Horsley, of irrational enthufiafm? Yet, in their discourses and charges, they all urge their clergy, not to preach mere moral doctrines, the philofophy of the heathens, but the Gospel; that is, the great doctrines of redemption, atonement, fatisfaction by Chrift, and the neceffity and importance of divine grace. If, by the coming of Chrift, God recommended only a MORAL SYSTEM, merely REPUBLISHED the religion of nature, this would in fact have been no Revelation. Indeed, a merely moral Christianity is Deifm.

When Christianity is the national religion, and great revenues are allotted to its profeffional teachers, many may chuse to join the crowd of Chriftians for the loaves and fishes; many may call themselves Chriftians who have nothing of Chriftianity but the name, and in their hearts defpise even the name; but let all ferious and fenfible men remember, that if the Gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are loft, whofe eyes the God of this world hath blinded; let them in time beware, left that come upon them which is spoken by the prophet: "Behold, ye defpifers, and wonder and perish;

Again, fays the fame difcerning Primate: "We have, in fact, "LOST MANY OF OUR PEOPLE TO SECTARIES, BY ΝΟΥ "PREACHING IN A MANNER SUFFICIENTLY EVANGELICAL." SECKER'S CHARGES.

There never was a more discreet, rational, or judicious Archbishop than Secker. He could not favour fanaticism, for he was a man who guided his thoughts and actions by the strictest rules of right reafon. He was a wise man, even according to this world's notion of wifdom; and his natural conftitution, as to devotional feelings, was too cold to produce enthusiasm.

The faint praife, or rather the detraction from the character of Archbishop Secker, in the Life of Warburton, published by Bishop Hurd, is ably and properly expofed in a pamphlet by Dr. Wintle. Gratitude is amiable, and much must be pardoned even to its exceffes; yet it must be blamed, when it proceeds to a violation of truth and juftice, to vile fycophantism and servile adulation.

" for

"for I work a work in your days, a work which "you will in no wife understand, though a MAN "declare it unto you * "2

SECTION LIV.

A Self-Examination recommended refpecting religious Infenfibility.

I

ADVISE my reader, without a moment's delay, to take a view of the prefent ftate of his heart. Let us lay aside books awhile, and confider our own bofoms, without felf-flattery, and uninterrupted either by bufinefs or pleasure.

Does my heart require renovation? Is it piously inclined to God, and kindly to my fellow-creature? Am I convinced of my own ignorance, weakness, and unworthinefs? Have I enquired into the health of my foul, the ftate of my temper and difpofition, with half the folicitude with which I take care to feed, to cure, to adorn my body? If not, I may call myfelf a Chriftian, and join the congregation of Christians, but I am probably still a heathen, ftill unregenerate. I may be in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity. My heart may be hardened through the deceitfulness of fin, and as I value my happiness in this short ftate of existence, or my immortal foul, I must feek the divine Grace, to give me a lively fenfe of my wants and wretchednefs, and of God's power and will to illuminate and comfort me by his Holy Spirit,

But, fuppofing that I am feelingly convinced of fin and mifery, and fincerely wish to be delivered from it, do I feek deliverance by the Gospel means, that is, through Jefus Chrift; or do I depend upon my own reafon, a few moral acts and habits obferved for the fake of decency, for my own health, wealth, and that reputation in the world which is neceffary to the advancement of my intereft? If fo, my morality is worldly wifdom, and my religion has no claim to Chriftianity. I am unregenerate, unconverted, unrenewed, notwithstanding my baptifm and my profeffions; and continuing as I do by choice a heathen, in the midst of the light of Chriftianity, which at the fame time I folemnly profess to admire and adopt, I must finally perish, after an unfatisfactory life.

Is my Christianity a cold, philofophical affent to a few propofitions in the Gofpel, evident before the Gospel was divulged, and fuch as I felect from others of the fame authority in the fame book, which I do not fo well approve? Then is my religion nominal only. I profefs to believe, as others appear to do, what I never in my life fully confidered. I am content to live without God in the WORLD, fo long as my corn and my wine increase, and I can fay to my foul," Soul, thou haft much "goods laid up for many years, take thine eafe, 66 eat, drink, and be merry +." For the fake of living at peace, and for the fake of credit, which is intimately connected with my intereft, I conform to all outward ceremonies and all moral decencies; but my heart has not yet been truly turned

*Every other confeffion of the reasonableness and excellency " of the Chriftian religion, but that which the correction of fin and << mifery in the foul makes of it, is but like the praise of a bystander, who commends fomething in which he has no concern.' + Luke, xii. 20.

LAW.

to

to God. I know no other God than my own gain and pleasure; and as to heaven, this earth, fo long as I fecure to myself a large fhare of it and its good things, is my paradife. I say to myself, "It

is good for me to be here; here will I build "my tabernacle; for it is a pleafant place, and I "have a delight therein." But what fhall I fay when this world is receding from me, when my fenfes decay, and death evidently approaches? Then fhall I have no comfort, unless God fhould foften my heart by the effufion of his Spirit. But left my obduracy fhould grow impenetrable by time, I will immediately implore the divine favour, in co-operation with my own endeavours, to reftore my religious fenfibility. I will henceforth cultivate the love of God. I will acquaint myfelf with him, and be at peace.

But to love God only, is not enough. Do I love my FELLOW-CREATURE? or, as it is expreffed in Scripture," my neighbour?" The Apostle fays, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love "is of God, and every one that loveth is born of "God, and knoweth God; he that loveth not, "knoweth not God, and therefore cannot be born "of him, for God is love." How, then, is my heart affected towards my fellow-creatures? Are my friendships merely combinations for the fake of intereft and pleasure? Is there any human being in the world whom I wish to be miferable, and would render fo, if I had him in my power? Have I no fympathetic feelings for MEN AS MEN? If I cannot recollect acts of DISINTERESTED beneficence, I may reft affured that the fame hardness of heart which renders me infenfible to God, has also made me a stranger to the focial affections. I have need,

therefore, to pray that God would thaw my heart by the sunshine of his grace. He who can turn a heart of ftone into a heart of flesh *, will cause me to feel, by his Spirit's influence, for thofe who fhare with me the evils incident to humanity.

By fuch questions as the above, and many fuch every man may propose to himself, the state of the heart may be ascertained much better than by figning articles or repeating a symbol.

God certainly made the heart of man tender. Jefus himself wept, and thus for ever hallowed the briny fountain. Tears are appropriated to man, as one of the most honourable .distinctions which separate him from the brute creation. When man has dried up the facred fource by acquired infenfibility, he has degraded his nature, and muft have recourfe to God to make him a new creature, to regenerate and render him alive to the fentiments of divine love, and the foft touches of humane fympathy. God's Spirit can break the rock of flint afunder, and caufe the waters to gufh from it in abundance.

And can I venture to hope that he will do fo, that he will melt my obduracy? Yes, certainly; for Jefus Chrift has PROMISED the influence of his Spirit to renew the heart, and accomplish the great work of regeneration. Without this I cannot be happy. I may be rich, learned, powerful, but I cannot be happy. I am loft and undone without it; in a state more degraded and wretched than that of the lowest and obscurest human being, whofe piety and humility may have drawn down upon his heart the holy emanation of divine love.

* Ezekiel, xxxvi. 26.