Nom. Sir, you have already disposed of fifty pounds, three hundred and fifty, forty pounds, ten pounds, twenty pounds; together, four hundred and seventy pounds; fo that there remain now thirty pounds to be order'd as you please.

Anchith. My tenant Epimeles is a very induftrious man, and takes a great deal of pains, and maintains his family comfortably for the most part. But I doubt he goes backwards in the world, and think therefore a small legacy may come very feasonably to him. Give him ten pounds.

Nom. I fhall do it.

Anchith. My neighbour Geron is very aged and infirm, and a little fupport may, in all probability, be very welcome to him. Give him ten pounds likewife. Nom. It is done, Sir.

Anchith. Now I think there are only ten pounds. remaining.

Nom. No more, Sir.

Anchith. That I give to be laid out weekly by my enecutors, fo long as it shall laft, for teaching poor children to read, and Jay their catechifm. Or if my neighbours will agree together, as they have been talking they would, for fome time, to fet up a charity-school for the children of the parish, betwixt this and Candlemas-day next, I then order this ten pounds, or what fhall be remaining of it at that time, whenfoever it fhall be, to be made up twenty pounds, for a beginning of fo good a work.

Nom. Is this all, Sir?

Anchith. No; add farther, The Small remainders of my eftate I give to my very good friends, and dear and kind relations, Eubulus and Aplaftus, to be divided equally between them: and do conftitute them executors of this my last will and teftament, and trustees for my wife and children.

Nom. It will be requifite, that you fign and feal your will.

Anchith. I need not direct you for that.

Nem.

the third day of July, Now, Sir, will you

Nom. Thus therefore I write, In witness whereof, I bave hereto fet my hand and feal, in the year of our Lord 1711. pleafe to fign it?

know

Anchith. I will do it as well as I am able. But pray first let me hear it read all over, that I may what I fign.

Theoph. That is highly reasonable, if it will not be over-troublesome to you to attend to it.

Anchith. I will try what I can do. I am not very fit to attend to any thing; but yet, I hope I fhall be able to obferve and understand what is read. Begin therefore when you please.

Nom. In the name of God, Amen. 1 Anchithanes, &c.

Anchith. It is very right, and as I defign'd it; and if you please to reach me it hither, I will fign it as well as I can. Wherefore I declare this to be my last will and teftament, and beg of you to witness for me

Anchith. I think you have dated it right.

Nom. Yes, Sir, this third day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eleven. Anchith. It is very well. And now, I fuppofe, all is done as it should be.

Nom. Sir, it is.

Anchith. Then, Sir, I thank you. Dulus, take care to fatisfy the gentleman for the trouble I have given him. And now, my friend Theophilus, I have abundance of thanks to return to you, for having fo long exercised your patience: I know I have been very troublesome to you; but I hope you will pardon the importunity of one who is not able to help himself, and has therefore need of the kind affiftance of all his

friends; efpecially fince it is not long I am like to burden you.

Theoph. How long you may be in this condition, God only knows. Your acquaintance are fuch lovers of themselves, that they are willing to hope they may have the enjoyment of fo worthy and dear a friend as yourself, for many years yet to come; and do therefore all agree in praying for your happy and fpeedy recovery. However, you do well to think of, and make all the preparation you can for, a change; that whenfoever it fhall come, whether now, or at a good distance hence, you may be always in a readiness for it. The fitter you are to die, believe me, the fitter you are to live; and the more comfort and fatisfaction you will find in yourself here, and will certainly be unfpeakably the more happy for it hereafter.

Anchith. I thank God, I have now done one part of my bufinefs, and thereby have eafed my mind, as to all folicitude for the things of this world: so that, if it fhall please God to take me away immediately, I may be fure what I leave behind me, will go to those who I defire fhould have it; and fo my relations, knowing what is their own, will have no grounds of quarrelling amongst themfelves, as they might poffibly have done, if I had died inteftate.

I

A Prayer after having made his Will.

Thank thee, O God, for thy great goodness and mercy towards me, in having so plentifully provided for my fubfiftence, during my abode in this world. Whilst others have been in want, I have been furnish’d with whatsoever my condition called for, and have had Something alfo to Spare, for the relief of my indigent neighbours; fuch has been thy bounty towards me. And now, if thou feeft fit to strip me of all I have bitherto enjoyed, by taking me away from it, thou deprivest me only of what thou so freely gaveft me, and what I fhall have no longer occafion for. Grant me therefore, gracious Lord, to part with it as willingly

to

3

to thofe that come after, as ever I received, either the whole, or any part of it, from fuch as are gone before. Blefs it to thofe into whofe hands I commit it, that it may ferve both to their prefent, and their eternal welfare; that they may not only live the more comfortably for it bere, but also therewith make to themfelves friends, who, when they fail, may receive them into everlasting babitations. And grant to me, thy unworthy fervant, that when my tottering earthly boufe of this tabernacle fhall be diffolved, I may have a building of God, an boufe not made with bands, eternal in the Heavens; and may be intitled to a better and an enduring fubStance there, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Theoph. I hope you are well fatisfied with what you have done.

Anchith. It is fome eafe to my mind, to think that I have done as much as in me lies, to fettle peace amongst my friends. But that which pleafes me most is, to think that I have nothing now to do, but purely to apply myself to the weaning my affections from the things of this world, raifing them up to those that are above, and the perfecting my repentance, and fuing to God for the pardon of my fins, and an intereft in his favour, thro' the powerful mediation of my bleffed Saviour. And now,

A Prayer for the Divine Protection.

I.

Lord, look down from Heaven, behold, vifit and relieve thy fervant. Look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy, give me comfort and fure confidence in thee; defend me from the danger of the enemy, and keep me in perpetual peace and fafety, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Another for Victory over Sin.

II.

MY tranfgreffions, O Lord, are great and numerous ; bul thy mercies are incomparably more and greater; they are inconceivably great, and without number : which is a mighty encouragement to fuch poor guilty creatures as I am, to make our addreffes at the throne of thy grace, with hope of being beard by thee. Let it not be in vain that I now implore thy help. As thou haft fill'd my heart with an unfeigned forrow for my many repeated iniquities, and made me earnestly defirous of pardon and forgiveness, make me, moreover, diligent and induftrious, to teftify the fincerity of my repentance, by a thorough mortification and amendment. And, that the degrees of my repentance may, in fome meafure, anfwer the heinousness of my fins, inspire my foul with fuch devout affections, fuch koly defires and inclinations, as that I may run the way of thy commandments with unwearied courage and alacrity, and endeavour, by my future care, to make the best amends I shall be able for my former negligence. It is abundantly too much, that I have hitherto been wanting in that duty thou requireft of me. Grant me, for the time to come, to be always upon my watch, and always intent upon ferving thee to the best of my power. Let no temptation befal me, but fuch as is common to men; and with the temptation alfo do thou, of thy great goodness, make a way to escape, that I may be able to withstand and conquer it. Work in me both to will and to do, of thy good pleasure. I not only live in the midst of a deceitful world, but have a corrupt heart of my con, apt to start afide in time of trial, and a fubtle malicious enemy that lies in wait for my halting; fo that I am ruin'd, and must perish irrecoverably, without thy protection. Deny me not fuch a measure of thy Spirit, as may conduct me fafely through all my dangers, and enable me to come off villor in all my conflitis; that