wives, by giving them a bill of divorce. Our bleffed Saviour wifhed to reform a practice which was attended with numberlefs evils; and therefore gives the weight of his authority, not only by his presence, but precepts, to this facred tie, decreed from the beginning by the Almighty, for the wifeft purposes. Our Lord, indeed, made it a rule, upon all occafions, to endeavor to draw people by mildness and gentleness into the right path; and for this purpofe, though reproached for it by the Jews, he frequently accepted invitations, to draw, by gentle means, finners to repentance. In how different a point of view does this conduct of our Lord place the duties of religion, to that in which some gloomy fectaries reprefent it? In the practice of the former, we fee that cheerfulness which should naturally be the refult of a self-approving confcience: on the countenance of the latter, we see a constant gloom, attended with that severity of behaviour and of animadverfion on the conduct of others, as if the Father of Mercies could be only pleafed

pleased when his creatures were inflicting torments on themselves. Of the religion of our bleffed Lord, it may be truly said, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Our Saviour, who knew every thought of the human heart, judged fuch feasons to be particularly proper for making an impreffion upon it, and therefore gave many of his leffons, both of morality and divinity, at such meetings. Innocent amusements are not only allowable, but a neceffary relaxation to the mind; which cannot, more than the body, admit of conftant exertion of its powers. The danger lies in our making them our business, and becoming too much attached to them, to the neglect of our serious duties when this is the case, they change their nature, and from innocent amusements become dangerous indulgences, and ought to be entirely laid aside till we can bring our inclinations under due regulation.

The apostles did, literally, take up their cross and follow their Lord; but, with us,

who are happily freed from religious persecution, the taking up our cross and following him, is to be understood, of crucifying our lufts and paffions; entreating the Father of all Mercies to enable us to conquer our evil habits, particularly those fins which by the natural bent of our disposition, or by custom, we are most prone to commit; and refolutely persevering in our duty, in despite of difficulty and danger; in defiance of fashion and custom; of the fneer of the vicious, or ridicule of the infidel. Neither muft we, in confideration of our own eafe, lofe an opportunity of being useful to our fellow-creatures; as therein we honor God, who will not suffer us to go unrewarded. Since we know that our duty, if fteadily purfued, will make us blessed to all eternity, and that the fufferings of the longest life are as nothing, when compared to the rewards which will follow, fhall we relinquifh fuch glorious expectations to avoid present trouble or inconvenience?

It is common to obferve, that fuch a

one

one is a martyr to fuch a diforder: thofe who have been the cause of their own fufferings, but who have repented of the vices that produced them, may think themfelves happy in having a mode of expiating them, by their patience; whilft those whose sufferings proceed from the immediate infliction of God, or are derived to them from the follies or vices of their

any

ancestors, without fault of their own, shall they murmur? fhall they fuffer the pains of martyrdom and lofe its reward? Those who, under fuch circumstances, fubmit with patience, fortitude and refignation to the will of their God, placing their firm reliance upon him, that he will in his own good time deliver them, would, most probably, have laid down their lives, and submitted to whatever he in his wifdom faw fit, had they been called to the trial. May we not therefore fuppofe, that the crown of martyrdom will be placed on the heads of many who were never called upon to give up their lives for the truth of the gofpel? What a consolation must such a

reflection

reflection prove, to those who are suffering under the pressure of long and painful illneffes, or other afflictions incident to hu

man nature.

Great bodily as well as mental fufferings will unfit a person from taking an active part in life; but those who are not called to very fevere trials, and have leisure and opportunity afforded them, should endeavor to employ their time in the most ufeful manner to their fellow-creatures.

Though perhaps not strictly arising out of the text I am at present treating of, I wish to be allowed here to observe (and I fhould hope my readers, fince I pretend not to correctnefs of ftyle or compofition, would grant it me as a general indulgence to express my ideas as they arise) that the life of our blessed Lord was actively spent in the service of mankind: that he "went about doing good," and never miffed an opportunity of affording the affiftance of his power, or advice, to thofe who flood in need of it. Those who retire from the world, to live a more religious