rUK RURAL SOCRATES, 14^ 



* upon every fubjed which prefcnts itfelf in walking 



* in our fields, and Co on. But may God preferve me 

 ' (P- 25) from ever permitting my children to go into 

 ' noily company, into taverns, or into dancing houfes ? 

 ' fuch indjlgence would only lerve to Ipoil them, and 

 ' precipitate them into the depths of corruption and 

 ' misfortune. I acknowledge none to be true pleafnres, 



* which do not encourage us in our work, and preferve 



* our confciences pure and fpotlefs.' 



p. 25. The company now defircd with much inter- 

 eft to learn what Kliyogg thought on the fubje^: of God 

 c.nd Religion. He explained himfelf as follows, p. 25- — 

 26. M read in the bible that God created and pre- 



* fervcs the woi Id ; that his mercy has engaged him to 



* fuccoiir us in our n:^.tural corruptionj and to pardon 



* our fins through Jefus Chrift, as Jikewife to alTif]: us 



* by his Spirit in the pradice of virtue ; and that he 

 ' will make us happy in this and the other world, if we 



* oblerve his commandments and imitate the virtues of 

 ' our Saviour. In cffed:, I have only to open my eyes. 



* and to regard by turns the flars of heaven, the moun- 

 ^ tains, the plains, the animal creation, and theinnume- 

 ' rable produaions of the earth ; to feel the truth of the 

 ' cxiQence of a creating Gvjd. I labor, I educate my 



* children, I fulfil as much as poffible all my duties"; 

 ^ and the fertility of my fields and the aid given me by 



* my children, convince me, that God gracioufly blef- 

 *■ fesihofe who obferve his commandments. This en- 



* courages me in my exertions ; gnd I ei^joy the divine 

 ^ aid Vw'ith gratitude and praifes for his bounty. My 

 '• heart is content and tranquil ; and I red "^affured 



that i^rovidence does and will do every thing for 



' me, which can render me happy in t/iis life and in that 



which IS to follow, I do not know in what form it 



will judge it wife to acccmplifh the latter point ; but 



it 13 enough for me to know that it will certainly doit.' 



p. 27. \x\ order to ibund Kliyogg and learn whether 



lis heart was free from religious rancor, Dr. Hirzel 



k 



