Chorus. Venus, The fools are only thinner, With all our coft and care; But neither fide a winner, For things are as they were. Calms appear, when storms are past, Love will have its hour at laft: Mars deftroys, and I repair; Take me, take me, while you may, Chorus, Take her, take her, while you may, Chronos. The world was then fo light, Momus pointing to Diana. to Mars. to Venus. to Janus. Joy rul'd the day, and love the night. The pond'rous orb around. All, all, of a piece throughout; ; The chace had a beast in view All All, all, of a piece throughout; Chorus, An account Stanemore. 26. In this happy manner did we pafs of Mrs. the night in this wild and frightful part of Price of the world, and for three fucceeding evenings and days, enjoyed as much true fatisfaction as it was poffible for mortals to feel. Price was an ingenious, chearful, entertaining man, and his wife had not only fenfe more than ordinary, but was one of the beft of women. I was prodigioufly pleased with her converfation. Tho' she was no woman of letters, nor had any books in her house except the Bible, Barrow's and Wichcott's fermons, Howell's Hiftory of the World, and the Hiftory of England, yet from these few, a great memory, and an extraordinary conception of things, had collected a valuable knowledge, and fhe talked with an eafe and perfpicuity that was wonderful. On religious fubjects the astonished me. The nature, defign of As Sunday was one of the days I ftayed end, and there, and Price was obliged in the afternoon chriftianito be from home, I paffed it in converfation ty, confwith his wife. The day introduced religion, converfation. and 14 dered in a and among other things, I asked her, which fhe thought the best evidences of christianity ? The prophecies or the miracles? Neither: (Mrs. Price replyed). The prophecies of the Meffiab recorded in the old teftament are a good proof of the christian religion, as it is plane from many inftances in the new teftament, that the Jewish converts of that generation understood them to relate to our Lord; which is a fufficient reason for our believing them. Since they knew the true intent and meaning of them, and on account of their knowing it, were converted; the prophecies for this reafon should by us be regarded as divine teftimony in favor of Chrift Jefus.-Then as to miracles, they are to be fure a means of proving and fpreading the chriftian religion, as they fhew the divine miffion of the Meffiah, and rouze the mind to attend to the power by which thefe mighty works were wrought. Thus miracle and prophecy fhew the teacher came from God. They contribute to the establishment of his kingdom, and have a tendency to produce that faith which purifies the heart, and brings forth the new birth. But the greater evidence for the truth of our holy religion, appears to me to be that which converted the primitive christians, to wit, the powerful influence which the Gospel has on the minds of those who study it with fincerity, and the inward difcoveries Chrift makes to the understanding of the faithful by his light and good fpirit. This exceeds the other evidences, if the heart be honeft. The Gospel is irrefiftible, when the fpirit of God moves upon the minds of chriftians. When the divine power, difpenfed through Chrift, affifts and strengthens us to do good, and to efchew evil, then christianity appears a religion worthy of God, and in itself the most reafonable. The compleat falvation deserves our ready acceptation. That religion must charm a reasonable world, which not only restores the worship of the one true God, and exhibits, in a perfect plan, those rules of moral rectitude, whereby the conduct of men fhould be governed, and their future happiness fecured; but, by its bleffed fpirit, informs our judgments, influences our wills, rectifies and fubdues our paffions, turns the biass of our minds from the objects and pleasures of fenfe, and fixes them upon the fupreme good. Moft glorious furely is fuch a gospel. But does not this operation of the Spirit, (I faid) which you make the principal evidence for christianity, debafe human nature, and make man too weak, too helpless and depending a being? If voluntary good agency depends on fupernatural influence and and enlivening aid, does not this make us mere patients, and if we are not moral a gents, that is, have not a power of chufing or refufing, of doing or avoiding, either good or evil, can there be any human virtue? Can we in fuch cafe approve or disapprove our felves to God. To me it feems that man was created to perform things natural, rational, and spiritual, and has an ability to act within the reach of his agency, as his duty requires. I think the moral fitnefs of things is a rule of action to conduct our actions by, and that the great advantage of revelation confifts in its heavenly moral lef fons, and the certainty of that future judg ment and retribution, which has a powerful influence upon a rational mind, and ftrongly inclines a reasonable being to fave bis foul, by fo acting in this world, as to avoid everlasting mifery, and enfure the favor of God, and eternal happiness in another world. This appears to me more confiftent with the nature and the truth of things. It is more to the honour of human nature, if I mistake not, and gives more glory to God. To this Mrs. Price anfwered, that as fhe was fenfible of the shortness of her own understanding, and believed the faculties of the human mind in general were weak and deficient, fhe could not fee any thing unreasonable in fuppofing the |