sweet sense of Christ's love in the heart will enable you to rejoice in suffering, and then you need not fear but it will enable you to rejoice in the sufferings of death. For who or what shall separate believers from the love of Christ? Shall the troubles of life, or the pains of death? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No; in all these things we are more than conquerors though him that loved us. "More than conquerors!" Ŏ glorious warfare in which believers not only conquer their enemies, but also reap innumerable and endless blessings to themselves. Even death is to them a real blessing; they expect it, they find it so, and they are more than conquerors over it, through him that loved them.

In the last place, I must put you all in remembrance, that neither the words of my text, nor what has been said upon them, will be of any benefit without a blessing from God. We cannot see his salvation with the eye of faith, nor experience the power of it, without the help of his grace. It is from him, who has done all for us, that all must be done in us; and if some good impressions have been made this day upon any of your hearts, they will soon wear away, unless he preserve and strengthen them. If you desire at present to live Mr Hervey's life, and to die his death, this desire will be ineffectual, unless it be carried into act by the mighty working of God's Spirit: He is all in all. For which reason we always begin and always end the hearing of the word with prayer; being assured, that if Paul should plant and Apollos should water, yet it would be to no purpose, unless God should give the increase. Oh that it may be abundant this day to his glory, and to the good of your souls. To that end let us pray :

O almighty and most merciful God, we humbly beseech thee to look down with mercy upon this congregation, and to bless the words which we have heard this day with our outward ears. Make the

the means of opening the blind eyes which have never seen their want of thy salvation. Lord, enlighten them, and help them to seek, until they find pardon and peace in thee. Be gracious to those who are now waiting upon thee, believing that, after they have seen thy salvation, they shall be able to depart in peace. O Lord God, manifest it unto them, and add this day to the number of those who have seen and experienced it. We desire to glorify thee for every living Christian who knows in whom he has believed, and is ready and prepared to depart in peace. We give all the praise to the riches of thy free grace. And we also bless thy holy name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and love; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, as they followed Christ; that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom. Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only mediator and advocate: to whom, with thee, and the Holy Spirit, three co-equal persons in one Jehovah, be honour, and glory, and blessing, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

TRACTS

ON

SEVERAL INTERESTING SUBJECTS.

PREFACE.

THE reader will see, from the date of the following letter, that it was written a considerable time ago. From which circumstance he will probably conclude, that it was not intended for publication. A conjecture which is perfectly just. The publication is owing to the Right Honourable personage, whose name, though it would grace and recommend his papers, the author is not allowed to mention. Her Ladyship's commands, which would admit of no excuse, drew the remarks from his pen; and her desire, which with him will always have the force of a command, has brought them to the press. It will give him the highest pleasure, if, while he is paying the debt of obedience and gratitude to a noble friend, he may support the dignity of the divine word; may raise its esteem, and promote its study among men: because then he may reasonably hope to promote the best interests of his fellow-creatures, and subserve that grand designation of the Almighty Majesty expressed by the Psalmist, "Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name," Psal. cxxxviii. 2.

ON

LORD BOLINGBROKE'S LETTERS

ON THE

STUDY AND USE OF HISTORY;

SO FAR AS THEY RELATE TO THE HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE CASE OF NOAH DENOUNCING A CURSE

UPON CANAAN:

IN A

LETTER TO A LADY OF QUALITY.

Merces profundo, pulchrior evenit. Hor.

MADAM, AS you was pleased to ask my opinion concerning Lord Bolingbroke's Remarks on thescriptural history, I have procured the book; have perused what relates to the subject; and submit to your judgment the thoughts which occurred: assuring your ladyship, that, though many might discuss the point much more clearly and satisfactorily than the person you favoured with your commands, yet no one can think it a greater honour to receive them, or a greater pleasure to execute them.

"The Old Testament," it is alleged, " is no sufficient foundation for chronology from the beginning of time." To enter upon the niceties of chronology, would, perhaps, be too difficult a research; at least, it would require from your ladyship a more painful attention than I should chuse to occasion by any of my letters. And I very frankly own, that I am by no means master of the argument, nor equal to the task. Others, I do not doubt, whose inclination has disposed, and whose genius has fitted them for this particular study, will undertake to decide the ques

* See Lord Bolingbroke's Letters on the Study and Use of History, vol. i. p. 98.