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gelifts. The heart that is unmoved by it, can be fcarcely human;-but the emotions of tenderness and compunction, which almoft every one feels in reading this account, will be of no avail, unless applied to the true end-unless it infpires you with a fincere and warm affection towards your bleffed Lord-with a firm refolution to obey his commands; to be his faithful difciple -and ever to renounce and abhor thofe firs, which brought mankind under divine condemnation, and from which we have been redeemed at fo dear a rate. Remember that the title of Chriftian, or follower of Chrift, implies a more than ordinary degree of holiness and goodness. As our motives to virtue are stronger than thofe which are afforded to the reft of mankind, car guilt will be proportionably greater, if we depart from it.

Our Saviour appears to have had three great purpofes, in defcending from his 2lory and dwelling amongst men. The , 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 refurrection and judgment, and the abfolute neceflity of obedience to God's laws. The third, to facrifice him felf for us, to obtain, by his death, the remiion of our fins, upon our repentance and reformation, and the power of beflow. ing on his fincere followers the inestimable gift of immortal happiness.

Mrs. Chapone.

$233. A comparative View of the Blef set and Curjed at the Laft Day, and the Inference to be drawn from it.

thefe dreadful words;-"Depart from
me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, pre-
pared for the devil and his angels."-
Oh! I cannot fupport even the idea of
your becoming one of thofe undone, loft
creatures! truft in God's mercy, that
you will make a better ufe of that know-
ledge of his will, which he has vouchfafed
you, and of thofe amiable difpofitions he
has given you. Let us therefore turn from
this horrid, this infupportable view-and
rather endeavour to imagine, as far as is
poffible, what will be the fenfations of your
foul, if you fhould hear our heavenly Judge
addrefs you in thefe tranfporting words
"Come, thou bleffed of my Father, in-
herit the kingdom prepared for you, from
the foundation of the world.'-Think,
what it must be, to become an object of
the esteem and applaufe-not only of all
mankind affembled together-but of all
the host of heaven, of our blefied Lord
himfelf-nay, of his and our Almighty
Father:-to find your frail flefa changed,
in a moment, into a glorious celestial body,
endowed with perfect beauty, health, and
agility:-to find your foul cleanfed from
all its faults and infirmities; exalted to the
purelt and nobleft affections; overflowing
with divine love and rapturous gratitude!

to have your understanding enlightened and refined; your heart enlarged and purified; and every power and difpofition of mind and body adapted to the higheft relifh of virtue and happiness!-Thus accomplished, to be admitted into the fociety of amiable and happy beings, all united in the most perfect peace and friendship, all breathing nothing but love to God, and to

each other;-with them to dwell in fcenes more delightful than the richest imagination can paint-free from every pain and care, and from all poffibility of change or

What a tremendous fcene of the last day es the gofpel place before our eyes!-fatiety;-but, above all, to enjoy the more ef that day, when you and every one of es fhall awake from the grave, and behold the Son of God, on his glorious tribunal, attended by millions of celeftial beings, of whofe fuperior excellence we can now form no adequate idea-when, in prefence of all mankind, of thofe holy angels, and of the great Judge himself, you must give an account of your paft life, and hear your final doom, from which there can be no appeal, and which must determine your fate to all eternity; then think-if for a moment you can bear the thought-what will be the defolation, thame, and anguish, of thofe wretched fouls, wh● fhall hear

immediate prefence of God himfelf-to be able to comprehend and admire his adorable perfections in a high degree, though ftill far fhort of their infinity-to be cinfcious of his love and favour, and to rejoice in the light of his countenance !But here all imagination fails:-we can form no idea of that blifs, which may be communicated to us by fuch a near approach to the Source of all beauty and all good:-we muft content ourselves with believing, "that it is what mortal eye hath not feen, nor car heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive." The crown of all our joys will be, to know

that

that we are secure of poffeffing them for ever-what a transporting idea!

