tention is directed and regulated by his holy precepts, who fees, who knows, and who eftimates men by the thoughts of their hearts. This is going to the root of the matter, and establishing virtue and holinefs upon the most solid basis. It is not enough for the chriftian to abftain from external violence, impurity and intemperance: the vices must be eradicated; the very inclinations mortified; and the contrary virtues cultivated in their utmost extent. Thus a method is divinely proposed to heal all the evils of difordered, and to introduce all the bleffings and harmony of regulated affections. For as all vice is productive of mifery, afflictive to the confcience, painful in the recollection, and deftructive of the nobler faculties of the foul; so an uniform and inward attachment to virtue, a love of her ways, and a steady perfeverance in them, diffuses the fofteft calm of ferenity, fupplies the sweetness of perfect content, and gives the most fatisfactory foretaste of celestial and confummate felicity.

We observe, that no other system but the christian was adequate to the production of this heart-felt felicity. The heathens indeed, with much propriety, have talked of the beauty of virtue, and the deformity of vice. But as they never knew the fublime precepts of humility, of forgiveness, of univerfal love; it was impoffible, that the foul could enjoy unruffled felicity, fince whatever of pride, of malice, or of

envy, remains unsubdued in the heart, fo much of misery and unhappiness unavoidably must remain. Christianity therefore, whofe firft precepts teach the conqueft of thefe, is not only fuperlatively excellent in itself, but above all things worthy the acceptation of every wife and rational man.

But if the morality of Chrift is calculated to produce the trueft piety towards God, and the moft perfect private felicity, so is it equally calculated to promote the peace of society, and to advance the public tranquillity and happiness. That one fingle rule invariably purfued, (if the evil paffions of men would fuffer them invariably to purfue it) Whatsoever ye would that men fhould do unto you, do ye alfo unto them; could not fail to render fociety delightful. Why it is not invariably pursued, may too easily be accounted for. But this is no objection to the rule itself; and we are only speaking now, of the nature and tendency of the Chriftian laws. I must confefs, however, that I never think upon this subject, without a pleasing admiration of the divine wifdom, which hath fo amiably and fo excellently comprised our duty to each other, in that one word-Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf! How plain to every comprehenfion; yet fo perfect, that all the united wifdom of man can contrive nothing more complete! How lovely alfo, to win us to our duty by the most endear

ing affection, and to derive our obligatious to mutual good will, from the mutual relation we bear to each other. How vain, how useless, would be the long labours of cafuifts, and all the precifion of moral theorists; if men would bear this divine precept, engraved as it were on their honeft hearts; and unite in a brotherly concern, and fympathetic tendernefs for each other's welfare! Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf-canft thou then injure, revile, defraud, opprefs and ruin him, canft thou work any ill to him? nay, canft thou with-hold thy hand from doing him all the good in thy power;—wilt thou not readily affift, comfort, ferve, fupport, and render him all the fervices thou art able? Certainly, if you are a Christian indeed; if you believe the word of Chrift, if you expect a future reward; if you have any dependence upon him, whose love to you constrained him to die for you certainly if you have any reverence for the word of God, or any love for yourself, you will not only remember, but constantly conduct yourself by that complete precept-of univerfal love.

An attention to this fingle precept, and a ferious confideration of its extenfive utility, will fuffice abundantly to fhew the fuperlative excellence of the morality of Christ, above that of all other teachers; and confequently will fug

geft

geft to us a very ftrong and convincing argument in proof of his Meffiahfhip. But this by the way. I fhould now proceed to speak of the persuasive motives and awful sanctions, which invite and perfuade us to a conformity with thefe facred laws. But for this, I muft intreat the favourable allowance of a future admiffion into your paper.

Suffer me at prefent, only briefly to remark, that thofe men, who prefume to discountenance the morality of Chrift, and who take upon them to oppofe and revile his facred precepts, even under a notion of doing greater honour to his free grace as they call it, certainly deferve the feverest reproofs, and merit the universal difapprobation of mankind. There is nothing plainer, than that the abfolute neceffity of moral duties is inculcated, throughout the writings of Chrift and his apoftles; and woe be to them, who endeavour to loofen the folemn obligations; who, under ftrange ideas of righteousness externally imputed, would infer the non-importance `of an internal righteousness, wrought in the heart, and difplayed in the life; who under wild notions of legal dependencies would explode the pure and holy love of the Chriftian gofpel; who would introduce all the impurity and defilement of heathenifm, under the hypocritical pretence of fuperior fanctity; and all the

filth of accurfed Antinomianism, under the cloak of zeal for the grace of Christ!

But while we justly abhor such abominable maxims and destructive doctrines, let us take care, that we do not condemn ourselves; and vainly boast of the excellence and fuperiority of the chrifftian morality, while we ourselves are yet not so exemplary, as good heathens. It is indeed unpleafing to remark, how very many Christians fall fhort of the morality of the heathens, in temperance, justice, chastity, piety, meekness, benevolence! What avails it to you, who profess yourfelf a Chriftian, that no laws are fo pure, elevated, extenfive, divine, as the laws of Chrift, while you never think of directing your conduct by them! Oh ridiculous and shocking; you boast of the chriftian morality, and are yourself immoral. In the name of fober reflection, ask yourself, I befeech you, "Wherefore did Christ deliver these laws?" And "What fhall I be able to answer the great Judge, when he reminds me, that he plainly faid to me, in the gospel-Thefe words are to judge you at the laft day."

I am, Sir,

Your's, &c.

M.

NUM