to the face of the earth. The understanding of the mere farmer is so bounded; and then the daily necessity of providing for a family, and making up his rent, &c. is such, that he hath no leisure to think of experiments, nor can afford the expense. It is the gentleman, therefore, alone, who can project improvements in agriculture, and carry them into somewhat like execution. Here, or no where, improvements in this most necessary and delightful art must originate. Let no man say, it is impossible to go much farther than hath been already gone. Other nations are already far before us in it; and they themselves probably as far behind a consummate knowledge in the various powers of soils, and natural manures, and methods of culture. It may also be a pleasing amusement, always in the way of a country gentleman, to superintend the introduction or improvement of useful manufactures in his neighbourhood, to an immense advantage of the poorer sort of people, at present unemployed, and starving. A trifling sum lent to a family of this denomination, might often raise it from indigence to the comforts of life, if the loan were judiciously applied, and repayment regularly exacted. To these, and the like methods, should the gentleman I am speaking of, add a constant attendance on the house and table of God, he would soon exhibit to the word a good and happy people. On the whole, I know not so noble a character as that of a gentleman thus situated and employed. No man would so well deserve to be sent to parliament as this real father to his country; and there he would find the way to unite into one two things, separately pretended to, loyalty and patriotism. He would teach the nation to strengthen the hands of its king, and to manage its revenues with honest economy. What he had done in miniature on his estate, he would at least labour to do throughout the extent of his country. His wisdom and goodness, already so exemplified in the narrow sphere he had to care for, might give him a majority in parliament, and call his great soul from the plough to dictate to a nation. Providence ought to be trusted for more than this. From the cultivation of a little garden, Abdalonimus was called to the crown of the Sidonians, and proved a wise and good king. David was nothing the worse king for having been formerly a shepherd.

167. Whether the idea of politeness, as it is commonly conceived, includes any thing more than mere exteriors, is to me a little doubtful. It were to be wished, however, that somewhat

more essential than a genteel address, an air of dignity, a civil sort of condescension, that sinks those to whom it is shewn, into an insignificance, below that which even contempt could reduce them to; if somewhat better I mean than can be derived from a dancing-master, a taylor, a fine house and coach, or a continual intercourse with the beau-monde, were included in an idea, so much venerated by many, and so awkwardly affected by a still greater number. I shall be better understood by taking the liberty of asserting, that Christ and his apostles afford, by far, the best instructions and precedents of true politeness. Pride, though the basis of almost all that passes for it, is its very reverse. True politeness can be built on nothing but humility, and a preference of others to ourselves. Of this it was impossible for any other man, indeed for any other being, to set so striking an example as Christ hath done. His precepts repeatedly inculcate this virtue; and his immediate followers press both upon us, as those fundamental requisites, without which it is in vain to think of being Christians; and, certainly, as much in vain to think of being truly polite. A universal charity or kindness to all men, carried as far as possible towards our enemies, exemplified by our blessed Saviour in its highest perfection, is by himself made the distinguishing badge of all his disciples, and worn accordingly by the first Christians in every thing they did, wrote, or suffered. Now, what are civilities in soft words, bows, or smiles, without kindness, but empty compliments, or base dissimulation? Is it possible that politeness should consist in these? If it is, the behaviour of a Christian clown is infinitely more honourable. The wisdom or spirit of a Christian is peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.' What lovely ingredients of true politeness! The Christian is peaceable, he therefore neither quarrels, nor fights duels. He is gentle, and therefore never treats others with any degree of brutality. He is easy to be entreated, and not like Nabal, such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.' Nay, he is full of mercy to his enemy, when in his power; full of good fruits, lending, giving, helping, as often as his neighbour stands in need, and he is able to impart assistance. He is without partiality and self-preference, as often as his fellow-creature akin to him only by nature, and in Christ Jesus, stands in need of what the good Christian never wastes on pride or luxury. He is without hypocrisy, for sensible that good words can neither

clothe the naked, nor feed the hungry, he says little, and gives largely. There is, indeed, a glorious sort of hypocrisy in his right hand, which will not suffer his left hand to know what it does.' So far is he from 'giving to be seen of men, that, if he can, he will not suffer the person relieved to know his benefactor, lest indigence should foolishly blush for itself. The gospel spreads out a much larger canvass for this picture; but the miniature, here given, fully proves what I ventured to assert, that Christ, and the Holy Ghost, are the best teachers of true politeness. They rub off all asperities, and polish the inside, as well as the outside, of the vessel. On surfaces, so exquisitely wrought off, no filth can adhere; and let me add, that blind as mankind may be, the brilliancy of a vessel, thus finished by him who made the world, will shine to a great distance both of place and duration. The man, who sits to me for this portrait, is taken from the plough of Camillus, and the sheep-fold of David. He cannot make a genteel bow; but his whole life is one bow of humility, both to God and man. He knows not what to do with his legs, but to go about his business; nor with his arms and hands, but to earn honest bread for his family, and to hold out some meal and potatoes to one poorer than himself. His politeness is all intrinsic; but if it is united in the same man, as it sometimes is, with the exterior accomplishments of good breeding, human nature plumes itself in the borrowed honours of Christianity, and lives above itself, the life of superior beings.

