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indolence of fenfuality and intemperance cannot attain.

Honour likewife is the natural production of industry-"Seeft thou a man diligent in his bufinefs?" fays Solomon, He shall ftand before kings, he thall not ftand before mean men." For diligence creates efteem and confidence it foon attracts the obfervation, and confequently the regard of mankind; every man for his own advantage will employ a perfon of that character in every office of life; he who neglects his bufinefs, and follows recreations instead thereof, will in a little time have no bufinefs to follow; for none will employ him, or have any particular concern with him; and as the only motive for giving the preference to the induftrious man is founded on intereft; he will be fure to reap all the advantages fo justly due to his merit fo long as he remains diligent; for he will of courfe not only obtain honour and esteem, but riches too, which are another valuable reward of induftry-"The hand of the diligent maketh rich," faith the wifeman; "but the foul of the fluggard defireth and hath nothing.'

Induftry places a man above all reafonable apprehenfions of want, and qualifies him to affift others. It almoft in general, produces a fuccefsful maintenance with credit and esteem, and confequently yields true fatisfaction; for what greater pleasure and delight can a man ever experience, than to enjoy the fruits of his own honeft induftry?

Wildom is likewife unattainable without this virtue: for exercise is equally beneficial to the mind as well as the body; no knowledge of arts and fciences can be required without due application and ftudy;; the poifonous productions of vice will be fure to pollute the mind that is not employed in worthy purfuits; befides, idlenefs will most furely fix and ftagnate the endow

ments thereof in ignorance; where as induftry and application will not only enlarge its faculties, but create a defire for higher improve. ments; for the more any one improves in wisdom, the more he defires to be acquainted with her; for "her ways are ways of pleafantnefs, and all her paths are peace.".

Now when any one acquires thefe valuable bleffings of health, honour, riches and wifdom, merely by moderate application and honeft industry; he has a right to rejoice, and undoubtedly, upon reflection, will be fatisfied from himself.” Confcience muft of course give her teftimony, with complacency and approbation; chearfulness and felfenjoyment muft unavoidably enfue; befides, there is another confiderationwhich will very much enhance his joy; he not only obtains his own and the approbation of his fellow-creatures, but what is of greater importance, the approbation of Almighty God-For God not only teaches the advantageous duty of industry throughout all his works, but with peculiar energy impreffeth it in the holy fcriptures.

In fhort, industry is productive of every good, while indolence and floth create nothing but evil;, for the confequences of indolence do not confift merely in lofing the comforts of life, but in the certain acquifition of evil and mischief; our nature is ill calculated for mere inactivity he who has no proper employment, will probably wander after that which is improper, and from doing no good, proceed to do ill; industry and floth are diametrically oppofite, as well in practice. as in con.equence; for whatever good. the one promotes, the other is fure to deftroy; induftry is not only valuable as productive of the greateft good, but as a prefervative from the greatest evil; whereas floth is not only odious as productive of the greatest evil, but as depriving us of all attainable bleffings there

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HE Deity is effentially prefent through all the immenfity of space; but there is one part of it in which he difcovers himself in a moft vifible and tranfcendent glory: This is that place which is marked out in fcripture, under the different appellations of Paradife, the third heaven, the throne of God, and the habitation of his glory. It is here where the glorifed body of our Saviour exifts, and where all the celeftial hierarchies,

and the innumerable hofts of angels are reprefented as perpetually furrounding the feat of God, with hallelujah's and hymns of praise. This is that prefence of God, which fome divines call his glorious, and others his majeftic prefence. He is indeed as effentially prefent in all other places as in this; but it is here where he refides in magnificence, in the midst of all thofe fplendours which can affect the imagination of created beings."

As in Solomon's temple there was

the fanctum fan&torum, in which the thechinah, or vifible glory ap peared among the cherubims, and into which none but the high-prieft himself was permitted to enter, after having made an atonement for the fins of the people; fo, if we confider the whole creation as one great temple, there is in it this holy of holies, into which the high-prieft of our falvation entered, and took his place among the angels, and arch angels, after having made a propitiation for the fins of mankind. This doctrine is both agreeable to reafon and the holy fcriptures. Dives begs of Abraham to fend Lazarus from heaven, with a mellage to his brethren upon earth. Paul was caught up to the third heaven; the rebel angels were caft down into hell; and as hell, into which they were caft, is a place, heaven, from whence they were caft, muft be a place alfo.

