I shall now return, to state what were the exercises of my mind during the passage up the Mediterranean, and while we lay in this bay.--A book upon the first principles of astronomy fell in my way. This gave me a new view of creation: and at the same time a treatise on Philology came into my hands, in which was a descant on the glory of God in the works of nature. I had undergone some very sharp convictions of sin, my mind had been strongly impressed with eternal things, and I had persuaded two of my comrades to join with me in prayer; which we did on several occasions, but fell off from it. After reading the above-mentioned books, and several volumes of the Spectator, my mind fell into a strange speculative frame, on the duty of the creature to glorify its Creator, let the Creator do what he will to the creature. I reasoned thus with myself:--That every thing that God did was wise and just, therefore it was our duty to glorify God for all that he did to us, whether it was in judgment or in mercy: did he deal with us in mercy--gratitude ought to lead us to glorify him: did he deal with us in judgment--it was our own sins that provoked him to do it: he did no more than what was just; and we were as really bound to glorify him for his justice, as for his mercy; and if we did not do so, we augmented our guilt. By reasoning in this way, I came at last to a fallacious and very dangerous conclusion, under the guise of wisdom. I concluded, that if I could not lessen what guilt was already contracted, neither altogether avoid contracting more, it would be wise to contract as little additional guilt as possible; and that, should God deal with me in justice, I must not complain and murmur; he is holy, just, and wise; he will not punish me above what I deserve; whatever he does with me, his creature, it becomes me to glorify his name, by a cheerful acquiescence in his divine procedure; yea, to glorify Him, should I be for ever damned. By doing this, I may possibly make hell more tolerable than otherwise it would be: if I can not escape his justice, by his not granting me mercy, let me behave in such a manner as may make the consequences of his wrath sit the lighter upon me.--I shudder to think on this part of my experience at this day; on the pain of mind with which it was accompanied, and the fallacious and dangerous opiate which the conclusion contained to lull my conscience asleep; for I did in consequence fall into a careless and listless state of mind. But, by the goodness of God, I was not allowed to remain long under it. It happened one day shortly after, that, from eating salt provisions, and from the extreme scantiness of water, I became exceedingly thirsty, and with great difficulty procured a little to drink. A thought then shot across my mind:--if I am so impatient under a temporary thirst, and so eager to procure relief, how shall I preserve my patience in hell?--if I am so unhappy under the pressure of