CONTEMPLATION XIV.

ON THE

EVENING

OF THE DAY.

'HE bright monarch of day having but

THE

a little ago disappeared in the west, darkness beginneth again to resume her ancient reign, and claimeth a primeval right; while the village bell calls the laborious hufbandman from his toil, and invites the weary traveller to reft.

The herds forfake their dewy paftures, and with their udders richly fraught for the dairy, move lowing on, to be discharged

of their most nutritious burdens, one of the chief bleffings of Canaan: and the woolly tribes are fhut up in their folds.

The verdure of the fields darkens on the fight, while night spreadeth her fable veil over the face of nature. Where is now the pleasant landscape I fo lately beheld? It is loft to my view: and the warbling people with their wing covered heads fit filent on the spray only the bird of eve ushers in the gloom with her irksome folitary dirge, while labour reclines her head on the bofom of rest, and balmy fleep endeared by toil refreshes animal life.

And is this delightful day come to an end? O my foul, fo fhall foon the day of this life, and all its buftle be filenced in the tomb. How much then doth it concern me and all men living, to be putting by our work in our twelve hours! O that while it is called to day we might labour for the meat which perifheth not, but endureth to everlasting life, John vi. 27. feeing the night of death approacheth wherein no man can work; for there is no work, nor device,

nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, Eccl. ix. 10.

This dewy evening, calm and ferene, mindeth me of the clofe of a Chriftian's life in old age. Happy alone then is he, who while his head is flourishing like an almond tree, can calmly reflect on a well spent life; fuch fhall come to his grave, "like "as a fhock of corn cometh in in his feafon," Job v. 26.

“

66

As the Lord once faid unto Jacob," Fear

not to go down into Egypt: I will go “down with thee into Egypt, and I will "alfo furely bring thee up again," Gen. xlvi. 3. fo he will fay, as it were, to fuch a one, Fear not to go down to the duft of death: I will go down with thee, and I will alfo furely bring thee up again.

But how reverfe is it with the hoary headed finner, who hath spent his days in the pursuits of fin and vanity! Confcience

* This did the great Addifon when on his death-bed; grafping the hand of a young acquaintance, he faid, See with what peace a Chriftian can die.

that was rocked asleep in the narrow, short bed of carnal delights, in the close of life awakeneth from her flumbers like a mighty giant, and screameth ten thousand times more terrible in the ears of the guilty foul than that owl from the ruinous tower doth in mine; while remorfe and forrow, more fierce than the vultures of the defert, prey upon the mind, 'ufhering in the worm which never dieth.

From this learn a leffon, O my foul, to be husbanding thy time well, and anfwering the end of thy creation, that the evening of my life may be calm and ferene, and I may fay with the apostle, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my “course, I have kept the faith; henceforth "there is laid up for me a crown of righte

66

oufnefs, which the Lord, the righteous Judge fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that "love his appearing," 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.

How taftelefs now are all the beauties of nature. The flowery meads and delightfully chequered lawns, which but a little ago appeared in all the gaiety of drefs,