with a little more fpirit. The violent anger which this did often put me into did not fail to be punctually reported to the king, at which he would laugh heartily; and he himfelf was often hid not far off, for the fake of being a fpectator of my heavy dif pleasure."

During Mr. Bruce's refidence at Gondor, he made an excurfion, with proper guides, to the Nile, in order to view the great Cataract of Alata, on that river, which he thus defcribes :

The first thing they carried us to was the bridge, which confifts of one arch of about twenty-five feet broad, the extremities of which were ftrongly let into, and refted on the solid rock on both fides; but fragments of the parapets remained, and the bridge itfelf feemed to bear the appearance of frequent repairs, and many attempts to ruin it; otherwife, in its conftruction, it was exceedingly commodious. The Nile here is confined between two rocks, and runs in a deep trough, with great roaring and impetuous velocity. We were told no crocodiles were ever seen fo High, and were obliged to remount the ftream above half a mile before we came to the Cataract, through trees and bushes of a beautiful and delightful appearance.

The Cataract itself was the most magnificent fight that ever I beheld. The height has been rather exaggerated. The Miffionaries fay the fall is about fixteen ells, or fifty feet. The meafuring is, indeed, very difficult, but, by the pofition of long flicks, and poles of different lengths, at different heights of the rock, from the water's edge, I may venture to say that it is nearer forty feet than any other meafure. The river had been confiderably increased by rains, and fell in one sheet of water, without any interval, above half an English mile in breadth, with a force and noife that was truly terrible, and which ftunned and made me, for a time, perfectly dizzy. A thick fume, or haze, covered the fall all round, and hung over the courfe of the stream both above and below, marking its track, though the water was not feen. The river, though fwelled with rain, preferved its natural clearnefs, and fell, as far as I could difcern, into a deep pool, or bafon, in the folid rock, which was full, and in twenty different eddies to the very foot of the precipice, the ftream, when it fell, feeming part of it to run back with great fury upon the rock, as well as forward in the line of its courfe, raifing a wave, or vio lent ebullition, by chaffing against each other.

Jerome Lobo pretends, that he has fat under the curve, or arch, made by the projectile force of the water rufhing over the precipice. He fays he fat calmly at the foot of it, and looking through the curve of the ftream, as it was falling, faw a number of rainbows of inconceivable beauty in this extraordinary prifm. This however I, without hefitation, aver to be a downright falfehood. A deep pool of water, as I mentioned, reaches to the very foot of the rock, and is in perpetual agitation. Now, alVOL. XIX, April 1796. lowing

lowing that there was a feat, or bench, which there is not, in the middle of the pool, I do believe it abfolutely impoffible, by any exertion of human ftrength, to have arrived at it. Although a very robuft man, in the prime and vigour of life, and a hardy, practifed, indefatigable fwimmer, I am perfectly confident I could not have got to that feat from the fhore through the quieteft part of that bafon. And, fuppofing the friar placed in his imaginary feat under the curve of that immenfe arch of water, he must have had a portion of firmness, more than falls to the fhare of ordinary men, and which is not likely to be acquired in a monaftic life, to philofophife upon optics in fuch a fituation, where every thing would feem to his dazzled eyes to be in motion, and the stream, in a noife like the loudeft thunder, to make the folid rock (at least as to fenfe) fhake to its very foundation, and threaten to tear every nerve to pieces, and to deprive one of other fenfes befides that of hearing. It was a moft magnificent fight, that ages, added to the greatest length of human life, would not deface or eradi cate from my memory; it ftruck me with a kind of flupor, and a total oblivion of where I was, and of every other fublunary concern. It was one of the most magnificent, ftupendous fights in the creation.

I was awakened from one of the most profound reveries that ever I fell into, by my companions, who now put to me a thou fand impertinent questions. It was after this I measured the fall, and believe, within a few feet, it was the height I have mentioned; but I confefs I could at no time in my life lefs promise upon precifion; my reflection was fufpended, or fubdued, and while in fight of the fall I think I was under a temporary alienation of mind; it feemed to me as if one element had broke loofe from, and become fuperior to all laws of fubordination; that the fountains of the great deep were extraordinarily opened, and the deftruction of a world was again begun by the agency

of water."

