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20 Dreadful Terrors of Death.

A holy man speaking of Death, styles it with a great deal of elegance and propriety, the King of Terrors, Job xviii. 14, that is to say, the most terrible thing in the world. Nor indeed is there any thing that presents itself to our imagination, which bears a more formidable aspect. It is possible to escape the edge of the sword to stop the mouths of lions, and to quench the rage of fire; but when death once shoots at us the envenomed arrows, of which his quiver is full, when it opens its aternal throat, and vomits forth its devouring flames, it is utterly immpossible for us to guard against its fury.

There are a number of warlike inventions wherewith to oppose the attempts of the most powerful and implaceable enemy, but neither the stratagems of the greatest captains, the most regular fortifications, nor the most victorious and triumphant armies can withstand a single moment at the approach of Death. It pierces, in instant, through the strongest bulwarks, the thickest walls, and the most solid towers. It leaps over the widest ditches, the highest forts, and the most inaccessible rocks. It blows down the strongest baricadoes, and laughs at all our military entrenchments; every where it finds the weakness of our armour, and through the best tempered breast-plate strikes the proudest heart. In the most solitary retirement it comes upon us, and snatches us from the