Pascal has proved that as much rhetoric purchase the praise of candour at an easy and logic too may be shown in defending price, because they neither suffer grief nor Revelation as in attacking it. His geomet-express indignation at hearing the most aw rical spirit was not likely to take up with ful truths ridiculed, or the most solemn obliany proofs but such as came as near to de- gations set at nought. They do not engage monstration as the nature of the subject on equal terms. The infidel appears goodwould admit. Erasmus in his writings on the ignorance of the monks, and the Provincial Letters on the fallacies of the Jesuits, while they exhibit as entire a freedom from bigotry, exhibit also as much pointed wit, and as much sound reasoning, as can be found in the whole mass of modern philosophy.

But while the young adopt the opinion from one class of writers, that religious men are weak men, they acquire from another class a notion that they are ridiculous. And this opinion, by mixing itself with their common notions, and deriving itself from their very amusements, is the more mischievous, as it is imbibed without suspicion, and entertained without resistance.

humoured from his very levity; but the Christian cannot jest on subjects which involve his everlasting salvation.

The scoffers whom young people hear talk, and the books they hear quoted, falsely charge their own injurious opinions on Christianity, and then unjustly accuse her of being the monster they have made. They dress her up with the sword of persecution in one hand, and the flames of intolerance in the other; and then ridicule the soberminded for worshipping an idol which their misrepresentation has rendered as malignant as Moloch. In the mean-time they affect to seize on benevolence with exclusive appropriation as their own cardinal virtue, and to accuse of a bigotted cruelty that narrow One common medium through which they spirit which points out the perils of licentake this false view is, those favourite works tiousness, and the terrors of a future account. of wit and humour, so captivating to youth- And yet this benevolence, with all its tender ful imaginations, where no small part of the mercies, is not afraid nor ashamed to endeavauthor's success perhaps has been owing to our at snatching away from humble piety his dexterously introducing a pious charac- the comfort of a present hope and the bright ter with so many virtues, that it is impossible prospect of a felicity that shall have no end. not to love him; yet tinctured with so many It does not however seem a very probable absurdities, that it is equally impossible not means of increasing the stock of human hapto laugh at him. The reader's memory will piness, to plunder mankind of that principle, furnish him with too many instances of what by the destruction of which, friendship is is here meant. The slightest touches of a robbed of its bond, society of its security, witty malice can make the best character patience of its motive, morality of its foun ridiculous. It is effected by any little awk-dation, integrity of its reward, sorrow of its wardness; absence of mind, an obsolete consolation, life of its balm, and death of its phrase, a formal pronunciation, a peculiarity support.* of gesture. Or if such a character be It will not perhaps be one of the meanest brought by unsuspecting honesty, and cred- advantages of a better state that, as the will ulous goodness, into some foolish scrape, it shall be reformed, so the judgment shall be will stamp on him an impression of ridicule rectified; that evil shall no more be called so indelible, that all his worth shall not be good,' nor the churl liberal;' nor the plunable to efface it; and the young, who do not derer of our best possession, our principles, always separate their ideas very carefully, benevolent. Then it will be evident that shall ever after, by this early and false asso- greater injury could not be done to truth, ciation, conceive of piety as having some- nor greater violence to language, than by thing essentially ridiculous in itself. attempting to wrest from Christianity that benevolence which is in fact her most appro priate and peculiar attribute. A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another.' If benevolence be good will to men,' it was that which angelic messengers were not thought too high to announce. nor a much higher being than angels too great to teach by his example, and to illustrate by his death. It was the criterion, the very watch-word as it were, by which he in

But one of the most infallible arts by which the inexperienced are engaged on the side of irreligion, is that popular air of candour, good-nature, and toleration, which it so invariably puts on While sincere piety is often accused of moroseness and severity, because it cannot hear the doctrines on which it founds its eternal hopes derided without emotion; indifference and unbelief

ever was the case with a writer of so much eminence. A more impotent act of wickedness has * Young persons too are liable to be misled by seldom been achieved, or one which has had the that extreme disingenuousness of the new philos glory of making fewer persons wicked or misera-ophers, when writing on every thing and person ble. That cold and cheerless oblivion which he connected with revealed religion. These authors held out as a refuge to beings who had solaced often quote satirical poets as grave historical an themselves with the soothing hope of immortality, thorities; for instance, because Juvenal has said has, by a memorable retribution, overshadowed that the Jews were so narrow-minded that they his last labour; the Essay on Suicide being already refused to show a spring of water, or the right as much forgotten as he promised the best men road, to an enquiring traveller who was not of that they themselves would be. And this favour-their religion, I make little doubt but many an igite work became at once a prey to that forgetful-norant free-thinker has actually gone away with ness to which he had consigned the whole human the belief, that such good-natured acts of inform tion were actually forbidden by the law of Moses

race.

