This defire to afcertain by fome outward marks the state of the foul, and this willingnefs to calm the confcience by fome fettled method, have produced, as they are diverfified in their effects by va rious tempers and principles, most of the difquifitions and rules, the doubts and folutions, that have embarraffed the doctrine of repentance, and perplexed tender and flexible minds with innumerable fcruples concerning the neceffary meafures of forrow, and adequate degrees of felf-abhorrence; and these rules, corrupted by fraud, or debafed by cre dulity, have, by the common refiliency of the mind from one extreme to another, incited others to an open contempt of all fubfidiary ordinances, all pru dential caution, and the whole difcipline of regu lated piety. Repentance, however difficult to be practifed, is, if it be explained without fuperftition, eafily underftood. Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from the conviction that it has offended God. Sorrow, and fear, and anxiety, are properly not parts, but adjuncts of repentance; yet they are too closely connected with it to be eafily feparated; for they not only mark its fincerity, but promote its efficacy. No, man commits any act of negligence or obsti nacy, by which his fafety or happiness in this world is endangered, without feeling the pungency of remorfe. He who is fully convinced, that he fuffers by his own failure, can never forbear to trace back his miscarriage to its first cause, to image to himself a contrary behaviour, and to form involuntary refo lutions against the like fault, even when he knows that that he fhall never again have the power of committing it. Danger, confidered as imminent, naturally produces fuch trepidations of impatience as leave all human means of fafety behind them: he that has once caught an alarm of terrour, is every moment feized with useless anxieties, adding one fecurity to another, trembling with fudden doubts, and diftracted by the perpetual occurrence of new expedients. If, therefore, he whofe crimes have deprived him of the favour of God, can reflect upon his conduct without difturbance, or can at will banifh the reflection; if he who confiders himself as fufpended over the abyfs of eternal perdition only by the thread of life, which muft foon part by its own weaknefs, and which the wing of every minute may divide, can caft his eyes round him without fhuddering with horrour, or panting with fecurity; what can he judge of himself, but that he is not yet awakened to fufficient conviction, fince every lofs is more lamented than the lofs of the divine favour, and every danger more dreadful than the danger of final condemnation? Retirement from the cares and pleasures of the world has been often recommended as ufeful to repentance. This at leaft is evident, that every one retires, whenever ratiocination and recollection are required on other occafions; and furely the retrospect of life, the disentanglement of actions complicated with innumerable circumstances, and diffused in various relations, the discovery of the primary movements of the heart, and the extirpation of lufts and appetites deeply rooted and widely spread, may be allowed to demand fome feceffion from fport and and noise, and business and folly. Some fufpenfion of common affairs, fome paufe of temporal pain and pleasure, is doubtless neceffary to him that deliberates for eternity, who is forming the only plan in which mifcarriage cannot be repaired, and examining the only question in which mistake cannot be rectified. Aufterities and mortifications are means by which the mind is invigorated and roufed, by which the attractions of pleasure are interrupted, and the chains of fenfuality are broken. It is obferved by one of the fathers, that he who reftrains himself in the use of things lawful, will never encroach upon things forbidden. Abstinence, if nothing more, is, at least, a cautious retreat from the utmost verge of permiffion, and confers that fecurity which cannot be reasonably hoped by him that dares always to hover over the precipice of deftruction, or delights to approach the pleasures which he knows it fatal to partake. Austerity is the proper antidote to indulgence; the diseases of mind as well as body are cured by contraries, and to contraries we should readily have recourse, if we dreaded guilt as we dread pain. The completion and fum of repentance is a change of life. That forrow which dictates no caution, that fear which does not quicken our escape, that aufterity which fails to rectify our affections, are vain and unavailing. But forrow and terrour must naturally precede reformation; for what other caufe can produce it? He, therefore, that feels himself alarmed by his confcience, anxious for the attain ment ment of a better state, and afflicted by the memory of his paft faults, may juftly conclude, that the great work of repentance is begun, and hope by retirement and prayer, the natural and religious means of ftrengthening his conviction, to impress upon his mind fuch a fenfe of the divine prefence, as may overpower the blandifhments of fecular delights, and enable him to advance from one degree of holiness to another, till death fhall fet him free from doubt and conteft, mifery and temptation, What better can we do than proftrate fall NUMB. 111. TUESDAY, April 9, 1751. Φρονεῖν γὰρ ὅι ταχεῖς, ἐκ ἀσφαλεῖς. Difafter always waits on early wit. .SOPHOC. IT has been obferved, by long experience, that late fprings produce the greatest plenty. The delay of blooms and fragrance, of verdure and breezes, is for the moft part liberally recompenfed by the exuberance and fecundity of the enfuing feafons; the bloffoms which lie concealed till the year is advanced, and the fun is high, efcape those chilling blafts, and nocturnal frofts, which are often fatal to early luxuriance, prey upon the firft fmiles of vernal beauty, destroy the feeble principles of vegetable life, intercept the fruit in the gem, and beat down the flowers unopened to the ground. I am afraid there is little hope of perfuading the young and fprightly part of my readers, upon whom the fpring naturally forces my attention, to learn, from the great procefs of nature, the difference between diligence and hurry, between fpeed and precipitation; to profecute their defigns with calmnefs, to watch the concurrence of opportunity, and endeavour to find the lucky moment which they cannot make. Youth is the time of enterprize and hope having yet no occafion of comparing our force with any oppofing power, we naturally form prefumptions in our own favour, and imagine that |