LETTERS. 263 



blessed gospel ; and then when I compare his precepts 

 with those of the most famous of ancient sages, and 

 meditate on his life, his manners, his sutFerings, and 

 cruel death, I am lost in wonder, love, and gratitude. 

 Such a host of evidence attended him, as no power but 

 that of the devil could withstand. His doctrines, com- 

 pared with the morality of the then world, seem indeed 

 to have dropt down from heaven. His meekness, his 

 divine compassion, and pity for and forgiveness of his 

 bitterest enemies, convinces me that he was indeed the 

 Word, that he was what he professed to be, God, in his 

 Son, reconciling the world to himself. These thoughts 

 open mj eyes to my ov,-n wretched ingratitude, and dis- 

 regard of so merciful and compassionate a Master ; under 

 such impressions, I could ardently long to be separated 

 altogether from the aifairs of this life, and live alone to 

 my Redeemer. But, alas ! this does not last long — the 

 pleasing outside of the delusive world entices my heart 

 away ; beauty smiles me into a disgust of religion, and 

 the fear of singularity frowns me into the concealment 

 of it. How artfully does the arch-deceiver insinuate 

 himself into our hearts ! He tells us that there is a deal 

 of unnecessary moroseness in religion, a deal too many 

 humiliating conditions in the gospel, and many ignorant 

 absurdities in its professors ; while on the other hand, 

 the polite world is so cheerful and pleasing, so full of 

 harmless gaiety and refined elegance, that we cannot but 

 love it. This is an insidious species of reasoning. Could 

 we but see things in their true colours, were hut the 

 false varnish of\ the society of the gospel would seem 

 an assembly of angels,, that of the world a congregation 

 of devils : but it is the best way not to reason with the 

 tempter. I have a talisman, which at once puts to tiigbt 

 all his arguments ; it is the name of my Saviour, and 

 against that the gates of hell s,l\all not prevail. That is 

 my anchor and my confidence : I can go with that to the 

 bed of death, and lift up the eyes of the dying and despair- 

 ing wretch to the great Intercessor ; I can go with this 

 into the society of the cheerful, and come away with 

 lightness of heart and entertainment of spirit. In every 