Can you reflect on all t efe things, and not feel the most carneft longings after immortality?-Do not all other views and defires feem mean and trifiing, when compared with this -And does not your inmoft heart refolve, that this fhall be the chief and conftant object of its wishes and purfuit, through the whole course of your life-If you are not infenfible to that defire of happinefs which feems woven into our nature, you cannot furely be unmoved by the profpect of fuch a tranfcendant degree of it; and that continued to all eternity-perhaps continually increafing. You cannot but dread the forfeiture of fuch an inheritance, as the most infupportable evil! -Remember then-remember the conditions on which alone it can be obtained. God will not give to vice, to careleffnefs, or floth, the prize he has propofed to virtuc. You have every help that can animate your endeavours:-You have written laws to direct you the example of Chrift and his difciples to encourage you -the most awakening motives to engage you-and you have befides, the comfortable promife of conftant affiftance from the Holy Spirit, if you diligently and fincerely pray for it.-O! let not all this mercy be loft upon you-but give your attention to this your only important concern, and accept, with profound gratitude, the ineftimable advantages that are thus affectionately offered you.

Though the four Gofpels are each of them a narration of the life, fayings, and death of Chrift; yet as they are not exactly alike, but fome circumstances and fayings, omitted in one, are recorded in another, you must make yourself perfectly mafter of them all.

The Acts of the holy Apoftles, endowed with the Holy Ghoft, and authorized by their divine Mafter, come next in order to he read. Nothing can be more interesting and edifying, than the hiftory of their actions of the piety, zeal, and courage, with which they preached the glad tidings of falvation; and of the various exertions of the wonderful powers conferred on them by the Holy Spirit, for the confirmation of their million. Mrs. Chapene.

§ 234. Character of St. Paul. The Character of St. Paul, and his miraculous converfion, demand your particular

attention: most of the apoftles were mea 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 distinction, in those countries that had been conquered by the Romans. He was educated amongst the most learned fect of the Jews, and by one of their principal doctors. He was a man of extraordinary eloquence, as appears not only in his writings, but in feveral speeches in his own defence, pronounced before governors and courts of juftice, when he was called to account for the doctrines he taught.-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 unjustifiable actions, by furiously perfecuting the innocent Chiiffians: but, tho' his actions were bad, we may be fure bis intentions were good; otherwife we should not have feen a miracle employed to com vince him of his mistake, and to bring him into the right way. This example may affure us of the mercy of God towards mistaken confciences, and ought to inspire us with the most enlarged charity and good-will towards thofe whofe erroneous principles miflead their conduct: instead of relentment and hatred against their perfons, we ought only to feel an active with of aflifting them to find the truth; fince we know not whether, if convinced, they might not prove, like St. Paul, chosen veffels to promote the honour of God, and of true religion. It is not now my intention to enter with you into any of the argu ments for the truth of Chriftianity; otherwife it would be impoffible wholly to pass over that, which arifes from this remarkable converfion, and which has been fo admirably illuftrated by a noble writer, whofe tract on this fubject is in every body's hands. Mrs. Chapant.

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paffages hard to be understood: fuch, in particular, are 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. Inftead of perplexing yourfelf with thefe more obfcure paffages of fcripture, I would with you to employ your attention chiefly on thofe 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 neglect of this rule, that many have been led to draw the most abfurd doctrines from the holy fcriptures.-Let me particularly recommend to your careful perufal the xii. xiii. xiv. and v. chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. In the xiv. chapter St. Paul has in view the ¿ference between the Jewish and Gentile (or Heathen) converts, at that time: the former were difpofed to look with horror en the latter, for their impiety in not pay-fying us, he means, not the works of moral ing the fame regard to the diftinctions of cays and meats that they did; and the latter, on the contrary, were inclined to look with contempt on the former, for their kaefs and fuperftition. Excellent is the advice which the Apoftle gives to both parties; he exhorts the Jewith converts to judge, and the Gentiles not to dee; remembering, that the kingdom of Heaven is not meat and drink, but rightecanefs and peace, and joy in the Holy Glot-Endeavour to conform yourself to this advice; to acquire a temper of univerfal candour and benevolence; and learn neither to defpife nor condemn any perfons on account of their particular modes of faith and worship; remembering always, that goodness is confined to no party -that there are wife and worthy men among all the fects of Chriftians-and that, to his own mafter, every one mult fand or fall.

urged by an eloquence which fuch affection only could infpire, are capable of influencing your mind-you cannot fail to find, in fuch parts of his epiftles as are adapted to your understanding, the strongest perfuafives to every virtue that can adorn and improve your nature. Mrs. Chapone,

$236. The Epistle of St. James.

