among the various ranks of created Beings; who, as he first formed the minds of angels and men, continues the exercise of their intellectual faculties, and one way or another communicates to them all the knowledge of every kind which they poffefs; (in which view all our knowledge of every kind may be called a revelation from God, and be afcribed, as it is by Elihu in Job, to the inSpiration of the Almighty). This the holy Spirit may do, and diffipate a prejudice that opposes truth. But this is not always neceffary, nor always to be expected. It is evident from the gospel, that our Lord rather speaks of his word and doctrine, as the aids to fave mens fouls, than of himself, or spirit, personally confidered. Abiding in him, and he in them, as neceffary to their bearing fruit, fignifies a strict and steady regard to his word, and the influence of that upon our minds. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you: that is, If you continue to believe in me, and to pay a steady regard to my doctrine, you will be highly acceptable to God.

In fhort, as no man can come unto me (fays our Lord), except the Father which hath fent me draw him: that is, no man will receive my pure, fublime, and fpiritual doctrine, unlefs he have firft gained fome juft apprehenfions concerning the general principles of religion but if he has a good notion of God

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God and his perfections, and defires to advance in virtue, he will come unto me, and hearken to that revelation, which contains the best directions for the performance of all the duties, and the greatest incitement to virtue, piety, and devotion:fo, no man can come to the Father but by the Son, that is, by obeying the written word, and proceeding in that way in which the Son has declared it to be the will of the Father, that men should come to him, namely, by keeping God's commandments, and by repentance and amendment of life; there being no other name or way given among men, but this way given or declared by Jefus Chrift, by which they may be faved.In all this, there is not a word of fupernatural light or operation; tho' fuch operation, as before obferved, there may be. There is not a hint of man's natural inability.

To the glorious gospel then, the gospel of our falvation, the word of truth, the word of life, let us come, and with diligence and impartiality study it. Let us follow the truth we there find in every page, and it will enable us to triumph over the temptations of allurement and of terror. We fhall become the children of God by the fpirit of adoption. We shall be eafy and happy in this life, and glorious and ever bleffed in that which is to come. If we obey the gospel of the Son of God, and hearken to his word,

he will take us under his guardian care. He defcended from heaven, to deliver us from everlasting ruin, he purchased us with the price of his own blood, and if we live up to the word of truth, he will conduct us fafely through life and death, into the abode of holy and happy fpirits, and at length raise our bodies from the duft, and fix our compleat perfons in a state of immortal glory and felicity.- This is my fenfe of religion. Where I am wrong, I fhall ever be glad to be fet right.

Mrs. Price made no reply, and so ended this remarkable converfation. On whose fide the truth is, the reader is to judge. What The fays for fupernatural operation is strong and pious, to be fure; and confidering Mrs. Price had no learning, and was almost without any reading, I thought it very wonderful to hear her on this, and many other fubjects. She was fuch another genius as Chubb, but on the other side of the queftion; if she had been able to write as fenfibly and correctly as the talked on several articles of religion, the would have made a good author. So much goodness and good fenfe I have not very often found in her kind. They merit a memorial in a journal of the curious things that have occurred to me in my life-time.

28. The 13th of June 1725, I took my leave of my friend, John Price, and his admirable wife, promifing to vifit them again as M 2

foon

ture from

Lafco in

a farther

My depar- foon as it was in my power, and proceeded on my journey in queft of Mr. Turner. I Stanemore, would not let Price go with me, on fecond defeription thoughts, as many fad accidents might hapandfolitary pen in this rough and defolate part of the part of the world, and no relief in fuch case to be found. world. If I fell, there was no one belonging to me to

of this wild

fhed a tear for me: but if a mifchief fhould befal Jack Price, his wife would be miserable indeed, and I the maker of a breach in the fweeteft fyftem of felicity that love and good fense had ever formed. This made me refuse his repeated offers to accompany me. All I

would have was a boy and horse of his, to carry fome provifions wet and dry, as there was no public-house to be found in ascending those tremendous hills, or in the deep vales through which I must go; nor any house that he knew of beyond his own.

With the rifing fun then I fet out, and was charmed for feveral hours with the air and views. The mountains, the rocky precipices, the woods and the waters, appeared in various ftriking fituations every mile I travelled on, and formed the most astonishing points of view. Sometimes I was above the clouds, and then crept to inchanting vallies below. Here glins were feen that looked as if the mountains had been rent afunder to form the amazing fcenes; and there, forefts and falling ftreams covered the fides of the hills. Rivers in many places, in the most

beau

beautiful cascades, were tumbling along; and cataracts from the tops of mountains came roaring down. The whole was grand, wonderful, and fine. On the top of one of the mountains I paffed over at noon, the air was piercing cold, on account of its great height, and fo fubtle, that we breathed with difficulty, and were a little fick. From hence I saw several black fubjacent clouds big with thunder, and the lightening within them rolled backwards and forwards, like fhining bodies of the brightest luftre. One of them went off in the grandeft horrors through the vale below, and had no more to do with the pike I was on, than if it had been a fummit in another planet. The scene was prodigious fine. Sub pedibus ventos & rauca tonitrua calcat.

Till the evening, I rid and walked it, and in numberless windings round unpaffable hills, and by the fides of rivers it was impoffible to crofs, journeyed a great many miles but no human creature, or any kind of house, did I meet with in all the long way; and as I arrived at last at a beautiful lake, whose banks the hand of nature had adorned with vaft old trees, I fat down by this water in the fhade to dine, on a neat's tongue I had got from good Mrs. Price; and was fo delighted with the ftriking beauties and stillness of the place, that I determined to pass the night in this sweet retreat. Nor was it one night

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