may in health, in honour and difgrace, in life and in death, and in what condition foever we be. This he proved to her fatisfaction, and made it plain to her conception, that by it only we can acquire a right judgment of perfons and things, and have a juft and due eftimate of ourselves that unless held in by reafon and religion, pleasure, though innocent of itself, becomes a thing of deadly confequence to mortals; and if we do not use it in due time, place, circumftance, measure and limits, it neceffarily involves us in difficulties and troubles, pain and infamy: if we ftifle the grand leading principles, reafon and religion, by fin and vice, and let defire and inclination range beyond bounds, we must not only plunge into various woes in this world, but as creatures degenerated below the beaft, become the contempt and abhorrence of the wife and honeft. To this fad condition must be annexed a reflective mifery, as we have confcience or reason, that will examine, now and then, the whole procedure of life, do all we can to prevent it, and the remorfe that must enfue, on account of our wretched and ridiculous conduct, is too bitter a thing for a reasonable creature to acquire, for the fake of illicit gratification only; and this becomes the more grievous in reflexion, as pleasures are not forbidden by religion, but allowed to the most upright, and ordained for for the holy fervice of God; to recruit nature, and enliven the fpirits; to propagate the human fpecies, and preferve the flame of love in the married ftate. If there was then no other life but this, it is most certainly our intereft in regard to fame and advantage, to be governed by reafon and religion. And if we are not to be annihilated with the beaft, but are to answer hereafter for what we have done, whether it be good or bad, furely the main bufinefs of life fhould be to govern ourselves by godlinefs, that is, to be chriftians in our principles, holy in our conversation, and upright in our behaviour. If the gofpel be true, (as has been proved a thousand and a thoufand times, by the wifeft men in the world, to the confufion and filence of infidelity,) and the Son of God came into the world, not to make Judea the feat of abfolute and univerfal empire, and establish a temporal dominion in all poffible pomp and magnificence, (as the Jews most erroneously and ridiculoufly fancied, and to this day believe,) but to prepare greater things for us'; to relieve us from the power of fin, and the endless and unspeakable miferies of the life which is to come; to propofe a prize far more worthy of our expectations than the glories of civil power, and to fecure to us the happinefs both of foul and body to all eternity, An the kingdom of God; then certainly, in regard ་ regard to ourselves, we ought to attend to his heavenly leffons, and turn from the unlawful enjoyments of this life, to the endlefs and folid happiness of a future ftate. As this is the cafe, we fhould cherish and improve a faith of invisible things, by serious and impartial confideration. We fhould attend to the evidence which God has given us for the truth of chriftianity, evidence very cogent and fufficient; and then fhew our faith by works fuited to the doctrine of Chrift; that is, by recommending the practice of virtue, and the worship of one God, the Creator of the universe. Confider then, Mifs Bennet, that you ftand on the brink of death, refurrection, and judgment; and it is time to begin by ferious and humble enquiry to arrive at a faith of strength and activity; that by your eminence in all virtue and holiness, you may make the glorious attempt to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This will be a work worthy of an immortal Soul: Nor will it hinder you from enjoying as much happiness in this lower hemifphere, as reafon can defire. For godlinefs is profitable unto all things, having promife of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Thus (Mifs Bennet that was, continued) did this excellent young clergyman talk to me, and by argument and reafoning in the gentleft gentlest manner, by good fenfe and good manners, made me a convert to christianity and goodness. He fnatched me from the gulph of eternal perdition, and, from the realms of darkness, and the fociety of devils, brought me into the kingdom of the Meffiah. To make me as happy as it was poffible even in this world, he married me, and landed me in this charming fpot you found me in. For seven years, we lived in great happiness, without ever stirring from this fine folitude, and fince his death, I have had no inclination to return to the world: I have one lady for my companion, an agreeable sensible woman, a near relation of Mr. Tench's, and with her, and fome good books, and three or four agreeable neighbours, have all the felicity I care for in this world. When you faw me at Curl's, I had no taste for any thing but the comedy, the opera, and a tale of La Fontaine; but you found me with a volume of Tillotson in my hand, under that aged and beautiful cedar, near the road; and in those fermons I now find more delight, in the folemn fhade of one of those fine trees, than ever I enjoyed in the gayeft scenes of the world. In these fweet filent walks I am really happy. Riches and honour are with me, yea durable riches and righteousness. To the bleffings of time, I can here add the riches of expectation and comfort, the riches of future glory and hap piness. A reflexion on the con net pinefs. This makes me fond of this fine retreat. In contentment, peace, and comfort of mind, I now live. By hearkning to the commandments, my peace is a river. Here Mrs. Tench had done, and I was amazed beyond expreffion. This charming libertine was quite changed. It was formerly her wont (when I have fat an evening with her at Curl's,) to make a jeft of the chriftian fcheme,-to laugh at the devil and his flames; her life was all pleafure, and her foul all whim: but when I faw her laft, fhe was ferious, and feemed to enjoy as happy a ferenity and compofure of mind, as ever mortal was bleffed with. Even her eyes had acquired a more sober light, and in the place of a wild and luscious air, a beautiful modefty appeared. §. 9. And now to what shall I ascribe this verfion of aftonishing alteration? Shall I fay with our Mifs Ben-methodifts and other vifionaries, that it must be owing to immediate impulfe, and proceeded from inward impreffion of the Spirit? No: this will not do. It was owing to be fure, to the word (not in-fpoken) but taught by Christ in his gofpel. When her friend Tench opened the New Teftament to her, her good underftanding inclined her to hearken. She began to confider: She pondered, and had a regard to the gofpel, now laid before her, by that fenfible and excellent young clergyman. She became |