in his private life: There is nothing expreffes a man's particular character more fully, than his letters to his intimate friends; we have one of that nature of this great apostle to Philemon, which in the modern language would perhaps run thus :

SIR,

"TT is with the deepeft fatisfaction that I every

I day hear you commended for your generons

"behaviour to all of that faith, in the articles of "which I had the honour and happiness to initiate << for which though I might prefume to an au"thority to oblige your compliance in a request I

am going to make to you, yet chufe I rather to "apply myself to you as a friend, than an apoftle; for "with a man of your great temper, I know I need "not a more powerful pretence than that of iny age "and imprisonment: yet is not my petition for my"felf, but in behalf of the bearer, your fervant One"fimus, who has robbed you, and run away from << you; what he has defrauded you of, I will be an"fwerable for, this fhall be a demand upon me; not "to fay that you owe me your very felf: I called "him your fervant, but he is now also to be regard"ed by you in a greater relation, even that of your fellow chriftian; for I efteem him a fon of mine

as much as yourself; nay, methinks it is a certain ❝ peculiar endearment of him to me, that I had the "happinefs of gaining him in my confinement: I "befeech you to receive him, and think it an act "of providence, that he went away from you for a feafon, to return more improved to your fervice for ever."

This letter is the fincere image of a worthy, pious

and

and brave man, and the ready utterance of a generous chriftian temper; how handsomely does hé affume, though a prifoner? How humbly condefcend, tho' an apoítle? Could any request have been made, or any perfon obliged with a better grace? The very criminal fervant, is no lefs with him than his fon and his brother; for christianity has that in it, which makes men pity, not fcorn the wicked, and by a beautiful kind of ignorance of themselves, think those wretches their equals; it aggravates all the benefits and good offices of life, by making them feem fraternal; and the chriftian feels the wants of the miferable fo much his own, that it sweetens the pain of the obliged, when he that gives, does it with an air, that has neither oppreffion or fuperiority.in it, but had rather have his generofity appear an enlarged felflove than diffufive bounty, and is always a benefactor with a mein of a receiver.

Thefe are the great and beauteous parts of life and friendship; and what is there in all that morality can prescribe, than can make a man do fo much as the high ambition of pleafing his Creator, with whom the methods of addrefs are as immutable as the favour obtained by them?

Here methinks we could, begin again upon this amiable picture, or fhall we fearch antiquity for the period and confummation of his illuftrious life, to give him the crown and glory of martyrdom? That were a needlefs labour, for he that has been in a battle, has to his prince the merit of having died there; and St Paul has fo often in our narration confronted death, that we may bestow upon him that celestial title, and difmifs him with the juft eulogy in his own fpritely expreffion that he died daily.

Now

Now the addrefs and conftancy with which this great apostle has behaved himself in fo many various、 forms of calamity, are an ample conviction, that to make our life one decent and confiftent action, we fhould have one conftant motive of living, and that motíve a confidence in God: for had he breathed on any other eaufe, inftead of application to the Almighty, he muft (on many occafions which we have mentioned) have ran to the dagger or the bowl of poifon for the heathen virtue prefcribes death before ftripes or imprisonment; but whatever pompous look elegant pens may have given to the illuftrious diftreffed (as they would have us think the perfons are, who to evade miferies, have profufed their lives, and rushed to death for relief:) If we look to the bottom of things, we shall eafily obferve, that it is not a generous fcorn of chains, or delicate distaste of an impertinent being, (which two pretences include all the varnish that is put upon felf-murder) but it ever was, and ever will be, pride or cowardife, that makes life infupportable: for fince accidents are not in our power, but will (in fpite of all our care and vigilance) befall us; what remains, but that we accommodate ourselves fo far, as to bear them with the greatest decency and handsomest patience we are able? And indeed refiftence to what we cannot avoid, is not the effect of a valiant heart, but a ftubborn ftomach : which contumacy, till we have quite rooted out our pride, will always make things too little, and our cowardife too large: for as fear gives a falfe idea of fufferings, and attempts, as above our ftrength, tho' they are not fuch, fo vanity makes things defpicable, and beneath us, which are rather for our honour and reputation; but if men would fincerely understand I

that

that they are but creatures, all the diftinctions of great and little, high and low, would be easily fwallowed up in the contemplaation of the hopes we entertain in the place we fhall have in his mercy who is the author of all things.

CHA P. IV.

UT fince we have hitherto treated this fubject in examples only, (by a view of fome eminent heathen, by a diftant admiration of the life of our bleffed Saviour, and a near examination of that of his apostle St Paul,) and fince the in indulgence of mens paffions and interests calls all things that contradict their practice, mere notion, and theory: we must from this place defcend from the bright incentives of their actions to confider lower life, and talk of motives which are common to all men, and which are the impulfes of the ordinary world, as well as of captains, heros, worthies lawgivers, and faints. Which when we have performed, if it shall appear, that thofe motives are best used and improved, when joined with religion; we may reft affured, that it is a ftable, fober, and practical, as well as generous, exalted and heroic pofition, that true greatnefs of mind is to be maintained only by chriftian principles.

We will venture then to affert, that the two great fprings of human actions are fame and confcience; for though we usually fay fuch a one does not value his reputation, and fuch a one is a man of no confcience, it will perhaps be very eafy to prove, that there feldom lives a person so profligate and aban

doned

E

doned, as not to prefer, either the one or the other, even to life itself; and by the way, methinks, the quick pleasure men tafte in the one, and as lively fmart in the other, are ftrong arguments of their immortal nature: for such abstracted fufferings and enjoyments argue our fouls too large for their prefent mansions, and raise us (exen while we are in these · bodies) to a being which does not at all affect them, but which is wholly fpiritual and immaterial.

So ftrong (as we were going to proceed) is the paffion for fame, that it never feems utterly extinct : for not to look among the men of the fword, (whofe whole pay it is,) and who fuffer infinite hazards, toils, and miferies to enjoy it; 'not, I fay, to dwell upon them, whofe more profeffed purfuit is glory, we fhall find it intrudes alfo as reftlefsly upon those of the quill, nay the very authors who conceal their names, are yet vainer than they who publish theirs. They both indeed aim at your applaufe, but the mock disguise of themselves in the former, is but a mere fubtle arrogance, at once to enjoy your esteem, and the reputation of contemning it: nay not only fuch who would recommend themselves by great actions, and liberal arts, but even the loweft of mankind, and they who have gone out of the road, not only of honour, but also common honefty, have still a remaining relish for praise and applause. For you may frequently obferve malefactors at an execution, even in that weight of fhame and terror, preferve as it were a corner of their fouls for the reception of pity, and die with the sturdy fatisfaction of not ap=pearing to bend at the calamity, or perhaps defert: their accomplices, by the facrifice and betraying of

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whofe