towards our bleffed LORD; with a firm resolution to obey his command; to be his faithful difciples; and even to renounce and to abhor those fins, which brought mankind under divine condemnation, and from which we have been redeemed at fo dear a rate.

7. As our motives to virtue are stronger than thofe which are afforded to the rest of mankind, our guilt will be proportionably greater, if we depart from it. Our Saviour appears to have had three great purposes, in defcending from his glory, and dwelling amongst men. The first, to teach them true virtue, both by his example and precepts. The fecond, to give them the most forcible motives to the practice of it, by "bringing life and immortality to light;" by fhewing them the certainty of a reffurrection and judgment, and the abfolute neceffity of obedience to the laws of GOB The third, to facrifice himself for us, to obtain, by his death, the remiffion of our fins, upon our repentance and reforma. tion, and the power of beftowing on his fincere followers the ineftimable gift of immortal happiness.

2.

THE

CHAPTER XCVII

CHARACTER OF ST. PAUL.

HE character of St. Paul, and his miraculous converfion, demand your particular attention. Moft of the apostles were men of low birth and education; but St. Paul was a Roman citizen, that is, he poffeffed the privileges annexed to the freedom of the city of Rome, which was confidered as a high diftinction, in those coun. tries that had been conquered by the Romans.

2. He was educated amongst the most learned fect of the Jews, and by one of their principal doctors. He was a nian of extraordinary eloquence, as appears not only in his writings, but in feveral fpeeches in his own defence, pronounced before governors and courts of juftice, when he was called to account for the doctrines he taught.

3. He feems to have been of an uncommonly warm temper, and zealous in whatever religion he profeffed; this zeal, before his converfion, fhewed itfelf in the most unjuftifiable actions, by furiously perfecuting the innocent

Chriftians; though his actions were bad, we may be fure his intentions were good; otherwife we should not have feen a miracle employed to convince him of his mistake, and to bring him into the right way.

4. This example may affure us of the mercy of Gon towards mistaken confciences, and ought to infpire us with the most enlarged charity and good will towards thofe whofe erroneous princ ples mislead their conduct. Instead of refentment and hatred against their perfons, we ought only to feel an active wish of affifting them to find the truth; fince we know not whether, if convinced, they might not prove like St. Paul, chofen veffels to promote the honour of God, and of true religion. The remarkable converfion of St. Paul is one of the strongest arguments of the truth of Chriftianity.

F.

CHAPTER XCVIII.

OF THE EPISTLES.-Candour and Benevolence.

HE Epifiles make a very important part of the

T New Testament.

New Teftament. You cannot be to much employed in reading them. They contain the moft excellent precepts and admonitions, and are peculiarly ufeful in explaining more at large feveral doctrines of Christianity, which we could not fully understand without them. There are, indeed, in the Epiftles of St. Paul, many paffages hard to be understood Such, in particular, re the firft eleven chapters to the Romans; the greater part of his Epiftles to the Corinthians and Galatians; and feveral chapters of that to the Hebrews

2. Instead of perplexing yourself with thefe more ob fcure paffages of fcripture, you would do better to employ your attention chiefly on those that are plain; and to judge of the doctrines taught in the other parts, by comparing. them with what you find in thefe. It is through the neg lect of this rule, that many have been led to draw the moft abfurd doctrines from the holy fcriptures.

3. Obferve in particular in your perufal, the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth chapters of the Epiftle to the Romans. In the fourteenth chapter, St. Paul has in

view the difference between the Jewish and Gentile con verts; the former were difpofed to look with horror on the latter, for their impiety in not paying the fame regard to the distinction of days and meats as they did; and the latter, on the contrary, were inclined to look with contempt on the former, for their weakness and fuperftition.

4. Excellent is the advice St. Paul gives to both parties. He exhorts the Jews not to judge, and the Gentiles not to defpife; remembering, that the kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. Endeavour to conform yourselves to this advice; to acquire a temper of universal candour and benevolence; and learn neither to defpife nor condemn any perfons on account of their particular modes of faith and worship. Remember always, that goodness is confined to no party; that there are wife and worthy men among all fects of Chriftians; and that, to his own mafler, every one muft fland or fall.

5 Read thofe paffages frequently, which, with fo much fervour and energy, excite you to the practice of the most exalted piety and benevolence. If the effufions of a heart, warmed with the tendereft affection for the whole human race; if precept, warning, encouragement, example, urged by an eloquence, which fuch affection only could inspire, are capable of influencing your mind, you cannot fail to find, in fuch parts of his Epiftles as are adapted to your understanding, the ftrongeft perfuafives to every virtue that can adorn and improve your nature.

