the Lord required, was nothing harsh, or unreasonable, or difficult; but the plain, easy, and self-rewarding virtues of moral obligation. And that, if, in addition to the line of doing justly, the circumstances favored the love of mercy, in relieving the wants of the wretched where ability reached, and dropping over them the tear of sympathy where it did not; and instead of studying to be wise above what is written, respecting Divine things, to walk humbly with GOD; these made up the sum and substance of all moral and religious con cerns. "Well, Sir-(cried my neighbour, who had attended also the church that morning, and was coming out of the porch at the same moment with myself)-well, Sir, what are your sentiments now? I hope our worthy vicar has fully satisfied your mind."- And this he said loud enough to be heard by those around, and with that kind of triumph which a man feels when he fancies he has fully established an opinion long disputed. "It is my mercy, replied a poor man, (who "overheard my neighbour's observation) that "I have not so learned Christ. God hath in"deed shewn me what is good; and could I "look up and say that I have followed it, all 66 might be well. But alas! I have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD. I know not what others feel: but I am free to confess, that in many instances which my recol"lection now reproaches me with; and others, <6 no doubt, which my treacherous heart hath long since forgotten; I have neither done justly, loved mercy, nor walked humbly with 66 my GOD. 66 66 "Though I have reason to be very thankful, "that God's preventing and restraining grace "hath kept me from the more open and flagrant acts of injustice; yet I am conscious "that self-love and self-interest have betrayed "me into the doing of many things, which "would not bear to be ascertained by the strict equilibrium of a standard of justice, which "admits no partiality. I am no less convinced 66 66 66 also, that in speaking, I have committed, on "numberless occasions, a breach of that golden "rule of justice, which forbids reporting to "another's injury, what, in similar circum"stances, I should have thought wrong to "have had spoken of myself. And from the imagination of man's heart, which scripture "declares to be only evil continually, I am persuaded, that, in thinking, many unkind thoughts have arisen in my mind against my neighbour, which become a violation of that "law of charity, which thinketh no evil.-I dare not, therefore, whatever others may do-I "dare not risque the final decision of my everlasting welfare on the point of doing justly. "Neither under the condition of loving mercy, can I find greater confidence. For "I discover in my nature, anger, resentment, pride, and the like corrupt passions; which, "in spite of all my endeavours to suppress "them, like the eruptions of a volcano, which plainly bespeak the heat within from the lava "thrown without, too clearly testify, that the "love of mercy is not the ruling passion; and "therefore never to be estimated by the few "casual acts of alms-giving, which, if the "heart would be faithful to acknowledge, are "sometimes more the result of pride, than the pure effect of real love and charity. "I blush at the bare mention of walking humbly with GOD, in the recollection how "often my rebellious heart hath risen, and is continually rising, in opposition to His go"vernment and authority. Fretful and im"patient under the slightest afflictions; un"thankful for the greatest mercies; and though desiring in my daily prayer, that His will may "be done, frequently wishing it may not; and "even displeased if it be, when it thwarts my "own!-Can such a creature be said to walk humbly with his GOD?" 66 My neighbour listened to the poor man's observations, and when he had finished, walked away without making a reply. For my part, 66 though it appeared that his reasoning was conclusive, and unanswerable, yet I ventured to say, "If this be the state of the case, what "becomes of the morality of the Christian Religion; and in what sense are we to accept the sermon on the Mount, with which the "Great Author of it opened His commission?" "The morality of the Christian religion, (reIplied the poor man) stands, where it ever C "stood, upon its own fixed and immoveable "basis; and sooner shall Heaven and earth "pass, than one jot or tittle of the Law shall "fail. GOD doth not lose his authority to "command, because man hath lost his power "to obey. The creditor foregoes not the right "to his just due, because the debtor is become "insolvent. By the Law is the knowledge of "sin. * Hence the Great Author of the "Christian system opened his commission with "the promulgation of this law, that its un"alterable, unaccommodating terms might ever "stand in the front of His Gospel; and the "man that doeth them shall live in them. "If, therefore, any man can appeal to this "standard of decision; can look up with an "uncovered, undaunted front, and challenge "the strictest scrutiny over every thought, and "word, and action; if there be such an obedi"ence found as can give life, verily righteousness "shall be by the Law. But if both scripture "and experience have concluded all under sin; "if all have sinned and come short of the glory "of GOD: and by the deeds of the Law, no 661 flesh can be justified in His sight: then it will "be found, that the moral sermon of the Great "Author of Christianity on the mount, as well "as the moral system of the great Jewish Law"giver in the wilderness, were both designed to "act as the schoolmaster to bring unto Christ:§ "and, that He is the end of the law for righ"teousness to every one that believeth.|| *Rom. iii. 20. ↑ Gal. iii. 12. ↑ Gal. iii. 21. Rom. x. 4, "Pause therefore one moment, and examine how the account stands between GOD and 66 your conscience. In the present season of 66 56 lightness and inattention, a multitude of oc"currences of frailty, and sometimes what "deserves a harsher name, pass away in the "stream of time, noiseless and inaudible, and "are soon swallowed up in the gulph of oblivion. "But in that hour, when the Lord will lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the "plummet; if you and I have no better righ❝teousness than our own to trust in; no Surety "to stand in our stead; no Advocate to plead our cause; an effect infinitely more awful "than that which loosed the loins of the im"pious monarch we read of, will take place, "when weighed in the balance and found s wanting.* I knew not what to reply, and therefore remained silent. The poor man, bidding me farewell, left me to ruminate on the solemn enquiry: how should man be just with GOD?† The effect wrought in my mind by reason of the poor man's observations, was not unsimilar in permanency, though producing very opposite sensations in point of pleasure, to what the poet hath described of our first father's feelings, in the garden of Eden, on the close of the angel's relation concerning Divine things The Angel ended, and in Adam's ear MILTON. * Dȧn. v. 6. + Job. ix. 2, |