bringing truth to the light. And however I am reproached by men, as being the worst of heretics, the approbation of my own conscience, and the hope of the approbation of my mafter, will more than compenfate. If T. F. is not fatisfied with what I have here faid, I shall be happy to hear from him again, and will endeavour to give every further elucidation in my power; that fo, by freely inveftigating the doctrines we believe, all prejudice may be banished from our minds, and the glorious light of the gofpel, unobfcured by the traditions of men, may fhine into our hearts, and bring forth its proper fruits, which are love to God, to his Christ, and to all the creatures of God.

December 10, 1798.

S. THOMPSON.

I

EULOGY ON EARLY RISING.

F the practice of rifing betimes can be proved to be univerfally beneficial to mankind---if it can be fhewn to have been always mentioned with the higheft encomiums---and that the greatest and best of men were early rifers, nothing further need be faid in recommendation of it.

Now that it contributes, and indeed univerfally, to the hap pinefs of the world, will appear from the following confiderations. In the first place, Is life itself a happiness, or, if you like the term better, a real enjoyment? This, I hope, none will deny; and therefore, as early rifing is really an addition to 1 fe---I mean to active and conscious life---it must be an additional enjoyment; which every one that pleases may, and which every early rifer actually does enjoy.

Another argument to prove the advantage of early rifing may be drawn from its contributing to the health and vigour of animal life. It not only adds to, and in a manner lengthens the duration of life, but heightens, fo to fpeak, its very degree and reality. All the powers of human nature are thereby quickened and made to perform their several functions with greater force and energy; the confequence of which is a confiderable augmentation of actual enjoyment, that otherwise would have been loft.

Again, if we turn our thoughts to rational life, we fhall find no fmall advantage resulting from early rifing. What feafon fo proper for performing the duties of religion and piety? Are not our minds then compofed, calm, and ferene? Does not the dawning and return of day naturally infpire us with

exalted

exalted ideas of the great Creator and Governor of the world, who at firft ordained and ftill preferves the delightful viciffitudes of day and and night, fo admirably calculated to promote the happiness of the inhabitants of this globe? Is not every paffion then hufhed, and the mind in the best frame imaginable for paying to the great God of Nature that adoration, praife, and homage, which all his reasonable creatures owe him? In this refpect, then, the advantage of early rifing is manifeft.

With regard to focial duties, what more neceffary than early rifing? Is it poffible for a man who dozes away the morning on his downy bed, and spends one third of the day in the enervating embraces of death-like fleep, to discharge the duties either of private or public life, like the man who gets up betimes, fedulous to mind his business, and careful not to lose the balmy influence of the moft early rays of the fun? The latter has the pleasure to see the greater, the most effential part of his work done before the other begins; the confequence of which is, that he has leifure to purfue new advantages, new schemes of utility, both to himself and others; whereas the fluggard, by the too liberal indulgence of his beloved fleep, difables himself from performing even the indifpenfable duties of his station; instead of having time to look out for an addition to his happiness, he is not in a condition to make the best use of that which he already poffeffes. Befides, that excefs of fleep, inftead of nourishing and refreshing, ferves only to enervate the whole human frame; and actually difables thofe who indulge in it for acting with that fpirit, refolution, and vigour they otherwife would do.

As to improving the mind in knowledge, the advantage of rifing early is no less evident. In the morning all the faculties of our foul are awake, fresh, and vigorous. What over-night defied our most diligent ftudy to find out, now voluntarily fubmits itself to our view; we fee, we comprehend, what formerly was thought above the reach of human understanding. Now as early rifing not only enables the mind to understand things eafier and better, but likewife affords time for fetting about the study of them, it must be allowed to be highly conducive to the attainment of knowledge.

In the historical part of Scripture industry and early rising are inculcated as a doctrine" Thou fhalt diligently keep the commandments"--" Give diligence to make your calling and election fure." They are likewife exemplified as a practice, as---“ Awake; I myself will awake early; my voice

fhalt

shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord." Abraham rofe early in the morning---Mofes rofe early in the morning---Jofhuz arofe early---Samuel rofe early---Job rofe early---Jefus went early in the morning into the temple, and all the people came early to hear him. Moreover, it is encouraged by the great Author of our being---" I love them that love me, and thofe that feek me early shall find me."

Sleep, any farther than as it is a neceffary refreshment, is the pooreft, dullest state of existence we can be in: we are forced to receive it either in a state of insensibility, or in the delufive folly of dreams. Sleep, indulged as it is by fome men, is a great lofs of time, as will appear from the following confideration-If two perfons go to bed at the fame time every night for one year, and the one rifes at four in the morning, the other at eight, the former will have gained, at the year's end, no lefs than two months on the latter---a pretty per centage indeed" To conclude---What exalted mortal in the laft hour of life would not refign all the advantages of greatnefs and power, for a few moments of leifure and obfcurity?

