From a melancholy dearth of such society, however, he is generally constrained to converse with the ancient and modern dead, those first of human beings, who have left us the image of their souls reflected in their immortal volumes. Here, he sometimes seems to catch a ray of their genius; to intermingle soul with soul; to taste the raptures of their sacred rage; and to meditate unutterable things. Oh! for a Spirit of burning, to refine those drossy natures; " a muse of fire," to elevate his mind to their celestial strains; and a seraph's wings to mount up to the blissful throng of the spirits of just men made perfect, around the throne of the great FATHER of the universe, and his SON, the Ever-blest! - Yet a little while, and these shadows shall flee away-these earthly tabernacles be taken down-these mortal bodies be clothed with immortality-the church militant be changed into the church triumphant and the infinite MAJESTY OF HEAVEN be seen without a veil, loved without a rival, and enjoyed without satiety through the long round of vast eternity! MACCLESFIELD, DAVID SIMPSON. A PLEA FOR RELIGION FRIENDS AND COUNTRYMEN! THERE are few ages of the world, but have produced various instances of persons, that have treated the Divine dispensations, either with neglect or scorn. Of these, some have persisted in their folly to the latest period of their earthly existence; while others have discovered their mistake in time, and both sought and found forgiveness with God. - Inmostages too, there have been some, who have piously observed the manifestations of HEAVEN; who have cordiallyreceived the Holy Scriptures as a revelation from on high; and who have built their everlasting expectations upon the salvation which is therein revealed. The hopes of such persons have never been disappointed. If they have lived up, in any good degree, to their religious profession, they have always been favoured with peace of mind, and strong consolation in life; firm confidence in CHRIST, usually, at the hour of death; and have frequently gone off the stage of time into eternity rejoicing in hope of the glory of GOD, with unspeakable and triumphant joy. Examples of this kind, even among illiterate men, women, and children, might be produced in numbers very considerable. --But how extremely different, most commonly, is the last end of those persons, who have denied and scorned the revelations of HEAVEN; who have rejected the Sacred Writings; and treated serious godliness with sneer and contempt? -Nay, it has frequently been known, that the first-rate geniuses, and greatest men of their times, have left the world under much darkness of mind, full of doubts, and fearful apprehensions concerning the Divine favour, ow ing to their being too deeply immersed in secular, or literary pursuits; to their living beneath their Christian privileges; and spending too small a proportion of their time in devout retirement, and religious exercises. Nothing, indeed, can keep the life of GOD vigorously alive in the soul, but these exercises. Where they are either wholly neglected, or frequently interrupted, there the power of religion languishes. Faith and hope, peace and love, joy in, and confidence towards God, grow weak; doubts and fears, disquietude of mind, and scruples of conscience prevail. The sun goes down, and sets, to this world at least, under a dark and cheerless cloud. - But where the humble Believer in CHRIST JESUS (the eyes of hisunderstandingbeing enlightened, and his fears alarmed with a sense of danger,) lays aside every spiritual encumbrance, and thesin which hath been accustomed too easily to overcome him; where he resolutely breaks through every snare, and lives to the great purposes for which we all were born; where, with the illustrious philosopher and physician, BOERHAAVE, and the eminent statesmen Sir JOHN BARNARD, the Duke of ORMONDE, and Lord CAPEL *, he spends a due proportion of every day in private 2* It was the custom of three of these great men, to spend an hourevery morning, in private prayer, and reading the Holy Scriptures; and of the fourth, to meditate half an hour every day upon eternity. This gave them comfort and vigour of mind to support the toil and fatigue of the day. Nay, we are told in the Life of the Duke of ORMONDE, that " he never prepared for bed, or went abroad in a morning, till he had "withdrawn an hour to his closet." We might mention a considerable number of similar instances. JOHN Lord Harrington, who died A. D. 1613, at the age of 22 years, was a young nobleman of eminent piety, and rare literary attainments. He was an early riser, and usually spent a considerable part of the morning in private prayer, and reading the Sacred Writings. The same religious exercise was also pursued both in the evening and at mid-day. Sir HARBOTTLE GRIMSTONE, Master of the Rolls, an eminent lawyer, a just judge, and a person of large fortune, who lived in the last century, " was a very pious and devout man, and spent every day at least an hour " in the morning, and as much at night, in prayer and meditation. And "even in winter, when he was obliged to be very early on the bench, he " took care to rise so soon, that he had alway's the command of that time, " which he gave to those exercises." private prayer, meditation, and reading the Sacred Volume; there, with these truly valuable men, he usually hath large enjoyment of the consolations of religion, and abounds in peace and hope through the power of the HOLY GHOST. He goes through life, if not smoothly and usefully, at least contentedly and happily. While, in the eyes of those persons, who boast of their superiority of understanding, and freedom from vulgar prejudices, the REDEEMER of the world becomes daily more and more contemptible; and in the eyes of the lukewarm Christian less and less desirable; in the estimation of the devout and lively Believer, who, by waiting upon the LORD, renews his strength, the SON OF GOD, in his person, offices, and work, appears, with increasing affection, the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. Being convinced of sin, and justified by faith, he has peace with God through our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the love of GOD is shed abroad in his heart by the HOLY GHOST which is given unto him. He is strengthened with might by his SPIRIT in the inner man, and CHRIST dwell's in his heart by faith. Being rooted and grounded in love, he comprehends with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and he knows the love of CHRIST, though indeed it passeth knowledge. He is, moreover, filled with all the communicable fulness of God, and a peace passing understanding keepeth his heart and mind, through CHRIST JESUS. A This brings to my mind the case of the late Colonel JAMES GARDINER, who was slain at the battle of Preston-Pans, A. D. 1745. This brave man used constantly to rise at four in the morning, and to spend "his " time till six in the secret exercises of devotion, reading, meditapion, "and prayer. And if at any time he was obliged to go out before 'six " in the morning, he rose proportionably sooner; so that when a journey, " or march, has required him to be on horseback by four, he would be " at his devotions at farthest by two." The same holds true of General Sir WILLIAM WALLER, who was as devout in the closet, as he was valiant in the field. Let the reader mark well, that none of these religious persons were either Monks or Parsons, but men of great consideration in the world, who were engaged in scenes of life extremely active. F " A Christian dwells, like URIEL, in the sun : The language of his soul is, Whom have I in heaven but thee, O GOD! and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee. To do unto others as he would have them do unto him, is the great law of his life, in all his dealings between man and man; and whereinsoever he falls short of a full compliance with this royal statute, he laments and bewails his folly; makes satisfaction according to the nature of the case; flees to the blood of sprinkling for pardon; and returns with renew ed vigour to the path of duty. Giving all diligence, he adds to his faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. With zealous affection he cultivates the holy tempers that were in CHRIST; bowels of mercy, lowliness, meekness, gentleness, contempt of the world, patience, temperance, long-suffering, a tender love to every human being, bearing, believing, hoping, enduring all things. He submits himself to every ordinance of man for the LORD'S sake; whether it be to the KING, as supreme; or unto GOVERNORS, asunto them that aresent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. He pays all due respect unto men of every rank and degree. He loves with peculiar affection the whole brotherhood of Believers in CHRIST JESUS. He so fears Gon as to depart from evil, and so honours the King as to be ready, on every proper call, to sacrifice his life for the good of the public. He endeavours to acquit himself with propriety in every station, whether as master, servant, parent, child, magistrate, subject, teacher, learner. In short, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, to these he attends with the utmost diligence and assiduity. This is the Christianity, which the Son of God taught unto the world. / |