I EXTEND the circle of real religion very widely. Many men fear God, and love God, and have a sincere desire to serve him, whose views of religious truth are very imperfect, and in some points perhaps utterly false. But I doubt not that many such persons have a state of heart acceptable before God.

such ragamuffins that he was ashamed to mus- | grace of God, in the whole tenor of our dister them. What is the consequence? Peo-pensation, is directed against it. ple groan under their connexions. Respectable persons tell me such stories of their servants who profess religion, as to shame and distress me. High pretensions to spirituality! Warm zeal for certain sentiments! Priding themselves in Mr. Such-a-one's ministry! But what becomes of their duties? Oh these are "beggarly elements" indeed! Such persons are alive to religious TALK; but, if you speak to them on religious TEMPERS, the subject grows irksome.

ADMIRATION and feeling are very distinct from each other. Some music and oratory enchant and astonish, but they speak not to the heart. I have been overwhelmed by Handel's music: the Dettingen Te Deum is, perhaps, the greatest composition in the world: yet I never, in my life, heard Handel, but I could think of something else at the same time. There is a kind of music that will not allow this. Dr. Worgan has so touched the organ at St. John's, that I have been turning backward and forward over the Prayer Book for the first lesson in Isaiah, and wondered that I could not find Isaiah there! The musician and the orator fall short of the full power of their science, if the hearer is left in possession of himself.

THE Church of England is not fitted, in its present state, for a general church. Its secularity must be purged away. We shall hasten that day when Christians shall be of one heart and one mind, if we inculcate the spirit of charity in our respective circles. I have aimed much at this point, and shall push it farther. The rest must be left to Providence. He only can, by unknown means, heal the schisms of the church, and unite it together as one external body and that this will be done as some think, by persecution, appears highly probable. I see no other means adequate to the end.

MAN is a creature of extremes. The middle path is generally the wise path; but there are few wise enough to find it. Because Papists have made too much of some things, Protestants have made too little of them. The Papists treat man as all sense; and, therefore, some Protestants would treat him as all spirit. Because one party has exalted the Virgin Mary to a divinity, the other can scarcely think of that most highly favored among women with common respect. The Papist puts the Apocrypha into his canon-the Protestant will scarcely regard it as an ancient record. The Popish heresy of human merit in justification, drove Luther on the other side into most unwarrantable and unscriptural statements of that doctrine. The Papists consider grace as inseparable from the participation of the sacraments-the Protestants too often lose sight of them as instituted means of conveying grace.

THE language of irreligion in the heart, is, "give-give-now-now-whatever the flesh and the eye lust after, and whatever gratifies the pride of life. Give it now-for, as to any reversion, I will not sacrifice a single lust for it; or, if I must have a religion, it shall be any thing rather than that demeaning system which makes every thing a mere boon."

INSTEAD of attempting any logical and metaphysical explanation of JUSTIFICATION by the imputed righteousness of Christ, all which attempts have human infirmity stamped upon HYPOCRISY is folly. It is much easier, safer, them, I would look at the subject in the great and pleasanter, to be the thing which a man and impressive light in which Scripture places aims to appear, than to keep up the appear- it before me. It teaches me to regard the inance of being what he is not. When a Chris-tervention of Christ for me as the sole ground tian is truly such, he acts from a nature-a new nature-and all the actings of that nature have the ease and pleasantness of nature in them.

of all expectation toward God. In consideration of his sufferings, my guilt is remitted, and I am restored to that which I had lost by sin. Let us add to this, that the sufferings of Christ were in our stead, and we shall see the point HUMILIATION is the spirit of our dispensation of view in which Scripture sets him forth as -not a creeping, servile, canting humility, but the deserver and procurer to us of all pardon an entire self-renunciation. The Mystics often and grace. The thing is declared-not extalk admirably on the subject. Pride is the plained. Let us not, therefore, darken a submost universal and inveterate of all vices.ject which is held forth in a prominent light, Every man is a proud man, though all are not by our idle endeavors to make it better underequally proud. No sin harasses the Christian stood. so much, nor accompanies him so unweariedly. Its forms of exhibiting itself are infinitely varied, and none are more common than the affectation of humility. The assumption of the garb of humility, in all its shades, is generally but an expression of a proud mind. Pride is the master-sin of the spirit; and the

REGENERATION and CONVERSION may be distinguished from each other, though they cannot be separated. They may be distinguished; as a man's being disposed to go in a certain road, and his actually going in that road, may be distinguished: for regeneration is God's dispos

ing the heart to himself, but conversion is the consistencies: there may be strange and unactual turning of the heart to God.