The epistle of St. James is entirely practical, and exceedingly fine; you cannot ftudy it too much. It feems particu larly defigned to guard Christians against misunderstanding fone things in St. Paul's writings, which have been fatally perverted to the encouragement of a dependance on faith alone, without good works. But the more rational commentators will tell you, that, by the works of the law, which the apolle afferts to be incapable of jufti

I will enter no farther into the feveral points difcuffed by St. Paul in his various epitles-moft of them too intricate for your understanding at prefent, and many of them beyond my abilities to ftate clearly. I will only again recommend to you, to 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,

righteoufnefs, but the ceremonial works of the Mofaic law; on which the Jews laid the greatest ftrefs, as neceffary to falvation. But St. James tells us, that, "if any

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man among us feem 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 fatherlefs and widow in "their affliction, and to keep himself un

fpotted from the world." Faith in Chrift, if it produce not these effects, he declareth is dead, or of no power. Ibid.

$237. Epistles of St. Peter, and the first of St. John.

The Epiftles of St. Peter are alfo full of the beft inftructions and admonitions, concerning the relative duties of life; amongst which, are fet forth the duties of women in general, and of wives in particular. Some part of his fecond Epiftle is prophetic; warning the church of falfe teachers, and falfe doctrines, which should undermine morality, and difgrace the caufe of Christianity.

The first of St. John is written in a highly figurative style, which makes it, in fome parts, hard to be understood; but the fpirit of divine love, which it fo fervently expreffes, renders it highly edifying and delightful.-That love of God and of man, which this beloved apostle fo

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pathetically

pathetically recommends, is in truth the effence of religion, as our Saviour himfelf informs us. Mrs. Chapone.

$238. Of the Revelations.

The book of the Revelations contains a prophetical account of moft of the great events relating to the Chriftian church, which were to happen from the time of the writer, St. John, to the end of the world. Many learned men have taken a great deal of pains to explain it; and they have done this, in many inftances, very fuccefsfully but I think it is yet too foon for you to ftudy this part of fcripture; fome years hence, perhaps, there may be no objection to your attempting it, and taking into your hands the beft expofitions, to affift you in reading fuch of the most difficult parts of the New Teftament as you cannot now be fuppofed to understand. May Heaven direct you in ftudying this facred volume, and render it the means of making you wife unto falvation!-May you love and reverence, as it deferves, this blefied 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 Jefus Chrift, the Saviour and deliverer of the world!

Ibid. § 239. ECONOMY OF HUMAN LIFE. IN TWO PARTS.

Part I. Duties that relate to Man, confidered as an individual-the Pafions-Woman -Confanguinity, or natural relationsProvidence, or the accidental difference in men-the Social Duties-Religion.

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power is unbounded, his wifdom is frem eternity, and his goodness endureth for

ever.

He fitteth on his throne in the centre, and the breath of his mouth giveth life to the world.

He toucheth the flars with his finger, and they run their course rejoicing.

On the wings of the wind he walketh abroad, and performeth his will through all the regions of unlimited space.

Order, and grace, and beauty, fpring from his hand.

The voice of wisdom fpeaketh in all his works; but the human understanding comprehendeth it not.

The fhadow of knowledge paffeth over the mind of man as a dream; he feeth as in the dark; he reafoneth, and is deceived.

But the wifdom of God is as the light of heaven; he reafoneth not; his mind is the fountain of truth.

Juftice and mercy wait before his throne; benevolence and love enlighten his countenance for ever.

Who is like unto the Lord in glory? Who in power thall contend with the Almighty? Hath he any equal in wisdom? Can any in goodness be compared unto him?

He it is, O man! who hath created thee: thy ftation on earth is fixed by his appointment: the powers of thy mind are the gift of his goodness: the wonders of thy frame are the work of his hand.

Hear then his voice, for it is gracious; and he that obeyeth, shall establish his fou! in peace.

