other; because Good, when known, is as truly amiable in itfelf, as Evil is deteftat le and frightful; fo that the former most naturally engages our preference, without any other Motive than this natural, Knowledge of their refpective qualities.

Sinifter Motives do, nevertheless, too frequently prevail, through the extreme frailty of Human Nature, which engages the greater part of mankind in the purfuit of temporal Intereft, or partial and fenfual Happiness!

So that, if the learned commentator had mentioned Self-love, as the general, instead of the "univerfal Principle of Action," I fhould not have thought myfelf obliged to have taken particular notice of, that part of his work.

Our Author proceeds to affign the reafons why Self-Love cannot be admitted as an univerfal principle of action.

"In the first place, fays he, becaufe the moft worthy actions, as I have already obferved, are frequently occafioned by a more generous motive than Self-love.

Secondly, Becaufe bad men are fometimes prompted to good actions, through the influence of their own natural Knowledge of Good and Evil, when the occafion happens not to interfere with their particular views of private Intereft, or their predominant Paffions: for, if this was not the cafe, it is obvious (confidering the great multitude of selfish men in comparison of the Juf) that fociety could not exift.

"And, thirdly, Because bad actions, which most abound, manifeftly tend, even in the opinion of the offenders themfelves, to defeat the most effential purposes of Self-love; for the most hardened finners are confcious, through their innate Knowledge of Good and Evil, that their unlawful temporary gratifications tend to deprive them of their "real" and "fubftantial happiness," viz. Eternal Salvation; for if they had not this Confcioufness of Evil, there could be no fuch thing as prefumptuous fin.

"Self-love, however, under proper restrictions, is certainly a main branch of the Law of Nature; and, though it cannot be admitted as the "univerfal Principle of Action," is nevertheless an univerfal Principle; but it cannot be admitted as a "Rule of Obedience," because there are many occafions when it ought to be fuperfeded by more noble Motives to Action.

"The Knowledge of Good and Evil is also an univerfal Principle in "the univerfal Prin Man; though it is ftill much farther from being "ciple of Action" than Self-love;" and indeed my prefent attempt is not to prove what is the "univerfal Principle of Action," but only what it ought to be, as I before remarked; being convinced, that "the

one paternal Precept" laid down by the learned Law Commentator (though certainly with good intentions, and probably with good authority from other Law Writers) as the "Ruie of Obedience," (viz. "that we should purfue our own Happiness") is very defective; because the very Rule itfelf requires a multitude of other Rules to restrain it within due bounds, and curb the Self-love of individuals for the benefit of fociety."

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It is with good reafon and very venerable authority, this writer goes on to confirm and illuftrate what he has advanced, concluding this part of his argument, as follows.

"ALL THE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE WORD;"-for " the "Creator" has graciously reduced the Rule of Obedience to this one paternal Precept" not,-that Man fhould pursue his own Happiness;"but)-EVEN IN THIS THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS "THYSELF;" fo that no other "paternal Precept" can poffibly be received as a general Rule of Obedience for all occafions except this alone; which muft, therefore, be acknowledged as the fundamental Rule, both of Natural and Revealed Law. Concerning this Golden Rule of Action, I have wrote a separate Tract under the title of the Law of Liberty, or Royal Law, to which I must beg leave to refer my readers for further remarks on that head."

In proceeding to divulge the principles of action, Mr. Sharp touches a little philofophically on the animal and focial affections; the influence of thefe, however, he appears to think confiderably inferiour to that of the fpiritual enemies and deceivers of Mankind. On this head he quotes the following paffage from the Evangelical discourses of the worthy and ingenious Mr. John Payne.

