God in things which concern themfelves. On the whole, there appears in Ignatius, the fame zeal for God and love to Jefus Chrift, and the fame holy contempt of earthly things, which was fo eminent in the Apostles; but, I fufpect, not an equal decree of calm refignation to the Divine Will.

The time which he was allowed to spend at Smyrna, in company with his beloved Polycarp and other friends, muft have been highly agreeable to him. But his keepers were impatient of their long ftay: the reasons were, most probably, of a maritime nature. The feafon, however, for the publick spectacles at Rome was advancing, and, perhaps, they were afraid of not arriving in time. They now fet * fail for Troas, where, at his arrival, he was refreshed with the news of the perfecution ceafing in the Church of Antioch. He had been attended hither by Burrhus, the deacon of Polycarp; and him he dispatched with an epiftle to the Philadelphians, by way of return for the vifit which their Bishop had paid him at Troas. For here also feveral churches fent their meffengers to vifit and to falute him: and Providence fo far reftrained the inhumanity of his guards, that he was allowed to have intercourfe with them. He wrote three epiftles more at this place.

The Philadelphians, from his account, were still favoured with the fame fpirit of grace, by which they had been already fo honourably diftinguished among the feven churches of Asia. He recommends, as ufual, unity, concord, obedience; -not that he had found any thing amifs in them, in these respects.

One may form fome idea of the manner in which these primitive Chriftians enjoyed the grace of God, and admired and loved it, as it appeared in one another, by his way of speaking of the

Philadelphian Bishop, whofe name is not given to us, "whom, fays he, I know to have obtained the miniftry, not by any felfish or worldly means or motives, for the common good of faints; nor through vain-glory; but from the love of God the Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift. I am perfectly charmed with his meekness: When filent, he exhibits more power than vain speakers."

He recommends to them to preferve an unity in the administration of the Lord's Supper: "For there is one body of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and one cup in the unity of his blood; one altar, as also one Bishop, with the Prefbytery and the Deacons my fellow-fervants.-Whatever ye do, do all according to the will of God."

The firmness of Christan faith, and his zeal against the spirit of felf-righteoufnefs, are obfervable in the following paffage. "If any interpret Judaifm to you, hear him not. For it is better to hear the Gospel from a circumcifed perfon, than Judaifm from an uncircumcifed one. But if both Speak not of Jefus Chrift, they are to me pillars and fepulchres of the dead, on which are written only the names of men.-The objects dear to me are Jefus Chrift, his crofs, his death, his refurrection, and the faith which is in him; by which I defire, through your prayer, to be juftified." He begs them to fend a Deacon to Antioch, to congratulate his people on the ceffation of perfecution. Toward the conclufion he fpeaks of Philo, the deacon from Cilicia, who miniftered to him, together with Agathopes a choice faint, who renouncing the world, had followed him from Syria.

He wrote alfo from Troas to the Smyrneans, and his commendations of them are confonant to the character they bear in the book of the Revelation. They had weathered the ftorm of perfecu

tion, which was there predicted, and had probably enjoyed the miniftry of Polycarp from St. John's time. The moft ftriking thing in this epiftle, is the zeal with which he warns them against the Docetæ. In his view the evil of their herefy confifted in taking away the atoning blood of Chrift, and the hope of a bleffed refurrection:-Let modern Divines hear him, and be inftructed. I glorify

