The dust I tread on, high to bear my brow, And triumph in existence; and couldst know "This, Madam, (continued Dick) is the only disposition that can possibly make us happy: the good Doctor appears to have had that faith and trust in God, which every real christian should have. In another place, he says, If sick of folly, I relent; Christ writes My name in heav'n, with that inverted spear (A spear deep dipt in blood) which pierc'd his side, And open'd there a font for all mankind Who strive to combat crimes, to drink and live; at The parents of this lady I find are called good kind of people; when they have no company home, they go to church once of a Sunday; are kind, obliging neighbours, good to the poor, &c. But it does not appear that they consider themselves possessed of an immortal part, which must be happy or miserable to all eternity They have, it seems, a Bible in their house, carefully locked up. For the first ten years after they were married, this bible was brought down stairs once in a year, or once in two years at farthest, to insert in the blank leaf the names of their children, together with the year, day, and hour of the day, in which each of the little strang ers made its first appearance. After the children were grown old enough to dispute about their age, the bible was several times produced to settle these disputes; but after some of the girls had reached their twenty-fourth year without being married, the bible was taken more care of than ever; as the eldest daughters were always ready to settle the ages of the younger part of the family, to save them the trouble of looking into the said blank leaf. Although one cannot help remarking with con cern, that some of those who are acquainted with the theory of religion, and who, to shew their knowledge, or for worse purposes, introduce it unseasonably, are yet known to be more relax in the performance of the duties it enjoins, than some that say little, and know less; yet, surely, those who in the higher walks of life totally neg lect that important subject, and bring up their chil dren in gross ignorance of religion, must certainly be blameable in a very high degree. My people (saith God) perish for want of knowledge. It is really astonishing that mankind should employ so much of their time in acquiring the knowledge of the most trifling things; and, yet contentedly, remain in ignorance of the christian religion, which tends so much to enlarge the powers of the human mind; and is the only basis of happiness here, and hereafter I remember reading, thirty years since, in old Pemble's Treatise of Grace, in folio, an account of an old man, who, on his death-bed, was asked by the minister, What he thought God was? He replied, "A fine old man. What do you think Jesus Christ is?" A hopeful youth," was the reply. What do you think your soul is? "A great bone in my back," was the answer. I am sorry to say, that this excellent lady's knowledge in divine subjects but little exceeds that of Pemble's poor old man; but in sincerity and openness of heart, I never saw one that exceeded her. I am, dear friend, Your's. LETTER XVI. The mind is its own place, and in itself DEAR FRIEND, IN October 1798, S. P. Peach, Esq. being Major of the Tockington Volunteers, gave an en tertainment to his corps, and others of his neigh bours, in honour of Lord Nelson's glorious vice tory. This was done on the lawn before his house. The good cheer, the company, music, songs, bonfire, fire-works, &c. had a wonderful effect on the poor countrymen; one of them, in raptures, exclaimed, (by my side) "This is heaven upon earth!" Upon which another of our volunteers very sincerely and earnestly declared, that "he did not think that heaven was half so fine a place." This had not the least appearance of lew vity; but was an honest effusion of the hearts I will give you another anecdote of a similar kind. A neighbouring clergyman was sent for to pray with a farmer's wife, on the Marsh-Common, about five miles from my house. He, in order to reconcile her to her dying situation, and to send her quietly away, held forth on the happiness which all good people enjoy after death at the right hand of God; during which she shewed signs of impatience. The divine still kept on, and enlarged on the glory, splendour, &c, of heaven, until her patience being quite tired out, she exclaimed, "Don't tell me a long tale about the glo ry of Heaven; Old England, and the Marsh-Common for me." Were it only a few poor ploughmen, and a Marsh-Common farmer's wife, that had such low thoughts of the happiness of a future state, ope should not be so much surprised; but is there not reason to think that there are thousands who have no better opinion of heavenly pleasure than these poor untaught creatures that have acquired but few ideas above the hogs they feed, or the beasts they drive. The lady that was introduced to you in my last letter freely confessed herself to be of that number. She informed us, that except now and then, when the thought of death, and the "Anxious casting up of what might he, "Alarm'd her peaceful bosom," and made her gloomy, she had always been happy through life; that she would rather live here for ver than go to heaven; that she had not conceiv very favourable ideas of the happinesss there to be enjoyed; and as she had no knowledge of, or relish for divine things, she did not see how she could comfortably spend an eternity in a place where nothing else was going forward. I fear this ady has, in giving us her own thoughts, given us the thoughts of thousands; and I think she reaSoned well. There cannot be the least doubt that the reason why many wish to go to heaven, is not from any love they have for God or heaven; but as they know that there are but two places, they wish to go there to avoid hell. How many are there that think the sabbath a very tiresome day, because they have no relish for religious duties; nay, how many of those who go to church not only do hot find any pleasure there, but are glad when the service is over? What enjoyment then can such expect in heaven? I well remember that both I and my companions formerly used to laugh at the thoughts of going to heaven; and were so profane as to say that we should not like for ever to sit on cloud and sing hallelujah; and I fear we spoke the real sentiments of many more. Before any one can properly wish for heaven, or enjoy it herefter, he must repent, and pray until God gives him a clean heart, and renews a right spirit within im Old things must be done away, all things must And then he will be meet to be a par taker of the inheritance with the saints in light. But to return. When the lady had expressed her mean ideas of the joys of heaven, Dick began to spout away, become new. |