AVOIDINGS.

Avoid all indirect arts in the pursuit of a fortune. All unlawful methods in felf-prefervation. And every gratification that militates with reafon and benevolence.

The Offices of a Chriflian.

These are heavenly-mindedness, and contempt of the world, and chuting rather to die than commit a moral evil. Such things, however, are not much efteemed by the generality of Chriftians: Moft people laugh at them, and look upon them as indifcretions; therefore there is but little true chriftianity in the world. It has never been my luck to meet with many people that had thefe three neceffary qualifications.--And as for the people, exclufive of their going to church to make a character-or to ogle one another-or out of fuperftition to perform fo much opus operatum, a job of lip-fervice, which they idly fancy to be religion, they, I mean the great and the small, might as well be Heathens as Chriftians, for any real chrif tian purpose they answer, in a ftrict adherence to the three offices aforementioned. The name of Chriftian founds over Europe, and large parts of Afia, Africa, and America:

But if a Chriftian is what St. Paul defines it, to wit, a man that is heavenly-minded, that contemns the world, and would die rather than commit a moral evil, then is the number of Chriftians very small indeed.

The meaning of John vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father draw him.

That is,-No one can be a Christian, unlefs his regard for the Deity and natural religion inclines him to receive a more improved scheme of religion.

But Dr. Young, in one of his fermons, explains this text in the following manner. No one can live up to the religion of Jefus, and reach Christian perfection, unless the Father enlightens and enables him, by the operative influence of his holy fpirit. We can do nothing, in refpect of what ought to be done, to be more than nominal Chriftians, without the inward principle of fanctification. -This I think is mere methodism.

N. B. The excellent Dr. Lardner expounds the text in the following words :No man will come to me, and receive my pure, fublime, and spiritual doctrine, unless he have first gained fome juft apprehenfions concerning the general principles of religion. And if a man have fome good notions of God, and his perfections, and his will, as already

already revealed, he will come unto me. If any man is well difpofed: if he has a love of truth, and a defire to advance in virtue, and religious knowledge; he will readily hearken to me, and believe in me. Sermons, Vol. I. p. 303.

Of Baptifm, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

What is the meaning of baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost?

It fignifies receiving men by baptifm to the profeffion and privileges of that religion, which was taught by the Father, Son, and Spirit, that is, which the Father taught by the Son, in his life-time, and by the Spirit, after his afcenfion.

Or, to be baptized, is folemnly to profefs our resolution to adhere to that holy doctrine, which is the mind and will of God the Father, published to the world by his Son, whom he fent from heaven for that purpose, and confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghoft.

Note, An able writer, St. Hillary, fays (De Trinitate, lib. 2. ad calcem, on Matt. xxviii. 19.) that baptifing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, fignifies, In confeffion of the author of all things,

I

things, and of the only begotten, and of the

gift.

Of Chriftian Idolatry.

What a surprising incident is idolatry in the church of Chrift! that after the religion of Jefus had accomplished its glorious defign, and fubverted idolatry and fuperftition throughout the world, it fhould itself be wounded almost to death, by the enemy it had subdued! This is the cafe all over the realms of popery. And can they be faid to have any true religion among them, where the theology of Athanafius prevails?

Churchifm and Creeds.

I have no very good opinion of creeds. Jefus Chrift came with a legatarian power from God, the Supreme Being, to declare his will to mankind; and the great work to be done, (fo far as I can find in the gofpel,) is, the perfecting our minds in all that is truly excellent; by labouring to excel in all the virtues of the gofpel, by loving the whole race of mankind with an univerfal charity, and ftriving to add to the fatisfaction and happiness of all about us, and with whom we have any connexion.

SECTION

An account of Richmond

and old

SECTION X.

Thou attribute divine! thou ray of God!
Immortal reafon! come, and with thee bring,
In thy exulting train, invincible

The honeft purpose, and the ehearful heart;
The joyful fancy, fill'd with images.

Of truth, of fcience, and of focial love..
There is no ground for fear, while we are good:
Nature's the nurfe, and providence the guide.

§. 1.

H

AVING loft Maria, as related in the ninth fection, I went up the beau, to London, and on my way to the metropoRibble the polis, dined at a pleafant village, not far chemift. from Nottingham, where I faw two gentlemen well worth mentioning. They were fitting in a room the waiter fhewed me into, and had each of them a porringer of mutton broth. One of them seemed a little confumptive creature, about four feet fix inches high, uncommonly thin, or rather exficcated to a cuticle. His broth and bread however he fupped up with fome relish. He feemed to be paft threefcore. His name was Ribble.

The other was a young man, once very handsome, tall and strong, but fo confumed

and