though they usually pride themselves on their wifdom, are of all men the moft indifcreet. They purfue bubbles as realities. They exchange an ineftimable jewel for a worthless bauble.

But what conduct do I mean to recommend? Does religion require that we should withdraw from the world, neglect its duties, and confine ourselves in a cloifter? No; it requires nothing fo unnatural. But it requires that, in every ftate and employment of life, our private thoughts, at every interval, and efpecially when we lie down on our pillows, or rife from them, fhould be lifted up to Heaven. No ftate is so busy, as not to admit fome leifure. While the hands are employed, the heart may be exercifed in devotion. The grace of God may be drawn down upon us by a filent ejaculation. Regularity of devotional offices may be maintained under every change, chance, and employment; and the spiritual life preserved, amidst thousands of enemies, as the river was fabled of old to flow through the fea without commixture.

Ex

Extremes, however, are never wife. tremes in religion are pregnant with madness

and

and mifery. Be not righteous over-much, fays Solomon; neither make thyself overwife; why fhouldft thou deftroy thyself?

And here I cannot help adverting to a sect of pious and devout perfons among us, who, with the pureft intentions, often fall into the error of those who are righteous over-much. I respect their zeal, I efteem the men, but I lament their errors. Their errors are of fuch a nature as to throw an unneceffary gloom over their own lives, and to render them lefs charitable in their opinions of their neighbours, than they ought to be as Chriftians, and as Chriftians of fingular ftri&ness in profeffion. Why should they torment themfelves more than is conducive to wholefome difcipline? Let them be contented with living up to the Gospel, without, endeavouring, under the influence of a fevere fanaticifm, to go beyond it. To enjoy the bleffings which God bestows, in moderation, is to obey. Why shouldst thou deftroy thyself, in thy endeavour after a perfection which is not commanded, and which thou canst not attain? Some among the feverer part of thofe fects contend, and indeed are taught, that no fort of gaiety, or mirth, no fuperfluous expence in dress or at the table, no ebullition

of friendly conviviality, is allowable in any rank, or at any age-no fort of recreation or diverfion-nothing but a dull, difmal, and austere life of perpetual mortification; no pleasure, but from religion only: yet God never required this of his creatures. If he had, in vain had Nature adorned every part of the world, and furnished a fine feaft, a beautiful spectacle, for her favourite, Man. To tafte the delicious flavour of a nectarine, or to inhale, with delight, the fragrance of a rofe, must be, according to the rigid fyftem of the fanatics, if their fyftem is confiftent with itself, unrighteous. But God never meant, if we may learn his will from his works, from the grand volume of the world, that religious pleasures fhould exclude focial pleafures and natural pleasures, when enjoyment is directed by right reason, and controuled by moderation.

I have fometimes paufed, to behold the crowd iffuing from the thronged tabernacle ; pale, emaciated, with hollow eyes and woeful countenances, they exhibited appearances, from which a Spenfer might have depicted an allegorical famine and defpair. And are thefe, faid I to myfelf, the ardent votaries of a religion, of which we are taught that all its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its

paths

paths are peace? The voice of joy and glad nefs, I have read, is in the dwellings of the righteous; but in the dwellings of these men, all is fadness, forrow, and melancholy. Among these men, not only health and pleasure, but cheerful industry, trade, mechanical labour, and prudential, domeftic care, are totally neglected.

"

All this evil arifes from what our divines term RIGHTEOUSNESS OVERMUCH; but, as it arifes from the infirmity of human nature rather than its malignity, it fhould always be treated with the lenity of compaffion, not the infult of ridicule, or the bitterness of reproach; it should be confidered as a diftemper, where balfams and emollients will be more effectual than the knife or the cauftic.

Inftead therefore of fharply remonstrating against these fellow-creatures who appear to be mistaken, and who fuffer for their mistake by self-inflicted punishment, I would call to them with a friendly voice, and invite them into the fold of the church, by convincing them that the pafture which they feek fo eagerly is to be found there in abundance; pleasant herbage, not mixed with a predominant portion of wormwood; waters of comfort, not overhung by the willow;

but

1

but adorned with flowrets, and furrounded with a cheerful landscape.

For their own fakes I regret the prevalence of rigid enthusiasm among them. The evils of life require the folace of temperate pleafure. I regret it alfo for the fake of their neighbours, and the church, established among us with great wifdom, and fanctioned by long experience. We are forry to lofe for many valuable brethren and companions. Why should they feparate from us, and take fo much pains to cause others to separate? Separation muft, in the nature of things, be always attended with a little violation of the law of love; of that Charity, which is better worth preferving among Chriftians, than all the theological opinions and fpe'culative doctrines that were ever broached from the pulpit of a church, with a steeple or without one.

Our church, it appears, teaches the true fcriptural doctrine of grace; a doctrine which they juftly confider of the first importance.

Our church, I humbly maintain, affords every opportunity for a good mind to grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift: A regular, well-educated clergy; order