go-how can we get free from this way of life?" -Now they have the impudence to cry-"Oh, there is the Magdalen for them by and bye, and it is time enough to repent." Which plainly proves, they are vile upon principle; and therefore deferving more contempt than the beaft that perishes. The Magdalen certainly is not meant for fuch as thefe: and that excellent charity can never be ferviceable to wretches, who take a delight in the fouleft vices, in the filth of prostitution, in drunkenefs, blafphemy and obscenity. And can men take delight in such women! Ye fons of lewdnefs, know your own advantage better, and leave fuch unworthy objects, while you court the inexpreffibly fuperior pleasure of virtuous affection! As this, Sir, feemed a proper time to throw in these hints, I was willing not to let it flip: men seem to be thinking of these things, and therefore every obfervation may be of fervice: I earneftly wish, that to the honour of our present times, we may add this alfo: and that be as zealous to promote the dominion of virtue, and good manners at home, as our brave countrymen are to promote our glory abroad. we may And now that I am upon the subject, fuffer me just to add, that in clearing the ftreets of proftitutes, we fhould alfo endeavour to clear them of that shameless tribe called ballad-fingers, who are a kind of pandar to thieves, and who go go about to fummon attentive gaping circles; that these gentlemen may serve their own purpoles.-Common beggars too ought by no means to be fuffered: they have all parish provifions. I know the objections made to these, and I may poffibly fend you fome hints on parish workhouses, officers, &c. if you infert this. One way to deliver us from the pain and importunity of beggars, would be an univerfal refolution not to give them any thing. If we imagine we are doing good, and are charitable in giving to them, we grievously err. We are not doing good but evil, supporting idleness and vice, and this cannot be charity. Sir, I have long had the honour to be a merchant of this refpectable city; and as I have feen with pleasure many excellent schemes for public benevolence planned and perfected; fo I have no doubt but there is fo much zeal in my countrymen, as to animate them to the execution of these useful improvements also. I am with much esteem, Yours, &c. J. NUM NUMBER LVII. Only add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith, SIR, To the VISITOR. MILTON. N my former letters, wherein I have proposed to delineate, in fome measure, the excellence of the chriftian religion, it hath been obferved, "that the perfection of its laws; the perfuafiveness of its motives to obedience; and the very awful nature of its fanctions," are high recommendations of it, and strong proofs of its excellence. If you compare the morality of the christian system, with that of the wifest and best of the heathen philofophers, with that of Socrates or Cicero, who indisputably claim the pre-eminence in the school of antient philofophy, you will not hesitate a moment, where to afcribe the fuperiority. Indeed there neither is, nor can be properly properly any comparison. Since the perfection of moral laws depends, not only upon a right knowledge of ourfelves, but alfo of God; and as the heathens had the most improper and inadequate idea of the Deity, it was impoffible that their laws respecting piety towards him, could have any degree of perfection. The chriftian revelation which hath given us a juft notion of the omnipotent Ruler of the world, hath also given us just notions of that duty, which we owe to Him of that love, fear, reverence, worShip, humility, dependence, and refignation, and all those other offices of piety, which are at once fo reasonable in their own nature, and fo conducive to the perfection of ours. And as to that morality, which concerns either ourselves or the public, which tends to the peace of individuals, or the happiness of fociety; it is not eafy to conceive any scheme wrought up to a greater degree of excellence; OF more beautifully calculated to promote the great ends defigned. Unlike, very unlike the heathen moralifts, the great chriftian Lawgiver lays the foundation of our private happiness and duty, in a temper and difpofition, to which the wifeft of antient times were so much strangers, that they had not even a word in their language to express it *. Humility is the virtue I mean; that poverty of fpirit, upon which the firft blef * See Jortin's Difc. 7th ad fin. fing fing is pronounced, in our Saviour's fermon on the Mount, which fingly may well be esteemed superior to all the ethics of antiquity. We may here again obferve, that as the heathens were no lefs ignorant of the true nature of man, than, of God; of his originally perfect and now fallen state; it was no less impoffible, that their morality should be right, with respect to him, than with respect to God. For as the duties we owe to God, are certainly founded upon the nature of God; fo the duties we owe to ourselves, and our obligations to virtue, certainly depend upon the right knowledge of our own nature, circumftances and relations. Hence a knowledge of ourselves is and hath been generally esteemed the first step in the path of virtue. On which account that ancient saying, Know thyself, though fo little understood, was fo generally prized, and efteemed fo full of wisdom, that nothing lefs than a God was imagined capable of delivering it. "We very justly suppose that faying, Know thyself, fays Cicero, to have been delivered to us from the gods themselves. But if the heathen morality was deficient in this first branch of the chriftian, and never dreamt of fo elevated a perfection, as that which is but the first step in the fchool of Chrift; what fhall we fay, of their total ignorance of that internal purity, which the laws of Chrift fo exactly enjoin! For not the outward act only, but the inward in |