is done, our business is to render ourselves› capable of fo great a bleffing, by not grieving this holy fpirit, left he depart from us; and refolving with the pfalmift, to walk with a perfect heart, and to fet no wicked thing before our eyes. We must strive to improve religious thoughts; we must labour hard to obey the written rules: God will then give us the grace fufficient for us. To our confiderable talent of natural power to do good, our Father will add the advantages of his fpirit. If we defire to be good, he will make us good in conjunction with our own application and pains; by a gradual process, and human methods. If nature gives her utmost actings, the author of nature will move, and direct and affift her where she is weak. Both the grace and the providence of God may be likened to a little spring concealed within a great machine: to the known given powers of the machine, the operations of it are afcribed, and all its events imputed; yet it is the fmall fecreted: fpring that directs, draws, checks, and gives movement to every weight and wheel. The cafe cannot be exactly alike, as a compound of matter and spirit is different from a machine: but it may fuggeft, I imagine, some imperfect idea of the affair: a very imperfect one, I confefs; for if we were thinking ever so long of the matter, grace, after all, would would be what the apoftle calls it, an unSpeakable gift-A gift furmounting our apprehenfions, as well as it does our merit. The theory of it may be perhaps too excellent for us, and our part is, not to determine how, but with honeft hearts to pray, that a ray from heaven may open, and shine upon our understanding, clear it from prejudices and impoftures, and render it teachable, confiderative and firm; may inspire good thoughts, excite good purposes, and fuggeft wholefome counfels and expedients. This the divine power may eafily do, without depriving us of free-will, or leffening our own moral agency. That power may extinguish an imagination we strive to get rid of: may remove an impediment we labour to be freed from: may foil a temptation we do our best to refift. If we do all we can, and implore the divine aid, there is no doubt but the Almighty may give his free creatures fuch powers and difpofitions, as will carry them innocently and fafely thro' the trials of this firft ftate. On fuch conditions, God, the Father of fpirits, the friend of men, the patron of righteousness and all virtue, will, without all peradventure, diftribute his grace to every mortal in proportion to the meafures of neceffary: duty. Here A reflection on Azora's difcourfe. Here Azora ended, and I fat for fome minutes after in great admiration. Her fancy furnifhed ideas fo very faft, and fpeaking was fo very easy to her, without one pang in the delivery, or the leaft hesitatation for hours, as fhe could, if the pleased, fo long difcourfe; her judgment was fo ftrong, and her words fo proper and well placed, that the appeared to me a prodigy in speaking, and I could have liftened to her with delight and amazement the whole night. But exactly at ten o'clock, the old woman I mentioned before, who first bid me welcome to Burcot Lodge, came into the chamber with candles, and Azora told me, that if I would follow Gladufe, fhe would light me to bed. I did immediately, after wishing the ladies good night, and my guide brought me to her own cottage, which was next door to the grotto. She fhewed me into a small clean room, neatly and prettily furnished, and there I found a good bed. Down I lay as foon as I could, being much fatigued, and as the fun was rifing, got up again, to write what I could remember to have heard Azora fay. My memory from my childhood has been very extraordinary. I believe there are few living exceed me in this Gladufe, the old woman, conducts me to a bed in her cottage. respect. refpect. The greatest part of what I read and hear, remains with me, as if the book was still before me, or the speaker going on. This enables me to write down, with much exactness, what I care to note, and I can do it for the most part in the relater's or talker's own words, if I minute it in my short hand within twenty-four hours after reading or difcourfing. Upon this account, I can fay, that I loft very little of all that Azora was pleased to let me hear, or of the difcourfes I had with her ingenious companion, Antonia Fletcher. When I had done writing, The gardens I went out to wait upon the ladies, and found them in their of Burcor Lodge. fine gardens, bufily employed in the useful and innocent diverfion which the cultivation of some of the greatest beauties of the creation affords. They had every kind of fruit tree in their ground, every plant and flower that grows, and fuch a variety of exotic rarities from the hotter climates, as engaged my admiration, and finely entertained me for many an hour, during my stay in this place. They both understood gardening to perfection, and continually lent their helping hands to the propagation of every thing. The digging and laborious work was performed by many young women, who did it with great acti vity and understanding, and the nicer parts thefe ladies executed. I was astonished and delighted with their operations of various kinds. It was beautiful to fee with what exquifite skill they used the knife, managed graffs and cyons, directed the branches and twigs in pofture on efpaliers, and raised flowers. They had every thing in perfection in their kitchen garden and phyfic garden. Their fruits, roots, and herbs for the table, were moft excellent ; their collection of herbs for medicine the most valuable and as the whole contrivance of the gardens was nearnature, and beautiful in grafs, gravel, and variety of ever-greens, I was led with delight thro' the whole, till I came into the green-house. There I faw Azora and Antonia at work, and paid them the compliments they de ferved. Immediately after my arri account of val, breakfast was brought in A further there, chocolate and toasts, and the ladies were extremely pleasant over it. They asked me a great many questions about the world, and were fo facetious in their remarks, and pleased with my odd account of things, that they laugh-ed as heartily as I did, and that was at no fmall rate. This being done, we walked |