drink, which invisibly and unforeseen are lurking in the dith, like so many unwholesome and wholes venomous animals?"

We meet with an elegant and express attestation to the truth of our subject in Tertullian's noble apology, c. 39. " Non prius discumbitur, quam oratio ad Deum prægustetur:"

&c."

We do not allow ourselves to taste a morsel, until God has had the first fruit of our prayers." And surely it will not be unacceptable to our religious readers, to refresh their minds with the spiritual entertainment given by this venerable father, in his beautiful and affecting description of the method which the primitive Christians obferved at ordinary meals ; " editur quantum efurientes capiunt, They eat as much as just suffices the present occasion; they drink as much as is exactly commenfurate to the rules and restrictions of modesty and chastity. They take no more either of meat or drink than men thould venture to do, who know themselves to lie under an obligation to worship God, even at midnight; and their conversation very strictly fuits itself to a perpetual and firm perfuafion, that God hears all that they fay. After washing their hands, when the candles or tapers are brought in, every one in order is defired to fing a song of praise and honour to God, either out of the Holy Scriptures, or of his own compofing. And this is a teft, whether he has been drinking more than he should do, or not. Laitly follows prayer or grace after meat; and fo they feparate."

In that glorious character, which the hiftorian Sozomen gives us, of the great and good emperor TheodoAus, there is this remarkable passlage: "I am told, plain and simple diet is what your majesty always chuses; and that, constantly, with sending up blessings to the Lord and giver of all things." It seems the perfons of the highest quality, in those happier days, did not use at any time to for

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Having thus fully traced the antiquity of this custom, and shewn how.. widely it had diffused itself in the world: it now remains to improve the disquisition, by a few natural observations.

And first we remark, that the dif charge of this duty puts us in minde of the fall of our first parents, and the unhappy consequences of it en tailed upon us; and in particular of our common unworthiness of the bee nefits so graciously conferred upon them, and in their perfons designed to, and descended upon us all. If we attend, we shall find there is a manifest antithesis in this particular between the firstand the second Adam. The first, by eating, lost God's bleffing upon the fruits of the ground: in opposition to whom, the fecond takes the loaves in his hand, blesses, and breaks, and commands his difciples to distribute the pieces amongst the multitude. See Matt. xiv. 19.)

zdly, Our folemn invocation of a bleffing from heaven on the meat set before us, may very naturally put us in remembrance of the hope and expectation we indulge of eating the spiritual bread in the kingdom of heaven. Luke xiv. John vi.

3dly, Forms of devotions, before and after meat, when the family, or neighbours are met together at the same table, do not a little conduce. to the duties and interests of charity and friendship; for then we pray for a blessing in common upon the whole company; which implies a goodwill in them one to another; a concord and harmony, as Christiane joined together in the fame faith and

communion.

4thly, As prayer and praise are acts which we know are well-pleasing to God; so it adds pleasure, (a religious pleasure, which every good man finds to be most grateful) to the meal or banquet, in which we parti. cipate. cipate. Piety communicates a rich relish to every repast. The immediate confciousness of it doubles the comfort and hilarity of an entertainment, and keep us at the fame time within due bounds.

5thly, And to conclude; though very far from giving credit to legendary tales respecting miraculous benedictions or punishments; yet reafon and revelation warrant the remark, that as we are to believe that prayer in general will bring down blessings upon us from the hand of the Almighty; so these acts of devosion, before and after our bodily refreshment, are most likely to derive a special wholsomeness and nutritive quality upon our meat and drink. Pulse and water, under the blessing of God, may prove as falutary and fuftentatious as the most regal and luxurious dainties; and better, affuredly, is a dinner of herbs to the body, where the fincere love of God reigns in the heart, than a stalled ox, or any the most voluptuous fare, while unsanctified by gratitude, devotion, and praise, to the beneficent donor of all we enjoy. Dan, i. 1417. Prov. xv. 17.

SACERDOS.

ON SINCERITY.

