this war in my breaft? What Argument is there now to affift me against Matter of Fact? Do I allert that there is no hell, while I feel one in my bofom? Am I certain there is no after-retribution, when I feel a prefent judgment? Do I affirm my foul to be as mortal as my body, when this languishes, and that is as vigorous as ever? O that any one could restore to me my antient innocence! Wretch that I am, whither fhall I fly from this breaft? What will become of me?

One of his old companions now coming in faid, "How now, brother? Why this melancholy look and posture? What is the matter? "The matter? replied he; it is you, and your companions, who have inftilled your principles into me, which now, when I have moft need of them, leave me in confufion and despair! What comfort have you now to fortify me with against the fearful expectation of another Life? Are you certain that the foul is material and mortal, and that it will diffolve with the body?" So certain, replied the other, that I venture my whole upon it. Here I interrupted them by coming into the room; and applying myself to the fick perfon, told him that I was a ftranger to him, but hearing of his illness, I thought it my duty to offer him what fervice I was capable of. "I thank you, said he, and would defire you to engage that gentleman who fits there, and prove to him the foul is not matter nor mortal." " That, faid I, is eafily proved. Matter is univerfally allowed to be indifferent to Motion or Reft: that if it be in Reft, it will reft to all eternity, unless fomething else moves it; and if it be in Motion, it will eternally move, unless fomething elfe ftops it. Now you who think the Soul Matter, fay that it first moves the Animal Spirits, they the Nerves, these the Limbs. But to fay this, is to fay that Matter moves itself, which is abfurd. Therefore the Soul is not Matter, and confequently not liable to be diffolved as Matter is."

VOL. VI.

D

The

The fick Gentleman anfwered only with a groan, whilst his friend made hafte out of the room. I was furprised, and defired to know the reason of his discontent. "Alas, Sir, faid he, you have undeceived me now it is too late: I was afraid of nothing fo much as the Immortality of the Soul. Now you have affured me of that, you have afcertained me of a hell, and a portion among those who have apostatized from their Religion. You have now fealed You have now fealed my damnation, by giving me an earneft of it; I mean, an awakened Conscience, that brings my fins to my remembrance, by reckoning up the numerous catalogue, for which I must go and give account. O apoftate wretch! from what hopes art thou fallen! O that I had never known what Religion was! Then I had never denied my Saviour, nor been so black an heir of perdition." I ftood fpeechlefs for fome time; but fo foon as I could recollect myself, said, Sir, I would defire you would take care how you violate the mercy of God, and think fo flight of the fufferings of Chrift, as if they were not fufficient for the redemption of the greateft finner. This may be a delufion of the Devil. If you are convinced the Soul is immortal, I hope it is for a good end. Now you have fome time to prepare for your eternal welfare. To which he replied, "As to the mercies of God in Chrift, I once knew and tafted what they are; which is now my present curse, in that I am now fenfible of my lofs. They are, I grant you, fuf

fhare in them. But what is

ficient for those who have any that to me, who have denied Chrift? who have daily crucified him afresh, and put him to an open fhame? The Devil has nothing to do with the torture I undergo. It is no delufion of his, but the juft judgment of God. And you have given me fenfible horror of my fins, by proving iny Soul immortal. Had I gone ftrait to hell in my old opinion, I had endured but one hell, whereas I now feel two: I mean, not only an inexpreffible torture which I carry in my breaft, but an expectation of I know not what change. O that I was in hell,

that

that I might feel the worft! And yet I dread to die, because the worst will never have an end."

