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to degenerate into ceremoniousness, and might be called ultra politeness. But this arose from the noble principle of preferring others to himself, and deriving pleasure and satisfaction from making them comfortable and happy.

It may be proper to mention that this excellent man was very fortunate in his private connections. The lady whom he married was of a very amiable disposition, of good family and fortune, and he lived with her in the sweetest harmony of mutual affection. But she was taken from him by the will of an all-ruling providence many years before his death. His children he had the felicity to see respectably and comfortably settled in life, and two of them survive to lament the loss of an affectionate and benevolent parent, and to imitate the admirable example which he set them. It is pleasing to add, that Mr. and Mrs. R. agreed exactly in their religious sentiments; she, as well as himself, being a well-convinced worshipper of the one God, the Father of Jesus Christ and of all mankind; and both of them understanding, in

their plain and obvious sense, the words which the Evangelist John assures us his honoured Master uttered in a solemn prayer to his Father, "This is life eternal, that they

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might know Thee to be the only true

God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast "sent, i. e. Jesus to be the Christ whom "Thou hast sent."-John xvii. 3.

Not long before his death Mr. R. drew up an imperfect sketch of a preface to his prayers, in which he took pains to obviate an objection against the too great length of his invocations. to the Almighty, and the enumeration of his attributes and perfections; vindicating them from the charge of unnecessary enlargement and repetition; alleging, to use his own words, that the displays of the divine perfections are endless; and it is natural to suppose, "that every truly devout mind will find edi"fication and pleasure in contemplating and

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expressing its sense of them." As he was willing, however, to submit to the judgment of his friends in this as in most respects, he consented to an abridgment of the introductory sentences, and the reader will find them considerably curtailed.

The latter part of the sketch is most worthy of attention, as it breathes the finest spirit of devotion and benevolence, and is well calculated to make us see the genuine excellence of his pious and good mind. "I "believe," he says, "that as I am now

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leaving the world, and know that the cur"tain will soon drop between my view and "all it contains, I cannot do my brethren " of mankind a more essential kindness than

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offering my earnest and warmest recom"mendation to strive seriously and diligently after a spirit of piety and devotion, " where it is not already attained; and to "maintain a constant attention to it where be already happily acquired. All may be assured that its possession and im provement will produce the purest enjoy"ment of the present life, and be the best

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preparation for the future state, where "their happiness will be increasing and im

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proving through all eternity. But the "true spirit of devotion can never be attained "until we have acquired just ideas of our "heavenly Father, and just conceptions of "his adorable perfections-until we conceive.

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of him as the God and Father of us and of "all his creatures who intends their wel"fare and final happiness, who governs "them with lenity and kindness, being long-suffering, merciful, and gracious; as he who has made himself known to us by Jesus Christ, who has taught us that we may at all times have free access to God, and that he is ever ready to receive " and bless us as his children, when we re"vere and approach him with those disposi"tions and affections which a dutiful child

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possesses towards a kind, a wise, and indulgent parent.”

"Thus," to continue the good man's language, "we may see God as our heavenly "Father, and be led to see that we cannot more properly honour him than by entirely trusting in him, paying him an unlimited "obedience, and expecting of him always "what is for our good. When we have

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"thus learnt to think of Almighty God, and " are become habitually conversant with "such ideas of him, then we shall have ac "quired the true spirit of devotion-then

"will it become a source of comfort and de

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light. It is truly said of the wicked, that ، God is not in all his thoughts, but "the truly pious man keeps the Lord

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always before him. Let every one, therefore, who desires to enjoy the pleasures of

devotion, make the ideas of the Almighty "familiar to his mind. This need not ex"clude any other thoughts, either of busi

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ness or of pleasure, if they be but lawful " and innocent. Let none, therefore, repel "the ideas of God when they present them، selves to their minds, but let all nourish, encourage, and support them; impress them deeply on their hearts, and they will "lead to pleasure and satisfaction in every thing which relates to religion; and par"ticularly in a growing acquaintance with “ the life, character, and example of Jesus "Christ, our leader and our king, and the great captain of our salvation."

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Except to those who refuse to give the appellation of Christian to such as cannot reconcile a belief of the divine nature of Jesus Christ, and his perfect equality with

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