T HIS virtue may be confidered in a three-fold light, viz. religious, focial, and moral. It is neceffary that in all our moral duties, we should be actuated by fincerity, it gives us an air of honesty and truth; it is necessary that the lover should be actuated by it, but I call not that lover fincere, who has only dishonourable -ends in view. Many there are, who, after drawing the affection of females, first feduce, and then leave them for ever to lament and bemoan the day they first conceived themselves to be in love. If a person be actuated by confident integrity, and he talks on religious subjects, his hearers believe he feels what he expresses; if love be his topic the female must at least give

him an hearing, and a tender an fwer; if he commend the merits of a person, he may be believed because he will not flatter. But how different is it with those who never pay any regard to fincerity or truth. They are dangerous beings! and are not fit to be conversed or confulted with in any ferious matter: They may do well enough for those to converse with who love pastime and sport!

How many thousands have been deceived by a flatterer! some of this description may wear a face of truth for a short time but cannot long, deceit and diffimulation will foon shew itself in their conversation, their countenances, or their actions. Der ceit and diffimulation are fallen angels that affume the habit of an angel of light; but fincerity is a real angel, whose garb is bright as the morning star, and whose commission is from heaven.

"There are sentiments of approbation and admiration, of which compliment is a faint resemblance in comparison with fincerity." Thus fome persons will affect to admire and approve of the actions of another, but let all remember, that mankind in general are never so ready to praise as to take from and diminish the merits of each other; and often have people been deceived by the flattering commendations of a speaker who really means no more than to fix a stronger censure upon them. It would be much more acceptable to our divine Creator, if we always acted the fincere, honest part, when we pay our adoration to him; but to address him with our lips, whilst our hearts are wandering in folly's, paths, is surely the strongest marks of all of our hypocrify and dissimulation.

To conclude, in all our actions through life, we should adhere to fin. cerity and truth, if we would gain the favour of the Almighty, and live in the esteem and friendship of our fellow creatures.

MEDITATION VIII.

T

HOPE OF PARDON.

O what a miferable state have my fins reduced me? O! whither shall I turn, to whom shall I fly, for shelter from the wrath to come? What rocks, what mountains, what unfrequented shades can conceal me from an omnipresent God? If not fit to die, I cannot be fit to go to judgment. O! how shall I appear before God, the heart searching God! Lord, what will become of me in that day, when thou shalt call me to an account for my deeds done in the body! I am arrived at the brink of eternal misery, at the very borders of hell : there is but one step between me and everlasting perdition: and who will refcue me? Who will stand as a mediator between me and everlafting burnings? What reasons have I to urge, why I should not be caft into the bottomless pit, that region of the shadow of death, where there is only weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth? Tell me, ye holy angels, ye faints who are continually before the throne of God; ye departed spirits of pious relatives, tell me, what shall I do to be faved?

Shall I apply to the antient records of the old dispensation? There I find God is merciful, long fuffering, not willing that any should perish; and by his prophets he has declared, let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon him. These are great encouragements, very precious promises: but how can I tell whether they extend to me? How can I be affured, that the imperfect repentance of a finner, unstable in all his ways, will fully fatisfy the demands of infinite juftice? When my paft fins

have been so many, and aggravated, what can I do hereafter which will conciliate thy favour, O! thou great incomprehenfible Jehovah?

See! Who is he who cometh from Fdom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? It is the Lord my righteousness; mighty to save; able to fave to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. He was wounded for my tranfgressions, and by his stripes I am healed; for the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of all finners. Neither is there falvation in any orther; for there is none other name under heaven, whereby we can be faved. At the appointed, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly; to put away fin by the facrifice of himself. He bare my fins in his own body (I am not ashamed to own it) on the accursed tree. In this was manifeft the love of God, because that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, to taste death for every man, that we might live through him. So that now, under the new difpenfation, if any man fin, we have an advocate, a special pleader with the Father, Jesus Chrift the righteous, who is the propitiation for the fins of the whole world.

Hark! what pleasing, what enchanting founds are those? Methinks I hear a voice; it is the voice of the immaculate lamb of God, saying--I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. I am he who was dead; who am alive, who liveth for evermore; and have the keys of death and hell. Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, beleive alfo in me. Come unto me all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Lord Jefus! I believe, help thou my unbelief. I ask for the assistance of the promised comforter, let me receive it. I knock at the door of redeeming mercy, let it be opened unto me. Fear not, in return, faith my dear Redeemer, I am the promifed Meffiah, the star of Jacob, cob, and the glory of the Gentiles. I came into the world with no other intent but to fave the chiefeft of finners. I am that merciful, that faithful high-prieft, who gave my life a rantom for many, and have made reconciliation for my people. I am the way, the truth, and the life. He who cometh to God by me shall not be caft out.

