the gracious assistance of His spirit for the future: and, after having adjusted accounts between our Maker and ourselves, commit ourselves to His care for the following night.

Thus beginning and closing the day with devotion, imploring His direction, every morning as we rise, for the following day; and recommending ourselves every night before we lie down, to His protection, who neither slumbers nor sleeps; the intermediate spaces will be better filled up: each line of our behaviour will terminate in God, as the centre of our actions. Our lives all of a piece will constitute one regular whole, to which each part will bear a necessary relation and correspondence, without any broken and disjointed schemes, independent of this grand end, the pleasing of God. And while we have this one point in view, whatever variety there may be in our actions, there will be an uniformity too, which constitutes the beauty of life, just as it does of everything else; an uniformity without being dull and tedious, and a variety without being wild and irregular.

How would this settle the ferment of our youthful passions, and sweeten the last dregs of our advanced age! How would this make our lives yield the calmest satisfaction, as some flowers shed the most fragrant odours, just at the close of the day! And perhaps there is no better way to prevent a deadness and flatness of spirit from succeeding, when the briskness of our passions goes off, than to acquire an early taste for those spiritual delights, whose leaf withers not, and whose verdure remains in the winter of our days.

And when this transitory scene is shutting upon us, when the soul stands upon the threshold of another world, just ready to take its everlasting flight; then may we think with unallayed pleasure on God, when there can be little or no pleasure to think upon anything else. And our souls may undauntedly follow to that place, whither our prayers and affections, those forerunners of the spirit, are gone before.

BOERHAAVE-SOCRATES.

169

One of the greatest philosophers of this age* being asked by a friend, who had often admired his patience under great provocations, by what means he had suppressed his anger? answered, "that he was naturally quick of resentment; but that he had by daily prayer and meditation attained to this mastery over himself. As soon as he arose in the morning, it was, throughout his life, his daily practice to retire for an hour to private prayer and meditation. This, he often told his friends, gave him spirit and vigour for the business of the day. This he therefore recommended as the best rule of life. For nothing he knew could support the soul in all distresses but a confidence in the Supreme Being. Nor can a rational and steady magnanimity flow from any other source than a consciousness of the Divine favour."

Of Socrates, who is said to have gained an ascendant over his passions, it is reported that his life was full of prayers and addresses to God.

And of Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, another great example of virtue, it is expressly recorded, that (contrary to a fashion now prevailing) he never did eat of anything, but he first prostrated himself, and offered thanks to the supreme Lord of heaven.

Leave not off praying, said a pious man: for either praying will make thee leave off sinning, or sinning will make thee leave off praying. If we say our prayers in a cold, supine, lifeless manner now and then, I know no other effect they will have, but to enhance our condemnation. In effect we do not pray, we only say our prayers. We pay not the tribute of the heart, but an unmeaning form of homage; we draw near to God with our lips, while our heart is far from him. And without perseverance in prayer, the notions of the amendment of our lives, and a sacred regard to the Deity, will only float for a while in the head without sinking deep, or dwelling long * Boerhaave.

upon the heart. We must be inured to a constant intercourse with God, to have our minds engaged and interested, and to be rooted and grounded in the love of Him. But, if we invigorate our petitions, which are otherwise a lifeless carcase, with a serious and attentive spirit, composed, but not dull; affectionate, but not passionate in our addresses to Godpraying in this sense will at last make us leave off sinning; and victory, decisive victory, declare itself in favour of virtue.

BISHOP SHERLOCK.

THOMAS SHERLOCK, son of the dean of St Paul's, was born in London in 1678. From Eton he was transferred to Catharine Hall, Cambridge, and in the twenty-sixth year of his age, was elevated to the mastership of the Temple. In 1716 he obtained the deanery of Chichester. In 1728 he was created bishop of Bangor, from which, in 1734, he was translated to Salisbury, and in 1748 he succeeded Dr Gibson as bishop of London. He died at Fulham, July 18, 1761.

With their clear arrangement, their calm reasoning, their air of scholarship, and their graceful style, Sherlock's discourses were well adapted to an audience at once learned and logical. At the same time, it must be allowed, that such spirit as they once possessed has now well-nigh evaporated. There is still infidelity, and, it may be feared, not a little latent unbelief amongst respectable church-goers; but it would be labour lost were a modern preacher to expatiate, Sunday after Sunday, on such points as the sincerity of the apostles, and the superiority of Christianity to Mahommedanism and Paganism.

"It is said that when Dr Nicholls waited upon Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, with the first volume of 'Sherlock's Sermons,' in November 1753, his Lordship asked him whether there was not a sermon on John xx. 30, 31 ? and on his replying in the affirmative, desired him to turn to the conclusion,

and repeated verbatim the animated contrast between the Mahommedan and Christian religion, begining, 'Go to your natural religion,' &c. Yet it was thirty years since that sermon had been published singly. Such was the impression it made on Lord Hardwicke. This interesting anecdote, however, would want some of its effect, if we did not add that at a later period, Dr Blair, in his 'Lectures on Rhetoric,' pointed out this identical passage as an instance of personification, carried as far as prose, even in its highest elevation, will admit. After transcribing it, Blair adds, "This is more than elegant; it is truly sublime.'"*

Christianity and its Competitors.

The law of Moses was published and declared with great solemnity, and by persons every way qualified: it contains a rule or system of religion, and is still maintained by its disciples in opposition to the gospel. Here then, perhaps, may seem to be some difficulty, when two revelations, that have equal pleas to truth, are set in competition one against the other. This question must be argued upon different principles with Jews, and with other men; for the law was given and declared to the Jews, and they were under the obligations of it they therefore are concerned to inquire, not only of the truth of a subsequent revelation, but also whether it does sufficiently abrogate their law, or whether it is to subsist with it; as likewise whether their law has anywhere precluded them from admitting any further revelations. But to us the question is, how we are concerned with the law, and whether there can be any competition with respect to us between the law and the gospel. From the principles already mentioned, we may soon determine this question: for it is plain that no revelation can oblige those to whom it is not given; that promulgation is

* "Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary," Art. Sherlock.

so far of the essence of the law, that no man in reason or equity owes any obligation to a law till it is made known to him; that the obligations, therefore, of a law are limited by the terms of the promulgation. Apply this to the law of Moses; you will find that law, in the very promulgation of it, confined to the people of Israel: Hear, O Israel! is the introduction to the promulgation; which it could not have been had the law been designed for the whole world. And this was known to be the case under the law. Moses, who best understood the extent of his own commission, says thus to the people of Israel: "What nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous, as all this law which I set before you this day?" (Deut. iv. 8). The holy Psalmist expresses the same sense in these words: "He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them" (Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20). From all which it is evident, that the law of Moses has no claim to our obedience. The moral part of the law, when understood, will oblige every rational creature; but this is not the obligation we are now speaking of. The law of Moses, then, cannot add to the number of revelations which create us any difficulty in determining ourselves for, let the case happen as it will, we are free from the law. But the law affords even to us abundant evidence for the truth of the gospel. The proofs from prophecy are as convincing to us as to the Jews: for it matters not whether we are under the law, or not under the law, since conviction, in this case, arises from another and different principle. But I hasten to a conclusion.

:

Let us then consider briefly, what alteration has happened since the coming of Christ to disturb and unsettle our judgments in this great affair. A man, perhaps, who is a great reader, may be able to produce many instances of impostors since that time, and imagine that they are all so many dead