with the true enjoyment of life. Such sentiments are too apt to prevail in the heat of youth, when the spirits are brisk and lively, and the passions warm and impetuous: but it is wholly a mistake, and a mistake of the most dangerous tendency. The truth is, there is no pleasure like that of a good conscience, no real peace but what results from the practice of virLue; this enobles the mind, and can alone support it under all the various and unequal scenes of the present state of trial; this lays a sure foundation of an easy, comfortable life, of a serene, peaceful death and of eternal joy and happiness hereafter: whereas vice is ruinous to all our most valuable interests; it spoils the native beauty, and subverts the order of the soul; it renders us the scorn of man, the rejected of God, and, without timely repentance, will rob us of a happy eternity. Religion is the health, the liberties, and the happiness of the soul; sin is the disease, the servitude, and destruction of it, both here and for ever.

If these arguments be not sufficient to convince you let me lead you into the chamber of an habitual rioter, the lewd debauchee, worn out in the cause of iniquity, his bones full of the sins of his youth, that from his own mouth, as he lies on his expiring bed, you may learn that the way of transgression is hard; and that however sweet sin may be in the commission," it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." Prov. xxiii. 32. This awful truth is exemplified in a very strong point of view, by the late celebrated Dr. YOUNG, in his Centaur not Fabulous, page 149, 161, where he draws a most awful picture of the last scene of an abandoned profligate, who had despised religion, and led a life of pleasure and disipation. The relation is as follows:

"I am going, Reader, to represent to thee the last moments of a person of high birth and spirit, of great parts and strong passions, every way accomplished, not the least in iniquity: his unkind treatment was the death of a most amiable wife, & his monstrous extravagance, in effect, dis inherited his only child. And surely the death-bed of a profligate is next in horror to that abyss to which it lead: it has the most of hell that is visible upon earth, and he that has seen it has more than faith to confirm him in his creed. I see it now, says the worthy divine from whom I shall borrow this relation, for who can forget it? Are there in it no fames and fluries? You are ignorant then, of what a sacred imagination can figure, what a guilty heart can feel! How dismal is it! The two great enemies of soul and body, siekness and sin, sink and confound his friends; silence & darken the shocking scene: sickness excludes the light of heaven, and sin it's blessed hope. Oh, double darkness! more than Egyptian ! acutely to be felt!

"The sad evening before the death of that noble youth, whose last hours" suggested these thoughts, 1 was with him. No one was there but his physician, and an intimate acquaintance whom he loved and whom he had ruined. At my coming be said, "You and the physician are come too late. I have neither life nor hope. You both aim at miracles. You would raise the dead."

"Heaven, I said, was merciful."

"Or 1 could not have been thus guilty. What has it not done to bless, and to save me ?-1 have been too strong for Omnipotence: I plucked down ruin.”

"I said, the blessed Redeemer."—

"Hold! Hold! you wound me! That is the rock on which I have split ! 1 denied his name."

Refusing to hear any thing from me, or take any thing from the physician, he lay silent, as far as sudden darts of pain would permit, till the clock struck; then he cried out with vehemence, "Oh time! time! It is fit thou shouldst thus strike thy murderer to the heart.-How art tho

ed for ever ?-4 month ?-Oh for a single week! I ask not for years, though an age were too little for the much I have to do."

"On my saying we could not do too much; that heaven was a blessed place, "So much the worse. 'Tis lost! 'Tis lost! Heaven is to me the severest part of hell!”

"Soon after I proposed prayer." Pray you that can: I never prayed: I cannot pray, Nor need 1. Heaven is on my side already: it closes with my conscience, it's severest strokes but second my own.'

"His friend being much troubled, even to tears at this (for who could forbear? I could not) he, with a most affectionate look, said, "Keep these tears for thyself. I have undone thee. Dost thou weep for me? That's cruel, What can pain me more ?"

"Here his friend, too much affected, would have left him." "No, stay. Thou still may'st hope ;-therefore hear me. How madly have I talked ?-How madly hast thou listened and believed? But look on my present state as a full answer to thee and to myself. This body is all weakness and pain; but my soul, as if stung up by torment, to greater strength and spirit, is full powerful to reason; full mighty to suffer. And that which thus triumphs within the jaws of mortality, is doubtless immortal. And as for a Deity, nothing less than an Almighty could inflict the pains I feel."

"I was about to congratulate this passive involuntary confession, in his asserting the two prime articles of his creed, extorted by the rack of nature: when he thus: very passionately added, "No, no! let me speak on I have not long to speak. My much injured friend! my soul as my body, lies in rains, in scattered fragments of broken thoughts: remorse for the past throws my thoughts on the future: worse dread of the future strikes it back on the past. I turn, and turn, and find no ray.—Didst thou feel half the mountain that is on me, thou wouldst struggle with the martyr for his stake, and bless heaven for the flame ;-that is not an ever. lasting flame; that is not an unquenchable fire."

