my very door a spring as clear and fine as Jacob's "well. When I am tempted to repine that I have "often no other drink, I call to mind, that it was nothing better than a cup of cold water which the woman at the well of Syehar drew for the great"est guest that ever visited this world." Very well," replied Mr. Johnson; "but as your honesty has made you prefer a poor meal to being "in debt, I will at least send and get something for "you to drink. I saw a little public-house just by "the church, as I came along. Let that little rosy"faced fellow fetch a mug of beer." So saying, he looked full at the boy who did not offer to stir; but cast an eye at his father to know what he was to do. "Sir," said the Shepherd, "I hope we shall not appear ungrateful, if we seem to refuse your favour; my little boy would, I am sure, fly to serve "you on any other occasion. But, good sir, it is "Sunday; and should any of my family be seen at 66 66 a public-house on a sabbath-day, it would be a "much greater grief to me than to drink water all my life. I am often talking against these doings "to others; and if I should say one thing and do another, you can't think what an advantage it "would give many of my neighbours over me, "who would be glad enough to report that they had "caught the Shepherd's son at the alchouse without 66 66 explaining how it happened. Christians you know, sir, must be doubly watchful; or they will not only bring disgrace on themselves, but what is much worse on that holy name by which they are called. "Are you not a little too cautious, my honest friend" said Mr. Johnson. "I humbly ask your 'pardon, sir," replied the Shepherd; "if I think "that is impossible. In my poor notion I no more understand how a man can be too cautious, than "how he can be too strong, or too healthy." " You "You are right indeed," said Mr. Johnson " as a general principle, but this struck me as a very "small thing." "Sir," said the Shepherd, "I am "afraid you will think me very bold, but you encourage me to speak out."-" "Tis what I wish," said the gentleman. "Then, Sir," resumed the Shepherd, "I doubt if, where there is a frequent temptation to do wrong, any fault can be called "small; that is, in short, if there is any such thing as a small wilful sin. A poor man like me is sel"dom called out to do great things, so that it is not "by a few striking deeds his character can be judg"ed by his neighbours, but by the little round of dai"ly customs he allows himself in.” 66 "I should like," said Mr. Johnson, "to know "how you manage in this respect." "I am but a poor scholar, sir," replied the Shepherd, "but I have made myself a little sort of rule. "I always avoid, as I am an ignorant man, picking "out any one single difficult text to distress my "mind about, or to go and build opinions upon, "because I know that puzzles and injures poor un"learned Christians. But I endeavour to collect "what is the general spirit or meaning of scripture on any particular subject, by putting a few texts "together, which though I find them dispersed up ❝and down, yet all seem to look the same way, to 66 prove the same truth, or hold out the same com"fort. So when I am tried or tempted, or any thing -66 happens in which I am at a loss what to do, I ap"ply to my rule-To the law and the testimony. To "be sure I can't always find a particular direction 66 as to the very case, because then the Bible must "have been bigger than all those great books I once "saw in the library at Salisbury palace, which the "butler told me were acts of parliament; and bad "that been the case a poor man would never have ❝ had 66 66 "had money to buy, nor a working man time to "read the Bible; and so Christianity could only "have been a religion for the rich, for those who "had money and leisure; which blessed be God! is so far from being the truth, that in all that fine "discourse of our Saviour to John's diciples, it is "enough to reconcile any poor man in the world to "bis low condition to observe, when Christ reckons 66 up the things for which he came on earth, to observe, I say, what he keeps for last. Go tell John, says he, "those things which ye do hear and see; the "blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead 66 are raised up. Now, sir, all these are wonders to "be sure, but they are nothing to what follows. "They are but like the lower rounds of a ladder, as "I may say, by which you mount to the top-And "the poor have the gospel preached to them. I dare 66 say, if John had had any doubts before, this last part of the message must have cleared them up at 66 once. For it must have made him certain sure at once, that a religion which placed preaching sal"vation to the poor above healing the sick, which "ranked the soul above the body, and set heaven "above health, must have come from God." 66 "But," said Mr. Johnson, you say you can ge"nerally pick out your particular duty from the Bi“ble, though that immediate duty be not fully ex"plained." "Indeed, sir," replied the Shepherd, "I think I can find out the principle at least, if I bring but a willing mind. The want of that is the great hindrance. Whoso doeth my will he shall know of the "doctrine. You know that text, sir. I believe a stubborn will makes the Bible harder to be understood, than any want of learning. 'Tis corrupt affections which blind the understanding, sir. The "The more a man hates sin, the clearer he will see "his way, and the more he loves holiness, the better "he will understand his Bible. The more practical "conviction will he get of that pleasant truth, that "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. "Now, sir, suppose I had time and learning, and "possessed all the books I saw at the Bishop's, where "could I find out a surer way to lay the axe to the root "of all covetousness, selfishness, and injustice, than "the plain and ready rule, to do unto all men as I "would they should do unto me. If my neighbour does me an injury can I be at any loss how to pro"ceed with him, when I recollect the parable of the unforgiving steward, who refused to pardon a debt "of an hundred pence, when his own ten thousand "talents had been remitted to him? I defy any man "to retain habitual selfishness, hardness of heart, or any other allowed sin, who daily and conscientiously "tries his own heart by this touchstone. The strait "rule will shew the crooked practice to every one "who honestly tries the one by the other." "Why you seem to make scripture a thing of ge"neral application," said Mr. Johnson," in cases "to which many, I fear, do not apply it." "It applies to every thing, sir," replied the Shepherd." When those men who are now disturbing "the peace of the world, and trying to destroy the "confidence of God's children in their Maker and "their Saviour; when those men, I say, came "to my poor hovel with their new doctrines and "their new books, I would never look into one "of them; for I remember it was the first sin "of the first pair to lose their innocence for the "sake of a little wicked knowledge; besides, my or a "Book told me-To fear God and honour the king"To meddle not with them who are given to change"Not to speak evil of dignities-To render honour to " whown "whom honour is due. So that I was furnished with "a little coat of mail, as I may say, which preserved me, while those who had no such armour fell into "the snare." While they were thus talking, the children who had stood very quietly behind, and had not stired a foot, now began to scamper about all at once, and in a moment ran to the window-seat to pick up their little old hats. Mr. Johnson looked surprised at this disturbance; the Shepherd asked his pardon, telling him it was the sound of the church bell which had been the cause of their rudeness; for their mother had brought them up with such a fear of being too late for church, that it was but who could catch the first stroke of the bell, and be first ready. He had always taught them to think that nothing was more indecent than to get into church after it was begun; for as the service opened with an exhortation to repentance, and a confessiou of sin, it looked very presumptuous not to be ready to join in it; it looked as if people did not feel themselves to be sinners, And though such as lived at a great distance might plead difference of clocks as an excuse, yet those who lived within the sound of the bell, could pretend neither ignorance nor mistake. Mary and her children set forward. Mr. Johnson and the Shepherd followed, taking care to talk the whole way on such subjects as might fit them for the solemn duties of the place to which they were going, "I have often been sorry to observe," said Mr. Johnson, "that many who are reckoned decent, "good kind of people, and who would on no account neglect going to church, yet seem to care but lit"tle in what frame or temper of mind they go thither. They will talk of their worldly concerns till they get within the door, and then take them up again the very minute the sermon is over, which "makes |