ON CHRISTIAN SOBRIETY. "Teaching us, &c.-that we should live SOBERLY." Tit. . 12. HE noun, from whence the adverb cwppovws, Joberly, is formed, fignifies, one of a found mind, one that is mafter of himself, having his appetites and paffions in due order and fubjection; fince, of every one of thefe, if fuffered to domineer, inftead of obeying, may be faid, what has been often said of one of them, that it is a temporary madness. Thus, when the prodigal in the parable is described, as repenting of his profligacy, the expreffion is, apos σeautov nade, he came to himself. The phrafe intimates, that, while engaged in his former courfe, he was not himfelf. The governing principle had been dethroned, and he had been carried away captive, at the will of his conquerors. The queftion, therefore, will fland thus; whether they are likely

to

to make the best members of fociety, who poffefs the use of their reafon; or they, who have loft it?

If we confider Sobriety, as implying the regulation of our ap petites, it fupplies us with the virtues of temperance, as oppofed to intemperance of every kind, and industry, as oppofed to floth. And where is the flate, that would not with all it's fubjects to be temperate and industrious? Look at the generations of old, and confult the ages that are paft. Enquire of kingdoms that were once mighty upon earth, and of empires that now live only in the records of hiftory. Afk them, and with one voice they will tell you, that by thefe virtues they all arofe to greatness, glory, and honour; by their contraries they funk into ruin, hame, and reproach. Learn we, then, as good citizens, duly to value the religion, that, upon the grounds of true reason, and eternal wisdom, with fuch perfuafive energy recommends and enjoins the practice of thefe virtues, holding them forth to view, in the example of our Divine Mafter, and thofe of his firft followers. A glutton, a drunkard, a debauchee, a fluggard, are monfters in the Gofpel fyftem. There we fee a religion, which is, all over, fobriety and purity, fervour and alacrity. There we find prefcribed to us flrict temperance always, prudent abftinence often. And why? That we may not be brought under the power of an appetite, and enflaved to fo merciless and unrelent ing a tyrant. There we are directed, whether we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, to do all to the glory of God; as if the world were one vaft temple, and every good man, through the courfe of his actions, a kind of perpetual officiating priest in it. There none are permitted to be idle; every one is to be active and diligent in fome employment, not only innocent, but useful to the community. If any do not work, it is declared that he fhould not eat; and the portion of the unprofitable is said to be with that of the disobedient.

But Sobriety goes farther. It comprehends the government not of the bodily appetites only, but of the paffions and affec tions of the mind. The ufe of these is, to ftir up the foul, and put it upon action, to awaken the understanding, to excite the will, and to make the whole man vigorous and attentive in the profecution of his defigns. He whofe defigns are right, and who, being master of his paffions, can direct their force that way, proceels like the mariner, who understands his compafs, and commands the winds: he raifes or finks his affections, according to his judgment, and carefully adjufts them to the nature of things: he applies them, with all their energy, to the profecution of his greatest intereft; and makes them militate, with all their force, against whatever might obftruct it, Chriftianity informs us of the proper objects, on which the paffions fhould be fixed; and enables us to fix them on thofe objects. It's injunction runs thus Set your affections on things above;" on objects, in the purfuit of which they may put forth all their firength, and 2 C 2

in

in the enjoyment of which they may acquiefce, with absolute complacency. Thefe are the objects to which they were originally adapted; and therefore, till poffeffed of them, they are unquiet and diffatisfied. In vain do they feek their full gratification in things below, in earthly objects, not calculated to afford it; and when they are fet upon fuch, otherwife than in perfect fubordination to the better things above, the man becomes a fure prey to disappointment and vexation. Upon this principle, the Gofpel, in the heart where it is received, moderates and regulates the paffions, in their application to terreftrial objects. It reftrains the fallies of anger that it fin not, and flops the iffues of diflike; it repreffes infolence in joy, and prevents clamour or defpondency in grief: it forbids prefumption in hope, and bridles the impetuofity of defire it permits not fear to tranfgrefs the bounds of a prudent caution, and mitigates even courage, which without it becomes a favage ferocity: it balances the mind in every ftate and fortune; it produces modefty, meeknefs, patience, candour, impartiality; and, out of these ingredients, forms that Sobriety of character, intended by the Apoffle. And what is it but this fame, fobriety, this command of the paffions, this felf government, that qualifies a man to discharge properly all the relative duties of life; that endears him to a community, and renders him a truly useful and valuable member of fociety ? Deftitute of this, what is the world, as agitated by human paffions, let loofe, without refraint, in their fury, but a troubled fea, with the four winds ftriving on it for the mastery; where all is froth and foam, noife and confufion!

