duty, but practise it with zeal, and spirit, and pleasure. They well knew, that a cold address to the understanding-a mere chain of arguments serves rather to make men acknowledge what they ought to do, than to excite them actually to do it. It may lead them to think rightly about religion, but not to feel and act rightly. It is like the moon-light, clear indeed and beautiful, but powerless and cold; their preaching, on the contrary, was like the light of the sun, which warms while it illuminates, and not only adorns but fertilizes the earth.

For it must never be forgotten, (as, indeed, has been already observed,) that it is in vain the affections are excited, if the practice is not improved; it is in vain that the artificer heats and melts his metal, if he neglects to mould it into the proper form. Indeed, those who do not live a Christian life may, indeed, from that very circumstance, be assured, that they have not true, genuine, and steady Christian feelings. Sudden and short bursts of devout fervour will not produce a uniform, careful, and active course of virtue; but a rational and deep-fixed love of God undoubtedly will. A man may deceive both

others and himself by extravagant language and enthusiastic emotions, which may pass for proofs of more than ordinary holiness; but he cannot so deceive Christ; who has sufficiently taught us, that He will expect good conduct as the fruit of good sentiments-the keeping of his commandments, as the proof of our loving Him sincerely.

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No man, indeed, would ever be deceived in other similar case. He would well know how to estimate the pretended affection of one, who should profess the warmest regard for him, yet pay no attention to his wishes, and use no exertions in his service; but act rather like an enemy than a friend. And as such a person would be regarded by men, so will those be in the sight of God, who profess to love Him, and yet neglect to obey Him.

To the above considerations it should be added, that the Christian's "reasonable service," grounded on such motives, is not only more perfect, and also more acceptable, than any others could produce, but likewise (when the habit is in some degree formed) incomparably less burdensome, and more pleasing. Indeed, even in the affairs of this world, the affectionate parent, child,

husband, wife, and friend, know, by experience, how greatly Love lightens every task: and those who will "come unto Christ," with such feelings as He merits and demands, will find experimentally, that "his yoke is easy, and his burden light:" they will "find rest unto their souls," if, in answer to that question, which he asks alike of all his followers, "Lovest thou me?" they can answer, with sincerity and truth, " Lord, thou knowest that I love thee."

§ 6. If the view which has been here taken of this subject be correct, it follows that Christianity stands distinguished from all systems of religion, or of philosophy, which unaided reason can devise, no less by the motives to which it appeals-the frame of mind from which it requires moral conduct to spring-than by those other peculiarities formerly mentioned. For a rational and firm assurance of a future resurrection to immortality, we must resort to the Gospel ;-for the hopes of eternal happiness, we must look to Him, who has not only announced but purchased it ;-for such a manifestation of the Godhead as may excite us to affectionate Piety; and for such a model of

human Virtue as may be securely imitated-we shall vainly seek, except in the Gospel; and it is there also, and there alone, that we find morality inculcated, not only on the ground of those promises and threatenings which it sets before us, but also of those affections which it is so remarkably and peculiarly calculated to excite.

If mere external acts of duty were all that is required, this kind of precept would still be far superior to a mere appeal to men's reason, and would produce a larger amount of good conduct: much greater, then, will its superiority appear, when we consider how much nobler and more intrinsically valuable is that good conduct which springs from a pious, and grateful, and affectionate heart.

Let no one, then, lose sight of, or undervalue, these admirable, these divine peculiarities of our religion, which furnish the only effectual means. of counteracting the weakness of man's nature. Let no one, under pretence of laying a firm foundation of Natural-Religion, render the superstructure of Christianity insignificant, by attributing to natural-religion what revelation alone can furnish: and, above all, let us not-carelessly

blind to those splendid characteristics which distinguish it-confound this religion with the various systems of philosophical speculation, or of popular superstition, which have successively occupied mankind; but keep our eye steadfastly fixed, as it were, on the Star which stands over the holy Infant at Bethlehem, and which has no fellow in the firmament.

But though enough is revealed to us in Scripture to instruct us in our duty, and to incite us to the practice of it, there is much also that is not revealed, which many, at least, would be eagerly desirous to know. It suppresses much of what some vainly seek to find in it, or complain of not finding;-which all pretended revelations profess, and might be expected to profess, to make known; and which a true revelation, and none but a true one, might be expected to omit. The peculiarity in our religion, which is here alluded to, will form the subject of the next Essay.