Sic iter ad aftra

Reptes humi quicunque velit
Calo reftat iter cælo tentabimus ire.

THE

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTOR.

No. IV.

"Like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears against the voice of the charmer charm he ever fo wifely.”

THOUGH I fpeak with the

tongues of men and angels, and addrefs myself to fuch an audience as hath not wifcom nor a will to chufe the best means conducive to the best end, I am become as founding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, fo that I could remove mountains, that is, all impediments and obftructions placed in the way to truth and reve lation, to reafon and common fenfe. And fpeaking to men of perverfe hu.

mours

mours and tubborn tempers, who being as fond of their prejudices as ever Job was of his integrity, hold them faft and will not let them go, I am nothing, nothing of value in their estimation. And though I beftow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have it not my lot to preach to a wife and understanding people, it profiteh me nothing.. My endeavours will be of little availance, or of no power to enlighten or convert them, fo as to turn them from the bondage of fin and flavery, to wifdom and the glorious liberty of the fons of God. What St. Paul faith of the excellence of charity, may perhaps with equal propriety, be faid of wif dom and prudence. They fuffer long, and are kind. They envy not, they vaunt not themselves, they are not puffed up: they do not behave themfelves unfeemly: though they seek that which is their own, they yet do it with difcretion, which keepeth her poffeffors from evil. Wifdom, heavenly wisdom, with her ever faithful attendant prudence and difcretion, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. They that poffefs her, must be obedient to her voice: they will not be like the deaf (and ftub, born and perverfe) adder, that ftoppeth her ears against the voice of the charmer, charming ever fo wifely.Wisdom beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endur eth all things." Whatever wisdom faith or decrees, that is best. Wif dom never faileth; fo long as the throne of the moft High ftandeth, she liveth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they fhall ceafe; whether there be knowledge, it hall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophecy in part; but when we are removed hence to have our habi'tation with wifdom in all her glo

ry, then that which is in part hall be done away. When I am without wifdom, I am as a child, I fpeak as a child, I understand as a

child, I think as a child; but when I think and act wifely, I become a man, I then put away childish things. For now (in the midst of half wisdom and half knowledge) we fee through a glafs darkly; but then face to face, in the full perfection of beauty. Now I know in part, but then shall I know (know all the worth and excellency of heavenly things) even as I am known of wisdom. And now abideth faith, hope, wifdom, these three; but the greatest of thefe is wisdom.

I could not fay more in praise of wisdom, than what Solomon faith of her in the 8th chapter of Proverbs. I prefume he there treats wifdom in the great and fublime ftile of prophecy; comprehending, under that name, Chrift the Redeemer, the Messiah, in whom dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? unto you men I call, and my voice is to the fons of men. O ye fimple, understand wisdom; and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart: hear, for I will fpeak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips fhall be right things for my mouth fhall fpeak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. Receive my inftruction and not filver, and knowledge rather than fine gold. For wisdom is better than rubies, and all things that may be defired are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The Lord (the Lord Christ, as being the very way to happiness, the truth, and the life) poffeffed me in the beginning of his way, (by whom the world was made) before his works of old, I was fet up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was-(Verily, verily, I fay unto you, faid our Lord to the Jews) before Abraham was, I am.) When there was no depth I was brought forth, before the mountains were-before the hills were fettled was 1 brought forth. Before the mountains were brought forth (ays (lays the royal

prophet

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prophet, and the fweet fongfter of Ifrael) or ever the earth and the world were made, I am God from everlasting. Whilft as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world; when he prepared the heavens, I was there; when he fet a compafs upon the face of the deep, when he establish, ed the clouds above, when he ftrengthened the fountains of the deep, when he gave the fea his decree, that the waters fhould not país his commandments, when he appointed the foundation of the earth': Then was I by him as one brought up, and was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. If then wifdom always rejoices before God-why need a wife man be fad or penfive? Away from her all melancholy and enthufiafm, fuch contrary tempers cannot dwell together, wifdom having no place for you! Of wildom, Solomon concludes thus: therefore hearken unto me, O ye children!-for bleffed are they that keep my ways! hear inftruction and be wife, and refuse it not. Bleffed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the pofts of my doors. For whofo find

eth me findeth life (life everlafting) and fhall obtain the favour of the Lord-(he hall live and reign with Chrift, God bleffed for evermore in his kingdom in heaven.) But he that finneth against me (that will not obey as well as believe the gospel of Chrift) wrongeth his own foul. All that hate me love death.

