But to see and consider the _emptiness_ and error of all worldly happiness, to see the _grossness_ of _sensuality_, the _poorness_ of pride, the _stupidity_ of covetousness, the _vanity_ of dress, the _blindness_ of our passions, the _uncertainty_ of our lives, and the _shortness_ of all worldly projects; these are meditations that are suited to all capacities. They require no depth of thought, or sublime speculation; but are forced upon us by all our senses, and taught by almost every thing that we see and hear. This is that _Wisdom that crieth, and putteth forth her voice in the streets_, Prov. viii. 1. that standeth at all our doors, that appealeth to all our senses, teaching us in every thing and every where, by all that we see, and all that we hear, by births ♦and burials, by sickness and health, by life and death, by pains and poverty, by misery and vanity, and by all the changes of life; that there is nothing else for man to look after, no other end in nature for him to drive at, but a happiness in religion. ♦ duplicate word removed ‘and’ CHAP. XI. _That not only a life of |vanity|, or |sensuality|, but even the |most regular| kind of life, that is not governed by great devotion, sufficiently shews its miseries, its wants and emptiness to the eyes of all the world. This represented in various characters._ 1. *_OCTAVIUS_ is a learned, ingenious man, well versed in most parts of literature, and no stranger to any kingdom in _Europe_. The other day, being just recovered from a lingering _fever_ he took upon him to talk thus to his friends. “My _glass_, says he, is almost run out; and your eyes see how many marks of _age_ and _death_ I bear about me: but I plainly feel myself sinking away faster than any standers-by imagine. I fully believe, that one year more will conclude my reckoning.” The attention of his friends was much raised by such a declaration, expecting to hear something truly excellent from so learned a man, who had but a year longer to live; when _Octavius_ proceeded in this manner, “For these reasons, says he, my friends, I have left off all _taverns_; the wine of those places is not good enough for me in this decay of nature. I must now be _nice_ in what I drink. I can’t pretend to do as I have done; and therefore I am resolved to furnish my own _cellar_ with a little of the very best, tho’ it cost me ever so much.” 2. A few days after _Octavius_ had made this declaration to his friends, he relapsed into his former illness, was committed to _a nurse_, who closed his eyes before his fresh parcel of wine came in. Young _Eugenius_ who was present at this discourse went home a new man. I never, says _Eugenius_, was so deeply affected with the wisdom and importance of religion, as when I saw how _poorly_ and _meanly_ the learned _Octavius_ was to leave the world, thro’ the want of it.