"Madam, I could not help replying, with a decent warmth, and quickness ; let your country hops, and dirty tradefmen advertise, we are above it. You know Madam, furely, that the Metropolitan ball was established in all its greatness without one advertisement."-" Yes, yes, faid Sukey Sneerwell, with the afhen-coloured face, there will be no need to advertise I warrant you; twenty or thirty ladies engaged to spread any thing, will do it more effectually than all the news-papers in England. Never fear, we will make it known."

Accordingly the matter was carried in the negative. It was then moved to read the articles, &c. but this we determined to poftpone, till the next week; and in the mean time to invite all ladies, duly qualified, to our affembly. The next week came and we met: One hundred and feventy-nine.-But I think, my dear Visitor, I have written enough for once: So you must wait child, a little longer, till I have time to write to you again: Patience is an excellent virtue: I love to give you men a grain of it now and then to smell to.-So adieu-you figure,

I am, in high spirits let me tell you;
And very much your's,

SELIMA SEEKER.

Q S. A.

NUM

NUMBER XXVIII.

Chriftian is the highest file of man.

YOUNG

SIR,

To the VISITOR.

T is often matter of much furprize to me,

IT

that any reasonable Being should reject the Chriftian Syftem, when fairly and truly propofed to him; a system which, as a late elegant author expreffes it, "gives to virtue its sweetest hopes, to impenitent vice its greatest fears, and to true penitence its beft confolations; which checks even the least approaches to guilt, and yet makes thofe allowances for the infirmities of our nature, which the ftoic pride denied to it, but which the imperfection of it requires."

If a man be really virtuous and honeft, and is defirous to commend himself to the Deity by a rational and ferious conduct, it feems impoffible to fuppofe, that he should have any objection to that fyftem, which "gives to virtue its sweetest hopes;" which places the duties of morality upon the firmest and most extenfive foundation, and which elevates the foul to the nobleft and

most consistent ideas of God, and of the services which are acceptable to him.

If a man be engaged in vicious purfuits, and dedicated to criminal gratifications, there seems again no folid reason why he should reject and oppose the Chriftian Religion, and shroud himfelf beneath the dark banner of deism or infidelity; fince it is agreed, on every hand, that if there is a Deity,-and that there is, no man even attempts to doubt in these enlightened days,-that Deity must take a pleasure only in the deeds of the pure and deferving; can find no complacence in the acts or the offers of the finful and polluted. So that while a man continues in the practice of vice, deifm, and every other religion, if it be confiftent, must disapprove his proceedings; can fupport him with no fatisfactory hopes.

If, therefore, defirous to obtain the divine attention, he refolves to alter his life, and to abandon the path of guilt, what religion should he embrace fo foon, fo gladly, as that which

gives to true penitence its beft confolations:" nay, which alone can give any folid confolation to penitence, and affure it undoubtedly of the pardon for which it so anxiously wishes? Human reafon, it is plain, could never perfectly fatisfy itself, respecting the willingness of the Deity to admit to pardon on repentance only; the heathens abundantly teftified their perfuafion

of

of the contrary, by not trusting only to penitence; fuperadding, as was univerfally the custom, sacrifices and offerings, libations, gifts, and atonements of different forts, by which they conceived their gods were to be placated: a notion which most probably they derived from tradition; as unlightened reason seems perfectly to disclaim, or at least to be an utter ftranger to the idea.

But, to the exquifite comfort of the returning penitent, the Christian religion leaves not this most important of all concerns to the fluctuation of uneafy conjecture, while it eftablishes his hopes upon the fureft bafis, and fupports his repentance with the most unexceptionable affurance of its prevalence, through an atonement all-fufficient and well-pleafing. The vicious man, therefore, if he hath any real understanding, can never, with propriety, reject Christianity. Since if ever he intends to repent, -and no man living intends to die impenitent ;— no religion, but the Chriftian, can afford him a folid and rational ground of hope.

I obferve, farther, that if indeed there be an eternity awaiting us, if the foul of man be immortal, and muft, in confequence, partake of the due reward of its deeds (and, if the cafe be otherwise, to contend about religion, is just as idle, as to contend about mens different complexions) if man be immortal,-and that he is, the univerfal voice of nature declares, in every K 6 place

place and in every age-Then, let who will be wrong, the Chriftian must be right; let whatever religion be true, the fincere profeffor of christianity cannot fail of his recompence; cannot be unacceptable to the deity, let that deity be found hereafter, agreeable to the reprefentations of what system, or persuasion foever. Cicero's fine argument against Atheism, may be applied to Christianity, with double force. "If there fhould happen, fays he to his opponent, to be no God, I shall certainly be as well off as yourfelf; annihilation will then be your lot as well as mine. But if the matter fhall be found otherwife; if there shall indeed be found a God, when we enter into a future ftate; how greatly fhall I have the advantage of you; who have all your life long profeft and inculcated atheism and impiety; while I have continually laboured to honour the deity, and to promote virtue and religion ?"

And thus the professor of christianity may reply to the Deift, Infidel, Pagan, Mahometan, Jew, or any other, who disapproves his faith, and would propagate their own; "If peradventure the doctrines which I believe, fhall be found to be true: if indeed the religion of Christ, is what it affumes to itself, a revelation from the most High God; in how fad a cafe will you be found, who reject and despise it, who knowingly refuse to embrace it, and refift all the evidences, which

it