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fully delineated in his epiftles : the dignity of his fpirit and 

 .the energy of his mind appear in his words as well as his 

 litis : his learning and his profefllonal habits fhew themfelves 

 in his allufions to palfages in claffic authors, and in the 

 fources of his nietaphors. St. Peter's natural vehemence is 

 exhibited by the rapidity of tranfition in his thought, and 

 the boklnefs of grammatical conflrudlion in his fentences. 

 And St. John, the difciple whom Jefus loved, pours forth the 

 grateful return of his heart in dwelling particularly on his 

 mafter's difcourfes, and Ihews the general mildnefs of his na- 

 ture by frequent and eamefl exhortations to benevolence and 

 love. 



Every particular relating to the moral chara(fler and habits 

 of an author is of much importance to his readers. Without 

 fome acquaintance with thefe we fhould in many cafes fail of 

 comprehending his meaning, and in no cafe Ihould we be 

 able rightly to appreciate his judgments. Many of his words ■ 

 are relative while they are deemed pofitive, denoting compa- 

 rifons made by his own mind according to ftandards indirecflly 

 and imperfedlly reprefented. Many of his opinions are con- 

 veyed by ftealth in his writings, left to produce their effedt 

 on the reader by the coUedlive force of many minute atoms 

 of mifreprefentation. Many of his decifions reft more on his 

 authority than his arguments ; and to learn the value of his 

 authority, to enquire into the means of his information, and 

 to examine the probable fources of his prejudices, is neceffary 

 to enable the reader to afcertain by all due allowances the 



adlual 