May we not all then justly exclaim with St. Paul, on this occafion and fay: Oh the depth and height, the length and breadth, of the wildom (as well as of the love) of Chrift, which furpaffeth knowledge?

A. B.

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fions to an exalted worth; but are unfortunately loft to all fentiments of piety. If they disbelieve a future state, then to think, that they fhall fhortly be, as if they never had been, that they muft foon be fwallowed up in arnihilation, that bottomlefs gulph, where all diftinctions are loft, as rivers in the ocean; is enough to pall each exalted and noble thought, and to beget in them a fullennefs, fournefs, and difcontent. A fretfulnefs and impatience, that will grow upon them, will make them fo far from fulfilling the law by bearing one another's burthens, that they will be incapable of bearing their own. They must defpife them felves and their fellow creatures as a fet. of infignificant reptiles, that are to crawl for a while upon the face of the earth, and then to mix with the common mass of things. And as they, who expect no other life, ought to make the most of this, they must contract a narrow-fpirited and illiberal caft of thought.

But if they believe a future state, how can they have any taste or relish for benevolence; and yet have no love for that Being, who has en. dowed morality and benevolence with an exceeding and eternal re. ward? On the other hand, what delightful perceptions muft it give them to reflect, that at the fame time, that they are wishing, contriving, and promoting the happinefs of their fellow-creatures, they are fellow-workers with that great. and good Being, who is able and willing to give them as great a happinefs, as their most unbounded. good-will can with; and far greater than their narrow understanding can conceive? How must their hearts burn within them, who have fo fervent a zeal for Charity, to find, that this Charity fhall never fail; and thefe fhort-lived inftances of friendship and good-will, which we fhew to one another here, will be. fucceeded by an uninterrupted in

tercourfe

tercourse of mutual endearments for ever and ever? And, what will moft heighten their humanity will be to confider, that we fhall be all partakers of the fame common happinefs from him, with whom is the fulness of joy, and from whom continual rivers of pleasure are ever ftreaming. It is then abfurd to pretend love for benevolence; and yet to be regardless of the moft benevolent Being that is. And it is likewife abfurd to pretend to love him, without a ferious examination into his will; never difmiffing what bears that venerable ftamp, without a fair and impartial hearing of the evidences for the truth of it. For, on whomfoever the world may bestow the title of moral men; yet an indifferent careleffnefs, and a wilful neglect to examine into his will and pleafure is no part of morality. Nay, his will, whofe pleasure we muft either do, or whofe difpleafure we muft unavoidably fuffer, ought to be the uppermoft confideration of every man. Can he deserve the name of a good man, who does not fhew the least regard to that Being, to whom he owes every thing? the Deity being the fountain-head even of those bleffings, which are conveyed to him by his fellow-creatures, as through fo many channels?

But if it not true, in fact, that there are feveral of ftrict probity, generofity, and worth, without the leaft tincture of piety? To which I answer, several have, from their infancy, affociated the ideas of happinefs and esteem, of mifery and difgrace. This makes them decline those actions which may entail infamy and difgrace upon them; and purfue thofe which may beget an efteem for them: efteem being to them an effential ingredient of happiness. They have been taught to fet an high value upon themselves; which high value of themfelves is always, more or lefs, accompanied by a

fufpicion or mistrust, that they over-value themselves. For which reafon they are impatient to have the favourable verdict, which they pafs upon themfelves, feconded and confirmed by the approbation of others, and unwilling to do any thing, that may leffen them in the opinion of their fellow creatures. It is then the defire of fame, not the love of virtue, which is their incentive to good actions. And if we look abroad into the world, we find it thus in fact: Perfons of this ftamp will fcorn to do a little thing, thro' the abhorrence of any thing, that may make them cheap and contemptible in the eye of the world: but they will not fcruple to commit a fin, upon which the fashionable world has ftamped a credit, and given a fanétion to. A perfon who is ungrateful, much more ungrateful to his fovereign Benefactor. must be void of every thing, which is great, glorious, and beautiful in the foul. He may, indeed, be actuated by the love of applaufe, by caprice, by the prevailing mode and fashion of the age in which he lives; but his mind is too narrow, contracted, and ungenerous, to be fwayed by any fixed and determined principle of goodness.

CANDIDE.

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