ancient philosophic system nol to be, the religion of the people; and that which constitutes its characteristic value, is its suitableness to the genius, condition, and necessities of mankind.

tended his religion and his followers should be distinguished. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' Besides, it is the very genius of Christianity to extirpate all selfishness, on whose vacated ground benevo- For with whatsoever obscurities it has lence naturally and necessarily plants itself. pleased God to shadow some parts of his But not to run through all the particlars written word, yet he has graciously ordered, which obstruct the growth of piety in young that whatever is necessary should be perpersons, I shall only name one more. They spicuous also: and though, as to his adorable hear much declamation from the fashionable essence, clouds and darkness are round reasoners against the contracted and selfish spirit of Chistianity-that it is of a sordid temper, works for pay, and looks for reward.

This jargon of French philosophy, which prates of pure disinterested goodness acting for its own sake, and equally despising punishment and disdaining recompense, indicates as little knowledge of human nature as of Christian revelation, when it addresses man as a being made up of pure intellect, without any mixture of passions, and who can be made happy without hope, and virtuous without fear. These philosophers affect to be more independent than Moses, more disinterested than Christ himself; for Moses had respect to the recompense of reward;' and Christ endured the cross and despised the shame, for the joy that was set before him.'

about him; yet these are not the medium through which he has left us to discover our duty. In this, as in all other points, revealed religion has a decided superiority over all the ancient systems of philosophy, which were always in many respects impracticable and extravagant, because not framed from observations drawn from a perfect knowledge of what was in man.' Whereas the whole scheme of the Gospel is accommodated to real human nature; laying open its mortal disease, presenting its only remedy; exhibiting rules of conduct, often difficult, indeed, but never impossible; and where the rule was so high that the practicability seemed desperate, holding out a living pattern, to elucidate the doctrine and to illustrate the precept; offering every where the clearest notions of what we have to hope, and what we have to fear; the strongest injunctions of what we are to believe, and the most explicit directions of what we are to do; with the most encouraging offers of Divine assistance for strengthening our faith and quickening our obedience.

In short, whoever examines the wants of his own heart, and the appropriate assistance which the Gospel furnishes, will find them to be two tallies which exactly correspond-an internal evidence, stronger perhaps than any other, of the truth of Revelation.

A creature hurried away by the impulse of some impetuous inclination, is not likely to be restrained (if he be restrained at all) by a cold reflection on the beauty of virtue. If the dread of offending God, and incurring his everlasting displeasure, cannot stop him, how shall a weaker motive do it? When we see that the powerful sanctions which Religion holds out are too often an ineffectual curb; to think of attaining the same end by feebler means, is as if one should expect to make a watch go the better by breaking the This is the religion with with the ingenumain-spring; nay, as absurd as if the phi- ous hearts of youth should be warmed, and by losopher who inculcates the doctrine should which their minds, while pliant, should be undertake, with one of his fingers, to lift an directed. This will afford a lamp to their immense weight which had resisted the pow-paths,' stronger, steadier, brighter, than the ers of the crane and lever. feeble and uncertain glimmer of a cold and comfortless philosophy.

CHAP. IV.

On calm and temperate spirits indeed, in the hour of retirement, in the repose of the passions, in the absence of temptation, virtue does seem to be her own adequate reward and very lovely are the fruits she bears in preserving health, credit, and fortune. But on how few will this principle act! and even on them how often will its operation be suspended? and though virtue for her own sake might have captivated a few hearts, which almost seem cast in a natural mould of goodness, yet no motive could IT was by no means the design of the preat all times, be so likely to restrain even sent undertaking to make a general invecthese, (especially under the pressure of temp-tive on the corrupt state of manners, or even tation) as this simple assertion-For all this, to animadvert on the conduct of the higher God will bring thee unto judgment.

Other symptoms of the decline of Christianity-No family religion—Corrupt or negligent example of superiors--The self-denying and evangelical virtues held in contempt--Neglect of encouraging and promoting religion among servants.

ranks, but inasmuch as the corruption of that conduct, and the depravation of those manners appear to be a natural consequence of the visible decline of religion; and as operating in its turn, as a cause, on the inferior orders of society.

