A. B. C: And as to the opinion of the poet, it fhews how fadly the Auguftan age, with all its learning, and polite advantages, was corrupted and as Virgil makes a jeft of his own fine description of a paradife or the Elyfian fields; as is evident from his difmiffing his hero out of the ivory gate; which fhews he was of the fchool of Epicurus; it is from these things manifeft, that we can never be thankful enough for the principles and dictates of reveled religion: we can never suf ficiently adore the goodness of the most glorious Eternal for the gofpel of Jefus Chrift; which opens the unbounded regions of eter nal day to the virtuous and charitable, and promises them a reft from labour, and ever blooming joys: while it condemns the wicked to the regions of horror and folid darkness; that dreadful region, from whence the cries of mifery for ever afcend, but can never reach the throne of mercy.-Q heavenly religion! defigned to make men good, and for ever happy that preferves the dignity of human nature-Guards and encreases virtue-And brings us to the realms of perfect reason and excellent glory. But (continued this fine old Gentleman) Tibulius has ever pleafed me in the defcription of his mistress; ; Illam quicquid agit, quoquo veftigia flectit, These elegant lines contain an inimitably beautiful description of outward grace, and its charming effects upon all who fee it. Such a grace, without thinking of it, every one should strive to have, whatever they are doing. They should make it habitual to them. Quintilian feems to have had these fine lines in view, in his defcription of outward behaviour: Neque enim geftum componi ad fimilitudinem faltationis volo, fed fubeffe aliquid, in hac exercitatione puerili, unde nos non id agentes, furtim decor ille difçentibus traditus fubfequatur. Cap. 10.---I am not for having the mein of a gentleman the fame with that of a dancing-master; but that a boy while young, fhould enter upon this exercise, that it may communicate a fecret gracefulness to his manner ever after. In this manner, did the old gentleman and I pass the time, till the clock ftruck five, when Mifs Noel came into the parlour again, and her father faid he must retire, to take A fe cond con his evening nap, and would fee me at fupper; for with him I must stay that night. Harriot, make tea for the Gentleman. I am your fervant, fir; and he withdrew. To Harriot then, my life and my blifs, I turned, and over a pot of tea was as happy, I am fure, as ever with his Statira fat the conqueror of the world. I began to relate once more the story of a paffion, that was to form one day, I hoped, my fole felicity in this world, and with vows and proteftations affirmed, that I loved from my foul. Charming angel, I faid, the beauties of your mind have infpired me with a paffion, that must encrease every time I behold the harmony of your face; and by the powers divine, I fwear to love you, fo long as Heaven shall permit me to breath the vital air. Bid me then either live or die, and while I do live, be affured, that my life will be devoted to you only. But in vain was all this warmth. Mifs Noel fat as unmoved as Erycina on a monument, and only answered, with a fmile, Since your days, fir, are in my disposal, I defire you will change to fome other fubject, and fome article that is rational and useful: otherwise, I must leave the room. To leave me, I replied, would be inverfation fupportable, and therefore, at once I with Mifs have done. If you please then, Madam, Noel; re we. the Mira and the we will confider the miracle at Babel, and lating to enquire into the language of the world at that cle at Babd time. Allowing, as you have proved in our Confufion late conversation, that the language after the of tongues, flood was quite another thing from that used in Paradife, and of confequence, that Mofes did not write in that tongue which Adam and Eve converfed in; nor is Hebrew of that primevity which fome great men affirm; yet, if there was a confufion of tongues at Babel, and many languages were spoken in the earth in the days of Abraham, then, how did he and his fons converse so easily with the various nations they paffed through, and had occafional connexions with? For my part, I think with Mr. Hutchinson, that the divine interpofition at Babel was for quite another end, to wit, to confound their confeffion, and caft out of their minds the name or object of it, that a man might not liften to the lip or confeffion of his neighbour. They were made to lofe their own lip, and to differ about the words of their atheistical confeffion. As to a confufion of confeffions (Mifs Noel replyed), it appears to me to be a notion without any foundation to rest on. The argument of Hutchinson that the word Shephah, the name for a lip, when used for the voice or fpeech, is never once in the Bible. ufed in any other fenfe than for confeffion, is not not good; because tho' Shephah is often generally used for religious difcourfe or confeffion; yet the phrafes, other lips and other tongues, are also used for other languages, utterances, pronunciations, dialects. St. Paul, 1. Cor. 14. 21. 22. applys Shephah to language or dialect in his quotation from the prophet Ifaiah, ch. 28. ver. 11. 12.-He says, in the law it is written, With* MEN or other of are not tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that, they will not hear me: The words men in the Greek. OF -And the words of the prophet are, fpeaking of Chrift promifed; with flammering lips, and another tongue will be fpeak to this people. It is evident from this, that the Hebrew word Shephab here fignifies tongues or languages, and not confeffions or difcourfe: So the apoftle applies it, and explains the prophet: and by ftammering lips Ifaiah means the uncouth pronunciations of barbarous dialects, or languages of the nations, which muft produce in ftrangers to them ridiculous lips or mouths; and in this he refers undoubtedly to the ftammering and strange founds, at the Babelconfufion; when God, by a miracle and visible exhibition, diftorted their organs of speech, and gave them a trembling, befitation, and precipitancy, as to vocal and other powers: In fhort, the miraculous gift of tongues would in some meafure affect the faints, in refpect of pronuncia |