CHAPTER XCIX.

THE EPISTLES OF ST. JAMES, ST. PETER, AND THE FIRST

1.

OF ST. JOHN.-Faith in CHRIST, and the Love of GoD and Man.

THE Epiftle of St. James is entirely practical, and

Texceedingly fine; you cannot ftudy it too much.

It feems particularly defigned to guard Chriftians against mifunderstanding fome things in St. Paul's writings, which have been fatally perverted to the encouragement of a dependence on faith alone, without good works.

z. But the more rational commentators will tell you,

that, by the works of the law, which the Apostle afferts to be incapable of justifying us, he means not the works of moral righteoufnefs, but the ceremonial works of the Mofaic law; on which the Jews laid the greatest stress, as neceffary to falvation.

3. But St. James tell us, that "if any man among us feems to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain ;" and that, "pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to vifit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Faith in Chrift, if it do not produce these effects, he declareth, is dead, or of no power.

4. The Epistles of St. Peter are alfo full of the best inAtruction and admonitions, concerning the relative duties of life; amongst which are set forth the duties of woman in general, and of wives in particular. Some part of his fecond Epiftle is prophetical; warning the church of falfe teachers, and falfe doctrines, which fhould undermine morality, and difgrace the caufe of Chriftianity.

5. The firft of St. John is written in a highly figurative ftyle, which makes it, in some parts, hard to be understood; but the spirit of divine love, which it fo fervently expreffes, renders it highly edifying and delightful. That love of GoD and of man, which this beloved Apoftle fo pathetically recommends, is in truth the effence of religion, as Our Saviour himself informs us.

6. May you love and reverence, as it deferves, this bleffed and invaluable book, which contains the best rule of life, the cleareft declaration of the will and laws of the DEITY, the reviving affurance of favour to true penitents, and the unspeakably joyful tidings of eternal life and happiness to all the truly virtuous, through JESUS CHRIST, the Saviour and deliverer of the world!

1.

CHAPTER C.

THE FLATTERER.-An odious Charader.

OF

F all the characters among mankind, no one is more degrading to human nature, than the flat. terer. Flattery is not only odious to fincerity and truth,

but it evinces a want of true fenfe, a want of esteem for thofe, whom it was intended to please, and proves a deficiency of fentiment and delicacy.

2. Even the wild, uncultivated aboriginal, is a stranger to diffembled thought. His tongue is governed by the genuine dictates of fincerity. But fhall we compare the mind, brightened with the beam of knowledge, to the rude child of nature? In fact, the latter boasts pre-eminence, He foars aloft on wings of truth, looks down with scorn, and upbraids the civilized world for flattery, which puts fenfibility to the blush, and fhocks even the harsher feelings of unpolifhed men.

3. When the influence of a fycophant, like the fatal charms of a fyren's voice, deludes fair innocence, virtue recoils and turns abhorrent from the rueful fcene. It is neceffary that every member of fociety fhould poffefs the art of pleafing, as it not only unites thought with thought, but tunes the mind to notes of love, fympathy and friendship. But, alas! fhall the enchanting fmiles of a parafite allure the daughter of virtue and blight her opening blosfoms? Forbid it, ye guardian protectors of fair innocence !

4. When we fee the rofe of beauty torn from the bofom of candour, by the fatal hand of a fycophant, and all the delicacies of female worth, offered up as a facrifice, at the altar of favage barbarity, can the manly feelings of the in. dependant foul, ceafe to vibrate with the warmell touches of pity; and even burn with indignant frowns of refentment ?

5. Bluth, frightful, moniter at thy vilenefs, blush! thy crime is base, unmanly, murderous! Stab not the child of innocency with thy deadly fmile! Thy fmiles are treacherous, and tell the world the bafenefs of thy fou!. Thy fatal venom taints the blended ftrearns of mutual love, disfolves the ties of amity, and puifons the endearing affec tions that confpire to render man agreeable to man.

6. Virtue will not hold fociety with fuch traitors; fuch bafe, degenerate men. She dreads their near approach, and fhrinks with horror from their frightful mein. Learn, ye fair, ye virtuous, to defpife the alluring voice of the flatterer. His breath will blaft the bloom of loveliest charms. When once by flattery caught your drooping beauty weeps, virtue drops a tear of regret, and innocence shall mourn thy lofs of worth.