It is the beauty of our religion, that it is not held out exclusively to a few select spirits; that it is not an object of speculation, or an exercise of ingenuity, but a rule of life suited to every condition, capacity, and temper. It is the glory of the Christian Of the other obvious causes which contrireligion to be, what it was the glory of every bute to this decline of morals, little will be

said. Nor is the present a romantic attempt their effect by a profane or even a careless to restore the simplicity of primitive man- conversation?

ners. This is too literally an age of gold, to In moral as well as in political treatises, it expect that it should be so n the poetical and is often asserted that it is a great evil to do figurative sense It would be unjust and no good; but it has not been perhaps enough absurd not to form our opinions and expecta- insisted on, that it is a great deal to do no tions from the present general state of socie evil. This species of goodness is not osten. ty. And it would argue great ignorance of tatious enough for popular declamation; and the corruption which commerce, and con- the value of this abstinence from vice is per quest, and riches, and arts necessarily intro-haps not well understood but by Christians, duce into a state, to look for the same sobermindedness, simplicity, and purity among the dregs of Romulus, as the severe and simple manners of elder Rome presented.

But though it would be an attempt of desperate hardihood, to controvert that maxim of the witty bard, that

because it wants the ostensible brilliancy of actual performance.

But as the principles of Christianity are in no great repute, so their concomitant qualities, the evangelical virtues, are proportionably disesteemed. Let it, however, be remembered, that those secret habits of selfTo mend the world's a vast design: control, those interior and unobtrusive vir a popular aphorism, by the way. which has tues, which excite no astonishment, kindle done no little mischief, inasmuch, as under no emulation, and extort no praise, are at the mask of hopelessness it suggests an indo the same time the most difficult, and the lent acquiescence; yet to make the best of most sublime; and if Christianity be true, the times in which we live; to fill up the will be the most graciously accepted by Him measure of our own actual, particular, and who witnesses the secret combat and the siindividual duties; and to take care that the lent victory: while he splendid deeds which age shall not be the worse for our having have the world for their witness, and immorbeen cast into it, seems to be the bare dic-tal fame for their reward, shall perhaps cost tate of common probity, and not a romantic flight of impracticable perfection.

Is it then so very chimerical to imagine that the benevolent can be sober-minded? Is it romantic to desire that the good should be consistent? Is it absurd to fancy that what has once been practised should not now be impracticable?

him who achieved them less than it costs a conscientious Christian to subdue one irregular inclination: a conquest which the world will never know, and, if it did, would probably despise.

Though great actions, performed on bu man motives, are permitted by the Supreme Disposer to be equally beneficial to society It is impossible not to help regretting that with such as are performed on purer princi it should be the general temper of many of ples; yet it is an affecting consideration, the leading persons of that age which arro- that, at the final adjustment of accounts, the gates to itself the glorious character of the politician who raised a state, or the hero who age of benevolence, to be kind, considerate, preserved it, may miss of that favour of God and compassionate, every where rather than which, if it was not his motive, will certainly at home that the rich and the fashionable not be his reward. And it is awful to reflect, as we visit the monuments justly raised by should be zealous in promoting religious as well as charitable institutions abroad, and public gratitude, or the statues properly yet discourage every thing which looks like erected by well-earned admiration; it is awreligion in their own families; that they ful, I say, to reflect on what may now be the should be at a considerable expense in in unalterable condition of the illustrious object structing the poor at a distance, and yet dis-of these deserved but unavailing honours; credit piety among their own servants-those and that he who has saved a state may have more immediate objects of every man's attention, whom Providence has enabled to keep any; and for whose conduct he will be finally accountable, inasmuch as he may have helped to corrupt it.

lost his own soul!

paper, whereon the Divine Spirit has nothing to do but to stamp characters of goodness. No! many blots are to be erased, many de filements are to be cleansed, as well as fresh impressions to be made.

A christian life seems to consist of two things, almost equally difficult; the adop tion of good habits, and the excision of such as are evil. No one sets out on a religious Is there any degree of pecuniary bounty course with a stock of native innocence, or without doors which can counteract the mis-actual freedom from sin; for there is no chief of a wrong example at home, or atone such state in human life. The natural heart for that infectious laxity of principle which is not, as has been too often supposed, a blank spreads corruption wherever its influence extends? Is not he the best benefactor to society who sets the best example, and who does not only the most good, but the least evil? Will not that man, however liberal, very imperfectly promote virtue in the world at large, who neglects to disseminate its principles within the immediate sphere of his own personal influence, by a correct con duct and a blameless behaviour? Can a generous but profligate person atone by his purse for the disorders of his life? Can he expect a blessing on his bounties, while he defeats

