The Shadows of a long Evening are stretch'd over
them, the Curtains of a deep Midnight are drawn around them, _The
Worm lies under them, and the Worm covers them_. No! the Notion of
Annihilation has in it something so shocking and absurd, Reason
should despise it; rather let us believe, that when they drop this
earthly Vehicle they assume an Aetherial one, and become the
Inhabitants of some more glorious Region. May they not help to
people that infinite Number of _Starry_ and _Planetary_ Worlds that
roll above us: may they not become our better _Genii_, our Guardian
Angels, watch round our Bed and our Couch, direct our wandring Paths
thro' the Maze and Labyrinth of Life, and at length conduct us safe,
even us, who were the Instruments of their passing thro' this
_Valley_ of Sorrow and Death, to a Land of Peace and the Mountains of
_Paradise_? -- But these are things that belong to the Provinces of
Light and immortality, and lie far beyond our mortal Ken. --
I was led into this Train of thinking by the Death of a
desireable Child, whose Beauty is now turning a pace into Corruption,
and all the Loveliness of its Countenance fled for ever. Death sits
heavy upon it, and the Sprightliness and Vigour of Life is perished
in every Feature and in every Limb. If the foregoing Reflections
should urge any one forward in the Paths of Vertue, or yield any
Consolation to those in the like Circumstances, and help to divert
the Stream of their Sorow into a better Channel, I shall hope my
Thoughts have been employ'd to good Purpose.
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