vert the doctrines which he preached, and the great end to which all his labours were directed, namely, the life of God in the soul of man.

If indeed any one is WILLING to be deceived, let him be deceived. At least such an one will not be addressed here. But, if a man has any serious sense of the value of his soul, of its lost condition by sin, and of the necessity of recovering the friendship of his God; if he feels the express declaration in the Scriptures of an eternity of happiness or misery to be of infinite importance, and one to which the weightiest concern in this perishing world is but as the dust on the balance-let such an one consider these things. Let him inquire whether those, who object to the character and views of such a minister as Mr. N., labour first to probe the state of their own hearts deeply, as he did. When he was no longer an infidel, had renounced his grosser habits, and was to all appearance a new man; "Yet," says he, "though I cannot doubt that this change, so far as it prevailed, was wrought by the Spirit and power of God, still I was greatly deficient in many respects. I was in some degree affected with a sense of my more enormous sins, but I was little aware of the innate evils of my heart. I had no apprehension of the spirituality and extent of the Law of God. The hidden life of a Christian, as it consists in communion with God by Jesus Christ, and a continual dependance upon him for hourly supplies of wisdom, strength, and comfort, was a mystery of which I had as yet no knowledge. I acknowledged the Lord's mercy in pardoning what was past, but depended chiefly upon my own resolution to do better for the time to come."

Let the honest inquirer also consider whether the objectors just spoken of, are observed to be as anxious as Mr. N. was in their endeavours to serve God and propagate his will, to glorify his Son, and to save the souls of men whether they have experienced the force of truth, in the conversion of their own hearts

and lives. Conformed to the world, as he once was, have they been since transformed by the renewing of their minds, as he at length became? A few such questions as these, well considered, would lead to important discoveries. Such an inquiry would show, that however some persons may be able to treat of the outworks of revelation, as they may of any other science which they have studied; yet, for such to dogmatise on religion, as it consists in a vital, spiritual, and experimental principle, would be as absurd as for a man originally deprived of one of the five senses, to deny the perceptions of those who possess them all. In short, it is as ridiculous as it is profane, for men rashly to assert on religious points, who evidently appear to have nothing so little at heart as the real influence and actual interests of religion.

Lastly, let nominal Christians seriously consider whether our immortal interests are not much too important to be staked upon a mere prejudice of education-an old, unrevised habit of thinking-a taking it for granted that they are right, when the event may awfully prove the reverse; and that too, when such errors can neverbe rectified. The persons with whom I have been pleading would pity the Jew or the Pagan in such an error: I earnestly pray that they may be enabled to see as clearly their own mistake, and not resent the admonition of a real friend now seeking to prevent it.

III. But there yet remains a class of persons, found in the religious world, who entertain a high regard for Mr. N.'s character, and who should gather that instruction from it of which they appear to stand in great need. "They should all take care," as he expresses it, "that they do not make their profession of religion a receipt in full for all other obligations." I do not regard this class as hypocrites, so much as self-deceivers. They have a zeal for the Gospel; but without a comprehensive view of its nature. They

do not consider, that, in avoiding error on the one hand, they are plunging into a contrary mistake. Like a child crossing a bridge, they tremblingly avoid the deep water which they perceive roaring on one side; and recede from it, till they are ready to perish from not perceiving the danger of that which lies on the other side.

The persons, of whom I am here speaking, are defective in the grand article of AN HUMBLE AND CONTRITE SPIRIT. I remember Mr. N. used to remark, that, “if any one criterion could be given of a real work of grace begun in the heart of a sinner, it would be found in his contrite spirit." Nothing is more insisted on in Scripture, as essential to real religion. I never knew any truly serious Christian, who would not readily join in acknowledging that "the religion of a sinner," as Mr. N. expresses it, "stands on two pillars, namely, what Christ did for us in his flesh, and what he performs in us by his Spirit most errors," he adds, "arise from an attempt to separate these two." But the enemy still comes and sows tares among the wheat: a sort of loose profession has obtained, which has brought much reproach on religion; and has become a cause of stumbling to many, who perceive a class of Christians contending for only a part of Christianity.

You can prevail little with a professor of this description, in exhorting him by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, to self-denying, patient, or forbearing habits. If you state the genius of Christ's religion as it relates to the returning good for evil-in blessing them that curse-and praying for such as revile and persecute-in showing, out of a good conversation, their works with meekness of wisdom-or, in having a fervent charity toward all men, &c. he is ready to take fire; and to cover his conduct by maintaining a crude system of mere doctrinal points, ill understood. Your well-intended remonstrance may

perhaps lead him to ask, whether you mean to bring him back to the "Whole Duty of Man," or to "Nelson's Fasts and Festivals." He will lament that you yourself are not clear in the Gospel; because, in fact, you maintain the whole of it; and that you are not faithful; because you maintain the whole of it in a patient, forbearing spirit.

The views of such persons, and the evil tempers to which they give place in their spiritual warfare, have often reminded me of the shrewd answer which our Richard the First sent to the Pope; who was angry because a certain warlike bishop had fallen by Richard in battle, and whom, being an ecclesiastic, the Pope called his son. Richard sent the bishop's armour to the Pope, with the words of Joseph's brethren-Know now whether this be thy son's coat or

not.

Nothing, however, could be more opposed to the spirit and character of our departed friend, than the temper that has just been described. His zeal in propagating the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, was not more conspicuous, than the tenderness of his spirit as to the manner of his maintaining and delivering it. He was found constantly speaking the truth in love; and in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure would give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. There was a gentleness, a candour, and a forbearance in him, that I do not recollect to have seen in an equal degree among his brethren; and which had so conciliating an effect, that even the enemies of truth often spoke loudly in praise of his character. On the other hand, this generated such an affection in his friends, that, had he attempted to preach longer than he did, a great part of his congregation would have assembled, were it only for the pleasure they had in seeing his person.

That this account is not panegyric, is known to all

who were personally acquainted with Mr. N. But, as many who may read these Memoirs had not that pleasure, I will add the testimony of one whose nice discernment of character will admit of no question.

"A people will love a minister, if a minister seems to love his people. The old maxim, simile agit in simile, is in no case more exactly verified: therefore you were beloved at Olney; and, if you preached to the Chickasaws and Choctaws, would be equally beloved by them."*

As the spirit of Christian benevolence, and charity seems not to have been sufficiently cultivated among us, while a furious and often abusive zeal for certain points, as Cowper remarks, has been substituted for the whole truth, I am led to dwell longer than I intended in exhibiting this amiable feature of Mr. N.'s character; especially on account of those Christians who have imbibed a false taste in their religion from such teachers or books as have fallen in their way. I, therefore, earnestly request such persons to weigh well the inquiries which follow.

Have you ever sufficiently considered the evil of divisions and heart-burnings in a church; and what interest that enemy, who comes to sow tares among the wheat takes in promoting them? Do you reflect that another Christian may be doing God's work, though his mode of doing it may not meet your taste, any more than your taste meets his? Do you consider how much greater evil a wrong spirit and temper produce, than the things you object against? Do you weigh the consequences of your haste in weakening the hands, and grieving the heart of any godly minister, whom you constantly or occasionally attend; and in actually laying a stumbling-block in the way of the ungodly, while you depreciate him

*See, in Hayley's Life of Cowper, the xxviith Letter, which is addressed by Cowper to Mr. Newton.