The vigilant Christian, therefore, who acts with an eye to the approbation of his Maker, rather than to that of mankind; to a future account, rather than to present glory; will find that, diligently to cultivate the unweeded garden' of his own heart; to mend the soil; to clear the ground of indigenous vi ces, by practising the painful business of ex

tirpation, will be that part of bis duty which our incessant executions, and who yet diswill cost him most labour, and bring him courage not an internal principle of vice: least credit: while the fair flower of one since those crimes are nothing more than showy action, produced with little trouble, that principle put into action? And it is no and of which the very pleasure is reward less absurd than cruel, in such of the great enough, shall gain him more praise than the as lead disorderly lives, to expect to prevent eradication of the rankest weeds which over-vice by the laws they make to restrain or run the natural heart. punish it, while their own example is a perBut the Gospel judges not after the man-petual source of temptation to commit it. If, ner of men; for it never fails to make the by their own practice, they demonstrate that abstinent virtues a previous step to the right they think a vicious life is the only happy performance of the operative ones; and the one, with what colour of justice can they relinquishing what is wrong to be a necessa- inflict penalties on others, who, by acting on ry prelude to the performance of what is the same principle, expect the same indulright. It makes ceasing to do evil' the in gence! dispensably preliminary to learning to do well. It continually suggests that something is to be laid aside, as well as to be practised. We must hate vain thoughts' before we can love God's law.' We must lay aside 'malice and hypocrisy,' to enable us to receive the engrafted word.' Having a conscience void of offence;'-abstaining from fleshly lusts; bring every thought into obedience ;'-these are actions, or rather negations, which, though they never will ob tain immortality from the chisel of the statuary, the declamation of the historian, or the panegyric of the poet, will, however, be had in everlasting remembrance,' when the works of the statuary, the historian, and the poet will be no more.

And indeed it is somewhat unreasonable to expect very high degrees of virtue and probity from a class of people whose whole life, after they are admitted into dissipated families, is one continued counteraction of the principles in which they have probably been bred.

When a poor youth is transplanted from one of those excellent institutions which do honour to the present age, and give some hoe of reforming the next, into the family of his noble benefactor in town, who has, perhaps, provided liberally for his instruction in the country; what must be his astonishment at finding the manner of life to which he is introduced diametrically opposite to that life to which he has been taught that salvation is alone annexed! He has been taught that it was his bounden duty to be devoutly thankful for his own scanty meal, perhaps of barley-bread; yet he sees his pe ble lord sit down every day,

And, for our encouragement, it is observable that a more difficult Christian virtue generally involves an easier one. A habit of self-denial in permitted pleasures, easily in duces a victory over such as are unlawful. And to sit loose to our own possessions, neNot to a dinner, but a hecatomb; cessarily includes an exemption from covet- to a repast of which every element is plun ing the possessions of others; and so on of dered, and every climate impoverished; for the rest. which nature is ransacked, and art is exWill it be difficult then to trace back to hausted; without even the formal ceremony that want of early restraint noticed in the o a slight acknowledgement. preceding chapter, that licence of behaviour lucky for the master, if his servant does not which, having been indulged in youth, after-happen to know that even the pagans never wards reigned uncontrolled in families; and sat down to a repast without making a libawhich having infected education in its first tion to their deities; and that the Jews did springs, taints all the streams of domestic not eat a little fruit, or drink a cup of wavirtue? And will it be thought strange that ter, without an expression of devout thankthat same want of religious principle which fulness. corrupted our children, should corrupt our servants?

It will be

Next to the law of God, he has been taught to reverence the law of the land, and to reWe scarcely go into any company without spect an act of parliament next to a text of hearing some invective against the increased Scripture yet he sees his honourable proprofl gacy of this order of men; and the re-tector, publickly in his own house, engaged mark is made with as great an air of aston- in the evening in playing at a game expressishment, as if the cause of the complaint ly prohibited by the laws, and against which were not as visible as the truth of it. It perhaps he himself had been assisting in the would be endless to point out instances in day to pass an act which the increased dissipation of their bet- While the contempt of religion was conters (as they are oddly called) has contri fined to wits and philosophers, the effect was buted to the growth of this evil. But it not so sensibly felt. But we cannot congratcomes only within the immediate design of ulate the ordinary race of mortals on their the present undertaking to insist on the sin- emancipation from old prejudices, or their gle circumstance of the almost total exter- indifference to sacred usages; as it is not at mination of religion in fashionable families, all visible that the world is become happier as a cause adequate of itself to any conse- in proportion as it is become more enlightenquence which depraved morals can produce. ed. We might rejoice more in the boasted Is there not a degree of injustice in per- diffusion of light and freedom, were it not sons who express strong indignation at those apparent that bankruptcies are grown more crimes which crowd our prisons, and furnish frequent, robberies more common, divorces

more numerous, and forgeries more extensive-that more rich men die by their own hand, and more poor men by the hand of the executioner-than when Christianity was practised by the vulgar, and countenanced, at least, by the great.

