ftart up, which had passed on him for beauties. He finds much to amend, and even to expunge, in what he had before admired.-When by rigorous caftigation the most acknowledged faults are corrected, his critical acumen, improved by exercife, and a more habitual acquaintance with his fubject, ftili detects and will for ever detect new imperfections. But he neither throws afide his work, nor remits his criticifm, which, if it do not make the work perfect, will at least make the author humble. Confcious that if it is not quite fo bad as it was, it is still at an immeasurable distance from the required excellence.

"It is not aftonishing that we should go on repeating periodically, Try me, O God,' while we are yet neglecting to try ourfelves? Is there not fomething more like defiance than devotion to invite the inspection of Omnifcience to that heart which we ourselves neglect to infpect? How can a chriftian folemnly cry out to the Almighty, feek the ground of my heart, prove me and examine my thoughts, and fee if there be any way of wickedness in me,' while he himself neglects to examine his heart,' is afraid of 'proving his thoughts,' and dreads to enquire, if there be any way of wickedness' in himself, knowing that the enquiry ought to lead to the expulfion." Vol. I. p. 280.

The conclufion of this chapter is admirable, but we forbear to quote, that we may not exclude other paffages which we have marked. "Self-love," the great obftacle to felfexamination, forms the fubject of the 13th chapter. "To worship images" fays Mrs. M., " is a more obvious, but it is fcarcely a more degrading idolatry, than to fet up felf in oppofition to God."" Even the Son of God declared, I came not to do my own will, but the will of him that fent me.” She then proceeds to expofe the various artifices of felf-love, in a way which no one could have done who had not laboured hard to counteract them; the particulars will not admit of abridgment. The author proceeds in chapter 14, to confider what fhould be "the conduct of chriftians in their intercourfe with the irreligious." This chapter is very masterly; and the opening of it gives an excellent fpecimen of what is to be expected in it.

"The combination of integrity with difcretion is the precife point at which a serious chriftian muft aim in his intercourfe, and efpecially, in his debates on religion, with men of the oppofite defcription. He must confider himself as not only having his own reputation but the honour of religion in his keeping. While he muft on the one hand fet his face as a flint' against any thing that may be conftrued into compromife or evafion, into denying or concealing any chriftian truth, or fhrinking from any com manded

R

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXXVIII. SEPT. 1811.

manded duty, in order to conciliate favour; he must, on the other hand, be fcrupulously careful never to maintain a christian doctrine with an unchristian temper. In endeavouring to convince he must be cautious not needlefsly to irritate. He muft dif tinguish between the honour of God and the pride of his own character, and never be pertinaciously fupporting the one, under the pretence that he is only maintaining the other. The dislike thus excited against the difputant is at once transferred to the principle, and the adverfary's unfavourable opinion of religion is augmented by the faults of its champion. At the fame time the intemperate champion puts it out of his power to be of any future service to the man whom his offenfive manners have difgufted.

"A ferious chriftian, it is true, feels an honeft indignation at hearing thofe truths on which his everlafting hopes depend, lightly treated. He cannot but feel his heart rife at the affront offered to his maker. But inftead of calling down fire from heaven on the reviler's head, he will raise a fecret fupplication to the God of heaven in his favour, which, if it change not the heart of his opponent, will not only tranquillize his own, but foften it towards his adverfary; for we cannot eafily hate the man for whom we pray.

He who advocates the facred cause of chriftianity should be particularly aware of fancying that his being religious will atone for his being difagreeable; that his orthodoxy will justify his uncharitablenefs, or his zeal make up for his indifcretion. He must not perfuade himself that he has been ferving God, when he has only been gratifying his own refentment; when he has ac tually by a fiery defence prejudiced the cause which he might perhaps have advanced, by temperate argument and perfuafive mildnefs. Even a judicious filence under great provocation is, in a warm temper, real forbearance. And though to keep filence from good words' may be pain and grief, yet the pain and grief must be borne, and the filence must be obferved." P. 28.

The remark on the character and polemic temper of Warburton is no lefs ftriking than juft. (P. 70.) But the whole must be read, in order to eflimate rightly the bearing of any part. To the argument taken up in the 15th chapter we do not entirely affent. The author there contends for "the propriety of introducing religion in general converfation." If a time fhould happily arrive, which we may hope rather than quickly expect, when religious feelings fhall be more general, and when those who think religiously fhall be lefs difcordant in their modes of thinking, and more fubdued to chriftian forbearance than they are at prefent, then all that fhe fays upon this topic will be excellent and irrefragable; but till then the very principles maintained in the preceding chapter will oppofe the doctrine of this; and filence and for

bearance

bearance will better become the fincere chriftian, than an imprudent introduction of the truth. When religious perfons, all thinking alike, meet together, they will naturally talk of what prevails in their minds; but in other cafes the fubject of religion will be apt, like that of politics, to fpoil company, without edifying it; and to generate difputes, without a chance of producing conviction. This, however, we will without reluctance allow, that if there is a perfon better qualified than almoft any other to exemplify the precept here taught it is the author herself.

The fixteenth chapter treats of "Chriftian Watchfulnefs;" and it is opened by remarks on the danger of declining in piety. The picture of an unfteady chriftian is here given, and the probable caufes of his failure are enumerated with a wonderful infight into human nature. With the fame fuccefs, the various circumftances which may relax the zeal of the best intentioned perfons are recounted, and the neceffity for vigilance on all thofe accounts fuggefted. The author ventures even to touch upon the various fnares by which even a pious and fuccefsful preacher is furrounded; but this is done with a delicacy which precludes all poffibility of offence; while at the fame time it fhows how perfectly the can figure to herfelf the religious trials of every clafs of chriftians.

