lume of Infpiration, than in the moft celebrated Authors of Greece and Rome. Yet not the more Ceafe I to wander, where the Mufes haunt Clear Spring, or fhady Grove, or funny Hill, Smit with the Love of facred Song: but CHIEF Thee Sion, and the flowery Banks beneath, That wash thy hallowed Feet, and warbling flow, Nightly I vifit*. Afp. Another Recommendation of the Scriptures, is, That they afford the most awful and most amiable Manifeftations of the GODHEAD. His Glory fhines, and his Goodness fmiles, in those divine Pages, with unparalleled Luftre. Here, We have a fatisfactory Explanation of our own State. The Origin of Evil is traced; the Cause of all our Misery difcovered; and the Remedy, the infallible Remedy, both clearly fhewn, and freely offered. The Merits of the bleeding JESUS, lay a firm Foundation for all our Hopes: while Gratitude for his dying Love, fuggefts the most winning Incitement to every Duty.-Morality, Theron, your (and let me add, my) admired Morality, is delineated in all That is, "He ftill was pleased to study the Beauties of "the antient Poets; but his highest Delight was in the "Songs of Sion, in the holy Scriptures, and in these He "meditated Day and Night.” See Dr. Newton's Edit. all its Branches. Is placed upon its proper Bafis, and raised to its highest Elevation.The SPIRIT of GOD is promised, to enlighten the Darkness of our Understandings, and strengthen the Imbecillity of our Wills. What an ample-Can you indulge me, on this favourite Topic? Ther. It is, I affure You, equally pleafing to myself. Your Enlargements, therefore, need no Apology. Afp. What ample Provifion is made, by these blessed Books, for all our spiritual Wants! And, in this Respect, how indifputable is their Superiority to all other Compositions! Is any One convinced of Guilt, as provoking Heaven, and ruining the Soul?-Let Him ask Reason, to point out a Means of Reconciliation, and a Refuge of Safety. Reason hesitates, as She replies; "The DEITY may, perhaps, accept our Supplications, and grant Forgiveness.". -But the Scriptures leave Us not to the fad Uncertainty of Conjecture. They speak the Language of clear Affurance. GOD bas fet forth a Propitiation*: He does forgive our Iniquities: He will remember our Sins no more . Are We affaulted by Temptation, or averfe to Duty?-Philofophy may attempt to parry the Thrust, or to stir up the reluctant Mind; by .Rom. iii. 25. + Pfal. ciii. 3. + Heb. viii. 12. by disclosing the Deformity of Vice, and urging the Fitness of Things. Feeble Expedients! Juft as well calculated, to accomplish the Ends proposed; as the flimfy Fortification of a Cobweb, to defend Us from the Ball of a Cannon; or, as the gentle Vibrations of a Lady's Fan, to make a Wind-bound Navy fail.The Bible recommends no fuch incompetent Succours. My Grace, fays its almighty Author, is fufficient for Thee*.-Sin fhall not have Dominion over You.-The great JEHOVAH, in whom is everlasting Strength, He worketh in Us both to will, and to do, of his good PleaSure +. Should We be vifited with Sickness, or overtaken by any Calamity, the Confolation which Plato offers, is; That fuch Difpenfations coincide with the univerfal Plan of divine Government. Virgil will tell Us, for our Relief; That afflictive Vifitations are, more or less, the unavoidable Lot of all Men. Another Moralift whispers in the dejected Sufferer's Ear, " Impatience adds to the Load: whereas, "a calm Submiffion renders it more fupport"able."-Does the Word of Revelation difpenfe fuch Spiritless and fugitive Cordials? No: Thofe facred Pages inform Us, That Tribulations are fatherly Chastisements; Tokens of our MAKER's Love, and Fruits of his * 2 Cor. xii. 9. † Rom. vi. 15. ↑ Phil. ii. 13. his Care. That they are intended to work in Us, the peaceable Fruits of Righteoufnefs; and to work out for Us, an eternal Weight of Glory*. Should We, under the Summons of Death, have Recourse to the most celebrated Comforters in the Heathen World; they would increase our Apprehenfions, rather than mitigate our Dread. Death is reprefented, by the great Master of their Schools; as "The moft for"midable of all Evils." They were not able pofitively to determine, Whether the Soul furvived; and never fo much as dreamt of the Resurrection of the Body.-Whereas, the Book of GOD ftrips the Monster of his Horrors, or turns Him into a Meffenger of Peace: gives Him an Angel's Face, and a Deliverer's Hand. Afcertaining to the Souls of the Righteous, an immediate Tranflation into the Regions of Blifs; and ensuring to their 2 Cor. iv. 17. What are all the confolatory Expedients, prefcribed in all the Volumes of Heathen Morality, compared with this one Recipe of Revelation? They are, in Point of chearing Efficacy, fomewhat like the Froth on the Conflux of a thoufand rapid Streams, compared with a fingle Draught of Homer's Nepenthe. Which, He tells Us, was Temper'd with Drugs of fov'reign Ufe, t' affwage The bailing Bofom of tumultuous Rage; To clear the cloudy Front of wrinkled Care, Charm'd with that virtuous Draught, th' exalted Mind Odyff. IV. their Bodies, a moft advantageous Revival, at the Restoration of all Things. Ineftimable Book! It heals the Maladies of Life, and fubdues the Fear of Death. It ftrikes a lightsome Vista, through the Gloom of the Grave; and opens a charming, a glorious Profpect of Immortality in the Heavens. Thefe, with many other Excellencies peculiar to the Scriptures, One would imagine more than fufficient, to engage every fenfible Heart in their Favour; and introduce them, with the highest Efteem, into every improved Converfation. They had fuch an Effect upon the finest Genius, and most accomplished * Perfon, that former or latter Ages can boaft. Infomuch, *If we confider David, in the great Variety of his fine Qualifications-The Ornaments of his Perfon, and the far more illuftrious Endowments of his Mind-The furprising Revolutions in his Fortune; fometimes, reduced to the lowest Ebb of Adverfity; fometimes, riding upon the highest Tide of Profperity-His fingular Dexterity, in extricating Himself from Difficulties; and peculiar Felicity, in accommodating Himself to all Circumftances-The Prizes He won, as a youthful Champion; and the Victories He gained, as an experienced General-His mafterly Hand upon the Harp, and his inimitable Talent for Poetry-The admirable Regulations of his royal Government, and the incomparable Usefulness of his public Writings-The Depth of his Repentance, and the Height of his Devotion-The Vigour of his Faith in the divine Promises, and the Ardour of his Love to the divine Majefty- We confider these, with several other Marks of Honour and Grace, which ennoble the Hiftory of his Life; We shall fee fuch an Affemblage of fhining Qualities, as perhaps were never united in any other merely human Character. |