This from a plain, country girl, furprized me not a little, and my aftonishment arose very high, when I heard her talk of religion, and the great end of both, a blessed life after this. She foon convinced me, that religion was the only means by which we can arrive at true happiness, by which we can attain to the last perfection and dignity of our nature, and that the authority and word of God is the fureft foundation of religion. The fubftance of what the faid is as follows. fhall never forget the leffon.

I

The plain declarations of our Mafter in the Gospel restore the dictates of uncorrupted reafon to their force and authority, and give us juft notions of God and of our felves. They inftruct us in the nature of the Deity, difcover to us his unity, holiness, and purity, and afford certain means of obtaining eternal life. Revelation commands us to worship One Supreme God, the Supreme Father of all things; and to do his will, by imitating his perfections, and practifing every thing recommended by that Law of Reason, which he fent the Meffiah to revive and enforce : that by repentance, and righteousness, and acts of devotion, we may obtain the Divine favor, and share in the glories of futurity: for, the Supreme Director, whofe goodness gives counsel to his power, commanded us into existence to conduct us to everlasting happiness, and therefore, teaches us by his

Son

Son to pray, to praise, and to repent, that we may be entitled to a nobler inheritance than this world knows, and obtain life and immortality, and all the joys and bleffings of the heavenly Canaan. This was the godlike defign of our Creator. That fuperior Agent, who acts not by arbitrary will, but by the maxims of unclouded reason, when he made us, and ftationed us in this part of his creation, had no glory of his own in view, but what was perfectly confiftent with a juft regard to the felicity of his rational fubjects.

It was this made the Apostle fhew Felix the unalterable obligations to justice and equity; to temperance, or, a command over the appetites; and then, by displaying the great and awful judgment to come, urge him to the practice of these, and all the other branches of morality; that by using the means prescribed by God, and acting up to the conditions of falvation, he might escape that dreadful punishment, which, in the reafon and nature of things, is connected with vice, and which the good government of the rational world requires fhould be inflicted on the wicked; and might, on the contrary, by that mercy offered to the world thro' Jefus Chrift, fecure those immenfe rewards, which are promised to innocence and the teftimony of an upright heart. This faith

in

in Chrift St. Paul placed before the Roman governor in the best light. He described the complexion and genius of the Chriftian faith. He reprefented it as reveling the wrath of God against all immorality; and as joining with reafon and uncorrupted nature, enforcing the practice of every moral and focial duty.

What effect this difcourfe had on Felix (Martha continued) in producing faith, that is, morality in an intelligent agent, we are told by the Apostle. He trembled: but iniquity and the world had taken such a hold of him, that he difmiffed the fubject, and turned from a prefent uneafinefs to profit and the enjoyment of fin. He had done with St. Paul, and facrificed the hopes of eternity to the world and its delights.

But this (concluded Martha) will not I hope be your cafe. As a judgment to come is an awful fubject, you will ponder in time, and look into your own mind. As a man, a reasonable and focial creature, defigned for duty to a God above you, and to a world of fellow-creatures around you, you will confider the rules of virtue and morality, and be no longer numbered with those miferable mortals, who are doomed to condemnation upon their difobedience. Thofe rules lie open in a perfect gofpel, and the wicked can have nothing to plead for their behaviour.

They

They want no light to direct them. They want no affiftance to fupport them in doing their duty. They have a Gospel to bring them to life and falvation, if they will but take notice of it; and if they will not walk in the light of God's law, this Gospel muft be their judgment and condemnation.

Say then, Sir, (Martha proceeded) can on you be prevailed on to think of religion in its native purity and fimplicity, and by the power of the Gospel, so act with regard to virtue and piety, that when Chrift fhall come not only in the power, but in the wisdom and the juftice of God, to judge the world, you may be fecured from that mifery and diftrefs, which is prepared for iniquity; and enjoy that eternal life, which is to be the portion of the righteous?

In this extraordinary manner did Martha Harrington difcourfe me, and the effect of it was (Jack Price continued), that I became a thorow reform from that hour. My rational life from that happy day commenced, and I entred seriously into my own breast, to think in earneft of that folemn judgment to come. What Martha faid was fo clear and frong, that I had not a thought of replying, but truth at once intirely fubdued my heart, and I flew to the Son of God, to requeft his interceffion with the Father of the Univerfe for the pardon of all my crimes.

The

A converfations

The dignity and end of my being has fince been the fubject of my meditations, and I live convinced, that every thing is contemptible that is inconfiftent with duty and morality. This renders even my pleasures more agreeable. This gives eternal peace to my mind.

24. Here Price ended his remarkable ftory, and according to our agreement, I began to relate what happened to me from the time we parted at school, and concluded with informing him, that I was going in fearch of Charles Turner, my near friend, when fortune brought me to his house: that this gentleman lived fomewhere towards the confines of Cumberland and the Northriding of Yorkshire, but where the spot was I could not tell, nor did I know well how to go on, as the country before me feemed unpaffable, on account of its mountains, precipices, and floods: I must try however what can be done; not only in regard to this gentleman; but, because I have reafon to think it may be very much to my advantage, as he is very rich, and the most generous of men. If he is to be found, I know I fhall be welcome to share in his happiness as long as I please, nor will it be any weight to him. Price to this replyed, that I was moft heartily welcome to him as long as I pleafed to

3

ftay,