"How were we struck? Yet, soon after still more. With what an eye of distraction, what a face of despair he cried out," My principles have poisoned my friend; my extravagance has beggared my boy; my unkindness has murdered my wife! And is there another hell? Oh! thou blasphemed, yet most indulgent Lord God! Hell itself is a refuge if it hides me from thy frown."

"Soon after, his understanding failed; his terrified imagination uttered horrors not to be repeated, or ever forgotten; and before the sun (which I hope has seen few like him) arose, this gay, young, noble, ingenious, accomplished, and most wretched mortal, expired."

It sometimes happens, we confess, that men who have led very wicked lives have gone out of the world, as they lived in it defying conscience, and deriding a future judgment as an idle fiction: but these instances are very rare, and only prove that there are monsters in the moral as well as in the natural world, who have sported with their own deceivings, and have even dared to lift their puny and rebellious arm against Omnipotence. But it will perhaps be said, that the sons of vice and riot have pleasure in sensual indulgences. Allowed: but it is altogether of the lower kind, empty, fleeting, and transient; like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the mirth of the wicked. It makes a noise and a blaze for the present but soon vanishes away into smoke and vapour. On the other hand, the pleasure of religion is solid and lasting and will attend us through all, even the last stages of life. When we have passed the levity of youth, and have lost our relish for the gay entertainments of sense; when old age steals upon us, and bends us towards the grave, this will cleave fast to us, and give us relief. It will be so far from terminating at death, that ·

it then commences perfect, and continually improves with new additions, and ever blooming joys.

If our souls are clad in this immortal robe, we need not fear the awful summons of the king of terrors, nor regret our retiring into the chambers of the dust. Our immortal part will wing it's way to the arms of it's ! Omnipotent Redeemer, and find rest in the heavenly mansions of the Almighty. And though our earthly part, this tabernacle of clay, return to it's original dust, it is only to be raised in a more beautiful and heavenly form. If it retires into the shadow of death, and visits the gloomy habitations of the grave, it is only to return from a short confinement to endless liberty: for our great Master will lead his redeemed from the chambers of the grave, and guide them in his strength to his holy habitation: he will plant thein in the mountain of his inheritance, in the place be hath prepared for them, even the sanctuary which his hands hath established; and we shall be with the Lord for ever and ever, to serve him day and night in his temple, where the inhabitant shall never say, I am sick; where the wieked shall cease from troubling, and where the weary soul, will be for

ever at rest.

We shall here subjoin a copy of a letter, sent by Publius Lentulus, governor of Judea, to the senate of Rome, respecting the person and actions of our blessed Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST; which may serve as a strong testimony and evidence in favour of the divinity of our Lord's per-son and doctrines against the stale objections of the Deists, as the authenti city of the ancient manuscripts, from which it was translated, is founded on the best authority. Tiberius Cæsar was then emperor, and caused the "extraordinary intelligence, contained in this letter, to be published through out all the Roman provinces. One would have thought this confirmation, issued by the Roman governor, might have convinced the generality of the Romans, as well as Jews, concerning the divinity of our Lord's mission; but such was the universal prejudice of the people, that nothing would satisfy those who had not given credit to the words of CHRIST himself. The epistle runs as follows:

"There appeared in these our days a man of great virtue, named JESUS CHRIST, who is yet living amongst us, and of the Gentiles is accepted as a Prophet of Truth, but by his own disciples called the Son of God. He raiseth the dead and cureth all manner of diseases. A man of statue somewhat tall and comely, with a very reverend countenance, such as the beholders may both love and fear: his hair is of the colour of a filbert full ripe, and plain almost down to his ears, but from his ears downward some what curled, more orient of colour, and waving about his shoulders. In the midst of his head goeth a seam or partition of his hair, after the manner of the Nazarites; his forehead very plain and smooth; his face without spot or wrinkle, beautified with comely red; his nose and mouth so formed as nothing can be reprehended; his beard somewhat thick, agreea ble in colour to the hair of his head, not of any great length, but forked in the midst ; of an innocent, mature look; his eyes grey, clear, and quick. In reproving he is terrible; in admonishing courteous and fair spoken; pleasant in speech, mixed with gravity. It cannot be remembered that any have seen him laugh, but many have seen him weep. In proportion of body well-shaped and straight; his hands and arms right delectable to behold; in speaking very temperate, modest, and wise. A man for singu Jar beauty, surpassing the children of men,”

THE

AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF THE

LIVE S

OF THE

Apostles, Evangelists, Disciples, &c. of

our Blessed Lord and Saviour JEsus christ.

LIFE of St. MATTHEW,

The EVANGELIST and APOSTLE.