THERE is an immeasurable distance between the genuine and the spurious Christian. The genuine Christian may be weak, wild, eccentric, fanatical, faulty; but he is right-hearted: you find the root of the matter in him. The spurious Christian is the most dangerous of men, and one of the most difficult to deal with. You see what he is, but you find it almost impossible to keep clear of him. He will seek your acquaintance, in order to authenticate his own character-to indorse his own reputation. But avoid him. His errors and vices will be assigned to the church by an indiscriminating world. There is less danger in associating with worldly people by profession, and more tenderness to be exercised toward them. St. Paul teaches us the distinction; 1 Cor. v, 9-11.

I FEEL disposed to treat carnal men and carnal ministers with tenderness, not to show them that I am a spiritually proud man. Let them see that you have some secret in possession which keeps you quiet, humble, patient, holy, meek, and affectionate, in a turbulent and passionate world.

accountable turns-but I have put that character on the shelf: difficulties will all be cleared up: every thing will come round again. I should be much chagrined, indeed, to be obliged to take a character down which I had once put up, but that has never been the case with me yet; and the best guard against it is, not to be too hasty in putting them there.

INFLUENCE, whether derived from money, talents, or connexions, is power: there is no person so insignificant but he has much of this power: the little Israelite maid, in Naaman's family, is an instance. Some, indeed, suppose that they have more power than they really have; but we generally think we have less than we in reality have. Whoever neglects or misapplies this power, is an unprofitable servant; unbelief, timidity, and delicacy, often cramp its exertion; but it is our duty to call ourselves out to the exertion of this power, as Mordecai called out Esther, (chap. iv): it is our duty to watch against every thing that might hinder or pervert our influence: for mere regard to reputation will often carry many into error: who would not follow Aaron in worshipping the golden calf? Even men of feeble public talents may acquire much influence THE character of Balaam is not uncommon by kindness and consistency of character: in the church. I have been amazed to see re- ministers are defective in resting their perligious professors, whose ungodly character sonal influence too much on their public minhas been known and read of all men, who have istry: time will give weight to a man's charnevertheless entertained a good opinion of acter; and it is one advantage to a man to be themselves. I have accounted for it by sup-cast early into his situation, that he may earn posing that they build entirely on the distinc- a character. tion of their views of truth from those of other men. They "know the points: they see the distinctions: and, moreover, they approve what they know, and desire to die the death of the righteous and be where they are—and, certainly, they must be the men of God's council, and the men who stand on his side against the world!"

I HAVE long adopted an expedient, which I have found of singular service. I have a shelf in my study for tried authors, and one in my mind for tried principles and characters.

When an AUTHOR has stood a thorough examination, and will bear to be taken as a guide, I put him on the shelf!

When I have more fully made up my mind on a PRINCIPLE, I put it on the shelf! A hundred subtle objections may be brought against this principle: I may meet with some of them, perhaps; but my principle is on the shelf! Generally, I may be able to recall the reasons which weighed with me to put it there: but if not, I am not to be sent out to sea again. Time was, when I saw through and detected all the subtleties that could be brought against it. I have past evidence of having been fully convinced, and there on the shelf it shall lie!

When I have turned a CHARACTER over and over on all sides, and seen it through and through in all situations, I put it on the shelf. There may be conduct in the person which may stumble others: there may be great in

THE instances of ARTIFICE which occur in Scripture, are not to be imitated, but avoided: if Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob equivocate, in order to obtain their ends, this is no warrant to me to do so. David's falsehood concerning Goliath's sword argued distrust of God. If any part of the truth which I am bound to communicate be concealed, this is sinful artifice: the Jesuits in China, in order to remove the offence of the cross, declared that it was a falsehood invented by the Jews that Christ was crucified; but they were expelled from the empire: and this was designed, perhaps, to be held up as a warning to all missionaries, that no good end is to be carried by artifice.

