"That the commandments of God are grievous."-That the way which leads to life is not only ftrait, for that our Saviour tells us, and that with much tribulation we shall feek it ;-but that chriftians are bound to make the worst of it, and tread it barefoot upon thorns and briers,-if ever they expect to arrive happily at their journey's end.-And in course, -during this difaftrous pilgrimage, it is our duty fo to renounce the world, and abftract ourselves from it, as neither to interfere with its interests, or taste any of the pleafures, or any of the enjoyments of this life.

Nor has this been confined merely to fpeculation, but has frequently

been extended to practice, as is plain, not only from the lives of many legendary faints and hermits, -whofe chief commendation feems to have been, "That they filed unnaturally from all commerce with their fellow creatures, and then mortified, and piously-half ftarved themselves to death;"-but likewife from the many auftere and fantastic. orders which we fee in the Romish church, which have all owed their origin and establishment to the fame idle and extravagant opinion.

Nor is it to be doubted, but the affectation of fomething like it in our Methodists, when they defcant upon the neceffity of alienating themfelves from the world, and felling

all that they have, is not to be ascribed to the same mistaken enthufiaftic principle, which would caft fo black a fhade upon religion, as if the kind Author of it had created us on purpose to go mourning, all our lives long, in fack-cloth and ashes, and fent us into the world, as fo many faint-errants, in queft of adventures full of forrow and af Aliction.

Strange force of enthufiafm and yet not altogether unaccountable. For what opinion was there

a

ever fo odd, or action fo extrava

gant, which has not, at one time of: other, been produced by ignorance,

-conceit,

melancholy-a mix

ture of devotion, with an ill con

currence of air and diet, operating together in the fame person.-When the minds of men happen to be thus unfortunately prepared, whatever groundlefs doctrine rifes up, and fettles itself strongly upon their fancies, has generally the ill-luck to be interpreted as an illumination from the fpirit of God; and whatever strange action they find in themselves a ftrong inclination to do,-that impulfe is concluded to be a call from heaven; and confequently,-that they cannot err in executing it.

If this, or fome fuch account, was not to be admitted, how is it poffible to be conceived that christianity, which breathed out nothing but peace and comfort to mankind, which profef Q

VOL. V..

fedly took off the feverities of the Jewish law, and was given us in the spirit of meekness, to case our shoul, ders of a burden which was too heavy for us, that this religion, fo kindly calculated for the eafe and tranquillity of man, and enjoins nothing but what is fuitable to his nature, fhould be fo mifunderstood;

or that it fhould ever be fuppofed, that he who is infinitely happy, could envy us our enjoy ments; or that a Being infinitely kind, would grudge a mournful paffenger a little reft and refreshment, to support his spirits through a weary pilgrimage—or that, he should call him to an account hereafter, be cause, in he had haftily his way,