I'

T has long appeared to me a defirable thing, that the command of our Lord, Mat, v. 33. "Swear not at all," &c. fhould be candidly and freely investigated, because I think our great Lawgiver never gave any command to his difciples but what was eafy to be understood, and of the utmost importance to be observed. But in refpect to this command, Chriftians in general either totally difregard or are very indifferent about it. There are a body of people called Quakers, who do fubmit to it; and fo far as they act agreeable to the perfuafion of their minds, I give them credit; but, in general, it will be found, they have no other ground for their conduct but the opinion of their forefathers, founded upon this faying of our Lord---" Swear not at all:"

Now as there are three kinds of oaths, firft, Profane, fecond, For confirmation of a fact, and, third, To bind to the performance of fomething, I think there is room for inquiry which of them it is the intention of our Lord to prohibit; and as an opportunity prefents itfelf by the letter on oaths in your laft volume, page 337, I fhall readily embrace it for freely and can

didly examining the question in hand; and I feel a peculiar fatisfaction in fo doing from the known abilities of the perfon who has opened this controverfy, which will enable him, if I am wrong, to overturn my argument, and thereby prevent me from doing an injury; and alfo, I truft, if he fees I am right, his candour will induce him as freely to acknowledge it, which ought to be the cafe in all controverfies; it is what I would do; and fhould feel, that though he had gained the victory, I fhould have the advantage in being delivered from an error. For why should we wish to retain error either in theory or practice? I have often thought, that of all fools they are the greateft who are determined to hold any opinion contrary to rational evidence, or who act the hypocrite in religion, fecing a day is coming when every man's works fhall be tried as by fire-.. when every error in fentiment or practice must be publicly expofed, confeffed, and given up.

In refpect to the command in queftion, I am free to confefs, that, in my opinion, it is abfolute as to what it relates; and as our Lord has given us a clue to our inquiry by faying "It was faid to the ancients, (meaning, no doubt, in the Law of Mofes) thou shalt not forfwear thyfelf, but fhalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths," we fhall foon have our difficulties removed when we come to refer to the law and the teftimony; for it is clear, that it is that kind of oaths our Lord intends to prohibit which the ancients were fo ftrictly enjoined to perform. But as I have faid there are three kinds of oaths, I fhall firft give my reafons for objecting to two of them as being contained in the prohibition ---answer fome objections that might be made---and then fhew what kind of oaths I think our Lord alludes to.

And firft, as to profane fwearing---I am of opinion with Mr. Wright that cannot be the thing intended, for the reason he has given, viz. that the' fwearing here prohibited, is what was once allowed; whereas profane fwearing always was forbidden. Secondly, it appears to me that it cannot be fwearing. for the confirmation of a fact that is forbidden, because I am perfuaded Chrift never did abrogate a moral law; and if it can be proved that this is one, in my opinion it will decide the controversy. I would afk, What is the moral law? It appears to me to be that law which arifes out of the nature of things, and the relation they stand in to each other---as, that I fhould love God with all my heart, with all my understanding, and with all my ftrength, and my neighbour as myself: that I fhould do unto others as I would have them do unto me. All these arife out of the nature of things, and their relation to each other. That I should

love God does not depend upon any pofitive law; he is my creator, my preferver, my bountiful benefactor; I cannot do without him; I love him because he first loved me: and the love of my neighbour arifes in a fimilar way---He is my brother; we have one common Father; we are creatures of the fame God; and if we love him who begat, we also must love him who is begotten; and that I fhould do unto others as I would they should do unto me, is connected with the love of my neighbour, as well as that there is scarce a fituation he can be in, but what, at fome future period, I may be in the same. All these things would have been binding upon man, if there had been no pofitive law to that effect, and ever must be so, becanfe of the nature of man, and the relation he ftands in to God and his neighbour; even fo does fwearing for the confirmation of a fact arife in the fame way. Man is an imperfect and depraved creature, capable of deceiving or being deceived; it is therefore neceffary that he fhould appeal to one who is not capable of either, for the fatisfaction of his neighbour, from whom, in like circumftances, he would reasonably expect the fame kind of affurance, seeing that in many instances, no other proof can be given of the truth of a fact than the confidence that is given to the declaration or teftimony of a man; and he being capable of deceiving and liable to be deceived, it arises out of the nature of man, that the one should require and the other should comply with an appeal to that Being who knows the fecret thoughts of the heart, and who is not liable to be deceived, for the truth of the thing that is required; and in fo doing, he is only complying with that part of the moral law which teaches us to do unto others as we would have them do un to us. Again, we find, though God never requires man to swear to him, he knowing their hearts, and therefore he does not need fuch proof, yet, in compaffion to the weakness of their nature, he has frequently fworn to them; Heb. vi. 13.; for when God made the promise to Abraham, fince he could fwear by no greater, he sware by himself: for indeed men fwear by a greater Being; and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all contradiction. Therefore God, being willing to fhew more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his purpose, confirmed it by an oath. Thus we fee that, because it was a custom among men to fwear for confirmation to each other, which practice Paul does not reprove, but shews its beneficial effects, as being the end to all contradiction, therefore, or for that reafon, he fays, God fware to the heirs of promife; that fo, by two immutable things, (his word and his

oath)