mon. N° 62. fairs. Surely nothing can be more tiresome or more ridiculous, yet I find nothing more comI is made the little hero of every tale. Do, Sir, juft infert it in your useful paper, as a general hint, that the worst and most unpleafing fubject a man can dwell upon, (except in very particular cafes,) is himself. I am, Your's, &c. SIMON SOCIABLE. It is unlucky, fays a fenfible writer, that the very reason that makes Eugenio think his ftories entertaining, fhould make me think them tirefome their being about himself. $ IR, To the VISITOR. I AM one of the refpectable company of parish clerks in the city of London, and though I fay it, few men have appeared in that office with greater dignity. I have never degenerated into the common neglect of my band and gown, and as I have not only an excellent ear for mufic, but am an extraordinary good poet, I have been always admired for my choice of pfalms, and for adapting them to 1 to the fermon. My loyalty was concerned upon the death of the King, and I compofed a psalm or hymn, to be fung in our church upon that occafion. But conceiving it meet to fhew it first to our Doctor, would you believe it, Sir, he forbad the rehearsal of it! Verily it occafioned great indignation in my heart. For why fhould he be allowed to fay what he pleases in the pulpit, and the clerk be debarred from offering his thoughts, as occafion may serve, from the desk? I do request you, Sir, to fet this matter in a proper light, and to plead fomewhat for our privileges in refpect to it; which I hope you will not fail to do, as I have been your conftant reader, and take great delight in your paper. I am, Sir, Your humble fervant, JOB TWANG. P. S. To convince you of our Doctor's envy at my merit, as well as his want of judgment, I fend you the firft ftave of my pfalm or hymn. It confifts of twenty-eight ftaves. I intended to have fung half in the morning and half in the afternoon. At At feven o'clock the other morn, To end his woful ftrife, The Lord took hence our glorious King, Now he is gone, all's black as night; No, neighbours no, don't weep; all's right: Is not this good, now; in the true spirit of praise, and sadness, and joy? NUMBER LXIII. Can love allure us, or can terror awe? To the VISITOR. J. T. YOUNG. SIR, T have shewn (No. 57.) is a convincing HE purity and perfection of its laws, we proof of the excellence of the Chriftian Religion: to enforce these laws, no motives can be conceived more persuasive, no sanctions more aw ful ful than the Chriftian. The great Lawgiver of the Christians doth not affume the voice of terror, and the threat of Majefty. He speaks in love, and endeavours to engage by the gentleft perfuafion. Their own happiness is the winning motive, by which he feeks to engage mankind to his laws. It is their own intereft to obey them. Every one of them tends to their prefent peace and tranquillity. And what motive can be more cogent? Yes; there is a more cogent motive: the love of this divine Lawgiver himself. As his grand law, which comprifes all the reft, is love of himself, fo the motives, whereby we are incited to this love, are the most affecting. He hath demonftrated his love to us, by every poffible method, lived and died for us: died to redeem us from death; died in the most painful and ignominious manner; died to make us heirs of heaven and eternity. Talk they of morals! oh thou bleeding love! The love of Chrift, and our own happiness, present and future, as they are the most endearing, fo are they the most powerful motives to obedience. Indeed the Christian religion offers various others but as thefe are peculiar to it, and and excellent beyond what any other system proposes, I leave a recollection of the reft to my readers. The fanctions of this law, are as awful and important as its motives are engaging. A law without sanctions is utterly useless. Rewards and punishments are the grand hinges, upon which all obedience turns. And what law cạn ftand in competition with the Chriftian in this refpect? Look at the heathen world; and tho' indeed they talked of Tartarus and Elysium; yet both were so childish, nay, and the notions of the wifeft concerning the foul's immortality fo dark and dubious, that a thinking man could find no fure reft for the fole of his feet with them. But the great Lawgiver of the Chriftians, as He came from above, could well reveal the future world. He hath left us in no doubt: Life and immortality are brought to light by Him. And behold eternity is proposed to mankind; eternity, bleffed in confequence of obedience; miferable, in confequence of impenitence and fin. Are not thefe weighty fanctions? Alarming confiderations, to move us to an observance of the laws of Him, who hath faid, What shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, and lofe his own soul ! Every man, will affuredly think, that fuch alarming informations as thefe, are fufficient, separate |