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feaft fome account fhall be given hereafter; and the reader may expect fome further account of the Sunday School in the History of Hefter Wilmot *.

*For a continuation of the Sunday School, fee the the ftory of Hefter Wilmot, in two parts, in the fifth volume. It was thought proper to separate them in this collection; as the two preceding numbers rather tend to enforce the duties of the higher and middle clafs, and the two fubfequent ones thofe of the poor.

THE

PILGRIM S.

AN ALLEGORY.

METHOUGHT I was once upon a time travelling through a certain land which was very full of people; but, what was rather odd, not one of all this multitude was at home; they were all bound to a far diftant country. Though it was permitted by the Lord of the land that these Pilgrims mght affociate together for their prefent mutual comfort and convenience; and each was not only allowed, but commanded, to do the others all the fervices he could upon their journey, yet it was decreed, that every individual traveller

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must enter the far country fingly. There was a great gulph at the end of the journey, which every one must pass alone, and at his own risk, and the friendship of the whole united world could be of no ufe in fhooting that gulf. The exact time when each was to pafs was not known to any; this the Lord always kept a clofe fecret out of kindness, yet ftill they were as fure that the time muft come, and that at no very great distance, as if they had been informed of the very moment. Now, as they knew they were always liable to be called away at an hour's notice, one would have thought they would have been chiefly employed in packing up, and preparing, and getting every thing in order. But this was fo far from being the cafe, that it was almoft the only thing which they did not think about.

Now, I only appeal to you, my readers, if any of you are fetting out upon a little common journey, if it is only to London or York, is not all your leifure time em

ployed

ployed in fettling your bufinefs at home, and packing up every little neceffary for your expedition? And does not the fear of neglecting any thing you ought to remember, or may have occafion for, haunt your mind, and fometimes even intrude upon you unfeasonably? And when you are actually on your journey, especially if you have never been to that place before, or are likely to remain there, don't you begin to think a little about the pleasures and the employments of the place, and to wish to know a little what fort of a city London or York is? Don't you wonder what is doing there, and are you not anxious to know whether you are properly qualified for the business, or the company you expect to be engaged in? Do you never look at the map, or confult Brookes's Gazetteer? And don't you try to pick

up

from your fellow-paffengers in the stagecoach any little information you can get? And though you may be obliged, out of civility, to converse with them on common fubjects,

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fubjects, yet do not your fecret thoughts ftill run upon London or York, its business, or its pleafures? And above all, if you are likely to fet out early, are you not afraid of over-fleeping, and does not that fear keep you upon the watch, fo that you are commonly up and ready before the porter comes to fummon you? Reader! if this be your cafe, how surprised will you be to hear that the travellers to the far country have not half your prudence, though embarked on a journey of infinitely more importance, bound to a land where nothing can be sent after them, and in which, when they are once fettled, all errors are irretrievable.

I obferved that these pilgrims, instead of being upon the watch, left they should be ordered off unprepared; inftead of laying up any provifion, or even making memorandums of what they would be likely to want at the end of their journey, spent most of their time in crowds, either in the of traffic or diverfion. 9

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