"THE DEVIL is not merely a name, which those who would fap the foundations of religion pretend religion has contrived to frighten timorous minds; nor is danger then only to be apprehended from him, when he is supposed to affume a bodily form: it is fuperftitious weaknefs to be afraid of him only when imbodied, and to neglect the fecret and unfeen influence, which his continual converse with us, as an unimbodied fpirit, may have upon us. He and his angels are not yet caft into outer darkness, tho' it be prepared for them; the mouth of the bottomlefs pit is not yet clofed over them: they fell from GOD, not fo much by a local defcent, as by mental apostasy and diffimilitude; and they have still this visible world, once the feat of their happiness and glory, to range in: they are, therefore, ftiled by the Apostle piritual wickedness in high places; and their leader is called, The God of this World, The Prince of Darkness, The Prince of the power of the Air. Uncloathed and unimbodied fpirits may converse with us by fecret illapfes, without our perception of the medium through which they act: even the wind bloweth where it lifteth, and we hear the found thereof; but cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. As there are Divine Illuminations communicated to the foul by THE GOOD SPIRIT OF TRUTH, fo there are impure fuggeftions to the fancy made by The Evil Spirit of Darkness; and a watchful obferver of his own heart, muft have heard the frequent whifpers both of The Voice of Wisdom and The Voice of Folly: he, from whofe eyes a Heaven-born Faith in CHRIST has removed the fcales of corruption, may easily discern The Calm Irradations of Divine Light leading him to holiness and peace, and the foul and difturbed fires of Satan betraying him into fin and mifery.

"But tho' our Enemy be invifible, and, on that account, more able to execute his malignant designs against us; yet let us not so dread

his power, as to decline the conteft. While our minds are constantly turned to That Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world; while we defire it, and depend upon it, as The Light of Life; we shall always be able to know and to guard against the ftratagems of the Apoftate Spirit, whether he appears in his own naked deformity, or cloaths himself like an Angel of Light. A forced imitation will always fall fhort of the archetype: and tho' fin and falfehood may put on the mantle of Holiness and Truth; yet he, that is inwardly acquainted with The Truth as it is in Jefus, and ingenuoufly loves and purfues it, will be able to detect the impofture, and through the veil behold the blacknefs and malignity of the enemies to his peace."

To the fame purpose, he quotes a long extract from his grandfather, Archbishop Sharp's Sermons. Our author is, indeed, not only a ftrenuous advocate for the perfonal exiftence of the devil and his angels, but maintains as pofitively the exiftence of a material Hell, in conformity to the literal text of the Scriptures.

"The place of torment, or Hell, after the day of Judgment, muft neceffarily fignify a real Place of material Fire, because all Men are to rife again with their Bodies, and confequently will be capable of bodily punishment; for it is not the Soul alone, but the whole body of the unrepenting Sinner, that will be "caft into Hell;" and as Human Bodies after the Refurrection will be incorruptible, or everlafting, fo, of course, they will be capable of everlasting bodily punishment in the fire that never fball be quenched: where THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, and the Fire is not quenched. (Mark ix. 45. 46.) and this Fire (which must be a material Fire, as Bodies are to be punished in it) is the very fame Fire that is prepared for the Devil and his Angels, and confequently we may be af fured, that the latter, though Spirits, will also be rendered as capable, as the Human Bodies, of feeling the perpetual torment of that Fire. And lastly, it is not improbable, that even this Terreftial Globe, on which the worldly-minded feem to place their whole defire and happinefs, may hereafter become the very Hell, or place of future punishment both for wicked Men and Devils, fince it has fo long been the feat both of Human and Diabolical wickedness; for Mofes feems to intimate, in his prophetical fong, that there is a worldly Hell" a Fire is kindled in mine anger, and ball burn UNTO THE LOWEST HELL” 18" and hall confume the earth, with her increafe, "and fet on fire the foundation of the mountains." (Deut. xxvii. 22.) Commentators generally remark indeed, that HELL is mentioned here only as a Type or Metaphor of the most extreme temporal mifery, or fufferings in this life, agreeable to the tenor of the fubject carried on in the following verfes, yet the having recourfe to fuch a Metaphor certainly implies a real idea of Hell, and of the future destruction of the world by Fire; for otherwife the recital of these circumstances, even as Metaphors or Types, would be ufelefs and unintelligible. It may be objected, indeed, that the prefent world will be confumed, or (agree able to the literal expreffion of the Hebrew in this text) EAT by the Fire; which is alfo foretold by the Apoftle Peter-that "the earth

فراه

allo, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up." (2 Pet. iii. 10.) So that the Earthly Fire muft, at length, ceafe for want of materials, if all earthly things are to be burned up," and to pass away" in fire and fmoke! Whereas the "Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels," is exprefsly declared to be an everlasting Fire. (Matth. xxv. 41.) Yet thefe laft confiderations will afford no juft objection to what I have before fuggested, because the Almighty can furely render the Fire perpetual, by a continual accellion of new materials, as the old are confumed (or by a variety of other means, which, like most other operations of Providence, are infinitely above human comprehenfion) agreeable to the intimation of the Prophet Ifaiah, though the fame is alfo given as a Metaphor of extreme temporal fufferings-viz." and the STREAMS thereof shall be turned into PITCH, and "the DUST thereof into BRIMSTONE, and the LAND therefore shall become BURNING PITCH. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the "Smoke thereof shall go up for ever," &c. Itaiah xxxiv. 9, 10.”