Infinite grace, wonderous benignity, unsearchable riches of redeeming love! Great, inexpreffibly great is the mystery of godliness, (a mystery angels defired only to look into) God manifeft in the Ach, juftified in the spirit, preached unto the angels, believed on in the world, received up into glory. This is that new, that living way, which God hath confecrated. This is the undeserved priviledge of a Chriftian. This is the new covenant, the blood of sprinkling, even the righteousness of God, by Faith in Jefus Chrift, whom he hath fet forth to be a propitiation for the remiffion of fins that are past. Blefsed, a thousand times blessed, be that happy day, when the day-ftar from on high visited our globe, and heavenly messengers brought the glad tidings of peace, of joy, of falvation. When the Son of righteousness arose with healing in his wings. When the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, the

prince of the kings of the earth, loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood.

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Be not cast down, O! my soul; be not disquieted within thee, There is now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jefus. You are one among the number included in the eternal decree which determined man's redemption. It is the free grace of God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? I know I am a finner; perhaps the vileft of finners; but the scripture hath included all under fin, that the promise might be extended to all those who believe. And where fin hath abounded, grace doth much more abound; for as fin hath reigned unto death, even so doth grace now reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jefus Christ our Lord. I will then go boldly unto the throne of grace; peradventure I may find grace to help in time of need. But why this peradventure? Why this lurking spark of infidelity? Go, my foul, to the throne of grace; no matter how numerous, how black your offences: You will be accepted in the beloved; by whom alone we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins, through the riches of his grace.

even

and relative bliss; these are all particular effects of that molt impartial, unconfined, and invariable goodness of God, who is benevolent to all, and whose tender mercies are over all his works." -When in the chearful light of the day we view the ample creation around us, does not its very countenance bespeak the goodness, as well as the power and grandeur of the Creator? It is his goodness which makes heaven and earth to smile upon us; glows in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, distils in the fruitful rain, and ascends in the copious harvest. His bounty continually gives food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, health to the sick, and rest to the weary. He supplies the vital current of life, and pours the tide of joy into the human heart. His wisdom formed and balanced the elements of the world, and made them fubfervient to the production and preservation of human life. His providence planned the conftitution of human society, made man allied to man, and implanted in the human breast the pleasing affection of friends and kindred. The most engaging ties of nature, the tenderest and strongest emotions of parental affection, are an effect and image of his supreme and eternal goodness. And as this life, and whatever administers to the comfort and happiness of it, are the fruits of his beneficence; so all our hopes of another life, and of happiness in a world to come, are wholly founded in his original love and mercy to mankind. The fame power, wisdom, and goodness which formed the earth and the whole heavens, and which made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the whole face of the earth, eftablished alfo that conftitution which the Christian revelation difcloseth to us, according to which all mankind are raised from the dead by the power of the Saviour of the world, and endless life and

happiness allotted to all good men. If our knowledge of the gospel served to no other happy end, than to rescue us from the slavish superstition of Popery, or the stupid idolatry and the impure and barbarous rites of Heathenism, how much reason should we have to congratulate ourselves, and acknowledge the favour of divine Providence on that account! How much more, when it dispels the gloomy shades of death, and opens to us a prospect into a future state! When, inftead of the perplexing uncertainty or dark despair which oppressed the human mind, it raiseth us to so great and joyful hopes of the event of things after death, and of a glorious renovation of the state of mankind! when justice and clemency shall be administered in perfection, all the evils in this world abolished, and virtue and happiness forever established! What returns of praise and gratitude are due to the eternal giver of all life and happiness, who hath added to the provifion which his indulgent Providence hath made for our infant-state in this world, the inestimable assurances of a world to come, and the inheritance of eternal life.

Such are the benefits derived to us from the divine goodness. The proper return for these benefits is doubtless sincere and fervent gratitude. And furely nothing can be more becoming us, or conduce more to our advantage and happiness, than to cultivate a grateful affection towards the best of Beings, in return for the numberless and various instances of his goodness to us; and as a qualification for receiving more and larger effects of his favour. To this we are excited, not only by a sense of duty, but by the ties of nature, the motives of ingenuity, the pleasures of a grateful mind, and the hopes of happiness.

B. WILKINS, A