teeth of his opposers, and strive like him, to undo all the mischief you may have been the occasion of to others.

"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 heaven 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

Okely, the vanity of his philosophy, and he has done himself the honour to publish the following manly renunciation of his

errors:

"The author of Pyrology feels himself irresistibly impelled to make known, that he is now thoroughly convinced of the moral -government of God, the immortality of the human soul, or future state, and of the truth of christianity in its fullest extent. For his involuntary error he confidently hopes to be pardoned by Almighty God, through the merits of Jesus Christ; but at the same time he thinks it his duty, in this public manner to solicit the pardon of his readers for having, as much as in him lay, though he trusts ineffectually, contributed to lead them astray."

There are other conversions in the present day from deism to christianity besides this of Dr. Okely, and those which we have already mentioned. Dr. Vanderkemp, a Dutch physician, was convinced and recovered from infideli y by an alarming providence, and devoted himself as a missionary for the conversion of the heathen. Captain Wilson is another remarkable instance, who, in gratitude to God for his goodness to him, undertook to convey the missionaries to the Southern Ocean, and has accomplished the undertaking with great and surprising success without putting the Society to the smallest expense.

Henry Redhead Yorke, who was sentenced to a long imprisonment for sedition, is another instance of a person, whose mind has undergone a great change during his imprisonment, and he has been open and honest enough to avow it.

The vices and frauds of the professors of christianity have nothing to do with christianity itself. To know what it is, we must look to the only proper place, the Scriptures. The Christian religion is peculiar to itself; it has nothing in common with the other systems of religion which have existed in the world. It has God for its founder, and reason for its basis.—It is every where uniform, consistent and complete."

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 have 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, the approbation of both is incompatible. You cannot serve God 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 convert 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 sustai 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 Lot in Sodom? Were not Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and the prophets very singular persons in their day? Cur blessed Lord, his holy Apostles, and all the primitive Christians, were they not uniformly the same? And 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 receiv'd
With joy and acclamation 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 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 secretly applaud your virtuous conduct. There is a certain dignity, a real nobility, a secret charm, in a consistently religious character, which none can despise.(3) And sooner or later, the whole human race will be of one opinion concerning it.

Instead of being heroes in wickedness then, or ringleaders 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; (4) 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(5) in whom religion

(3) Peterborough, more famed for wit than religion, when he lodged with Fenelon at Cambray, was so charmed with his piety and virtue, that he exclaimed at parting: If I stay here any longer I shall become a Christian in spite of myself."

(4) Steel's Christian Hero, is a little book worth the attention 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 com parison between the characters of Cato and Cæsar, Brutus and Cassius, Jesus Christ and Paul. These heathens make but a very poor figure, when placed by the side of these Christian heroes

(5) 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 com. fort. 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 an hus

sits, as it were, in triumph, with all the passions in subjection 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 widows, and a friend to the friendless of all parties 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 an heroism to which few, comparatively, ever attain, or of which they have any idea. It will require all your fortitude, and the utmost stretch of your best 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 advice of 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, it will do you eternal good. He himself was an example of his own precepts. For fourteen or fifteen years he appli ed himself closely to the study of the Holy Scripture, and employed the last period of his life hardly in any

powers.

band to you, and a father to him, an husband and a father that can never be taken from you."

This is true heroism! Such was Sir Walter Raleigh.