Medicinal Aid insufficient against Death. nor promise of future amendment, could turn aside the resistless arrow, or procure the once gay delinqent the shortest respite. She implored the aid of her skilful physician, attended by the faithful apothecary; yea, a whole troop of the faculty were summoned to exercise all their wisdom, by any means to resist the rapacity of the inexorable tyrant; but all in vain; for sad experience proved that no medicine, however skilfully prepared, is a sufficient antidote against the poison of DEATH's cankered sting; therefore the lady, however reluctant, was forced to sumbit to the monarch of terrors. Lest the length of my dream should render it tedious to my readers, if told at once, I shall divide it into several parts, and shall stop; and here for the first time. ARGUMENT ΤΟ PART II. An Exhortation to Acquaintance with Death-The Christian's Victory over him-The Folly of meeting him without due Preparation-Mankind will not receive serious Admonitions-Death of an accomplished Female-Terrors of approaching Dissolution-Progress of the Soul after Death-Character of Contumacio-Disordered State of his MindGod manifests his Judgments for the Benefit of Mankind. PART II. HAVING had a full view of all that passed betwixt DEATH and the lady, I could not forbear reflecting on the folly of inconsiderate mortals, who are every hour, for ought they know, exposed to DEATH; and yet live altogether strangers to a certain, an approaching eternity. It is awful indeed to banish the thoughts of futurity from the mind, and assiduously bury every reflection in the moat of sensuality! To rush from one profane delight to another, till unwelcome DEATH puts an end to our career, and serves us as he did the unhappy lady. Oh, what profit is there, said I, in separating less or more time every day for intimate fellowship with Death! In all pro Exhortation to Acquaintance with Death. conflict with that merciless tyrant is far from being so terribly dreadful. It is true, I profess but a very small acquaintance with men and things; yet I cannot but conjecture, that one reason why this lady and her acquaintance so utterly detested discourses concerning DEATH might be, because such discourses naturally tend to strip the pleasures of the flesh of all their imaginary charms. Then, said I again, O blessed, discriminately blessed of the Lord are they, whose exalted pleasures can consist in the most intimate acquaintance and fellowship with DEATH! They, and all they, are fit to enter the lists with that formidable enemy, who can in life maintain converse with him without spoiling the pleasures of the day. I thought in my dream, that DEATH having finished his business with madam, transformed himself from the appearance of a dragon into the likeness of a grave and not uncomely personage, clothed in a long flowing white robe, which hid all his native deformities. Thus equipped he directed his course towards me, |