168. Next to the institutions of Christ himself, and of the Holy Spirit, those of his church, especially the primitive church, ought to be venerated as highly useful by all Christians. Of these latter, a constant attendance on the Lord's table, sureties in baptism, and days set apart for commemorating the apostles and some of the martyrs, claim the first esteem. These last are undoubtedly the highest characters in history, and their glorious examples come so home to us, and point so directly at the heroism of our religion, that nothing, but that of Christ himself, the great and primary martyr, who before Pilate witnessed a good confession,' can equally animate us to a contempt of this world, and of life itself. If the memory of Ridley, and some other martyrs of our church, were celebrated in this manner, it would tend, no doubt, very happily to this noble purpose. As an Irishman, I have often lamented it, that the Protestants here do not keep St. Patrick's Day, as well as the

Romanists. This excellent man brought Christ home to this remote island, and with him the knowledge of letters, as well as an introduction to some degree of civilization. The legendary fables that have been tacked to his name, should not prevent our veneration. He came to cure the natives of idolatry, and superstition; and so far succeeded, that had they not, in after-times, departed from his instructions, into new modes of both, they might have been to this day among the best and happiest people in the world; for certain it is, there is no race of mankind better disposed by nature to be good Christians. Among all the ecclesiastical appointments ever thought of, that of Good Friday is founded on the strongest reason, sets before us a train of the most useful and affecting thoughts, carries up the understanding to the greatest transaction ever exhibited throughout the universe, and inspires the heart with sentiments of gratitude and love, more sublime, than, for aught we know, can be felt by angels themselves. The eternal Son of God, to save us from endless misery, and entitle us to endless glory, dies on a cross, to which he was nailed by our own hands. After saying this, would there not be a sort of presumption in attempting to proceed any farther on the ineffable subject? No words, no feelings, can do justice to it. If there is no sorrow like our sorrow, no gratitude like our gratitude, for this death, no more will be expected of us by our infinite Benefactor. But we have still a heart of stone, yea, harder than stone (for the rocks rent at his death), if our grief and gratitude bear no proportion to this death. Is there any thing that can steel them against either? Yes, sin, and sin alone. What! sin! which Christ died to atone! Is it possible, that this enemy of him and our souls, can be still set above him in the human heart? If this is the case, no atonement hath been made for us, and Almighty goodness itself cannot save us. We can never become objects of mercy to his Father, until humility, contritious sorrow, and horror at ourselves, have burst the chains of sin, and forcéd our hearts open to gratitude and love. Until, as Christ hath passed through the shadow of death for sin, we also pass through the shadow of a death unto sin, we can never emerge into the elevated region of that gratitude, or that love. The sun itself put on mourning at the death of Him that made it; and in what blackness of darkness ought the sinful soul to sit at the death of Him who died to save it? How ought this soul to hasten, through the gloom of repentance, into the light of God's countenance,

who offers to it mercy and pardon for the sake of its dying Saviour? Faith alone can bring us to this; and the Spirit of God alone can work in us that faith. Let us, therefore, do our best by meditation, prayer, and vigilance, that God, seeing our earnes endeavours, and pitying our weakness, may do the rest. Had Christ said, If you love yourselves, keep my commandments, self. interest would have easily understood the great propriety and force of this language, as being the language of men. But, to raise us to motives of action more noble, he saith, If you love me, keep my commandments; that is, if you have any gratitude in you, fly from eternal misery, and come to me, my Father, and heaven. This language of God and heaven seems somewhat odd, and hardly intelligible to the sons of earth, who have neither conceptions, nor words, into which they may translate it. Had not Christ loved us more than his own life, he had never died for us; and, if we love him not more than our own lives, we are unworthy of him. What are our lives, compared with his? If a man 'shall lose his life for Christ, he shall find it,' shall find his wretched temporal converted into an endless life of happiness and glory. This fruit of our gratitude is pulled from the very tree of life, that is, from the cross of Christ.

169. In An Appeal to Common Sense, lately published, I endeavoured, plainly and briefly, as addressing myself to the unlearned, to vindicate the purity of the holy Scriptures, so far as they are or may be intelligible to the lower capacities of mankind, in our translations. But an attack hath been made, and urged, with no small confidence, on the very originals, by Arians, Socinians, Deists, and infidels of every denomination, whether open or covert, as if revelation were too much corrupted in the very fountain, to be drank in the streams. They pretend that these writings have been miserably interpolated by the hands through which they have come down to us, to serve the purposes of sects and parties, more especially of that which calls itself orthodox. This they do with an assurance little short of that which men may shew, who have recovered the writings of Moses, and all from him to St. John inclusive, in their own hands. If we call upon them to produce a list of particular interpolations, they have recourse, and that only in general, to the collections of various readings gathered out of ancient manuscripts, by ourselves, such as by Lucas Brugensis, Walton, Mills, &c. in order, by collation, to come at the original and genuine text, a method used with admirable success,