man.

A FEW evenings ago I was conversing with some friends, on the strange conduct of Diogenes, the Cynic philosopher, who went at high noon into the marketplace at Athens, with a lighted candle and lantern in his hand; and who, when asked what he sought for, answered-an honest man! When I went to bed, I first dreamed of Diogenes, and then supposed that I set out upon a similar excursion along the streets of London. I accosted the first person I met, and inquired whether

he had worshipped his God that morning. He bluntly told me he had not; upon which I replied, you are not a wise man; for you have neither thanked God for preserving you the past night, nor solicited his protection and direction during this day. God may thereby be provoked to protect you no more; and he may permit you to make some losing bargains in business to day; for he who trusteth to his own understanding in any matter is a fool, since he might have had the aid of Infinite Wisdom, to teach him to transact his business with discretion; wherefore, friend, be wise, and consider these things.

After this, I moved forward to a second person, of whom I inquired, whether he had read any part of the Scriptures to-day. No, said he; I have not seen a Bible since last Sunday. Then, friend, said I, you have not obeyed the counsels of Wisdom; for she recommends waiting daily at her gates, and listening to her instructions. He assured me he had no leisure for such matters. I asked, if ever he found leisure to attend to his business; or to keep his books. Yes, sure; for were I not to do that, my family would suffer. Aye, but if you neglect the other, your own soul will suffer, and be ruined for ever. He shrugged up his shoulders, and walked off.

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1. H * Safe, rogu 2* I then stopped a man who was running along full speed. When he stood still, I perceived he was almost out of breath. I made bold to ask him why he made such haste. He said, he was afraid he should be too late at market, and that his neighbours would have bought up every thing. Now, friend, tell me, Were you ever so much in earnest after God and eternal life? On hearing the question, he was for running off, with

out making any answer; but I detained him, till be confessed he had never been much concerned either to seek God, or obtain eternal life; that other pursuits engrossed all his attention. But, said I, you can have no other pursuit of so much importance as to have the enjoyment of God's friendship, and the hope of eternal life. That may be all very true; but to market I must run just now. And away he went in great haste.

The next person with whom I engaged in conversation was a poor BEGGAR, sitting by the way side. I inquired, how long he had been in the practice of begging. More than twenty years, said he. And pray how much of these twenty years has been employed in begging spiritual and eternal riches from God? Very little, indeed, said the poor man. What account will you be able to render to God for having begged so long, and with such earnestness for a few pence, while you neglected to solicit him to pardon your sins, to sanctify your soul, and to give you an inheritance among his people? Here he shook his head, and said, I know not. Before I leave you, listen to this advice: Seek not only for the bread that perishes in the using, but for that also which endureth to everlasting life.

Determining not to be idle, I looked round, in order to fix upon some person with whom I might next converse. Observing a WATCHMAN moving slowly along, I went forward to him, and inquired what he had been about, for he seemed much fatigued. No wonder I am fatigued, said he, having been on watch the whole of last night, which was both cold and boisterous.-Well, friend, said I, tell me what occupied your thoughts most, during the long and tedious night? I thought, chiefly, how I might keep myself dry and warm. But did you

think nothing of the dark and doleful night of death? No, Sir, indeed I did not. But you must think of it soon, for I see there are grey hairs here and there upon your head. Upon which he took off his hat, and combed down his hair with his fingers; but made no reply.

Now do converse with me, friend; I shall not detain you long from breakfast. Tell me; do you ever look up to the starry heavens, to view them as proclaiming the glory of the great Creator and Supporter? Indeed, Sir, to tell you the truth, I never thought much about these things; only I said one night to my neighbour, Tom Thellison, that I wished all the stars were so brought together as to be made one tolerable moon that would shine every night for us; and Tom said it was a happy thought. Are you not very thankful when the moonlight nights arrive? Indeed I am, said the watchman. But had you always moon-light, you would, perhaps, not be thankful for it one minute during the three hundred and sixty-five nights of the year; so God teaches us the value of some of his mercies, by depriving us of them for a while. Instead of murmuring against God for withdrawing his moon from us now and then, we should rather thank him that he does not withdraw the sun for the half of every month. Were he to do so, this would be a much more gloomy world than it is.

You watch the street, lest the inhabitants should be robbed of their property, do not you? To be sure; 1 am not watching to prevent the houses running away. Be serious, friend, are you ever afraid of being robbed of your soul's happiness? Who can rob me of that ? The devil. How? By keeping you from serious thoughts about it, from reading the scriptures, from hearing the gospel preached; that when you die he may get your soul to his awful prison of hell. If you were once acquainted with God, he could make your watch-box a

kind of Bethel, a house of God, and gate of heaven; then, instead of longing for morning light, you would wonder how soon the darkness passed and was gone. If that were the case, said he, I should be a much happier man than I am at present, for in these long nights I become tired, and fretful, and angry as a tiger, and I go home to scold my wife, and that makes us all miserable and unhappy; for, by my usage of her, I teach her to scold me as I scold her. Go home now, said I, and think upon these things. He took my advice, and went away very thoughtful.