All this he spoke with so much eagerness, as is scarce to be imagined. He was now got to bed, refufing all fuftenance, and exceedingly fweating through the extremity of his torments. Before I took my leave, I defired to pray by him, which with much reluctance he confented to. In the midst of prayer, he groaned extremely, toffing himself as if he was in the agonies of death. When prayer was over, I asked him the reafon of it. He anfwered, "As the damned in hell, who lift up their eyes in torments, and behold afar off the faints in Abraham's bofom, have their torments thereby doubled, first by reflecting on the misery they are in; and fecondly, by obferving the happiness they have loft: fo I, knowing myself to be hardened, and fealed unto damnation, hearing the prayers of the Righteous, to which God's ears are always open: this increases my torment, to think I am excluded from fuch a privilege, and have no portion left me, but weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth for ever." Pray, Sir, faid I, confider, there is a vast difference between you and those that are in hell. They are loft irrecoverably for ever, without any hope of pardon: you are yet alive, and have promises belonging to you in common with other finners; Chrift died for finners, and God has fworn by himself, "I delight not in the death of a finner, but would rather that he turn from his wickedness and live." He replied with his ufual earneftnefs, "I will grant there is as much difference between me and thofe that are in hell, as between a common devil and a devil incarnate. If these are irrecoverably loft, without opportunity of reprieve, or hopes of pardon, and Į am yet alive, O, what then! what is the confequence? Not that the promises belong in common to me with other finners; nor to any finners but fuch as believe and repent, If Chrift died for finners, it was for fuch as repent and be lieve. But though I would, I can do neither; I have outfood

my day of grace, and am hardened, and reprobated. If God delights not in the death of finners, it is fuch finners, as repent and turn to him. But his juftice will vindicate itself on fuch obftinate finners as me, who have denied his power and providence, both in my words and actions. Now he has met with me for it, and O! it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If God was not against me, I should not value, though all the power and malice of men joined to engage me; though all the legions of hell contrived to torture me with the most confuming pains; but when an irreconcilable God looks down upon his creature in wrath, and configns him over to eternal vengeance; this is intolerable! inexpreffible! Ah! who can dwell with everlafting burnings! O ye that have any hope, that have not yet paffed your day of grace, cry mightily to God day and night; think no labour too much to fecure you from the wrath of God. O! who can stand before him, when he is angry! What stubble can resist that consuming fire!"

[To be continued.]

****

************

An Extract from A SURVEY of the WISDOM of GOD in the CREATION.

THE

Of FISHES.

[Continued from Vol. V. page 646.]

HE chief inftruments in a fifh's motion are the Fins, which in fome are much more numerous than in others. A fish compleatly fitted for failing, is furnished with two pair; alfo three fingle fins, two above and one below. Thus equipped it emigrates with the utmoft rapidity, and takes

voyages

voyages of a thousand leagues in a feafon. But fuch fish as have the greatest number of fins have not always the swiftest motion. The fhark is one of the fwifteft swimmers, yet it wants the ventral Fins; the haddock does not move fo swift, though it has them.

The Fins not only affift the animal in progreffion, but in rifing or finking, in turning, or even leaping out of the water. To answer thefe purposes the pectoral Fins ferve like oars, to push the animal forward. They are placed behind the opening of the gills; they are generally large and ftrong, and answer the fame purposes to the fifh as wings do to a bird. Thofe alfo balance the fifh's head, when it is too large for the body, and keep it from tumbling prone to the bottom, as is feen in large headed fishes, when the pectoral Fins are cut off. Next these are the ventral Fins, placed under the belly. These are always feen to lie flat on the water, in whatever fituation the fish may be; and they ferve rather to raise or deprefs the fish, than to affift its progreffive motion. The dorsal Fin is fituated along the ridge of the back; and ferves to keep it in equilibro. In many fishes this is wanting; but in all flat fifhes it is very large, as the pectoral Fins are proportionably fmall. Laftly, the tail, which in fome fishes is flat and upright in others, feems the grand inftrument of motion; the Fins are all fubfervient to it, and give direction to its impetus, by which the fifh darts forward. with so much velocity. To explain all this by experiment, a carp is taken, and put into a large veffel. The fish, in a state of repofe, fpreads all its Fins, and feems to reft upon its pectoral and ventral Fins near the bottom; if the fish folds up either of its pectoral Fins, it inclines to the lame fide; fold. ing the right pectoral Fin, the fish inclines to the right fide folding the left Fin, it inclines to that fide. When the fifh defires to have a retrogade motion, ftriking with the pectoral Fins, in a contrary direction produces it. If the fish defires

to