"But, if we should be so seriously religious, as you seem to think necessary, we shall lose all the comforts of life, and become dull and melancholy."

If this were true, one hour's enjoyment of the glory of nea ven would more than make amends for all your present loss. It is not, however, true. The ways of godliness are grievously belied. For there is no happiness like the happiness of religion, even in the present world; and no peace like that of GOD, which passeth all understanding.

"The Men of grace have found
Glory begun below;

Celestial fruits on earthly ground,
From faith and hope do grow.
The hill of Sion yields

A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets."-

"But-I shall be singular!"-This is partly true, and partly otherwise. And suppose you are singular: how will this injure you? You will have the approbation of your own mind. You will Fave GOD, and CHRIST, and angels, and all good men your friends. And is not this sufficient, but you must have the approbation of the devil and all his servants too, the children of vice and folly? Mistake not, fond man; the approbation of both is incompatible. You cannot serve Gon and Mammon; neither can you have the friendship of GoD, CHRIST, angels, and good men, and at the same time possess the approbation of the devil, and his servants, whose portion is in this life. The thing is impossible. You may as well attempt to reconcile light and darkness, fire and water, heaven and hell. But suppose you should become a concert of the Gospel of CHRIST, and be truly in earnest about the salvation of your soul, and, of course, singular in your way and manner of life; what inconvenience would you sustain? or what real dishonour would you undergo? Was not SoCRATES singular among the Athenians? Were not ENOCH and NOAH singular among the Antediluvians? Was not ABRAHAM singular in Canaan, and Lor in Sodom? Were not ELIJAH, ELISHA, ISAIAH, and all the prophets, very singular persons in their day? Our blessed LORD, his holy Apostles, and all the primitive Christians, were they not uniformly the same?

where was the misfortune of all this? When we read the story of these ancient worthies, don't we admire their wisdom, their courage, their choice, and their noble superiority to all those poor creatures who opposed them, and cast out their name as evil? What man of taste does not approve the conduct of ABDIEL in MILTON? Never character was more enviable, or more worthy of imitation:

"The seraph ABDIEL faithful found
Among the faithless, faithful only he;
Among innumerable false, unmov'd,
Unshaken, unseduc'd, unterrify'd

His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal;
Nor number, nor example with him wrought

To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind
Though single. From amidst them forth he pass'd,
Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustain'd
Superior, nor of violence fear'd ought;

And with retorted scorn his back he turn'd

On those proud tow'rs to swift destruction doom'd.~
-Gladly then he mix'd

With his own friendly Pow'rs, who him received
With joy and acclamations loud, that one,
That of so many myriads fall'n, yet one
Return'd not lost. On to the sacred hill
They led him high applauded, and present
Before the seat supreme; from whence a voice,
From 'midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard:
Servant of GOD, well done, well hast thou fought
The better fight, who single hast maintain'd
Against revolted multitudes the cause

Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms;
And for the testimony of truth hast borne
Universal reproach, far worse to bear

Than violence; for this was all thy care

To stand approv'd in sight of GOD, though worlds
Judg'd thee perverse.”

From all these considerations, it is evident, that there are times and circumstances, when if a man will be truly religious, and preserve an unshaken fidelity to his CREATOR and his SAVIOUR, he must be singular; he must step aside; he must beg to be excused in a variety of cases. He must be singular, or lose his soul. Let not the fear of this odious imputation, therefore, deter any man from exemplary piety. The giddy multitude, and the sons and daughters of pleasure, falsely so called, may pretend to sneer and deride; but yet, notwithstanding, they will se

eretly applaud your virtuous 'conduct. There is a certain digHity, a real nobility, a secret charm, in a consistently religious character, which none can despise *. And, sooner or later, the whole human race will be of one opinion concerning it.

Instead of being Heroes in wickedness then, or ring-leaders in the cause of Infidelity (for there are not a few who make a mock at sin, and glory in their shame) let it be your highest ambition to become Christian Heroes †; Heroes who can forgive, and love, and bless your enemies; who can conquer the world and all your own degenerate propensities; Heroes, whose heads are big only with schemes of mercy and of kindness; whose hands are continually stretched out in prayer and acts of benevolence! and who are never at ease, but in going about doing good to the bodies and souls of men; Heroes‡ in whom reli

* Lord PETERBOROUGH, more fam'd for wit than religion, when he lodged with FENELON at Cumbray, was so charmed with the piety and virtue of the Archbishop, that he exclaimed at parting: "If I stay here any longer, I shall become a Christian in spite of myself."

Sir RICHARD STEEL'S Christian Hero, is a little book worth the attention of the reader, especially of the reader, who is disposed to reject the Gospel. It contains an argument to prove, that no principles but those of Religion are sufficient to make a great man. In this little book we have a sort of comparison between the characters of CATO and CÆSAR, BRUTUS aud CASSIUS, JESUS CHRIST and St. PAUL. These illustrious Heathens make but a very poor figure, when placed by the side of these Christian Heroes.