I

Mr. FLETCHER'S LETTERS,
To JAMES IRELAND, Efq.

My dear Friend,

Nyon, Feb. 2, 1779.

AM forry to hear that you are ftill tried by illness; but our heavenly Father will have us to live with one foot on earth, and the other in the stirrup of our infirmities, ready to mount and pafs from time into eternity. I am better, thank God, and ride out every day when the flippery roads will permit me. You will afk me how I have spent my time I pray, rejoice, and write when I can; I faw wood in the house when I cannot go out and eat grapes, of which I have always a basket by me. Our little Lord Lieutenant has forbidden the minifters to let me exhort in the parfonage, because it is the Sovereign's houfe. My fecond brother has addressed a memorial to him, in which he informs him, that he will give up neither his religious nor civil liberty, and will open his houfe for the word of God; and accordingly we have fince met at his houfe. On Sunday we met at the young Clergyman's, who, on his part, writes against the conduct of the Clergy,

but

but I fear we fence against a wall of brafs. However I am quite perfuaded that Providence calls me to leave a teftimony to my French brethren, and it may be of fome ufe when I thall be no more. I have been comforted by feeing the Apology of a Mi nifter at Yverdon, who was perfecuted in the beginning of this century under the name of Pietift. I have got acquainted with a faithful Minifter of Geneva, but he dares no more offer me his pulpit than my brother in law at Lausanne.

The Lord was not in the forwardness of the young man I mentioned. It was but a fire of straw; and he has now avoided me for fome weeks. Several young women feem to have received the word in the love of it, and four or five grown up ones: but not one man except the young hopeful Clergyman I mention, whe helps me at my little meetings and begins to preach extempore. I hope he will ftand his ground better than he, who was fuch an approver when you were here, and is now dying, after having drawn back to the world.

The truths I chiefly infift upon, when I talk to the people who will hear me, are those which I feed upon myself as my daily bread.-"God our Maker and Preferver, tho' invifible, is here "and every where. He is our chief good, because all beauty "and all goodness centers in, and flows from him. He is efpecially Love, and love in us, being his image, is the fum and fubftance of all moral and fpiritual excellence, of all true and lafting blifs. In Adam we are all eftranged from love and from "God; but the fecond Adam, Jefus, Emmanuel, God with us, "is come to make us know and enjoy again our God as the God "of love and the chief good. All who receive Jefus receive power to become the fons of God, &c. &c."

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66

I hope I fhall be able to fet out for England, with Mr. Perronet, in April or May. O that I may find that dear island in peace within and without! God is a good God: do you know the coats and fhoes you gave me have lafted all this while, and art yet good: fo that I need not draw upon your banker. Thank God and you for a thousand favours! God blefs and comfort you my dear friend! We are poor creatures, but we have a good God to caft all our burdens upon, and who often burdens us that we may have our conflant and free recourfe to his bounty, power, and faithfulnefs. Stand faft in the faith. Believe lovingly, and all will be well. Farewell.

I

To Mr. CHARLES GREENWOOD.

My dear Friend,

AM

J. F.

Nyon, May 22, 1779

yet alive, able to ride out, and now and then to instruct a few children. I hope Mr. Perronet will foon have fettled his affairs, and then, pleafe God, I fhall inform you by word of mouth, how much I am indebted to you, Mrs. Greenwood, and Mrs. Thornton. I know it fo much the more now, as I have made trial of the kindness of my, relations in Adam: thofe in