But, whatever were the Almighty's reasons, (which it behoves us not to scrutinize too deep. ly,) for opening the world with the fall of man, whom he had just created; of this we may be affured, that as far as Adam himself was concerned, his will was as free as ours. At the fame time, God made ufe of him as an inftrument, as he does of all his creatures, bad and good, in forwarding his own defigns.

XLVII.

Luke, x. 26.

WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW? HOW

READEST THOU?

THE

HESE two queftions our Saviour propofed as an answer to a curious inquirer, who had the means, he thought, of answering himself. They were proposed to a Jew; but are equally adapted to a Chriftian. What is written in the Gospel? How readeft thou?-Both questions require a very ferious confideration.

We are first asked, What is written in the Gofpel? Though the Gofpel contains all our hopes of eternal life, and inftructs us in all the means of obtaining it; there are numbers who never look into it, nor have the least knowledge of what is written in it. Numbers again, though they may cafually look into it, or hear it read in churches,

rarely

rarely make it the subject of their thoughts. If they should be asked, What is written in the Gospel? What are you to believe? What are you to prac tife?-What provifion does it make for finners?What affiftance does it offer? They have nothing to answer they know little of its contents.

The fecond queftion, How readeft thou? may be proposed to thofe, who do indeed read the Scriptures but in an improper manner. They read them carelessly perhaps, and merely as a task -or with the prejudices of fome fect about them -or to feek objections-or to find arguments to enforce a favourite tenet-or, perhaps, under fome ambiguous text to get a licence to fin.

All these modes of reading Scripture turn religion into mischief.— An honest man sees his path plainly before him. He knows that by reading the Scriptures, he must first learn his duty; and that when he has learned his duty, his only business is to practise it.

XLVIII.

JAMES, i. 26.

IF ANY MAN AMONG YOU SEEM TO BE RELI

GIOUS, AND BRIDLETH NOT HIS TONGUE, THAT MAN'S RELIGION IS VAIN.

TH

HE Scripture propofes various tests of religion. Charity is a teft; the forgiveness of injuries also, and many other virtues and duties, may be called tefts; that is, if a man poffefs any of them in a Chriftian manner, it may well be prefumed, he poffeffes others also.

In this light St. James, in the text, makes bridling the tongue a test of religion. How properly it may be called fo, may appear from running over the effects of a bridled and an unbridled tongue.

The unbridled tongue fhews itself in deceit, tricking, blafphemy, fwearing, and lying. In a neighbour

neighbourhood it is a firebrand. It defames, and inflames. Spiteful fpeeches, detraction, and malice, and venomous fhafts, which it fhoots in all directions. Where intereft is concerned, it can flatter as well as defame. In ftate matters, it whispers treason. In matters of religion, it can be loud in the cause of infidelity. An unbridled tongue, therefore, is the great source of wickednefs; and, of course, when a man pretends to religion, without bridling his tongue, his religion is vain. It may be added, that the unbridled tongue is the great bane of conversation and focial intercourse. When it is moft innocent, it often abounds with nonsense and folly-repeating things over and over, and fatiguing every body with tedious details of unimportant circumstances.

On the other hand, the bridled tongue is one of the choice inftruments of religion and social happiness. It is never so much in its proper office, as when engaged in the duties of religion -in praife, thanksgiving, petition, and confeffion, to the great Creator. The bridled tongue is the inftrument alfo of kindness to man. It comforts the afflicted -it encourages the diffident-it advises and instructs the ignorant. It fpeaks always the language of mildness and affection. It praises, but

II

never