But ADDRESS is of a different nature. There is no falsehood, deception, or equivocation in address. St. Paul, for instance, employed lawful address, and not artifice, when he set the Sadducees and Pharisees at variance: he employed a lawful argument to interest the Pharisees in his favor: this was great address, but it had nothing of criminal artifice. In Joshua's ambushes for the men of Ai, there was nothing sinful: it was a lawful stratagem of war: it would have been unlawful to tell the men of Ai there was no ambush but they knew that they came out of their city liable to such ambushes. Christ's conduct at Emmaus, and that of the angels of Sodom, were meant as trials of the regard of those with whom they were conversing.

PRECIPITATION is acting without sufficient grounds of action. Youth is the peculiar season of precipitation: the young man's motto is "onward!" There is no such effectual cure of this evil as experience: when a man is made to feel the effects of his precipitation, both in body and mind: and God alone can thus bring a man acquainted with himself. There is a self-blindness in precipitation: a precipitate man is, at the time, a blind man: That be far from thee! said St. Peter: this shall not happen to thee. As the Lord liveth, said David, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die!

There is great criminality in precipitation. A man under its influence is continually tempted to take God's work out of his hands. It is not a state of dependance. It betrays want of patience with respect to God: and want of faith: I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul. It discovers a want of charity in a rash moment, we may do an injury to our neighbor which we can never repair.

:

There are few who do not feel that they are suffering through life the effects of their own precipitation. He, then, that trusteth his own heart, is a fool. In precipitate moments, we should learn to say, "I am not now the man to give an opinion, or to take a single step!"

render it a case of duty to remain silent no longer. But if this be his GENERAL rule, it will be his duty to observe silence much oftener in cases of coNFIDENCE. Professional men-a minister-a lawyer-a medical man-have an official secrecy imposed on them. If this were not the case, a distressed conscience could never unburden itself to its confessor. Incalculable injuries to health and property must be sustained for want of proper advisers. This applies in a very high sense to a minister, considered as a confessor-a director of the conscience. An alarmed conscience will unfold its most interior recesses before him. It is said Dr. Owen advised a man, who, under religious convictions, confessed to him a murder which he had perpetrated some years before, to surrender himself up to justice. The man did so, and was executed. I think Dr. Owen erred in his advice. I thought myself right, in urging on persons, who have opened their hearts to me, deep humiliation before God for crimes committed in an unconverted state: but, as it had pleased Him to give a thorough hatred of those crimes to the mind, and a consequent self-loathing and humiliation, and yet to allow in his providence that they should have remained undiscovered, I judged that the matter might be safely left with him. Yet there may be cases in which general consequences require that confidence should be betrayed. Such cases usually relate to EVIL IN PROGRESS. To prevent or counteract such evil,

intrusted in confidence. Yet the party should be honestly warned, if its purposes are not changed, what duty your conscience will require.

METHOD, as Mrs. More says, is the very hinge of business and there is no method without PUNCTUALITY. Punctuality is important, because it subserves the peace and good temper of a family the want of it not only infringes it may be necessary to disclose what has been on necessary duty, but sometimes excludes this duty. Punctuality is important, as it gains time it is like packing things in a box: a good packer will get in half as much more as a bad one. The calmness of mind which it produces is another advantage of punctuality: a disorderly man is always in a hurry: he has no time to speak with you, because he is going elsewhere; and when he gets there, he is too late for his business, or he must hurry away to another before he can finish it. It was a wise maxim of the Duke of Newcastle-"I do one thing at a time." Punctuality gives weight to character. Such a man has made an appointment: then I know he will keep it. And this generates punctuality in you: for, like other virtues, it propagates itself: servants and children must be punctual, where their leader is

SO.

Appointments, indeed, become debts: I owe you punctuality, if I have made an appointment with you; and have no right to throw away your time, if I do my own.

