the point, so as to reach the conscience, certainly does most good.

Wor. I confess that the heart should be affected, as well as the head instructed; our affections should be enlivened, while our jugdgments are enlightened; though Mr. Deliberate is certainly a man of a very deep understanding.

Mrs. Wor. My dear, I do not pretend to be a judge of the depth of his understanding; but it appeared to me, that though the people continued gaping at him through half his sermon, yet, before he concluded, some of the congregation seemed to be half asleep. But in my opinion he is a better preacher, than Mr. Legal-definition.

Loveg. As to Mr. Legal-definition, I could very readily put up with his long and tiresome definitions, of which he makes almost the whole of his sermons, if he would but give us more of the gospel.

Wor. I think I have heard him preach three times, and one of his sermons was tolerably evangelical; but the others had not a word of the gospel in them : all the time was taken up upon the duty of forgiving our enemies.

Loveg. And what a fine opportunity he had of impressing that excellent duty from evangelical principles, when we are directed to forgive one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven us!" It is much to be admired, how closely St. Paul urges all social, and relative duties, as resting upon no other principles, than those which are evangelical; as though he knew no other arguments to be conclusive among Christians, but those which spring from the atonement and salvation of our Lord. We are "bought with a price, therefore we must glorify God in our bodies, and spirits, which are his." When the mortification of sin is mentioned, it is said, we are "crucified with Christ," and "made conformable to his death;" that thereby "we are crucified unto the world, and the world unto us;" so that "we reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin," through his death; and

that we are so completely dead unto sin, that we are even said "to be buried with him." So in regard to that heavenly mindedness, which is the very life, and soul of all spiritual obedience, we are said "to be made partakers of the power of his resurrection ;" to be "risen with Christ; quickened together with Christ ;" and that we are "made alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." How poor and low are the dry arguments of the moralists, when compared with these! If these motives will not prevail against our corruptions, I am sure no others will.

Wor. I know that all other arguments in defence of morality, have argued almost all morality out of the country. We never can have practical religion, but upon evangelical principles. But Mr. Legaldefinition is very fond of what he calls, "guarding the gospel," which he only ventures now aud then to bring out as a rarity.

Loveg. Guarding the Gospel! Why what guarding can the gospel need? They must have a poor opinion of divine truths, who talk in this cold inconsistent manner. We are only set upon our guard when we suspect an evil. And what evil is there to be suspected from the gospel? What part of the gospel dispensation have I to guard? When the gospel freely holds forth the name, and salvation of Christ only, for the pardon and acceptance of sinners, how are we to guard it? It is to be hoped, not by contradicting; not by saying, that our repentance is to be mixed with the divine mercy, to render it effectual: If so, I have as much reason to love, and thank myself, as I have to love, and thank my Saviour: and while we lessen our obligations to love him, we certainly lessen our obligations to obey him; how then can the interest of holiness be promoted, by preaching in such a stile, so as to tempt the ruined sinner to keep away in despair? What motives can be stronger to create a spirit of loving obedience upon our hearts, beyond those encouraging promises of our free forgiveness, and acceptance, whereby we may

draw near to God, and have grace given us, that we may go and sin no more?”

Wor. Yes, it is upon this very principle that they think the gospel should be guarded, "lest we continue in sin, that grace may abound."

Loveg. And so this inconsistent, cautious tribe of guarders, think they do credit to divine truths, by bringing forward the objection started, and which ever will be started by its enemies, in all ages of the church, while upon that very subject St. Paul shows, how the gospel guards itself: "How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" But these people seem to me, to have no idea of the gospel, but as it is limited to the justification of our persons, through the redemption of Christ. Is not the sanctification of our natures, by the influence of the divine Spirit, another essential part of the gospel, whereby the blessing of personal holiness, is absolutely secured to all the redeemed of the Lord? and can we be tempted to live in sin, by receiving such a glorious salvation from sin.

Wor. I cannot see what we have to be afraid of, or to guard in all this.

