bridled diffolutenefs of manners. Their eyes behold strange women, and their hearts utter perverse things. Inftead of regarding the common good, they commit the most extravagant injuries. Of fuch a hardning nature is too much gold, that it tends to make confcience infenfible and stupid, and renders it for ever unapt for impreffion. Then whoredom and wine, and new wine, take away the heart, and men are made to forget the law of God.

But having neither poverty nor riches, in the calm middle state, having all reasonable conveniencies, we can fairly come by; a vaft variety of creatures for our food, and wine in its feafon, to make glad the heart; we may then partake of the bounties of Providence, with a fober freedom, and at the fame time, can beft lay up for ourselves. a good foundation, or fecurity for the timeto come, that we may lay hold of eternal life.

Though it is with a profpect of difficul ties, that all must enter upon religion, and with labour and difficulty, maintain our ground, and acquit ourselves like chrif tians, that is, refift the devil in all his af faults, overcome the world in its enfnaring influence, and mortify the irregular incli

nations.

nations of nature; yet in the happy middle ftate, where there is no poverty nor riches, that is, great wealth, we can make everlafting glory and felicity our governing aim, and bound our ambition and defires by nothing short of the refurrection of the dead. We may live in a full and ready fubmiffion of the foul to the authority of God's word. Things eternal may have the afcendant in our practical judgment, and then with pleasure we become followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Good Sir, this is all our fowing time, and whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that foweth to his flesh, shall of his flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit, fhall of the spirit reap everlafting life. And therefore, whether your lot be caft in the happy middling state, or you were born to thousands a year, let wif dom be your rule, and prefer that happi nefs which has everlasting duration, in the realms of light above, to any present good that can come in competition with it. Do not spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which fatisfieth not. Do not employ your pains for that which hath vanity written upon it, by the word of God, by the teftimony of the

wifest men, and by frequent experience : but let your principal regard be for your immortal foul, when nothing can be given in exchange for the foul. Implore the light and grace of the good fpirit, and by the quickening influences of the Father of the universe, and the exertion of your whole ftrength, let it be the principal labour of your every day, to make advances in the divine life, and be a bleffing to fociety wherever you come. In virtue and charity 'may you excel.

You will pardon old Ribble, I hope, good Sir, and excuse his addreffing himself to you in this manner. It is an odd conclufion, I own, to a difcourfe on metals and femi-metals; but it is from an extreme regard I have conceived for you, that I talk as I do, and presume to call upon you, (as you are a young man of fortune, I fuppofe) to confider seriously of that decree, which is the refult of unerring wisdom, and the will of the Rector of the univerfe, to wit, that we are all under the law of death, and through that gate muft pafs, perhaps at a day's, an hour's warning, to the refurrection of the dead, to be adjudged to happinefs or mifery, as time has been employed, and life spent here. This is the decree of the Moft High God, and of confequence, it is incumbent

on

on us, to prepare for the awful bereafter, and endeavour by good actions, and a virtuous mind, by purity of confcience, and an exalted piety, to come off well in judg ment. Happy-thrice happy they that do fo.

Here little Ribble the Chemist had done, and I had reafon to return him my very hearty thanks for the favour of his whole difcourfe. I was vaftly obliged to him for the knowledge he had given me, in relation to the philofophy of metals, and taking him by the hand, promised him, that I would ever gratefully remember his moral conclufion. This pleafed the old gentleman, and at four in the afternoon we parted.

A charming vale and countryboufe in Nottinghamshire, the feat of Mr. Monckton.

§. 3. Reflecting on the wonders of the metals, which I had heard old Ribble fo well discourse of, and being more intent on what had been told me of these things, that I might never forget fuch useful learning, I trotted on for feveral hours without minding the road, and arrived as the fun was fetting in a deep and melancholy vale, through which a pleasant river run, that by the murmur of its ftreams, feemed to

be

be marked out for the rendezvous of the thoughtful, who love the deep receffes, and embowering woods, with the foft thril lings of gliding ftreams, as much as the fprightly court the gayeft fcenes. In this fweet fpot, I found a pretty country-houfe, and not knowing where I was, rid up to the door, to enquire my way. A gentleman, who feemed to be about forty, immediately appeared, let me know I was at a confidérable diftance from any town, and as it was near ten, told me I had best reft with him that night, and I was most heartily welcome. This was humane and

civil. I accepted the kind invitation, and immediately went in with him. He brought me into a decent room, and gave me a handsome meal. We had a couple of bottles after fupper, talked of a thousand things, and then withdrew to wind up the machines. He would not let me ftir the next morning, and after dinner we became well acquainted. Six days this gentleman prevailed with me to stay at his houfe, and then I left him with regret. He was fo generous, fo civil, and in every thing fo agreeable, that I could not avoid admiring him, and regarding him to an extreme degree, His name was Monckton.