as the greatest felicity of those regions above; and, did it universally prevail in the world, it would anticipate that blessedness, and make us taste of the joys of heaven upon earth.

THE EXCELLENCY OF PURITY.

That which I named as a third branch of religion, was purity; and you may remember I described it to consist in a contempt of sensual pleasures, and a resoluteness to undergo those troubles and pains with which we may meet, in the performance of our duty. Now, the naming of this, may suffice to recommend it, as a most noble and excellent quality. There is no slavery so base, as that whereby a man becomes a drudge to his own passions; nor any victory so glorious, as that which is obtained over them. Never can that person be capable of any thing that is noble and worthy, who is sunk in the gross and feculent pleasures of sense, or bewitched with the light and airy gratifications of fancy but the religious soul is of a more sublime and divine temper; it knows it was made for higher things, and scorns to step aside one foot out of the way of holiness, for the obtaining any of these.

THE DELIGHT IT AFFORDS.

And this purity is accompanied with a great deal of pleasure whatsoever defiles the soul, disturbs it too; all impure delights have a sting in them, and leave smart and trouble behind them. Excess and intemperance, and all inordinate desires, are so much enemies to the health of the body, and the

interests of this present life, that a little consideration might oblige any rational man to forbear them on that very score: and if religious persons go higher, and not only abstain from noxious pleasures, but neglect those that are innocent, this is not to be looked upon as any violent and uneasy restraint, but as the effect of better choice; their minds are taken up in the pursuit of more sublime and refined delights, and they cannot, therefore, be concerned in these. Any person that is engaged in a violent and passionate affection, will easily forget his ordinary gratifications; will be little curious about his diet, or his bodily ease, or the divertisements he was wont to delight in. No wonder, then, if souls overpowered with divine love, despise inferior pleasures; and are almost ready to grudge the body its necessary attendance, for the common accommodations of life; judging all these impertinent to their main happiness, and to those higher enjoyments which they are pursuing. As for the hardships with which they may meet, they rejoice in them, as opportunities to exercise and testify their affection: and, since they are able to do so little for God, they are glad of the honour to suffer for him.

THE EXCELLENCY OF HUMILITY.

The last branch of religion is humility. And however, to vulgar and carnal eyes, this may appear an abject, base, and despicable quality, yet really, the soul of man is not capable of an higher and more noble endowment. It is a silly ignorance that begets pride: but humility arises from a

nearer acquaintance with excellent things; which keeps men from doting on trifles, or admiring themselves because of some petty attainments. Noble and well-educated souls have no such high opinion of riches, beauty, strength, and other like advantages, as to value themselves for them, or despise those that want them: and as for inward worth and real goodness, their sense of the divine perfections, makes them think very meanly of any thing they have hitherto attained; still endeavouring to surmount themselves, and make nearer approaches to those infinite excellencies which they admire.

I know not what thoughts people may have of humility but I see almost every person pretending to it, and shunning such expressions and actions, as may make them be accounted arrogant and presumptuous; so that those who are most desirous of praise, will be loth to commend themselves. What are all those compliments and modes of civility, so frequent in our ordinary converse, but so many protestations of the esteem of others, and the low thoughts we have of ourselves; and must not that humility be a noble and excellent endowment, when the very shadows of it are accounted so necessary a part of good breeding? *

* It is now some years since I was engaged, unawares, in a conversation with a strong reasoner, who, at first, urged the wickedness of the American Indians, as a bar to our hope of converting them to Christianity. But when I mentioned their temperance, justice, and veracity (ac. cording to the accounts I had then received), it was asked, Why, if those heathens are such men as these, what will they gain by being made Christians? What will they gain by being such Christians as we see every where around us? I could not deny, they would lose, not gain, by such a Christianity as this. Upon which she asked, Why, what else do you mean by Christianity? My plain answer was, What do you apprehend to be more

THE PLEASURE AND SWEETNESS OF AN HUMBLE TEMPER.

Again, this grace is accompanied with a great deal of happiness and tranquillity. The proud and arrogant person is a trouble to all that converse with him, but most of all to himself; every thing is enough to vex him; but scarce any thing sufficient to content and please him. He is ready to quarrel with every thing that falls out; as if he himself were such a considerable person, that God Almighty should do every thing to gratify him; and as if all the creatures of heaven and earth should wait upon him and obey his will. The leaves of high trees shake with every blast of wind; and every breath, every evil word, will disquiet and torment an arrogant man: but the humble person has this advantage when he is despised, that none can think more meanly of him than he thinks of himself; and therefore, he is not troubled at the matter, but can easily bear those reproaches which wound others to the soul. And as he is less affected with injuries, so indeed he is less oboxious unto them: "contention which cometh

valuable, than good sense, good nature, and good manners? All these are contained, and that in the highest degree, in what I mean by Christianity. Good sense, so called, is but a poor dim shadow of what Christians call faith. Good nature, is only a faint distant resemblance of Christian charity. And good manners, if of the most finished kind that nature assisted by art can attain to, is but a dead picture of that holiness of conversation, which is the image of God visibly expressed. All these put together by the art of God, I call Christianity. Sir, if this be Christianity, said my opponent in amaze, I never saw a Christian in my life.'- John Wesley's Works, vol. xiv. p. 118. - .ED.

of pride," betrays a man into a thousand inconveniences, which those of a meek and lowly temper seldom meet with. True and genuine humility begets both a veneration and love, among all wise and discerning persons; while pride defeats its own design, and deprives a man of that honour, to which it makes him pretend.

But, as the chief exercises of humility, are those which relate unto Almighty God; so these are accompanied with the greatest satisfaction and sweet

ness.

It is impossible to express the great pleasure and delight, which religious persons feel in the lowest prostrations of their soul before God, when, having a deep sense of the divine majesty and glory, they sink, if I may so speak, to the bottom of their beings, and vanish and disappear in the presence of God, by a serious and affectionate acknowledgment of their own nothingness, and the shortness and imperfections of their attainments; when they understand the full sense and emphasis of the Psalmist's exclamation, "Lord, what is man?" and can utter it with the same affection. Never did any haughty and ambitious person receive the praises and applauses of men with so much pleasure, as the humble and religious renounce them: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name, give the glory."

Thus, I have spoken something of the excel-· lencies and advantage of religion in its several branches; but I should be very injurious to the subject, did I pretend to have given any perfect account of it. Let us acquaint ourselves with it, my dear friend, let us acquaint ourselves with it, and