THIS evangelist was also called Levi; and thong), a Roman witwar, was a true Hebrew, and probably a Galikan. Kitular, a kiskan vekt, tells us, that he was born at Bazasah, sexy in the mous for the habitation of Joup sad Mary wat tad just what was gỹ hận sed Saviour resided the whole time of the son of Alpheus and Mary, wam, yf a homvan, 'nying yamah #you, both originally descended from the tribe ni lasachau,

The occupation of Matthew was that of a gelykkek

the Romans, an office detested by the gener

the Romans, indeed it was accomáros a piros al serous und kande, phill va such, rarely conferred on any bat Woman tugas, MAT. ★, kopuru father to the emperor Vespasian, was the palmicka to na hasa yandakny an office which he discharged so greatly to the satisfactum it is you, that they erected statues to him." These officers bring sexd, inly thi www vinces to gather the tributes, generally employed the natives under them, as persons best skilled in the affairs and customs of their own country. On two accounts, this office was odious to the Jews, Viru very be thats persons who managed it were covetous and great exadora'; for beving themselves framed the customs of the Romans, they used every method of oppression, in order to pay their rent to the Romana, and procure na wivantage to themselves. "Of this Zaccheus the chat of there framer* W** very sensible after his conversion, when he offered to make a tourtold restitution to all from whom he had taken any thing by frand or extortion -And upon this account they became infamous, even among & the Cacondga themselves, who commonly mention them as potine robbers, and thungh members of the community were more voracious and destructive in a city than wild beasts in a forest. The other particular winch rendered them in hateful to the Jews, was the tribute they demanded, which they emmuter. ed not only as a burden, but also as an affront to their nation; for they looked upon themselves as a free people, having, received that priviledya immediately from God himself; and therefore they conudered this triad a as a daily and standing instance of their slavery, which they doranevery thing; and it was this that betrayed them into so man, against the Romans, We may add, that these publicans m

their office to have frequent dealings and conversation with the Gentiles, which the Jews considered as an abomination; and though they were themselves Jews, they rigorously exacted the taxes of their brethren, and thereby seemed to conspire with the Romans to entail perpetual slavery on their own countrymen.

The publicans, by these practices, became universally abhored by the Jewish nation, so that it was reckoned unlawful to assist them in the common offices of humanity; nay, they asserted it was no crime to cheat and over reach a publican, though they broke the solemnity of an oath: they night not eat or drink, converse or travel with them; they were considered as common thieves and robbers, and the money received of them was not permitted to be deposited with others, considering it as gained by rapine and violence; they were not admitted to give testimony in any court of justice; they were looked upon in so infamous a light, that they were not only banished from all communion in matters of divine worship, but shunned in all affairs of civil society and commerce, as the pests of their country, as persons whose conversation was infectious, and not at all better than the Heathens

amongst them. And hence they had a common proverb

66

a wife out of that family in which there is a publican; for they are all publicans !" that is, they are all thieves, robbers, and wicked sinners. And to this proverbial custom our blessed Saviour alludes, when speaking of a hardened sinner, on whom neither private reproofs, nor the public censures and admonitions of the church, can prevail, Let him be to thee as an heathen man and publican;" or, in other words, an incorrigible sinner.

St. Matthew the evangelist was of this profession, and he seems to have been more particularly employed in collecting the customs on commodities that came by sea into Galilee, and the tribute which passengers were to pay who went by water and for this purpose the office or custom-house stood by the sea side, that the officers might be always at hand : and here it was, as St. Mark intimates, that Matthew sat at the receipt of custom, where the tribute money was collected.

After having cured a person long afflicted with the palsey, our blessed Lord retired out of Capernaum, to walk by the sea side where he taught the people that flocked after him. Here he saw Matthew sitting in his office, and called him to follow him. The man was rich, had a large and profitable employment, was a wise and prudent person, & doubtless understood what it would cost him to comply with the call of JESUS: he was not ignorant that he must exchange wealth for poverty, a custom house for a prison, rich and powerful masters, for a naked and despised Saviour: but he overlooked all these considerations, left all his interest and relations, to become cur Lord's disciple, and to embrace a more spiritual way of peace of concommerce and traffick, which might bring glory to God, and science to himself.

It is not likely that he was before wholly unacquainted with our Savjour's person or doctrine, especially as he resided at Capernaum, where our Lord so often preached, and wrought his miracles; so that he must, in some measure, be prepared to receive the impressions which our Saviour's call made upon him, and to shew that he was not discontented at his change, he entertained both his Master and his disciples at his house calling togeth er his friends, especially those of his own profession, hoping no doubt, that they might also be converted by the company and conversation of our blessed Redeemer.

n

As the Pharisees had sought all opportunities of raising objections against the doctrine of the blessed Jesus, so they took this opportunity of suggesting to his disciples, that it was highly unbecoming so pure & holy a person, as their master pretended himself to be, to converse so familiarly with the worst of men, with publicans and sinners, persons infamous to a proverb; but he presently replied to them, that these were the sick, and therefore