obedience is the result of servile fear to examine, whether they have any sense, of 'God's inestimable love, in the redemption of the world, by his son ;' or whether they are conscious, that they would have been just as happy, if such a thing never had taken place to seek, finally, whether they feel the need of the aid and consolations of God's Spirit; and, therefore, find prayer as necessary to their mental comfort, as food is, to their bodily strength: to urge such inquiries, I take to be CHRISTIAN PREACHING to insist on circumstances, . . such as, a moment of conversion, known, and remembered; certain depths of distress; strongly marked, instantaneous consolations, . . as if these had been necessary, I humbly conceive to be ENTHUSIASM.*

:

I have, now, said enough, of the first error in preaching that of making christianity to consist, rather in outward performances, than in an inward change.

II. The second error, according to my apprehension, is, that preachers exhort men to do, without impressing on them a sense, of their natural inability to do any thing that is right, and their consequent need of divine grace,. . first, to create them anew unto good works: and, then, to strengthen them, by daily and hourly assistance.

Our blessed Saviour begins his sermon on the

*It is sufficient to our purpose, that a very large number of men, even in christian countries, need to be converted; and that not a few, we trust, have been. The tenet becomes fanatical and dangerous, only, when rare, and extraordinary exceptions, are made to be the general rule; when, [for example,] what was vouchsafed to the apostle of the Gentiles, by especial grace, and for an especial purpose, (viz. a conversion begun and completed in the same moment,) is demanded or expected of all men, as a necessary sign or pledge of their election.' COLERIDGE. Aids for reflection. — Ed.

mount, by pronouncing, not certain actions, but certain dispositions happy; to show, that, right dispositions are the only source, whence right actions can proceed. And, in order to the attainment of those right tempers, he directs to earnest prayer, for God's holy Spirit; with this encouragement, . . ‘If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more, will your Father, who is in heaven, give his holy Spirit, to them that ask him.'

But, the second error, is, in fact, the natural consequence of the first. For, where an inward, spiritual principle, is not insisted on, as primarily, and essentially, requisite in religion, there, the whole system must be vague, extrinsic, and superficial.

It is remarkable, but, I believe, it will be found a fact, that the meditations of Marcus Antoninus contain a much stricter plan of moral self-government, than is set forth, by most modern christian preachers. He seems to have looked, much more to the state of his mind and temper, than the generality of pulpit instruction insists upon. And certainly, Cicero's beautiful picture of a virtuous man, (de legib. lib. i. ad fin.) comes nearer the new testament than the view taken, by the far greater number of existing christian moralists. But, can this be just, and right? If christianity amounts to no more, than a heathen moralist could, by philosophic discipline, attain to, we may well ask, to what purpose did the Son of God, take our nature upon him? Why, did he suffer death upon the cross?

To some, I doubt not, this whole scheme would appear enthusiastic, and be set down, as rank methodism. If so, I can only say, it is such methodism, as was taught by the great divines of our church, from the reformation, until the latter end of the seventeenth century. Then, some of the most popular divines, took up a mode of moral preaching, which they seem to have learned from Episcopius, and the other Dutch remonstrants; and to which, Tillotson's over-disgust at his own puritanic education, very much contributed. This mode became more and more general; until, at length, little other was to be met with.

And yet, were I to point out authors, whose works, as most nearly agreeing with the views given above, I am most disposed to recommend to you, as part of your first studies, I should name some of that very period, the latter end of the seventeenth century. Two laymen of that time, may be set down, as, in their lives, among the brightest examples of christianity, that ever the church afforded: I mean JUDGE HALE, and ROBERT BOYLE. The life of the former, by bishop Burnet, ought to be in every one's hands. But his Contemplations on moral and religious subjects', is the work I particularly refer to: wonderfully plain, and simple; but exquisitely christian. There is a work, also, of that time, which contains, perhaps, the finest view of practical religion, the most removed, from coldness, on the one hand, and over heat, on the other, that is to be found in the christian world, . . Scougal's life of God, in the soul of man. The author was a Scotch episcopal clergyman; and died at a very

early age. This, every christian ought to have, as a sort of manual.

Another composition of that day, I would earnestly recommend to your perusal; bishop Burnet's conclusion of his own life and times. It, also, contains, in a small compass, as fine a view of practical christianity, as almost ever was composed.

Burnet, both in his pastoral care, and in his own life and times, speaks much about, and bestows the highest encomiums upon, archbishop Leighton. He was a pattern of christian perfection. His writings. bear a close resemblance to early English divinity: but, in sublime piety, and often in genuine strokes of natural, but most exalted eloquence, they are not excelled, but by the sacred writers.

Lucas's inquiry after happiness, especially his second volume, is peculiarly, of that kind, which avoids both coldness and enthusiasm. And to these, I would add Dr. Worthington's book on self-resignation.*

Burnet's life of bishop Bedel; his account of lord Rochester; and his funeral sermon for Mr. Boyle,.. deserve, also, to be placed in the highest rank. I wish much, that all Burnet's lives, including the sermon, were to be republished in Ireland; except his large one of bishop Bedel, which is easily come at, and peculiarly worth having.

Burnet's most interesting anecdotes of archbishop Leighton, given in his own life and times, should, also, be extracted, and introduced into such a volume.

Archbishop Leighton, however, on second

* Re-published, with his other practical works, by Messrs. Rivingtons.

thoughts, I do not recommend to you, as just for your purpose now; because I wish to mention those, only, who completely occupy that middle place you speak of; and on whom, of course, you may safely rely. But Leighton had a leaning to calvinism: which places him in a different class. Hereafter, when your theological knowledge is somewhat more advanced, and you are able to exercise the eclectic faculty, he ought to make a part of your library: for, a more apostolic man never lived; and his genius was not only vivid, but sublime. the far greater part of his works, he really deserves to stand very near the inspired writers.

In

But there are two authors, whom I would certainly wish to occupy a place in your earliest course. One, more ancient, whom, I fear, it may not be easy to come at, in Ireland. The other, modern.

The ancient one lies, at this moment, before me: it is entitled, Select discourses by John Smith, late fellow of queen's college, Cambridge:' a quarto, of the smaller size, printed at Cambridge, in the year 1660.* His editor was the Dr. Worthington, already mentioned. Of this volume, all is learned, liberal, ingenious, and eminently pious: but the latter part is the most interesting, 'A discourse of legal and evangelical righteousness, &c.', and all those that follow, to the end. The first short treatise in the volume, however, on the true method of attaining divine knowledge, ought, by no means, to be passed over.

The other, the wise and excellent Doddridge, was a man, who, though a dissenter from our church,

* Since re-published, by Messrs. Rivingtons and Cochran.