confequence of fuch a resolution. A man thus armed, if his words or actions are at any time mifinterpreted, retires within himself, and from a confcioufnefs of his own integrity, affumes force enough to defpife the little cen fures of ignorance or malice. Every one ought to cherish and encourage in himself the modefty and affurance I have here mentioned. A man without affurance is liable to be made uneafy by the folly or ill-nature of every one he converfes with. A man without modefty is loft to all fenfe of honour and virtue. It is more than propable, that the Prince above mentioned, poffeffed both thofe qualifications in a very eminent degree. Without affurance, he would never have undertaken to Ipeak before the most auguft affembly in the world, without modefty, he would have pleaded the cause he had taken upon him, though it had appeared ever fo fcandalous. tion to do ill, even in spite of himself, and in defiance of all thofe checks and restraints his temper and complexion feem to have laid in his way. Upon the whole, I would endeavour to eftablish this maxim, That the practice of virtue is the most proper method to give a man a becoming affurance in his words and actions. Guilt always feeks to shelter itself in one of the extremes; and is fometimes attended with both. Spectator. $41. The Choice of Hercules. When Hercules was in that part of his youth, in which it was natural for him to confider what courfe of life he ought to purfue, he one day retired into a defert, where the filence and folitude of the place very much favoured his meditations. As he was amufing on his prefent condition, and very much perplexed in himself on the state of life he should From what has been faid, it is plain that chufe, he faw two women, of a larger stature modefty and affurance are both amiable, and than ordinary, approaching towards him. One may very well meet in the fame perfon. of them had a very noble air, and graceful deWhen they are thus mixed and blended toge-portment; her beauty was natural and eafy, ther, they compofe what we endeavour to exprefs, when we fay, a modeft affurance; by which we understand, the just mean between bathfulness and impudence. I fhall conclude with obferving, that as the fame man may be both modeft and affured, fo it is also poffible for the fame perfon to be both impudent and bashful. her perfon clean and unfpotted, her eyes cast. towards the ground with an agreeable reserve, her motion and behaviour full of modefty, and her raiment as white as fnow. The other had a great deal of health and floridness in her countenance, which the had helped with an artificial white and red; and the endeavoured to appear more graceful than ordinary in her We have frequent inftances of this odd mein, by a mixture of affectation in all her, kind of mixture in people of depraved minds geftures. She had a wonderful confidence and mean education; who, though they are and affurance in her looks, and all the variety net able to meet a man's eyes, or pronounce a of colours in her drefs, that the thought were fentence without confufion, can voluntarily the most proper to fhew her complexion to adcommit the greatcft villainies or moft inde-vantage. She caft her eyes upon herself, then cent actions. turned them on thofe that were prefent, to fee Such a perfon feems to have made a refolu-how they liked her, and often looked on the The Goddefs of Pleasure here broke in upon her difcourfe: "You fee," faid fhe, "Hercules, by her own confeffion, the way to her figure fhe made in her own fhadow. Upon | be purchased without pains and labour. The her nearer approach to Hercules, the ftepped Gods have fet a price upon every real and before the other lady, who came forward with noble pleafure. If you would gain the favour a regular,compofed carriage, and running up to of the Deity, you must be at the pains of worhim, accofted him after the following manner. thipping him; if the friendship of good men, "My dear Hercules," fays fhe, "I find you you muft ftudy to oblige them; if you would are very much divided in your thoughts upon be honoured by your country, you must take the way of life that you ought to chufe: be my care to ferve it: in short, if you would be friend, and follow me; I will lead you into eminent in war or peace, you must become the poffeffion of pleasure, and out of the reach mafter of all the qualifications that can make of pain, and remove you from all the noife and you fo. Thefe are the only terms and condifquietude of bufinefs. The affairs of either ditions upon which I can propofe happiness." war or peace fhall have no power to disturb you. Your whole employment fhall be to make your life eafy, and to entertain every fenfe with its proper gratifications. Sump-pleafures is long and difficult; whereas that tuous tables, beds of rofes, clouds of perfumes, concerts of music, crowds of beauties, are all in readincts to receive you. Come along with ine into this region of delights, this world of pleafure, and bid farewel for ever to care, to pain, to bufinefs." Hercules hearing the lady talk after this manner, defired to know her name: to which the answered, " My friends, and those who are well acquainted with me, call me Happinefs; but my enemies, and thofe who would injure my reputation, have given me the name of Pleafure. which I propofe is fhort and cafy." "Alas!" faid the other lady, whofe vifage glowed with paffion, made up of fcorn and pity, "what are the pleafures you propofe: To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are athirst, fleep before you are tired; to gratify appetites before they are raifed, and raife fuch appetites as nature never planted. You never heard the most delicious mufic, which is the praife of one's-felf; nor faw the most beautiful object, which is the