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Agricola.

the hinds to the field, or ere the rosy sun peeped over the misty mountains. The flail early heard, resounding in his barn, awakened the rest of the village, and was industry's summons to arise. His shepherds first drove their flocks afield; and as the bleating multitude poured from their cotes, AGRICOLA Stood by, and beheld with rapture the whiteness of their fleeces, and the strength of his sportive lambs. The neighbouring markets saw him always first to enter, and last to leave the scene of commerce and advantage: his samples were always ready, and were always best.

Thus he pursued temporal things with unwearied application, and unremitted diligence: but for eternal things, AGRICOLA never once heeded, never once thought of them! What then? Did not AGRICOLA believe in God, in Providence, in eternity? O yes, he believed all this;-but he had no time to think of such things! "Hereafter" was his word; it will be soon enough "hereafter." What then? Did AGRICOLA forsake the weekly services of the church, and wholly relinquish the worship of God? Oh! by no means. AGRICOLA never, or very rarely, was absent from the divine service: he generally in

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Agricola.

vited the curate of his little village (a poor laborious man, like himself, who rode with all haste from parish to parish, and served three distant churches!)-he generally invited him to a regale at his house on the Sabbath; when the time would allow, the good man embraced it with thankfulness; they drank together in friendly sort; and behold their conversation was of "the oxen in the field." AGRICOLA had sagacity enough to discern this impropriety in the conduct of the man of God. His rector's rare appearance in the village, and ready acceptance of his tithes, gave him also no very favourable idea of religion. He judged these men servants of the Lord for the wages of the world; and apprehended all religion to be lucrative and earthly. He was desirous to believe it such: hence in the alehouse, at the markets, and in the little club of his village neighbours, he frequently delivered his sentiments with freedom; and God and his priests were treated with no great respect.

AGRICOLA Continued this course of life for some years; only as his money increased, so increased his heart's attachment to it; and (as the world was fond to say) his regard to probity di

Agricola.

minished as his professions were multiplied. The widows and the poor complained of his rapacity and extortion; the field spoke his covetousness; for he encroached upon his neighbours' lands, and the ancient boundaries were rendered disputable. The markets were said to be forestalled, and his abundance became the source of oppression to the poorer farmer: he wished to stand alone; and beheld, with a malevolent eye, the flocks, the herds, and the crops of others.--He grew surly, proud, and insolent; vainly imagining that his wealth gave him importance, and a wretched right to tyrannize over his inferior neighbours. My connections with him afforded me opportunity often to remonstrate: he sometimes heard and promised fair he heard more frequently with impatience, and would have spoken his dislike, if worldly motives had not compelled him to silence.

Happy had it been for him, if he had heard, regarded, and been wise! Happy for him, if he had trusted less to that "hereafter," which never came! For, as last summer he attended his reapers in the field, suddenly the heavens grew black with clouds; the sun withdrew his light;

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Agricola.

the air seemed to stagnate with intolerable fervour; the lightning flashed with unremitting fury; vast peals of thunder burst fearfully round; there was no place to fly unto; they were exposed to all the terrors of the storm, AGRICOLA Stood aghast-when behold, the thunderbolt of Omnipotence (a sheet of living flame disclosing itself over his head) in a moment struck him a blackened corpse to the ground!

Oh horrible! most horrible thus to be sent to our final account! And shall not the death of AGRICOLA instruct us? Wilt thou, O man, after such an admonition, persevere in forgetfulness of duty and attachment to the world?-Then certainly thou canst secure thyself from so deplorable an end!-No! thou canst not: thou canst not promise to thyself one future moment! Death lies concealed in every path we tread; and his stroke will ever be sudden and dreadful in proportion to the degree of our forgetfulness of that stroke, and our attachment to the world.

Nash.

CHAPTER X.

He who liveth in pleasure, is dead while he liveth.
1 TIM. v. 6.

Ir gives the Author of these Reflections singular pleasure to have the approbation of a lady, so justly admired for her good taste as Lady He esteems it a particular favour that she condescends to make a request to him, which he most readily grants, as assured, that the letter which she desires him to admit, will not only be pleasing, but highly instructive to his serious readers. The death of Mr. NASH drew her thoughts to it, and therefore she is pleased to inform me, she copied it out for the benefit of the public. It was sent by a person of known worth and piety some years since to that son of pleasure: what effect it had, his future life, alas! did but too plainly shew.

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