It is a difficult question in casuistry-How FAR A MAN IS BOUND TO BETRAY CONFIDENCE FOR GENERAL GOOD. Let it be considered what consequences would follow from a man's disclosing all the evil he knows. The world would become a nest of scorpions. He must often mistake, and of course calumniate. Such is his incapacity to determine what is really evil in his neighbor, and such are the mischiefs frequently arising from the disclosure of even what should be in truth evil, that he seems rather called on to be silent, till circumstances

I HAVE felt twice in my life very extraordinary impressions after sermons, and that from men least calculated to affect me. A man of great powers, but so dissipated on every thing that he knew nothing-a frivolous, futile babbler, whom I was ready almost to despisesurprised and chained me so, in my own church at Lewes, that I was thunderstruck: I think it was concerning the dove not finding rest for the sole of her foot: he felt the subject strongly himself; and in spite of all my prejudices against him and my real knowledge of his character, he made me feel it as I have scarcely ever done before or since. In the other instance, I had to do with a very different character: he was a simple, but weak man it pleased God, however, to shoot an arrow by his hand into my heart: I had been some time in a dry, fruitless frame, and was persuading myself that all was going on well: he said one day, at Lewes, with an indescribable simplicity, that "men might cheer themselves in the morning, and they might pass on tolerably well perhaps without God at noon; but the cool of the day was coming, when God would come down to talk with them." It was a message from God to me: I felt as though God had descended into the church, and was about to call me to my account! In the former instance, I was more surprised and as

tonished than affected religiously; but, in this, | has nobler ideas than Alexander had." Men I was unspeakably moved.

of the world know nothing of true glory: they know nothing of the grandeur of that sentiment -Thou, O God, art the thing that I long for! You may, perhaps, find this sentiment in the corner of some monastery, where a poor ignorant creature is mumbling over his prayers: or, it may even be found to exist with the nonsense and fanaticism of a Swedenborgian; but, wherever it is, it is true dignity.

CONSTITUTIONAL bias is a suspicious interpreter of PROVIDENTIAL LEADINGS. A man's besetting sin lies in that to which his nature is most inclined; and, therefore, to walk wisely and holily, he should be very jealous of such supposed leadings in Providence as draw with his constitutional propensity. He is never safe, unless he is in the act of collaring his Look at the bravery of the world! Go into nature as a rebel, and forcing it into submis- the Park. Who is the object of admiration sion. A sanguine man sees a sign and token there? The captain swelling and strutting at in every thing: in every ordinary occurrence, the head of his corps! And what is there at his imagination hears a call: his pious fancy the court?" Make way! Make way!" And is the source and food of an eager, disquieted, who is this? A bit of clay, with a riband tied and restless habit of mind. An enterprising round it! Now it makes nothing against the man has great facility in finding God in what-comparative emptiness and littleness of these ever seems to open to honor, or influence, or things, that I or any man should be ensnared power. But he has lost the right estimate of by them, and play the fool with the rest of the things: if God seem to draw with an enter- species. Truth is truth, and dignity is dignity, prising mind, the man should stand and trem-in spite of the errors and folly of any man ble. Providence may really lead some retired living.

and humble men into situations which the ambitious man would covet: but, even in that case, it is not to be regarded as an evidence of favor, so much as an increase of trial and responsibility: but he can never open before an enterprising and ambitious character, unless in judgment, or in such imminence of trial as should call the man to self-suspicion and humility. A pleasurable man easily discerns God's hand in every thing, which seems to put his favorite indulgences within his power: such a thing was a great providence! and he is vastly grateful! while he sees not that he is led away to broken cisterns. An idle man has a constant tendency to torpidity. He has adopted the Indian maxim-that it is better to walk than to run, and better to stand than to walk, and better to sit than to stand, and better to lie than to sit. He hugs himself into the notion, that God calls him to be quiet-that He is not made for bustling and noise-that such and such a thing plainly show him he ought to retire and sit still! A busy man is never at rest: he sees himself called so often into action, that he digs too much to suffer any thing to grow, and waters so profusely that he drowns. The danger in all these cases is, lest a man should bless himself in his SNARES!

ADAM well observes:-"A poor country parson, fighting against the devil in his parish,

But this is the outside. What are the greatest minds, and the noblest projects of the world, compared with a Christian! Take Mr. Pitt for an instance: and contrast him with the most insignificant old woman in the church of Christ! If the Bible be not true, you have no standard: all your reasonings, and science, and philosophy, and metaphysics, are gross absurdity and folly. But if the Bible be true; Mr. Pitt, great and noble as he is, yet, considered as a mere politician, even Mr. Pitt has a little, contracted, mean mind!—a driveller! Compared with his proan earth-worm! jects and schemes, the old woman, who rises at two o'clock in the morning, lights her farthing candle, stands all day over her wash-tub, at night puts on her red cloak, steals out to some place of worship, hears the truths of the Gospel mangled perhaps with ignorant, yet honest zeal, but draws in good into an honest and prepared heart-why, this woman is a heroine-a noble mind-compared with the greatest of men, considered as a mere man of this world!