work of one's own hands. Your votaries pafs away their youth in a dream of mistaken pleasures; while they are hoarding up anguill, torment, and remorfe, for old age. By this time the other lady was come up, who addreffed the young hero in a very different manner :--- Hercules," fays the, "I offer myself to you, because I know you are "As for me, I am the friend of Gods, and defcended from the Gods, and give proofs of of good men; an agreeable companion to the that defcent, by your love to virtue, and ap-artizan; an houfhold guardian to the fathers plication to the ftudies proper for your age. of families; a patron and protector of ferThis makes me hope you will gain, both for vants; an affociate in all true and generous yourfelf and me, an immortal reputation. But friendships. The banquets of my votaries are before I invite you into my fociety and friend- never coftly, but always delicious; for none fhip, I will be open and fincere with you; and eat or drink at them, who are not invited by muft lay this down as an eftablished truth, hunger or thirft. Their flumbers are found, that there is nothing truly valuable, which can and their wakings chearful. My young men have the pleasure of hearing themselves praised by thofe who are in years; and those who are in years, by being honoured by thofe who are young. In a word, my followers are favoured by the Gods, beloved by their acquaintance, eftcemed by their country, and, after the clofe of their labours, honoured by pofterity." We know, by the life of this memorable hero, to which of thefe two ladies he gave up his heart; and, I believe, every one who reads this, will do him the juftice to approve his choice. Tatler. CATECHETICAL LECTURES. § 42. Introduction to the Catechifm. The Catechifm begins with a recital of our baptifmal vow as a kind of preface to the whole. It then lays down the great christian | principle of faith; and leaving all myfterious inquiries, in which this fubject is involved, it pas on to the rules of practice. Having briefly recited thefe, it concludes with a fimple, and a very intelligible explanation of baptifm, and the Lord's Supper. of another (which feems to carry so harsh a found) the fponfor only engages for the child, as any one would engage for another, in a matter which is manifeftly for his advantage: and on a fuppofition, that the child hereafter will fee it to be fo---that is, he promifes, as he takes it for granted, the child itself would have promifed, if it had been able. With regard to the name, it is no part of the facrament; nor pretends to fcriptural authority. It refts merely on ancient ufage. A cuftom had generally obtained, of giving a new name, upon adopting a new member into a family. We find it common among the Grecks, the Romans, and the Jews; nay, we read that even God himself, when he received Abram into covenant, giving an early fanc-. tion to this ufage, changed his name to Abraham. In imitation of this commom practice, the old chriftians gave baptifmal names to their children, which were intended to point out their heavenly adoption, as their furnames diftinguished their temporal alliance. From confidering the ufe of fponfors, and of the name in baptifm, we proceed next to The catechifm then begins very properly, the vow itfelf, which is thus expreffed, "My with a recital of our baptifmal vow, as the beft "godfathers did promife three things in my preface to that belief, and those rules of prac- "name: ift, That I fhould renounce the rice, in which that vow engaged us.---But be-"devil, and all his works, the pomps and fore we examine the vow itfelf, two appendages of it require explanation---the ufe of fponEn--and the addition of a name. "vanities of this wicked world, and all the "finful lufts of the flesh. 2dly, That I fhould "believe all the articles of the chriftian faith: and, 3dly, That I should keep God's holy will, and commandments, and walk in the "fame all the days of my life." 66 With regard to the fponfor, the church" probably imitates the appointment of the legal guardian, making the best provifion it can for the pious education of orphans, and deferted First then, we promile to 66 renounce the children. The temporal and the fpiritual" devil, and all his works, the pomps and vaguardian may equally betray their truft: both "nities of this wicked world, and all the finare culpable: both accountable: but furely "ful lufts of the flesh." "The devil, the the latter breaks the more facred engagement."world, and the flesh," is a comprehenfive As to promifing and vowing in the name mode of expreffing every fpecies of fin, how ever diftinguished; and from whatever fource Tothis infeparable connection between faith derived: all which we not only engage to re- and obedience, St. Paul's doctrine may be obnounce as far as we are able; but alfo to take jećted, where he feems to lay the whole ftrefs pains in tracing the labyrinths of our own on faith, in oppofition to works ---But it is hearts; and in removing the gloffes of felf-plain, that St. Paul's argument requires him deceit. Without this, all renunciation of finto mean by faith, the whole fyftem of the chrifis pretence. Being thus injoined to renounce our grofs, habitual fins, and those bad inclinations, which lead us into them; we are required next to "believe all the articles of the chriftian faith." This is the natural progreffion. When we are thoroughly convinced of the malignity of fin, we in courfe with to avoid the ill confequences of it; and are prepared to give a fair hearing to the evidence of religion. There is a clofe connection between vice and infidelity. They mutually fupport each other. The fame connection fubfifts between a well-difpofed mind, and the truths of religion: and faith perhaps is not fo involuntary an act, as many