1 691.] IlELIGIOUS REFLECTIONS. 101 



Christ. The Religion that is Pure and v:ithout Spot towards 

 our God and Father, is to visit the Orphans and Widows in 

 their Trihulations, and to avoid the Defilements of the World, 

 kc,} We were free froDi the accidental Theology of Contro- 

 versies, from Chimerical and Heretical Idxas, which we 

 look'd upon, as if they had never been ; from all Superstitions 

 Fooleries, from all vain, impertinent rash Thoughts, which 

 are as Pernicious to the Soul, as they are unreasonable ; and 

 had a delicious Taste of the excellency of simple and pure 

 lieligion. We abhorr'd as the sacred Writers did, those 

 Makers or Botchers- of Eeligion, who accommodate the 

 Doctrine and Worship of Christianity to their own fancies, 

 pretending to be more wise than Wisdom it self. We ador'd 

 God the Creator in purity and simplicity of Heart. We 

 worship'd Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, according to the 

 Terms and Eules of Eevelation, without valuing our selves 

 on foolish Explanations, or endeavouring to unfold the sacred 

 Mysteries, which by the confession of all Men are neces- 

 sarily, and will always be hidden from mortal Men, and 

 impenitrable to Human Eye; or they won'd cease to be 

 Mysteries. We thus invok'd the Almighty with Joy and 

 Confidence, (doing good as far as we cou'd) by the Medita- 

 tion^ of our Redeemer and Saviour Jesus Christ, the way, 

 the Truth and the Life. In these happy Dispositions we 

 look'd on Death, not as a Terror, but as the Messenger of 

 glad Tidings. 



Besides those great Walks, or rather those little Journeys 

 we us'd to take, we never mist walking out in the Evening, 

 in the Neighbourhood of our Habitations. We had one 

 Walk among others on the Sea-shoar to the left of our Rivulet, 



1 1 Cor. ii, 2 ; St, John xvii, 3 ; Rom. x, 9 ; St. Joha vi, 47 ; Acts 

 ii, 21 ; Kom. x, 13 ; Acts xx, 27 and 21 ; St. James i, 27. 



2 In orig. : " accomodeurs". Botchers, i.e.., bunglers, probably derived 

 from the Mantuan puccia, a slop, mess, or puddle. Hence It, pozza, a 

 bungling piece of work. 



3 In orig. : " la Mediation." 



