True Religion (as an elegant Author obferves) is the joint refulgence of all the virtues. It refembles the Sun, at whofe fight all the Stars hide their diminifhed heads. It breathes benevolence and love to man. The truly pious ferve God, their Creator and Benefactor, with their whole foul. They honour and love him, not fo much for the fake of their promised reward, as for the benefits they have received, and are more actuated by Gratitude than Hope. They are fevere to themfelves, and compaffionate to others. They endeavour to reclaim the erroneous, not by feverity, but meekncfs. They are always fimilar to themselves, and ferve God uniformly, not by fits and ftarts. They are at peace with all men. They comfort the afflicted, fupport the diftreffed, and cloath the naked. They neither exult in profperity, nor fink in adverfity, but remain contented with the will of God, and patiently bear those afflictions he is pleased to lay upon them. They fhew their piety not in theory but in practice, not in words but works. They are not led by fear, ambition, or worldly intereft, but by love to the Author of their being. They ftrive to promote the Good of all men, and labour to fecure eternal blifs. It must affect all our feelings, when we confider our Creator became the Saviour of all ages; from the fir birth of time to its laft period; the Father of Mankind from the rifing up of the Sun to the going down of the fame; the bleffings of his coming into the world are as extenfive as the world and as lafting as eternity;-view leifurely the ftupendous fcheme;-a whole world re deemed from mifery ;-a whole world made happy, if their own impenitence doth not prevent it, made everlaftingly happy; and tell me, what fentiments it ought to inspire you with why, fentiments of gratitude too big to be uttered, too fervent to be concealed. We think no language too harsh, no usage too severe, to those, who can be guilty of base Ingratitude to a generous Friend, Parent, or Father of his country. But what are the most diftinguishing benefits, which a father of his country, a parent, a friend, can heap upon us, in comparison of what our Saviour has done for us Lighter than vanity, and nothing, when weighed in the balance with an exceeding and eternal weight of glory, the greateft bleffing, that Man could receive, or even God beflow. Behold, with the eye of Faith, a spectacle worthy to be beheld by God with pleasure, and by angels with wonder and astonishment: a spectacle ridiculous in the eyes of thofe, who are too dull to difcern the Saviour through the fufferer; but in the eye of thofe ennobled beings, who fee things as they are in themselves, and not as they are fet off by pomp, a spectacle more auguft and awfully glorious, than ever before appeared on the theatre of nature. Behold the Son of God pouring forth his blood, as well as prayers, even for those that shed it: Behold him at once bearing the infults, expiating the fins, and procuring the happiness of mankind; till at laft he bows. his facred head, and fhuts up the folemn fcene with these fhort, but comprehenfive words, It is finished: The great, ON RELIGIO N. 28 great, the ftupendous work is done, the univerfal facrifice, which shall take in all mankind, and which all mankind shall contemplate throughout eternity with awful joy and gratitude, is compleated. And can we receive these astonishing endearments, this prodigious expance of goodness, which, like the bleffed effects that we are to receive from it, is fuch as eye hath not feen before, nor ear heard, nor had it entered into the heart of man to conceive; Can we receive it, I fay, with a dull infenfibility, and a stupid indifference? If we find ourselves affected with endearing fentiments of love, towards virtuous characters, which we read of in ancient history: If, when their ftory is reprefented on the flage, we feel our hearts interested in their favour; if we honour and esteem them, from whom we reap no advantage; how much more ought we to love, efteem, and honour him, the benefit of whofe actions and fufferings reaches to all ages, all nations, all mankind? What are they (the great Heroes of antiquity) to us, or we to them; who might be an honour to the age in which they lived, but are of no fervice to us; like ftars at an immenfe diftance, the light of which may fill their own sphere, but reaches not down to this lower world? But our Saviour was a perfon born for the whole world, for which he died, a bleffing to all mankind from the beginning of time, and whom all mankind will have reason to bless, when time shall be no more. But let us remember, that there were two ends of our Saviour's coming into the world; the one to be a compleat pattern of goodness in this life; and the other to Cz be be a full fatisfaction for fin by his death. In vain we expect to be saved by his death, as a full fatisfaction for fin; unless we endeavour to copy after his life, as a compleat pattern of goodness. He came, not to make our repentance needlefs, but to make it valid and effectual. re are not your own, fays St. Paul, for ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your fpirit, which are God's. I flatter myself that my Readers have too much benevolence and fenfibility, to render any farther inforcement of Religion neceffary, I fhall, therefore conclude the whole with a Poem, ON THE EXCELLENCY OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. RELIGION hail! thou guardian of our lives, Without thy aid the laws would threat in vain, Freed from the fear of hell, or hope of heav'n, When When Fortune and when Plenty load the board, Doft light a flame, that, tow'ring to the clouds, If foes encrease thou bidd'ft their rancour end, |