Loveg. Why, I suppose we are to tell people, that as they are not to trust too much on the merits of Christ on the one hand, so they should be aware lest they trust too much on the work of the Spirit, on the other as if living on the grace of the Holy Spirit, could feed their corruptions, and make them unholy.

Wor. One would suppose, what you frequently call the gospel of our "sanctification," operated by the rule of reverse; as though lectures on honesty, need to be guarded, lest they should direct us to be thieves; or lectures on chastity should teach us to be impure. Loveg. I really do not know what they can mean by guarding the gospel," unless it be a perverted gospel; and as perverted truth is nothing better than falsehood, so a perverted gospel, is no gospel at all. Some persons seem to think, though it be as contrary to truth, as light is to darkness, that the gospel is with

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in a hair's breadth of downright Antinomianism, which turns the holy truth of God into a licentious lie; whereas, nothing can be more inconsistent with truth, than that foul and filthy error. Am I in dan

ger of error, while I receive the truth? or must I guard against wickedness, while I humbly submit to be ruled by that doctrine which is according to godliness? I wish all our worldly prudence about guarding truth, and preaching it moderately, or soberly, as they call it, may not lead to something much worse, by producing ignorance, and indifference, which must ultimately terminate in corrupting, or giving up the whole.

Wor. Well Sir, nobody will suspect you of such sort of false fears, though I am sure you are quite as practical as you are evangelical.

Loveg. Yes Sir, and I hope I shall always feel it my duty, to dwell upon the practice which such principles must ever produce; for although the Gospel needs no guarding, yet I should still call those unguarded preachers, who greatly injure the sacred cause, by such a neglect.

Wor. I think you good ministers of the gospel, have nothing to do, but to contend earnestly for

the faith, once delivered to the saints."

Loveg. Then Sir, we need not guard those holy truths, which God himself hath delivered to the saints; and if delivered to the saints, it was designed of God, that we should be "sanctified by the truth." Thus, all this guarding the gospel seems to come home against the gospel itself. In my opinion, it is in itself, a most unguarded expression; no wonder if the bad consequences of these truths are suspected by others, while we seem to suspect them ourselves.

Wor. I do not know that Mr. Deliberate is by any means such a great "guarder of the gospel" as Mr. Legal-definition is. I believe he knows much more of the truth, and is therefore much less afraid of

preaching it, though his style of preaching renders him tedious and dull.

Loveg. When I was curate at Abley, there was a clergyman in these parts, who lived in a parish in your preaching, near to my honest warm-hearted friend Mr. Slapdash, called Mr. Slopdash; and he seemed to be just the reverse of Mr. Deliberate. For while Mr. Deliberate scarcely dares speak at all, but as he continues looking at every expression again, and again, lest it should be otherwise than the most judicious and correct; Mr. Slapdash without any consideration whatever, will be pouring out vollies of the most disgustful nonsense. Notwithstanding the cold, plodding, phlegmatic disposition of Mr. Deliberate, may render him a heavy preacher, yet I had rather a thousand times attend on the good sense of the one, than the mere rhapsody, and nonsense of the other.

Mrs. Wor. And so had I. But then it appears to me, that of two evils, I should only choose the less.

Mrs. Considerate asked Farmer Littleworth how he liked the sermon, and he said," Ah madam, to my liking, our own dear minister out-tops them all. This gentleman has so many heads, and tails, and so many tops, and bottoms to his sermons, that we country folk can scarce know how to make him out.” And poor Thomas Newman said, while Mr. Deliberate was splitting his heads, that by attending to him, he thought his own head would have been split at the same time.

Loveg. Why, half the skill of preaching to a country congregation

Wor. [Interrupts.] Aye, and to a city cougregation too, for not one in ten of them is wiser than ourselves.

Loveg. I quite agree with you Sir. But I was going to observe, that half the skill of preaching is, to bring truth home to the lowest capacity of our hearers; and while we attempt to make them wise