DUTIES that relate to MAN, confidered as an INDIVIDUAL. $240. CONSIDERATION. Commune with thyfelf, O man! and confider wheyefore thou wert made.

Contemplate thy powers, contemplate thy wants and thy connections; fo fhal: thou difcover the duties of life, and be directed in all thy ways.

Proceed not to fpeak or act, before thou haft weighed thy words, and examined the tendency of every ftep thou shalt take; fo fhall difgrace fly far from thee, and in thy houfe fhall fhame be a ftranger; repentance fhall not vifit thee, nor forrow dwell upon thy cheek.

The thoughtless man bridleth not his tongue;

tongue; he fpeaketh at random, and is entangled in the foolishness of his own words.

As one that runneth in hafte, and leapeth over a fence, may fall into a pit on the cther fide, which he doth not fee; fo is the man that plungeth fuddenly into any ac tion, before he hath confidered the confequences thereof.

Hearken therefore unto the voice of confideration; her words are the words of vidom, and her paths fhall lead thee to dety and truth.

241. MODESTY.

Who art thou, O man! that prefumest on thine own wifdom? or why dost thou Vant thyfelf on thine own acquirements? The first step towards being wife, is to know that thou art ignorant; and if thou pulift not be efteemed foolish in the judgrent of others, caft off the folly of being wife in thine own conceit.

As a plain garment beft adorneth a autiful woman, fo a decent behaviour is The greatest ornament of wisdom.

The fpeech of a modeft man giveth re to truth, and the diffidence of his ords abfolveth his error.

He relieth not on his own wifdom: he eigheth the counfels of a friend, and reeveth the benefit thereof.

He turneth away his ear from his own prile, and believeth it not; he is the last difcovering his own perfections. Yet as a veil addeth to beauty, fo are his tacs fet off by the fhade which his moey cafteth upon them.

But behold the vain man, and obferve arrogant; he clotheth himself in rich re; he walketh in the public ftreet; he th round his eyes, and courteth obvation.

He toffeth up his head, and overlooketh the poor; he treateth his inferiors with lence, and his fuperiors in return look own on his pride and folly with laughter. He defpifeth the judgement of others; he relieth on his own opinion, and is con

funded.

He is puffed up with the vanity of his imagination; his delight is to hear and to geak of himself all the day long.

He swalloweth with greedinels his own rife, and the flatterer in return eateth

Lim up.

242. APPLICATION.

Since the days that are paft are gone for ever, and thofe that are to come may not

come to thee; it behoveth thee, O man! to employ the prefent time, without regretting the lofs of that which is paft, or too much depending on that which is to come.

This inftant is thine: the next is in the womb of futurity, and thou knowest not what it may bring forth.

Whatfoever thou refolveft to do, do it quickly. Defer not till the evening what the morning may accomplish.

Idlenefs is the parent of want and of pain; but the labour of virtue bringeth forth pleasure.

The hand of diligence defeateth want; profperity and fuccefs are the industrious man's attendants.

Who is he that hath acquired wealth, that hath rifen to power, that hath clothed himfelf with honour, that is fpoken of in the city with praise, and that ftandeth before the king in his council? Even he that hath fhut out Idleness from his houfe; and hath faid unto Sloth, Thou art mine enemy.

He rifeth up early, and lieth down late: he exercifeth his mind with contemplation, and his body with action, and preferveth the health of both.

The flothful man is a burden to himself; his hours hang heavy on his head; he loitereth about, and knoweth not what he would do.

His days pafs away like the fhadow of cloud, and he leaveth behind him no mark for remembrance.

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His body is difeafed for want of exer. cife; he wifheth for action, but hath not power to move; his mind is in darkness; his thoughts are confufed; he longeth for knowledge, but hath no application.

He would eat of the almond, but hateth the trouble of breaking its fhell.

His houfe is in diforder, his fervants are wafteful and riotous, and he runneth on towards ruin; he feeth it with his eyes, he heareth it with his ears, he thaketh his head, and wifheth, but hath no refolution; till ruin cometh upon him like a whirlwind, and fhame and repentance descend with him to the grave.

243. EMULATION.

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