bearance of GOD-to declare his rightecufnefs, that he might be just, and the juftifier of him who believeth in JESUS: CHRIST being the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, Thefe things being laid together, and duly confidered, may we not exclaim with the fame devout and admiring Apoftle? Without controverfy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifeft in the flesh, juftified in the SPIRIT, feen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on the world, received up into glory. Such are the doctrines of CHRIST, of which the Apostle declares he was not afhamed, and of which no Christian ought or need to be ashamed; because they are Largâ munera fundit. "Dulcis Chrifiadum domus, "Civem adfcribe novitium: "Sola comitata Caritas "Spefque Fidefque, valete." How different is the fpirit of thefe dying fcenes from those of our modern Philofophers, who ufually depart this life like unto the Emperor ADRIAN, or in a manner much inferior: the power of GOD unto falvation unto every one that believeth in his name. And we may fay of them what St. PAUL fays upon another occafion, Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other geffel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed. As we faid before, fo fay I now again, If any man preach any other gofpel unto you than that ye bave received, let him be accurfed. Harfh as these words may feem, they were written in all the plenitude of apoftolical authority, and apply to every cafe where the effential doctrines of the Sacred Writings are concerned. What thofe doctrines are may not be expedient for me here to fay; the Scriptures are in every one's hands, and no man need continue in ignorance of what the LORD GOD requires of him. And then, as to the precepts of the REDEEMER's religion, they are fuch as have been admired in all ages, and as no man need feel himfelf afhamed to own. The fubftance of them is: Whatfoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even fo to them: A precept fo held in admiration by one of the Roman emperors, that he had it infcribed in various public places to be feen and read of all men. This excellent laconic fentence is more expanded by our LORD himself in another place: Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind. And thy neighbour as thyjelf and fill more by St. PAUL: The grace of GoD that bringeth falvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godlily in this prefent world, looking for that blefed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD, and our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto bimfelf, a peculiar people, zealous of good works. May I not then exhort you, my ferious readers, in the words of the fame Apofile, to prefent your bodies a living facrifice, boly, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable fervice? and not to be conformed to this world; but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that he may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of GOD? Endeavour to be uniformly and confcientiously, inwardly and outwardly outwardly, religious*. Lay afide, as much as may be, all other thoughts and concerns, and let the pardon of your fins, the juftification of your perfons, the purification of your natures, and the falvation of your fouls, be the grand bufinefs and aim of your life. Every thing within you, and every thing without you, will oppofe this great regenerating procefs of religion. Remember, however, this is your main concern in the world. One thing alone is truly needfull. Secure this, and every thing befide is fafe. "This done, the pooreft can no wants endure; There is need, in this time of general discontent, to call the attention of all good men to the obligations we are under, to be dutiful and loayl fubjects. The Scripture is decifive, that as we are to fear GOD, fo we are to honour the KING. But, fetting duty afide, felf-intereft, if duly confulted, would induce every man to obey the civil government of the happy country in which we live. We have much to lofe, little to gain, by any change that might take place. The ruin brought upon France may fatisfy any man, how dangerous a thing it is to embark in public contentions, and difturb the regular order of things. If the experience of our neighbours will not determine us to peaceable and temperate measures among qurfelves, we fhould do well to look back to the reign of the first CHARLES, when the three kingdoms were convulfed for seven years together from one end to another. Befides the many thousands of private men who fell in the bloody fray, the many millions of money that were spent, and the numerous families that were ruined, there were flain 17 Earls and Lords-45 Knights and Baronets— 55 Colonels-42 Lieutenant Colonels-53 Majors-138 Captains-30 Gentlemen Volunteers-with about 30 others, who were either beheaded, or died in prifon.-The fpirit of the times was much the fame as hath for thefe feveral years prevailed in France; nor were the clergy treated with much more humanity, 8 or 10,000 of them being turned out of their Livings. See WALKER's Sufferings of the Clergy, p. 198-200. And if any convulfion fhould take place again in this country, I do not conceive that we should be much more humane towards each other, than people have been in cafes of a fimilar nature. He was no inexperienced mau who faid-The beginning of ftrife is as when one letteth out water; therefore leave off contention before it be meddied with. When the ALMIGHTY intends to punifn us effectually, he will deprive us of wisdom, and fet us at loggerheads one with another. The confequence will be, ruin to the prefent race of Englishmen. If with the above two dreadful examples before us, we fuffer a party fpirit to drive us to extremities, we fhall deferve all we can fuffer. See the feventh chapter of EZEKIEL. Were we united and religious we might defy the world. able man. Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.-Seek ye first the kingdom of GOD, and his righteousness, and all necessary things Shall be added unto you. If you are ever fo rich, great, wife, learned, honourable; if you are not at the fame time substantially and experimentally religious, you are a miserDo you want proof of this? Look inward, and look forward to the close of life; or turn back, and impartially confider the experience of the several perfons, whose declarations we have recorded in the beginning of this Treatife. Compare them, weigh them, difcriminate their characters, reject what is base and unworthy your attention, take alarm at the warnings of the dying penitents, and refolve, by the grace of GoD, to have a name and a place among his people. Let others defpife and neglect the Sacred Writings, as the humour fhall lead, do you be much in the perufal of them. Let them dwell in you richly. They will make you happy in your own foul, and wife unto falvation. Search them, dig in them, 'fcrutinize them, let your daily delight be in them. It is the engrafted Word, and the Word of God's grace alone, which is able to build us up in faith and love, and fave our fouls alive, Read it, therefore, as the Word of GOD. Read it with religious views. Read it with conftant prayer to HEAVEN for divine illumination; and, as often as convenient, get upon your knees in fecret with the Bible fpread before you, and, be affured, you shall experience fuch fublime and ravishing delights, as the moft happy and profperous worldly men are utter ftrangers to, and as you yourselves can have no proper conception of, till you have made the experiment. Could I be the happy inftrument of inducing you to make the experiment, you would bless me for ever. And you will give me leave to fay, that if you could speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and poffeffed all knowledge human and divine; if you could perform wonders like MOSES, celebrate the praises of God like DAVID, M. De RENTY, a French nobleman, used to read three chapters a day, with his head uncovered, and on his bended knees; and this is the practice likewife of abundance of religious characters in the prefent day. U prophefy prophefy like ISAIAH, write like PAUL, preach like PETER, thunder like JAMES and JOHN, and offer up your fouls on racks and in flames like the Maccabean mother and her feven noble fons; if you had power with GoD like JACOB, and had the valour of JOSHUA, the ftrength of SAMSON, the beauty of ABSALOM, the wifdom of SOLOMON, the zeal of PHINEAS, with every other qualification natural and acquired, that ever centered in any of the fons of men; yet, without a clofe, intimate, experimental acquaintance with the Sacred Oracles, and the great truths therein contained, all will avail nothing; you can neither enjoy true confolation in your spirit now, nor be capable of felicity hereafter when you die. Were I, therefore, permitted to give my laft dying advice to the dearest friend I have in the world, it would be the fame which Dr. JOHNSON gave to his friend Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDSREAD YOUR BIBLET:-I only fhould add as above-Read it *The famous Sir PHILIP SIDNEY, taking leave of his brother ROBERT, when he died of the wound he had received in the field of battle, faid "Love my memory; cherish my friends;-but above all, govern your will and affections by the Will and Word of your CREATOR; in me beholding the end of this world, with all her vanities. Sir CHRISTOPHER HATTON, in like manner, a celebrated ftatesman, a little before his death, advised his relations to be ferious in fearching after the will of GoD in his Holy Word: "for" faid he, "it is defervedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledge to understand the laws of the land, and the customs of a man's country; how much more to know the ftatutes of heaven, and the laws of eternity, thofe immutable and eternal laws of juftice and righteoufnefs! To know the will and pleasure of the great MONARCH, and univerfal KING! I have feen an end of all perfection, but the commandments of GoD are exceeding broad." + This great man himself read the Bible too little, and other books too much. This, and affociating frequently with men of little or no religion, were the main causes of his great leanness of foul, and fear of death all through life. He was, indeed, an extrordinary man, and an admirable judge of good writing. In the fecond volume of his Lives of the Poets, p. 110, he fpeaks of DRYDEN'S Dialogue on the Drama, as one of the finest profe compofitions in the English language and at the 152 page of the fame volume he fays, DRYDEN's Poem on the death of Mrs. KILLIGREW, is the noblest Ode our language has ever produced. In the third volume, p. 62, he tells us the most poetical paragraph in the whole mafs of English poetry is in CONGREVE'S Mourning Bride. And in the fourth volume, p. 181. he declares one of the fineft fimilies in all Englif |