntas, who having heard Philetus to have left his bed in an apartment adjoining, thus falutes him-Good-morrow my dear friend, I hope you rife refreshed with a comfortable repofe, and difpofed to run with chearfulness the appointed race fet before us. Philetus. May the good wifhes of my friend, be multiplied unto him, whom I truft has been favoured with no lefs fafe protection, nor less refreshed with comfortable fleep, than I have been. I may fay with pious David, I laid me down in peace, I flept, and now am rifen again, for the Lord fuftained me. The hours of darknefs have been to my my perception, as fhort as fo many minutes, while pleafing dreams of heaven, and heavenly things, have rather rendered my repofe delightful than uneafy and disturbing. Amyntas. Such I conceive will be the fleep of death; the foul feparated from its earthy partner, and imparadifed in the Redeemer's prefence, will be fo ravifht with the beatific fight, that the appointed period the duft fhall fleep in the earth, (though it should be prolonged to hundreds or thousands of years,) will appear as a dream, in the feafon of a fhort night. How comfortable is our fleep when we dream of heaven, and heavenly things; we then receive refreshment both of body and foul; and although dreams are in themselves fantastical and airy, yet do they clearly indicate the activity of the soul, the impediments and incumbrances of the body, which clogg, and hinder it's free exercife in the present state, and it's immortal nature. * Philetus. * Ev'n filent night proclaims the foul immortal : |