men, that he might by all means save some. That is, I presume, he placed different motives before them, as he saw occasion. The scriptures certainly hold out different motives of action. They make charity indeed the end of the commandment; but they seem not to expect that every man should attain it on the same motive. They talk of faith, and hope, and fear, and love, and other motives, each of which may, by degrees, be the happy mean of drawing men to the end of the commandment.

In the mean time, with regard to his own private case, let every man practise on that motive, which, from his own feelings, he discovers to be most effectual. Only let us not judge one another, and say, that the end of the commandment can be obtained by no means, but those, which we ourselves feel the most effectual.

I cannot here be misunderstood to suppose, that any christian virtue can be exercised without christian faith. What I contend for, is, that men are drawn to embrace the christian faith by various means.-There are different degrees also of faith; and the vulgar unlettered christian, who works for his daily bread, may have that general belief in his bible, which may lead him to the end of the commandment; and secure to him the favour of God; though he may not have

that

that exalted faith, which some religionists require from all without distinction *.

This sentiment was suggested to me by the following circumstance: I had been conversing with a very worthy person, who was rigorous in maintaining a rigid zeal for faith in opposition to works. In the midst of our conversation I occasionally mentioned an old man in the parish, who with great industry (for he was only a day-labourer) had brought up a large family, and had afterwards saved enough to keep him from the parish. His wife was dead; his family was grown up; and he lived alone in a little cottage, on the edge of the forest. He was near eighty years of age; but still continued his labour, as far as he was able; and spent the remainder of his day in reading his bible, and in prayers. Often, when I have opened his cottage-door suddenly, I have found him in some religious exercise. He was constant also at church, and generally at the sacrament. He was ready to give out of his little to his poor relations. I have known him give oftener than once five guineas at a time. He bore great infirmities with great resignation; and would talk of death with as much ease and indifference as of going to bed. To me this old man appeared to fill his station with great religious propriety. But upon my mentioning him to my friend, in a favourable manner, though he was as well acquainted with all these circumstances, as I was, he directly replied, That he did not think he was in the way of salvation. On my inquiring with surprise into the reason of what appeared to me so uncharitable an opinion, I found that in some late conversation the old man had been speaking of his own sobriety; and saying, that if he had spent his money at the alehouse, as many did, he should have been now in the poor-house. My friend called this self-righteousness!

THE eternity of future punishments hath occasioned much controversy among divines, and hath often given great offence. Many, therefore, have been inclined to controvert it. But perhaps it might be best never to bring the question at all into discussion.

In the first place, as inquiries of this kind must end, as they began, in uncertainty, it is useless to discuss them. We can know nothing on the subject but from scripture; and we see scripturé is not so decisive, as to prevent disputes.

Secondly, inquiries of this kind argue some degree of distrust in Providence. God Almighty has declared himself, in numberless passages of scripture, to be a righteous judge-a just rewarder; and a just punisher of all our actions. What need we inquire further? Do we distrust his word? When a man makes me a promise, if I believe him to be an honest man, I simply take his word. But if I have any doubt, I begin

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to inquire how he means to perform what he promised. Let us not then shew such distrust in God. He has assured us that he is a righteous judge. Let us therefore depend upon his word, without inquiring into the means he purposes

I would observe further, that the discussion of such a question, appears also to have a bad tendency. Notwithstanding all the influence of eternal punishment, vice cannot be kept in awe. Would you then loosen a tie, which does not at all appear too strict? It injures certainly no man to have his fears impressed in this case: but has rather a good tendency. If it were once fairly established, that future punishments were not eternal, it might set the inclinations of many a licentious man at liberty; and open a wide door to sin. It may, no doubt, be the secret wish of many to find such a theory right: but, I suppose, in general, the converts to it would be such as wished rather to ease their fears, than to cure their infidelity. As these therefore will be the chief persons, who will attend to your arguments, I should think it would be of more service to religion, to leave them to their own conjectures. They become nice casuists for no reason but to become safe sinners.

To these considerations against examining this inscrutable point, let me add, that it has the appearance

pearance of presumption also, and a cast of irreligion. Far be it from me to mark with those characters many good people, who have taken up this argument. Things appear to different persons in different lights. I only mention the idea, under which it strikes me. God seems plainly, for his own wise reasons, to have left this great point uncertain at least-or if not uncertain, leaning rather towards the positive side. Whatever his reasons are, it is not our business to inquire. We ought to shut up all our inquiries with that reverence which is due to the inscrutable counsels of God.

To conclude: as the mind of man must think, it will naturally fall on this, as well as other topics; and every mind will have its own sentiments. All therefore that I contend for, is, that when the subject is so uncertain, and a mistake so dangerous, we should rather think in private, than run the risk of misleading others in a point, which, if proved, might be of dangerous consequence; and can hardly in any light be of importance.

The only real ground of the inquiry is to vindicate the justice of God: but he whose faith is so ungrounded, as to stand in need of so precarious and uncertain a vindication, I fear is in the state of those persons, who if they believe not Moses and

the