Bishop Wilkins has said admirably, That nothing in man is great, but so far as it is con nected with God. The only wise thing recorded of Xerxes, is his reflection on the sight of his army-That not one of that immense multitude would survive a hundred years: it seems to have been a momentary gleam of true light and feeling.

APPENDIX.

REMARKS BY MR. CECIL, COMMUNICATED TO THE EDITOR BY SOME FRIENDS.

A HIDING-PLACE implies secrecy. He who can say unto God, Thou art my hiding place, may go abroad about his affairs, and may pass through a thousand dangers, and yet at the same time, have such a hiding place, in the favor and protection of God, that, when he seems to be exposed on every side, still he is secured and hidden from every evil.

A GREAT man, however high his office and talents, is dependent on little things. Jonah was exceeding glad of his gourd. However splendid and towering, man is crushed beneath the moth, if God does not uphold him: so that while we are admiring the great man as he is called, and however he may be disposed to admire himself and to speak great swelling words of vanity, facts will show that he is a poor, dependent creature, who cannot live a moment without God. If the Holy Spirit opens his eyes, he will perceive that he cannot stand alone; but can only support himself and climb, like the ivy, by clasping one stronger than

himself.

DREAMS are common to sleeping. No man begins to slumber in religion, but he falls into some golden dream. It is a device of Satan to seduce men into a drowsy state, and then to beguile them with some dream. When the duties of religion become irksome, then he presents some novelty which allures and deceives us: whereas, had we been in life and vigor, we should have detected the deceit.

THERE are no greater objects of pity in the world, than men who are admired by all around for their nice discernment and fine taste in every thing of a worldly nature, but have no taste for the riches that endure for ever-no love for God or his word—no love for Christ or their souls. In such a state, however admired or respected, they cannot see the kingdom of God.

ment poured forth. He has a quick FEELING. And he has a spiritual EAR: My sheep hear my voice. He lives in a world of his own: he is tried by spiritual conflicts, and supported by spiritual comforts. If the things of God do not afford him consolation, he droops, and nothing in this world can lift up his head: he will say to every other object, Miserable comforters are ye all. He is pursuing a spiritual end, and while others boast and are puffed up with their great attainments, he is humbled ir the dust, and gives all glory to God.

THERE are critical circumstances, under which a man who is in general on his guard, is called to redouble his Christian vigilance. If he is about to encounter imminent danger, for instance, he will take care to secure himself by every possible

means.

A house may be well guarded and secured, but, if there is any fear and expectation of thieves, every place will be doubly barred and watched. Good care may be taken, in the general habits of a family, to guard against fire; but if it be known that a spark has fallen among any combustibles, every possible search is made to discover it and to prevent its ravages. Thus should every servant of Christ redouble his guard in critical circumstances. He should remember, that, while awful providences seem to be threatening us, and while we are surrounded with dangers on every side, and while the enemy of our souls is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, it ill becomes us to trifle. Let us stir up ourselves, and attend to our Master's admonition, Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord.

Ir St. Paul had not been an entire character, he would not have spoken so ingeniously of himself as he does in the 7th to the Romans. He would have acted as many others have done: he would have put the best aspect on things. He would not have opened the chambers of imagery; and have showed, while all the church was admiring him, what was passing within. Here were real simplicity and humility-nothing of that Pharisee which he once was. The Pharisee is become a Publican: the reality is coming forward; and he seems to say, "Is any man groaning under a body of sin and death?-on searching his heart, does he find that therein dwelleth ni good thing ?-This is my case also; and if I have any thing wherein to glory, it is in Christ and not

A SPIRITUAL man is a character that rises far above all worldly wisdom and science. He is described by our Lord as born of the Spirit. Spiritual senses are given to him. He has a spiritual TASTE that rejects whatever is injurious, and gladly receives whatever is salutary to the spiritual life: he desires the sincere milk of the word, that he may grow thereby. He has a spiritual SIGHT: he looks not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. He SMELLS a sweet savor in the things of God His name is as oint-in myself.

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