The critical reader need not be informed, that on these topics our author advances little that is new His remarks on the late obfervations, of an ingenious writer, on the gospel demoniacs, may excite their curiofity. But for an account of thefe, with fome others equally worthy notice, we must refer our readers to a future Review.

S.

Mentor's Letters. Addrefed to Youth. Svo. Is. Cruttwell, Bath-Dilly, London.

For thefe letters, the public, if we are rightly informed, is indebted to the pen of the rcfpectable and ingenious Mr. Rack, editor of Cafpipina's Letters, and author of a poetical mifcellany of moral and entertaining pieces. As an apology for the prefent publication, is modeftly given the following preface.

"The fubftance of the following Letters was written about four years ago, and defigned by the Author for a few of his felect young friends-But having repeatedly been advised to lay them before the public at large, by fome who thought they might prove ufetul, he now refpectfully fubmits them to the candid and serious of every denomination.

"It is however not improbable, that fome of his readers may think thefe Letters written in a tile too ferious for thofe to whom they are addreffed; but let it be confidered, that the fubject is profeffedly of a ferious nature. To treat the great business and conduct of human life, in a light airy file, would be injurious to its dignity, and unbecoming its Author."

We fhall not controvert our author's opinion in the laftmentioned circumftance; although many judicious writers have

thought

thought it neceffary, in addreffing youth, to enliven most fubjects, however ferious, with a proper gaiety of ftile. Ridentem dicere verum quid vetat? And yet, as every man has his own method, he is at liberty doubtlefs to make a virtue of neceffity, by pleading the best excufe for it, as if it were of voluntary adoption. Perhaps Mr. Rack could not, without departing from the ufual mode of exerting his talents, have given the topics, treated of in thefe letters, a more lively turn.- Be this as it may; the matter at leaft is by no means exceptionable, nor is the manner at all ill-adapted to readers of a folid and ferious difpofition. We fhall felect, as a fpecimen, part of the laft letter on the fubject of religion, and the propriety of attending divine worship in public; a practice too much neglected in the present days of diverfion and diffipation.

"From what I have already faid, and the ferious import of thefe letters, it may perhaps be expected, that fomething should be added more particularly relating to the great duties of Religion, and the different modes of worship that obtain in the christian world: but as it is not my intention to controvert any particular points of faith, or to arraign the principles or practice of any diftinct focieties, I fhall only add a few general obfervations thereon, which I hope may be of fome fervice to all my readers, without giving juft caufe of offence to any.

"Religion has too generally been fuppofed to confift in an affent to certain Articles of Faith deemed Orthodox, and in the performance of certain external rites and ceremonies, which men have been taught tó believe would intitle them to God's favour, and his glorious promises in the Golpel Covenant. But I think both Reafon and Scripture will justify me, in defining Religion to be a conformity in heart, affection, and action, to the will of God, as manifefted in the Sacred "Scriptures, and revealed in the confcience or mind of man." Every thing short of this is defective.

"By relying on the bare belief of articles of Faith, or refting in the performance of external rites, men have taken the hell for the fubitance,-overlooked the eflential part of Religion, and clogged it with much alloy, foreign to its nature, and injurious to its intrinfic excellence. They have been contenting themselves with exterior rites and obfervances-with the affent of the lip and of the tongue, to the great truths of the Gofpel, without feeking to have their hearts fo rectified and changed by its purifying influence, as to produce that rectitude of life and manners, which is the genuine fruit of the Spirit, and renders men acceptable to God.

"The Apoitle, in his defcription of Religion, has reprefented it very differently from the Creed-makers and Syftem-mongers of later ages. "Pure Religion, and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this, to vifit the fatherlets and widow in their affliction, and to keep "yourfelves unfpotted in the world."

The Prophet Micah alfo, after having fhewn the infufficiency of external ceremonies and obfervances, even under the legal cifpenfation, proceeds to let forth the true nature of that Religion which is most acVOL. VI.

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