When the comes to treat, in chap. 17, on "true and false zeal," he is again on the fame ground with a hoft of our beft preachers; nevertheless fhe neither copies what others have faid, nor is confined in her own views of the fubject. As an inftance of falfe zeal, fhe paints with great force a mo notorious picture of it.

"It was zeal, but of a blind and furious character, which produced the maffacre on the day of St. Bartholomew-a day to which the mournful strains of Job have been fo well applied. 'Let that day perish. Let it not be joined to the days of the year. Let darkness and the fhadow of death ftain it.' It was a zeal the moft bloody, combined with a perfidy the most detestable, which inflamed the execrable Florentine. When, having on this occafion invited fo many illuftrious proteftants to Paris under the alluring mask of a public feftivity, the contrived to involve her gueft, the pious Queen of Navarre, and the venerable Coligni, in the general mafs of undistinguished destruction. The royal and pontifical affaffins, not fatisfied with the fiu, convert

"Catherine de Medici."

ed it into a triumph. Medals were ftruck in honour of a deed which has no parallel even in the annals of Pagan perfecution. "Even glory did not content the pernicious plotters of this direful tragedy. Devotion was called in to be

The crown and confummation of their crime.

The blackeft hypocrify was made ufe of to fanctify the fouleft murder. The iniquity could not be complete without folemnly thanking God for its fuccefs. The pope and cardinals proceeded to St. Mark's church, where they praised the Almighty for fo great a bleffing conferred on the fee of Rome, and the chriftian world. A folemn jubilee completed the prepofterous mummery. This zeal of devotion was as much worfe than even the zeal of murder, as thanking God for enabling us to commit a fin is worse than the commiffion itself. A wicked piety is ftill more difgufting than a wicked act. God is lefs offended by the fin itself than by the thank-offering of its perpetrators. It looks like a black attempt to involve the Creator in the crime *»* Vol. II. p.

109.

The 18th chapter is on "Infenfibility to eternal things," and is calculated to touch even the most infenfible. The following remark is equally new and striking.

"The intellectual vices, the fpiritual offences, may deftroy the foul without much injuring the credit. Thefe have not, like voluptuoufnefs, their feafons of alternation and repofe. Here the principle is in continual operation. Envy has no interval. Am. bition never cools. Pride never fleeps. The principle at least is always awake. An intemperate man is fometimes fober, but a proud man is never humble. Where vanity reigns, fhe reigns always. Thefe interior fins are more difficult of extirpation, they are lefs eafy of detection, more hard to come at; and, asthe citadel fometimes holds out after the out-works are taken, thefe fins of the heart are the lateft conquered in the moral warfare." Vol. II. P. 143.

In

The picture of a decent perfon, not really touched by religion t, in p. 176, &c. is of the most accurate kind. the chapter on "Happy Deaths," which is the 19th, the author treats not so much of those which really are so, as of

* "See Thuanus for a most affecting and exact account of this direful maffacre,"

She uses the term "unawakened;" a word to which we have no objection, except that it has been hackneyed by fectaries.

thofe

thofe which are falfely fo efteemed; and very powerfully expofes the fallacy ufually prevalent in fuch opinions. The very accurate conclufion is, that "there is no happy death, but that which conducts to a happy immortality*; no joy in putting off the body, if we have not put on the Lord Jefus Chrift." Chapter the 20th, "on the fufferings of good men," is perhaps one of the moft mafterly of the whole. It is fhown, with great clearnefs, how ufeful fufferings may be. When the fervants of God, it is faid, cannot be attracted fufficiently to him by gentler influences, "he fends thefe falutary forms and tempefls, which purify while they alarm. Our gracious Father knows that Eternity is long enough for his children to be happy in !" It is remarked allo, very truly, that good events are not always produced by good men, and this forcible example is adduced.

"How long had the world groaned under the most tremendous engine [the inquifition] which fuperftition and defpotifm, in dreadful confederation, ever contrived, to force the confciences, and torture the bodies of men; where racks were used for perfuafion, and flames for arguments! The best of men for ages have been mourning under this dread tribunal, without being compé tent to effect its overthrow; the worst of men has been able to accomplish it with a word. It is a humiliating leffon for good men, when they thus fee how entirely inftrumentality may be feparated from perfonal virtue." Vol. II. p. 218.

The following illuftration is alfo beautiful, to fhow why great trials attend good people.

"Great trials are oftener proofs of favour than of displeasure. An inferior officer will fuffice for inferior expeditions, but the fovereign felects the ableft general for the most difficult fervice.And not only does the king evidence his opinion by the felection, but the foldier proves his attachment by rejoicing in the prefe rence. His having gained one victory is no reafon for his being fet afide. Conqueft, which qualifies him for new attacks, fuggefts the reafon for his being again employed. Vol. II. p. 227.

It is shown alfo, by feveral of the moft appofite comparifons how rafhly and unjustly we are wont to judge of the difpenfations of providence, before we fee their true ten

*The author is very strong against thofe fudden converfions, and affurances of falvation, which are so much blazoned by one feat. P. 207.