"(this He uttered with Tenderness andArdour) "would willingly pay his Life for the Pur"chafe."-Could fuch a Declaration, fo highly endearing, alienate the Affections of the Princefs, or induce Her to violate her Fidelity? Let her own Conduct answer the Query. When all the Prisoners were difmiffed with Freedom, it is impoffible to express, how they were charmed with the royal Generosity. Every one extolled their common Benefactor to the Skies. Some celebrated his martial Accomplishments. Some applauded his focial Virtues. All were prodigal of their Praises, and lavish in grateful Acknowledgments. And You, faid the Prince, (addreffing himself to his Bride) what think You of Cyrus ?—I did not observe Him, replied the Princefs.-Not obferve Him!-Upon what then was your Attention fixed?-Upon that dear and generous Man, who declared, "He would purchase my Liberty, at the Expence of his very "Life *."-Was her Heart impreffed, were all her Thoughts ingroffed, by that benevolent Offer? And fhall ours be less affected with the incomparably more tender and endearing Love of CHRIST?—He was not only willing, but actually laid down his Life for Us; a Life immensely precious, and of higher Dignity than all * Εγω μεν και της ψυχης πριαίμην ώςε μηποτε λατρευσαν TAUTY. Xenoph. De Cyri Inftit. Lib. III. all Heavens. He laid down his Life, not for amiable Persons, or worthy Creatures, but for vile Earth, and miserable Sinners.-Purchafing thereby for Us and our Children, Privileges of inestimable Worth, and of everlasting Duration. Surely, fuch Beneficence, fo unmerited, fot unequaled, must win * the most reluctant, and melt the most obdurate Heart. The Heart, that is not wrought upon by this Miracle of Divine Compaffion, must be Steel, must be Adamant; quite impenetrable, and abfolutely incorrigible." O Thou ever bleffed, thou allgracious REDEEMER, thy Love to Us is: wonderful; paffing, I will not fay, the Love "of *Beneficia, fays one of the Antients, qui invenit, Compedes invenit. Which fine Sentiment may almost serve as a Comment, on the beautiful and tender Declaration of GOD by his Prophet Hofea; I drew them to Obedience with Cords of a Man, with Bands of Love. Chap. xi. 14. HE who made, and intimately knows our Frame, knew that these Motives would be moft powerful in Operation; moft powerful on Creatures, capable of Love, and fufceptible of Gra-, titude. Therefore He calls them, The Cords of a Man.And if a Deliverance from temporal Bondage, if the Settle-' ment of Ifrael in all the Plenty of Canaan, conftituted so fweet an Incitement to Duty; doubtlefs, the everlasting Benefits mentioned by Afpafio, together with all the endearing Circumftances of their Procurement, must be abundantly more engaging.-May the SPIRIT from on High rend the Veil of Ignorance and Infenfibility! Let into our Hearts the Knowledge and Faith of these great evangelical Truths! We fhall then want no farther Demonftration, either of the Propriety of the Remark, or the Efficacy of the Principles. Let. ro.. "of Women *, but the Power of Language, and "the Reach of Thought! Who can hold out. against fuch charming Attractives? Who "can refift fuch heavenly Goodnefs?-Only "let a Senfe of thy Love be always warm, always operative on our Minds. This fhall " be instead of a thousand Arguments to engage, instead of ten thousand Motives to quicken our Obedience."-Other Motives: may produce fome external Services, or hypocritical Performances. Terrors may extort the Drudgery of the Hand. Bribes may gain the Adulation of the Tongue. But this conciliates the Will; this profelites the Affections; this captivates the very Soul; and makes all its Powers like the Chariots of Ammi-nadib †, ready, expedite, and active in Duty. Hear the holy Apostle, giving an Account of Himself and his fpiritual State. He fpeaks in Language fomewhat fimilar, though greatly fuperior, to the Profeffion of the Armenian Princefs." So great is the Glory, fo rich is the "Grace, fo fuperabundant are the Merits of my REDEEMER, that I am determined to "know nothing but CHRIST JESUS and Him crucified."—Ask the fame zealous Apostle; What prompted Him to fuch indefatigable Diligence, and animated Him with fuch invincible Fortitude? Why did He decline no Toil, and 2 Sam. i. 26. + Cant. vi. 12, + 2 Cor. ii. 2. and dread no Danger; rejoice in Tribulation, and glory in the Reproach *; welcome Perfecution, and defy Death? This is his Reply; The Love of CHRIST conftraineth † me; bear"eth me on, with much the fame strong, steady, prevailing Influence, which Winds and "Tide exert, when they waft the Veffel to its "destined Harbour." Shall we hear what another Difciple, one of the most advanced Proficients in Divine Love, fays * That fupreme Affection to the bleffed JESUS, which reigned in the Hearts of his primitive Difciples, could never have been fo emphatically displayed by any Strokes of Eloquence, as by their own chearful and heroic Manner of expreffing themselves, with relation to their Sufferings.-Far from regretting, I take Pleafure (fays the Apoftle) in Afflictions; and embrace them, when occurring in my Divine MASTER's Service, with a real Complacency, sudoxw. 2 Cor. xii. 10.-To You, adds the fame Apoftle, and fpeaks in at congratulatory Strain, it is given (exagion) as a defirable Privilege, to fuffer for the adorable JESUS, Philip. i. 29. -St. Luke, recording the abufive and cruel Outrages, committed on two Difciples, for preaching boldly in the Name of CHRIST, ufes a Phrase remarkably gallant and spirited: They departed from the Council rejoicing, di xalnino av alspar Inval, that they were counted worthy to fuffer Shame; had the Honour of being vilified and reproached, in fo venerable and glorious a Caule.-This Paffage is a fine Exemplification of the Figure, which Rhetoricians ftyle Oxymorum. And Horace's-Dulce Periculum-Splendidè mendax-Quo beatus Vulnere-feem flat and jejune upon the Comparifon. Acts v. 41. + Could You ftation a Coward, in the Midft of a numerous Army advancing to the Battle; or rather, could You place a Boat on the impetuous Cataracts of the Nile; You would fee what is meant by the fignificant Word, ouvex 2 Cor. v. 14. fays upon the Subject? One, who learned his Knowledge, not in the School of Philofophy, but on his SAVIOUR's Bofom. This is the Love of GOD, that we walk after his Commandments*. This is the natural Fruit, this the certain Evidence, of Love to that glorious, transcendent, and adorable BEING. What? Not that We fupinely neglect, much less that We profanely violate, his facred Precepts; but that with Af fiduity and Delight, We make them the Rule of our Conduct.—Charity edifieth†: this Divine Love, far from razing the Foundations, far from demolishing the Structure, buildeth up the fair Fabric of univerfal Godliness. Let me borrow an Illuftration from your own Leter. When a Pebble is caft into the fmooth Canal, it moves the Center, and forms a Circle. The firft creates a fecond: the fecond breaks into a third: they continue to multiply and expand themfelves, till the whole Surface is covered with circular Undulations. Thus, the Love of an all-gracious REDEEMER ||, when fed abroad in the Soul by the HOLY GHOST, * 2 John ver. 6. + 2 Cor. viii. 1. † Οικοδομεί. I cannot but think, the Reasoning is much more just, and the Principle much more efficacious, in Afpafio's Manner of ftating the Affair, than in the following famous Lines: Self-love but ferves the virtuous Mind to wake, As the fmall Pebble flirs the peaceful Lake: Friend, C |