Is it not to be regretted, therefore, while the affluent are encouraging so many admirable schemes for promoting religion among the children of the poor, that they do not like to perpetuate the principle, by encouraging it in their own children and their servants also? Is it not a pity, since these last are so moderately furnished with the good things of this life, to rob them of that bright reversion, the bare hope of which is a counterpoise to all the hardships they undergo here especially since by diminishing this future hope, we shall not be likely to add to their present usefulnes?

to His law, who when he bestowed the Bible, no less than when he created the material world, said Let there be light. It were well, both for the advantage of master and ser vant, that the latter should bave the doctrines of the Gospel frequently impressed on his heart; that his conscience should be made familiar with a system which offers such clear and intelligible propositions of moral duty. The striking interrogation, how shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? will perhaps operate as forcibly on an uncultivated mind, as the most eloquent essay prove that man is not an accountable being. That once credited promise, that they who have done well shall go into everlasting life, will be more grateful to the spirit of a plain man, than that more elegant and disinterested sentiment, that virtue is its own reward. That, he that walketh uprightly walketh Still allowing, what has been already surely,' is not on the whole a dangerous, or granted, that absolute infidelity is not the a misleading maxim. And well done, good reigning evil, and that servants will perhaps and faithful servant! I will make thee ru be more likely to see religion neglected than ler over many things,' though offensive to the to hear it ridiculed would it not be a meri-liberal spirit of philosophic dignity, is a comtorious kindness in families of a better stamp, fortable support to humble and suffering pieto furnish them with more opportunities of ty That we should do to others as we learning and practising their duty? Is it would they should do to us,' is a portable not impolitic indeed, as well as unkind, to measure of human duty, always at hand, as refuse them any means of having impressed always referring to something within himon their consciences the operative principles self, not amiss for a poor man to carry conof Christianity? It is but little, barely not stantly about with him, who has neither time to oppose their going to church, not to pre nor learning to search for a better. It is an vent their doing their duty at home, their op-universal and compendious law so universal portunities of doing both ought to be facilita- as to include the whole compass of social obted, by giving them, at certain seasons, as ligation; so compendious as to be inclosed few employments as possible that may inter-in so short and plain an aphorism, that the fere with both. Even when religion is by dullest mind cannot misapprehend, nor the pretty general consent banished from our weakest memory forget it. It is convenient families at home, that only furnishes a strong-for bringing out on all the ordinary occasions er reason why our families should not be of life. We need not say, who shall go up banished from religion in the churches.

But if these opportunities are not made easy and convenient to them, their superiors have no right to expect from them a zeal so far transcending their own, as to induce them to surmount difficulties for the sake of duty. Religion is never once represented in Scrip ture as a light attainment; it is never once illustrated by an easy, a quiet, or an indolent allegory.

On the contrary, it is exhibited under the active figure of a combat, a race; some thing expressive of exertion, activity, progress. And yet many are unjust enough to think that this warfare can be fought, though they themselves are perpetually weakening the vigour of the combatant; this race be run, though they are incessantly obstructing the progress of him who runs by some hard and interfering command. That our compassionate judge, who knoweth whereof we are made, and remembereth that we are but dust,' is particularly touched with the feeling of their infirmities, can never be doubted; but what portion of forgiveness he will extend to those who lay on their virtue hard burdens too heavy for them to bear,' who shall says

?

To keep an immortal being in a state of spiritual darkness, is a positive disobedience!

to heaven and bring it unto us, for this word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.**

For it is a very valuable part of the gospel of Christ, that though it is an entire and perfect system in its design; though it exhibits one great plan from which complete trains of argument, and connected schemes of reasoning may be deduced: yet in compassion to the multitude, for whom this benevolent institution was in a good measure designed, and who could not have comprehended a long chain of propositions, or have embraced remote deductions, the most important truths of doctrine, and the most essential documents of virtue, are detailed in single maxims, and comprised in short sentences; independent of themselves, yet making a necessary part of a consummate whole; from a few of which principles the whole train of human virtues has been deduced, and many a perfect body of ethics has been framed.

If it be thought wonderful, that from so few letters of the alphabet, so few figures of arithmetic, so few notes in music, such endless combinations should have been produced in their respective arts; how far more beautiful would it be to trace the whole circle of

* Dent. xxx. 11 and 12.