IN THREE VOLUME S. By JAMES HERV E Y, A. M. For Zion's fake will I not hold my Peace, and for Jerufalem's VOL. III. LONDON: Printed by Charles Rivington, For JoHN and JAMES RIVINGTON, at the Bible and MDCCLY. HE laft Evening was one of the fineft I ever faw. According to my Cuftom, I made an Excurfion into the open Fields; and wanted nothing to complete the Satisfaction, but my Friend's Company*. I could not but obferve, how much your improving Converfation heightened the Charms of Nature. When Religion applied Philofophy, every Thing was inftructive, as well as pleafing.Not a Breeze fwept over the Plains, to clear the VOL. III. B Tu quod abes excepto, cætera lætus: Sky Sky, and cool the Air; but it tended also to disperse our Doubts, and inliven our Faith in the fupreme allfufficient GOOD.-Not a Cloud tinged the Firmament with radiant Colours, or amused the Sight with romantic Shapes; but We beheld a Picture of the prefent World, of its fading Acquifitions and fantastic Joys, in the mimic Forms and the tranfitory Scene. -Even the weakest of the Infect-tribe, that skim the Air in sportive Silence, addreffed Us with the strongest Incitements, and gave Us the loudeft Calls, to be active in our Day, and useful in our Generation. They cried, at least when You lent them your Tongue, Such is vain Life, an idle Flight of Days, How often, at the Approach of fober Eve, have We stole along the Cloysters of a fequeftred Bower; attentive to the Tale of fome querulous Current, that feemed to be ftruck with Horror at the awful Gloom; and complained with heavier Murmurs, as it passed under the blackening Shades, and along the Root-obftructed Channel.-Or elfe, far from the babbling Brook, and foftly treading the graffy Path, We listened to the Nightingale's Song: while every Gale held its Breath, and all the Leaves forbore their Motion, that they might neither drown nor interrupt the melodious Woe. From both which penfive Strains. You endeavoured to temper and chastise the exuberant Gaiety of my Spirits. You convinced me, that true Joy is a ferious Thing is the Child of fedate * * Res fevera eft verum Gaudium. Sen, fedate Thought, not the Spawn of intemperate Mirth: nurfed, not by the Sallies of diffolute Merriment, but by the Exercife of ferene Contempla tion. Sometimes, at the gladfome Return of Morn, we have afcended an airy Eminence; and hailed the new-born Day; and followed, with our delighted Eye, the Mazes of fome glittering Stream. Here rushing with impetuous Fury, from the Mountain's Side; foaming over the rifted Rocks, and roaring down the craggy Steep. Impatient as it were, to get free from fuch rugged Paths, and mingle with the Beauties of the lower Vale.-There, flackening its headlong Career, and fmoothing its Eddies into an even Flow. While, deep embofomed in the verdant Mead, it glides through the cherished and fmiling Herbage. Sometimes, loft amidst clofing Willows; fometimes, emerging with fresh Beauty from the leafy Covert; always, roving with an Air of amorous Complacency; and careffing, as it were, the fringed Banks, and flowery Glebe.-Reminded, by this watery Monitor, of that Conftancy and Vigour, with which the Affections fhould move towards the great Center of Happiness, CHRIST JESUS-of that determined Ardour, with which we should break through the Intanglements of Temptation, and Ob stacles of the World, in order to reach our everlasting Rest-and of the mighty Difference between the turbu→ lent, the frothy, the precipitate Gratifications of Vice, and the calm, the fubftantial, the permanent Delights of Religion. Or elfe, with eager View, we have furveyed the extenfive Profpect, and wandered over all the Magnificence B 2 |