One of the most illustrious Heroes that England ever bred, a man equally celebrated for valour, for genius, and for learning, was not ashamed to address his wife in the views of approaching dissolution in the following pious strain :-" Love GOD, and begin betimes. In him you shall find true, everlasting, and endless comfort. When you have travelled and wearied yourself with all sorts of worldly cogitations, you shall sit down by sorrow in the end. Teach your son also to serve and fear GOD whilst he is young, that the fear of GOD may grow up in him. Then will GOD be a husband to you, and a father to him, a husband and a father that can never be taken from you."

This is true Heroism! Such was Sir WALTER RALEIGH!

How different is the conduct of the French and English, during the course of the present unhappy war, on the subject of Reli gion. It does not appear, that the former have ever acknowledged the government of the DIVINE BEING, or ascribed any of their successes to his all-superintending Providence; whereas the Generals and Admirals of the latter have frequently, if not constantly ascribed

gion sits, as it were, in triumph, with all the passions in subjec tion around her; with all the lustre that wisdom, and prudence, and piety, and learning, and good sense, and good breeding, can bestow to make you amiable; Heroes, in short, whose daily endeavour is to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to visit the sick, to instruct the ignorant, to be a father to the fatherless, a husband to the widow, and a friend to the friendless of all par

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all their successes to his blessing. The gallant Admiral NELSON very properly introduced his account of the victory with which he was favoured with the tremendous name, ALMIGHTY GOD has blessed his Majesty's arms, in the late battle, by a great victory over the fleet of the enemy." This was very proper; this was infinitely becoming a great man; this was the way to insure the Divine protection. Them that honour me, I will honour; but they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Sam. ii. 30. If the French have been successful in many of their efforts, let it be considered that GOD cannot succeed their attempts upon the nation's out of any regard to them as a virtuous people, but only to answer his own purposes, and to fulfil his own predictions, concerning the subversion of the seat of the Beast, and to bring in the MESSIAH's kingdom in all its glory. The French are only the tools and instruments in the hands of GOD's indignation. They have yet a deal of direful work to do. When that is accomplished, they shall be laid aside; and, I hope, chastised and turned unto the GOD of their fathers.

Dr. CROME, a German writer, calculates, that the present horrible war, from 1792, to the end of 1796, has cost the several united powers, 232,166,666 pounds, with 700,000 men, and France 326,958,332 pounds with 1,000,000 of men! At the same period he considers England alone as having lost 150,000 men, and spent 93,333,332 pounds. Is it not evident from hence that the time is come when GOD is pouring out his vials of wrath upon the nations which compose the seat of the Beast?-See the Monthly Mag. for Nov. 1797.

Some people are extremely alarmed at the consideration of our national debt, which, being about five hundred millions of pounds sterling, they suppose must crush us to atoms. Let such persons, however, reflect for their comfort, that a single ten per cent. upon all the national property would wipe off the whole. The perinament and immoveable property of the country, it is supposed, would produce on fair sale, the enormous sum of 2,500,000,000 pounds. The moveable or chattel property of the country is probably of equal value at least.

Here then is a national stock of 5,000,000,000 pounds sterling. If from this we deduct the 500,000,000 we owe, there will remain a surplus of four thousand five hundred millions of pounds sterling!

Consult CHAMOCK's Letter on Finance, and on National Defence.

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ties and denominations of men. If such is your Heroism, the ear will bless when it hears you; the eye will give witness when it sees you; the blessing of him that is ready to perish will come upon you; and the widow's heart will dance in your presence for joy. Simple as this account may seem, it is a Heroism to which few, comparatively, ever attain, or have any idea of. It will require all your fortitude, and the utmost stretch of your best powers. In pursuing such a line of conduct, in conjunction with your temporal occupation, you will be employed usefully and comfortably while you live, and you will be training up for the general assembly, and church of the first born, which are written in heaven, when you die. Be strong in the LORD, then, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of GOD, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life. Let the well-known advice of the justly celebrated LoCKE, which is both wise and seasonable, be acceptable in your eyes. It will assuredly do you no harm, and, if you pay due attention to it, will do you eternal good. He himself was an example of his own precepts. For fourteen or fifteen years he applied himself closely to the study of the Holy Scriptures, and employed the last period of his life hardly in any thing beside. He was never weary of admiring the grand views of that sacred book, and the just relation of all its parts. He every day made discoveries in it, which gave him fresh cause of admiration. And so earnest was he for the comfort of his friends, and the diffusion of sacred knowledge among them, that even the day before he died," he very particularly exhorted all about him to read the Holy Scriptures, exalting the love which GoD shewed to man, in justifying him by faith in JESUS CHRIST, and returning him special thanks for having called him to the knowledge of that DIVINE SAVIOUR." It has been often repeated too, that, to a person who asked him, which was the shortest and surest way for a young gentleman to attain to the true knowledge of the Christian religion, in the full and just extent of it, he replied" Let him study the Holy Scripture, especially the New Testament. Therein, are contained the words of eternal life.-It hath GOD for its authorSALVATION for its end, and TRUTH, without any mixture of error, for its matter*"

*The ingenious and pious LAVATER, after predicting, like Sir

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