joy, his imaginations may foon be set at work; he may fancy his progress in Divine Knowledge to be very great, and even declare, with affurance, that his fins are pardoned, that Heaven is already his portion. Satan often transforms himself into an Angel of Light, to deceive the unwary in some fuch manner as this. But let us

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try the fpirits, whether they be of God, or "not." The Apostle hath furnished us with a fure and infallible touch-ftone: "If any man feem to be religious;" that is, feem to himself or others, to be fo, "and bridleth not his tongue, "but deceiveth his own heart, this "man's religion is vain.”

Whenever, therefore, O man! thou observest in thyfelf or others, a dispofition to talk and boaft much of religious experiences, to cenfure and calumniate thy neighbours, to indulge thyself in any bitter invectives, any angry

angry or revengeful expreflions, any severe or farcaftical reflections, any high and selfish declarations of thine own importance, or fupercilious and contemptuous treatment of others, who may differ from thee in their conception of Divine Things; be thy religious appearances to thyfelf or the world what they may, depend upon it," thou art deceiving thine own heart; thy religion is vain." Though thou mayest do all this under the fhew of a most fervent zeal for the caufe of GOD and truth, yet it will avail thee nothing. Such an unbridled tongue can only speak from an unbridled spirit. The most righteous cause in the world can never fanc

tify any unrighteous means: "The "wrath of man worketh not the righte"oufnefs of GOD:" and Truth itself must lose much of its weight and influence, unless it be " spoken in Love."

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The Apostle, having thus mentioned one of the negative figns of "Pure Religion," enumerates, in the last verse, fome of its moft pofitive and infallible characteristics.

"Pure Religion and Undefiled before "GOD and the FATHER, is this: To "vifit the fatherlefs and widows in their "affliction, and to keep himself unfpotted from the world."

There are two texts of Scripture, which are often quoted by unbelievers, and urged also against the authenticity and even neceffity of that written Revelation in which they are contained. For my part, fays one, all my religion. is contained in what one of your prophets says, viz. " in doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my "GOD." For my part, fays another, the Apostle St. James has exactly hit upon my notions of religion, viz. that VOL. II.

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vifiting the fatherless "and widows in their affliction, and "keeping ourselves unfpotted from the "world."

Doubtless these texts may be faid to contain the very fum and substance of "Pure Religion." But if thefe purblind Deifts could but fee into the depth of those texts, and how much is implied in I doing justly, loving mercy, and 'walking humbly with GOD; in vifit

ing the fatherlefs and widows in their "affliction, and keeping themselves unfpotted from the world;" I cannot but think, they would be ready to make as many new objections to thefe, as to other Scripture Truths: at leaft, I am fure, that unregenerate nature in them must recoil from their fpiritual tendency.

When St. James fpeaks of "vifiting the fatherlefs and widows in "their affliction," he doubtless includes,

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under thefe, all the tender offices of fympathy and love, which we

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to one another common Father, as

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children of one

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Offspring of one common LORD and SAVIOUR. The fatherlefs and widows are named, as being generally the greatest objects of distress; but the precept, taken in its true fpirit, relates to that charitable, benevolent, God-like Temper of Mind, by which thofe are governed and directed in all their actions, who are intimately united by Faith to the LORD OF LOVE himself. True Faith is a meek, humble, felf-denying refignation of the whole man, from a conviction of his own natural inability and corruption, to the Redeeming Power and Love of JESUS CHRIST. From this Divine Union of Faith and Love, Charity, in its largest and most unlimited fenfe, is derived; and from hence, in all its fair and beauteous branches, it is perpetually cherished and enlivened.

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