tranfactions but thofe which involve the interefts of eternity. "How readeft

"thou?" is a more fpecific direction than any comparative view of our own habits with the habits of others: and at the final bar it will be of little avail that our actions have rifen above thofe of bad men, if our views and principles fhall be found to have been in oppofition to the Gospel of Chrift.

men,

Nor is their practice more commendable, who are ever on the watch to pick out the worst actions of good men, by way of juftifying their own conduct onthe comparison. The faults of the best "for there is not a juft man upon "the earth who finneth not," can in no wife juftify the errors of the worst: and it is not invariably the example of even: good men that we must take for our unerring rule of conduct nor is it by a fingle action that either they or we shall be judged; for in that cafe who could be faved?

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favéd? but it is by the general prevalence of right principles and good habits, and Christian tempers; by the predominance of holiness, and righteoufnefs, and temperance in the life, and by the power of humility, faith, and love in the heart.

8 2

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CHAP. XIX.

On the leading doctrines of Christianity. The corruption of human nature.-The doctrine of redemption.-The neceffity of a change of heart, and of the divine inAuences to produce that change. With a Sketch of the Christian character.

THE author having in this little work

taken a view of the falfe notions often imbibed in early life from a bad education, and of their pernicious effects; and having attempted to point out the respective remedies to thefe; fhe would now draw all that has been faid to a point, and declareplainly what fhe humbly conceives to be the fource whence all these falfe notions and this wrong conduct really proceed: the prophet Jeremiah fhall answer: "It "is because they have forfaken the foun"tain of living waters, and have hewn

66 out.

out to themfelves cifterns, broken cifterns that can hold no water." It is. an ignorance paft belief of what true Christianity really is the remedy, there fore, and the only remedy that can be ap plied with any profpect of fuccefs, is RELI GION, and by Religion fhe would be underftood to mean the Gospel of Jefus Chrift.

It has been before hinted, that Religion fhould be taught at an early period of life; that children fhould be brought up

in

in the nurture and admonition of, the "Lord." The manner in which they fhould be taught has likewife with great plainnefs been fuggefted; that it fhould be done in fo lively and familiar a manner as to make Religion amiable, and her ways to appear, what they really are, "ways of pleasantnefs." And a flight fketch has been given of the genius of Christianity, by which her amiableness would more clearly appear. But this, being a fubject of fuch vaft importance, compared with which every other fubject

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finks into nothing; it feems not fufficient to fpeak on the doctrines and duties of Christianity in detached parts, but it is of importance to point out, though in a brief and imperfect manner, the mutual dependance of one doctrine upon another, and the influence which these doctrines have upon the heart and life, fo that the duties of Christianity may be seen to grow out of its doctrines: by which it will appear that Christian virtue differs effentially from Pagan: it is of a quite different kind: the plant itself is different, it comes from a different root, and grows in a different foil.

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It will be seen how the humbling doctrine of the corruption of human nature, which has followed from the corruption of our first parents, makes way for the bright difplay of redeeming love how from the abafing thought that we are "all as fheep going aftray, every one in "his own way" that none can return to the fhepherd of our fouls, "except the Father draw him " that the

"natural