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his zeal as a Dissenter soon brought upon him the peculiar indignation of the friends of the Establishment. Upon every occasion of any thing being brought before Parliament in favor of the Dissenters, his Plan of Lectures on the Principles of Nonconformity (which I would take this opportunity of recommending to you) has never failed to be produced by our enemies, as an evidence of our hostile intentions with respect to the established Church. But it is no proof of the excellence of that establishment, that so acute an observer as Mr. Robinson, and who, I believe, had himself been a member of it, should come to think so ill of it. Severe as his censures are, I have no doubt of their being perfectly just; and in matters of religion, there is certainly no room for complaisance. Let every thing of this nature be most rigorously examined, and let it stand or fall by its own merit.

I would particularly recommend to your imitation Mr. Robinson's exemplary conduct in the education that he gave to his numerous family, not only in religion, but in all branches of useful knowledge; by no means neglecting his daughters. To their understandings his good sense taught him to give the same cultivation as to those of his sons, that is, the highest of which they were capable. Getting over a vulgar and debasing prejudice (that women, being designed for domestic cares, should be taught nothing beyond them), and finding his daughters capable of it, he himself taught them the learned and the modern languages, and he got them instructed by others in mathematics and philosophy. Certainly, the minds of women are capable of the same improvement and the same furniture as those of men; and it is of importance that, when they have leisure, they should have the same resource in reading, and the same power of instructing the world by writing, that men have; and that, if they be mothers, they be capable of assisting in the instruction of their children; to which they have generally more opportunity to attend than the fathers

In all labors proper for his station, and for the public,

Mr. Robinson was most abundant.* In this let us imitate him. Whatever our respective callings may be, let us, like him, faithfully and assiduously discharge the duties of them. Our Master is now absent, but he will in due time make his appearance. May we so conduct ourselves, as not to be ashamed before him at his coming. Warned, more espe

cially, by the suddenness of the death of Mr. Robinson, and that of many others of which we are continually hearing, let us see that we be always ready; since at such an hour as we think not, the Son of Man may come.

one of

* To recommend just notions of civil government, he published, in 1782, that Political Catechism which was honored by the public censures of Burke. To serve the cause of justice and humanity, he prepared the petition, from Cambridge, against the Slave Trade : the earliest presented to the House of Commons; and in 1788, he preached and published a Sermon, entitled "Slavery inconsistent with the Spirit of Christianity," from Luke, iv. 18. The preacher happily remarks, that " a proclamation of liberty to captives meets the wishes of both sufferers and spectators, and grates only on the ears of a tyrant who makes slaves, and masters who hold them in servitude.”

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS.

If we consider the great prize for which we contend, that life and immortality are set before us, we cannot think that we can sacrifice too much to it, though we should be required to abandon life and all the enjoyments of it. We are in reality, no Christians except in name, unless Christianity be the primary object with us, and every thing else be a secondary pursuit. And they who think they can give their time, their talents, and their heart to the world, and seldom think of any thing else, and yet imagine they may secure the happiness of heaven after all, will find that they miserably deceive themselves. This is the reason why our Lord says "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God," because riches naturally engage much of a man's thoughts, care, and affection, and leave him little time to attend to better things. Indeed, the rich seldom think that there are any better things than riches, even though they never find themselves happy or satisfied with them; on the contrary a true Christian will take more thought how to spend his wealth properly than to add to it. By this rule, then, let us try ourselves.

We ought therefore to consider well with ourselves, whether we are determined to maintain the profession and practice of Christianity at all risks. Without this we are no Christians, but merely men of the world, who follow the multitude which happens to be what is called Christian; but who from the same principle would have been pagans and Ma

hommedans.

To be Christians indeed, we must be so in principle and from reflection, weighing well the truth and value of the profession, and determined to give up every thing, even life itself, that may be required by it.

The surest criterion of our advancing in real excellence and perfection of character, is our acquiring a disposition to think less of ourselves and of our own happiness, and more of that of others.

If the zeal of this apostle, his unwearied labors, his patient suffering, and prudent conduct, could not save him from continual opposition, and even from those who professed the same gospel with himself, why should we wonder at the like happening at this day, when Christians are much more divided among themselves, and when there are consequently many more occasions of offence. It ought to satisfy every man, as it did the apostle Paul, that he can acquit himself to his own conscience, and to God who knows the heart. Whatever we suffer from friends or enemies, while we act in this manner, we shall be abundantly recompensed at a future day.

If, therefore, I mean to follow Christ, I must be more especially upon my guard against adopting that mode of faith or practice which it is my interest, or which it is fashionable, for me to adopt; it being à priori, probable, that what "is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God." The true Christian must obey God, and not man; he must not "follow a multitude to do evil," and must be content to "take up his cross," suffer persecution, and follow Christ here, if he would reign with him hereafter.

Let it appear that the principal object of your attention is the proper duty of your profession, and let no taste you may have for the polite arts, as music, painting, or poetry, nor a capacity for the improvements in science, engage you to make them more than an amusement to you, or, at the most, any more than an object of secondary consideration. Let not even the study of speculative theology prevent your applying yourself chiefly to the advancement of virtue among your hearers. Let your conduct demonstrate, that you consider one soul reclaimed from vicious habits, or even one person's mind confirmed in any good resolution, as a greater acquisition to you, than the detection of any speculative error, the illustration of any known truth, or the discovery of any new ones.

How many are there who, in the most solemn forms, subscribe to articles of faith which they do not believe, when they would not on any account make a false declaration in any other form? This conduct, however, is such as no person can justify; and all that can be said in excuse for it is, that it is doing evil that good may come.

To me, I cannot help saying, it appears that the present state of Christianity is rather critical, and very much requires to be looked into by all its real and sincere friends. Men of good sense and of cultivated minds in other respects, cannot but be aware of many things which are evidently absurd in the prevailing tenets of the great part of Christians; and while no real friend of Christianity has the courage to show them that the things they dislike and object to, do not belong to that religion, it can be no wonder that they conceive a prejudice against the whole scheme, and become secret, if

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