of our modern philofophers would perfuade us. tian religion (which is indeed the meaning of the word in many other parts of fcripture); and by works, which he fets in oppofition to it, the moral law. So that in fact, the apostle's argument relates not to the prefent queftion; but tends only to establish the superiority of chriftianity. The moral law, argues the apostle, which claimed on the righteoufnefs of works, makes no provifion for the deficiencies of man. Chriftianity alone, by opening a door of mercy, gave him hopes of that falvation, which the other could not pretend to give. "of the kingdom of heaven." We are redeemed throughthe merits of Chrift; pardoned through the mercies of God; and reward. ed with a blessed immortality. Upon renouncing fin, believing the articles of the chriftian faith, and keeping God's holy commandments, as far as finful man can keep them, we are intitled by promife to all the pri After "believing the articles of the chriftian vileges of the gofpcl. We "become members "faith,"we are lafly injoined to "keep God's" of Chrift, children of God, and inheritors "holy will and commandments." Here too is the fame natural progreffion. As the renunciation of fin prepares the way for faith, fo does faith, lead directly to obedience. They feem related to each other, as the mean and the end. "The end of the commandment," faith the apoftle, "is charity, out of a pure heart, "and good confcience, and faith, unfeigned." Faith (which is the act of believing upon rational evidence) is the great fountain, from which all christian virtues fpring. No man will obey a law, till he hath informed himself whether it be properly authorized: or, in other words, till he believe in the jurifdiction that enacted it.---If our faith in Chrift doth not lead us to obey him; it is what the fcriptures call a dead faith, in oppofition to a faving one. This account of our baptifmal vow concludes with a queftion, leading us to acknowledge the neceffity of obferving this vow; and to declare our belief, that our only hope of keeping it refts upon the affiftance of God. Gilpin. § 43. On the Creed---the Belief of God. The creed begins with a profeffion of our belief in "God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” See Rom. iii. 28. and indeed great part of the epistle. The The being of a God is one of those truths, which fearce require proof. A proof feems rather an injury, as it fuppofes doubt. However, as young minds, though not fceptical, are uninformed, it may not be improper to feleft out of the variety of arguments, which evince this great truth, two or three of the moft fimple. The existence of a Deity, we prove from the light of nature. For his attributes, at leaft in any perfection, we must look into fcripture. A few plain and fimple arguments drawn from the creation of the world-the prefervation of it-and the general confent of mankind, ftrike us with more conviction, than all the fubtilities of metaphyfical deduction. We prove the being of a God first from the creation of the world. The world muft have been produced either by defign, or by chance. No other mode of origin can be fuppofed. Let us fee then with which of thefe characters it is impreffed. The characteristic of the works of defign, is a relation of parts, in order to produce an end-The characteristic of the works of chance is just the reverfe. When we fee flones, anfwering each other, laid in the form of a regular building, we immediately fay, they were put together by defign: but when we fee them thrown about in a disorderly hap, we fay as confidently, they have been thrown fo by chance. Now, in the world, and all its appendages, there is plainly this appearance of defign. One parts relates to another; and the whole togethet produces an end. The fun, for inftance, is connected with the earth, by warming it into a proper heat, for the production of its fruits; and furnishing it with rain and dew. The carth again is connected with all the vegetables which it produces, by providing them with proper foils, and juices for their nourishment. Thefe again are connected with animals, by fupplying them with food. And the whole together produces the great end of sustaining the lives of innumerable creatures. Nor is defign fhewn only in the great fabric of the world, and all its relative appendages: it its equally fhewn in every part. It is feen in every animal, adapted in all its peculiarities to its proper mode of life. It is feen in every vegetable, furnished with parts exactly fuited to its fituation. In the leaft, as well as in the greatest of nature's productions, it is every where apparent. The little creeper upon the wall, extending its tenacious fibres, draws nourishment from the crannies of the ftones; and flourishes where no other plant could live. If then the world, and every part of it, are thus marked with the characters of defign, there can be no difficulty in acknowledging the author of fuch defign-of fuch amazing contrivance and variety, to be a being of infinite wifdom and power. We call a man ingenious, who makes even a common globe, with all the parts of the earth delineated upon it. What hall we fay then of the author of the great original itself, in all its grandeur, and furnished with all its various inhabitants? The argument drawn from the prefervation of the world, is indeed rather the last argument advanced a step farther. If chance could be fuppofed to produce a regular form, yet it is certainly beyond the higheft degree of credulity, to fuppofe, it could continue this regularity for any time. But we find it has been continued: we find, that near 6000 years have made no change in the order and harmony of the world. The fun's action upon the earth hath ever been regular. The production of trees, plants, and |