Jefus Chrift our God, who hath given you wisdom. For I understand, that you are perfect in the immoveable faith of our Lord Jefus Chrift; who REALLY was of the feed of David according to the Hesh and born of a virgin REALLY;-who REALLY fuffered under Pontius Pilate. For thefe things he fuffered for us, that we might be faved. And he TRULY fuffered; as alfo he TRULY raised up himself: not as fome infidels fay that he SEEMED to fuffer. I forewarn you of those beasts, who are in the shape of men; whom you ought not only not to receive, but if poffible not even to meet with. Only you ought to pray for them-if they may be converted,-which is a difficult cafe.-But Jefus Chrift, our true life, has the power of this." -A humble and thankful sense of the unspeakable value of Chrift, leads naturally to this charity, and the want of it leaves men always, under the appearance of candour, to a cruel infenfibility of heart and an undistinguishing scepticism. It seems, that these heretics, with the ufual artifices of fuch perfons, laboured to work themselves into the good graces of Ignatius. He fees through their defigns, and fays," for what does it profit me, if any man commend me, and yet blafpheme my Lord, denying him to have come in the flefh?--They separate from the Eucharift and from prayer, because they confefs not the Eucharift to be the body of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who fuffered for our fins. VOL. I. -They

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-They who contradict the gift of God, die in their reafonings."-Union with the Bishop he ftrenuously infifts on. "It is not lawful without the Bishop, to baptize, or to make a love feaft."

We fee the practice of true Christians in those times. They carefully feparated themselves from heretics: they beheld their views with horror: they ftuck clofe to Chrift.-His Godhead, Manhood, Atonement, Priesthood, were ineftimably precious in their eyes. They could not allow thofe to be Chriftians at all, who denied the fundamentals: In fine, they preferved order and clofe connection with their paftors: they did nothing in religion without them.-Thefe were the means of protecting truth among them: and the long courfe of evangelical profperity in thefe Churches, under God, may be afcribed to the use of these means.

One letter only remains to be mentioned, that to Polycarp.-It contains a juft picture of paftoral integrity, wifdom, and charity: The whole of it deferves to be studied by all minifters. The more holy any Paftor is, the more will he be fenfible of the need of divine wisdom and ftrength. -The difadvantages in which a poor finful worm is involved, who has to contend againft the united powers of the world and the devil, amidst the corrupt workings of his own nature, the open-oppofition of the profane, and the faults of God's own people, cannot even be conceived by a mere fecular Clergy, intent only on eafe and preferment, or, at beft, on literary indulgencies and external decorum as little will they be conceived by thofe ambitious and turbulent teachers, who are fo fwallowed up in political dreams, as to forget that Chrift's kingdom is not of this world.

"I exhort thee, by the grace with which thou art clothed, to apply thyfelf to thy courfe of duty;

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and to admonish all, that they may all be faved. Do juftice to thy ftation in all diligence both temporal and fpiritual: Be ftudious of that beft of bleffings, unity: Bear with all, as alfo the Lord doth with thee: Bear with all in charity, as indeed thou alfo doft. Find time for prayer without ceafing: Afk for more understanding than thou haft at prefent: Watch, and poffefs a fpirit ever attentive: Speak to each separately, as Almighty God fhall enable thee to do: Bear with the difeafes of all, as a perfect combatant:-The more labour, the more reward. -If thou love only the obedient difciples, thou evidenceft no grace: Rather bring into orderly subjection the turbulent through meeknefs: Every wound is not cured by the fame method of application: Watch as a divine wreftler: Thy theme is immortality and eternal life. Let not thofe who feem experienced Chriftians, and are yet unfound in the faith, ftagger thee: Stand firm as an anvil continually ftruck. It is the character of a great wreftler to be mangled, and yet to conquer :-Be more ftudious than thou art: Confider the times; and expect him who is above all time, who is unconnected with time, the Invisible One made visible for us, the impaffible, but paffible for us; who bore all forts of sufferings for us.-Let not widows be neglected: Next to the Lord do thou take care of them: Let nothing be done without thy cognizance: Do thou nothing without the mind of God. Let affemblies be more frequently held: Seek out all by name: Defpife not flaves of either fex; yet let them not be puffed up, but ferve more faithfully to the glory of God, that they may obtain a better liberty from God: Let them not defire to be fet at liberty at the charge of the Church, left they be found flaves of luft.-It any can remain in chastity for the honour of the Lord, let them