Imatges de pàgina
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promise 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 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 spot 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 fenfible 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 Tillotfon in my hand, under that aged and beautiful cedar, near the road; and in thofe fermons I now find more delight, in the folemn

folemn fhade of one of thofe fine trees, than ever I enjoyed in the gayest scenes of the world. In thefe 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 happinefs. 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 pleasure, and her foul all whim: but when I faw her laft, fhe was ferious, and feemed to enjoy as happy a ferenity and composure of mind, as ever mortal was bleffed with. Even her eyes had acquired a more fober light, and in the place of a wild and lufcious air, a beautiful modefty appeared.

A reflexion on the converfion of Mifs Bennet.

§. 9. And now to what fhall I afcribe this aftonishing alteration? Shall I fay with our methodists and

other

other visionaries, 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-spoken) but taught by Chrift in his gofpel. When her friend Tench opened the New Testament to her, her good understanding 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 a believer. And as the Apoftle fays, We can do all things through Christ who ftrengthens us; that is, fays Dr. Hunt, in one of his fine fermons, through the directions of Christ, and through the arguments and motives of the chriftian doctrine. Well faid, Hunt. It must be their own choice, to be fure, to be good and virtuous. So far as men are paffive, and are acted upon, they are not agents. Without power to do good or evil, men cannot be moral or accountable beings, and be brought into judgment, or receive according to their works.

Dr. Lardner, in his excellent fermon on the power and efficacy of Christ's doctrine, has a fine obfervation ;-Would any say, that the neceffity of immediate and particular influences from Chrift himself, is im

plied in this context, where he fays, that he is a vine, and his disciples branches, and that their bearing fruit depends as much upon influences from him, as the life and vigour of branches do upon the fap derived. from the root of the tree? It would be eafy to answer, that the argument in the text is a fimilitude, not literal truth. Neither is Chrift literally a vine, nor are his difciples, ftrictly speaking, branches. Men have a reasonable, intellectual nature, above animals and vegetables. They are not governed by irresistible, and neceffary, or mechanical powers. But it is found doctrine, and right principles, particularly the words of Chrift, which are the words of God, that are their life, and may, and will, if attended to, powerfully enable them to promote good works, and to excel, and perfevere therein.

Two Irish gentlemen call upon me, and bring me to a gamingtable, kept by a company of fharpers, where I lofe all my for

tune.

§. 10. But it is time to return to my own story.While I lodged at Curl's, two Irish gentlemen came to fee me, Jemmy King an attorney, and that famous mafter in chancery, who debauched Nelly Hayden, the

beauty, and kept her feveral years.. I knew thefe men were as great rakes as ever lived,

and

Esq. 161 and had no notion of religion; that they were devoted to pleasure, and chafed away every fober thought and apprehenfion by company, by empty, vicious, and unmanly pleasures: The voice of the monitor was loft, in the confused noise and tumult of of the paffions: but I thought they had honour at the bottom, according to the common notion of it. I never imagined they were sharpers, nor knew, that being ruined in Ireland, they came over to live by a gaming-table. The Doctor especially I thought was above ever becoming that kind of man, as he had a large estate, and the best education; always kept good company, and to appearance, was as fine a gentlemen as ever was seen in the world. With these two I dined, and after dinner, they brought me, as it were, out of curiofity, to a gaming-table, they had by accident discovered, where there was a bank kept by men of the greatest honour, who played quite fair, and by hazarding a few guineas, I might perhaps, as they did, come off with fome hundreds.

At entring the room, I faw about twenty well-dreffed men fitting round a table, on which lay a vast heap of gold. We all began to play, and for two or three hours, I did win fome hundreds of pounds: the Doctor

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