SEED. tion to life eternal. "For now," as the Apostle says, 163 66 we see Thus, we see, the matter is brought to this issue; we must either believe what God directly commandeth us in Holy Scripture, or we must wholly reject the Scripture, and the Christian religion which we pretend to profess: But this, I hope, is too desperate a step for any of us to make. JEREMIAH SEED. Of this excellent preacher we only know that he was born near Penrith in Cumberland, that he studied at Queen's College, Oxford, and that, after spending most of his ministerial life as curate to Dr Waterland at Twickenham, he was presented to Enham in Hampshire, where he died in 1747. That century yielded no sermons more practical or more pleasing. Seed did not fight uncertainly, or "as one that beateth the air," but most of his topics are precise, and their illustrations is minute and home-coming. At the same time, his language is remarkably lively, and every paragraph carries the double charm of a brilliant fancy and a benevolent persuasiveness. Unlike his colder contemporaries, he indulges freely in figurative language, and, both in their conception and their wording, his metaphors are often worthy of a poet. "To a mind that is all harmony within, the Deity must appear like what He is, in perfect beauty, all-loving and all-lovely, without any forbidding and frightening appearances just as a deep stream, when clear and unruffled by any storm, represents the sun and firmament in a gentler and milder lustre, far more beautiful itself by reflecting the beauties of heaven." "We must consult the gentlest manner and softest seasons of address. Our advice must not fall, like a violent storm, bearing down and making that to droop which it was meant to cherish and refresh: it must descend as the dew upon the tender herb, or like melting flakes of snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind." True Heroism. The meanest mechanic, who employs his love and gratitude, the best of his affections, upon God, the best of beings; who has a particular regard and esteem for the virtuous few, compassion for the distressed, and a fixed and extensive good-will for all; who, instead of triumphing over his enemies, strives to subdue his greatest enemy of all, his unruly passion; who promotes a good understanding between neighbours, composes and adjusts differences, does justice to an injured character, and acts of charity to distressed worth; who cherishes his friends, forgives his enemies, and even serves them in any pressing exigency; who abhors vice, and pities the vicious person; such a man, however low in station, has juster pretensions to the title of heroism, as heroism implies a certain nobleness and elevation of soul, breaking forth into correspondent actions; than he who conquers armies, or makes the most glaring figure in the eye of an injudicious world. He is like one of the fixed stars, which though, through the disadvantage of its situation, it may be thought to be very little, inconsiderable, and obscure by unskilful beholders; yet is as truly great and glorious in itself as those heavenly lights, which by being placed more commodiously for our view, shine with more distinguished lustre. Occupation for the Opulent. The apostle's rule, that if any man will not work, neither should he eat, extends to the rich as well as poor; only supposing, that there are different kinds of work assigned to each. The reason is the same in both cases, viz. that he, who WORK FOR ALL. 165 will do no good, ought not to receive or enjoy any. As we all are joint traders and partners in life, he forfeits his right to any share in the common stock of happiness, who does not endeavour to contribute his quota or allotted part to it: the public happiness being nothing, but the sum total of each individual's contribution to it. An easy fortune does not set men free from labour and industry in general; it only exempts them from some particular kinds of labour. It is not a blessing, as it gives them liberty to do nothing at all; but as it gives them liberty wisely to choose and steadily to prosecute the most ennobling exercises, and the most improving employments, the pursuit of truth, the practice of virtue, the service of that God, who giveth them all things richly to enjoy, in short the doing and being everything that is commendable: though nothing merely in order to be commended. That time, which others must employ in tilling the ground (which often deceives their expectation) with the sweat of their brow, they may lay out in cultivating the mind, a soil always grateful to the care of the tiller. The sum of what I would say is this: That, though you are not confined to any particular calling, yet you have a general one: which is to watch over your heart, and to improve your head; to make yourself master of all those accomplishments, viz. an enlarged compass of thought, that flowing humanity, and generosity, which are necessary to become a great fortune; and of all those perfections, viz. moderation, humility, and temperance, which are necessary to bear a small one patiently; but especially it is your duty to acquire a taste for those pleasures, which, after they are tasted, go off agreeably, and leave behind them a grateful and delightful flavour on the mind. Happy that man, who, unembarrassed by vulgar cares, master of himself, his time and fortune, spends his time in making himself wiser, and his fortune in making others (and therefore himself), happier; who, as the will and understanding ness. are the two ennobling faculties of the soul, thinks himself not complete, till his understanding be beautified with the valuable furniture of knowledge; as well as his will enriched with every virtue who has furnished himself with all the advantages to relish solitude, and enliven conversation; when serious, not sullen; and when cheerful, not indiscreetly gay; his ambition not to be admired for a false glare of greatness, but to be beloved for the gentle and sober lustre of his wisdom and goodThe greatest minister of state has not more business to do in a public capacity, than he, and indeed every man else, may find in the retired and still scenes of life. Even in his private walks, everything that is visible convinceth him, there is present a being invisible. Aided by natural philosophy, he reads plain legible traces of the Divinity in everything he meets: he sees the Deity in every tree, as well as Moses did in the burning bush, though not in so glaring a manner and when He sees him, He adores him with the tribute of a grateful heart. Wit Misdirected. He who endeavours to oblige the company by his good-nature, never fails of being beloved: he who strives to entertain it by his good sense, never fails of being esteemed: but he who is continually aiming to be witty, generally miscarries of his aim : his aim and intention is to be admired, but it is his misfortune either to be despised or detested; to be despised for want of judgment, or detested for want of humanity. For we seldom admire the wit, when we dislike the man. There are a great many, to whom the world would be so charitable, as to allow them to have a tolerable share of common sense; if they did not set up for something more than common, something very uncommon, bright and witty. If we would trace the faults of conversation up to their original source, most of them might, I believe, be resolved into this, that men had rather DAILY DEVOTION. 167 appear shining, than be agreeable in company. They are endeavouring to raise admiration, instead of gaining love and good-will: whereas the latter is in everybody's power, the former in that of very few. Daily Devotion. Degenerate souls, wedded to their vicious habits, may disclaim all commerce with heaven, refusing to invoke Him, whose infinite wisdom is ever prompt to discern, and His bounty to relieve the wants of those who faithfully call upon him; and neglecting to praise Him, who is great and marvellous in His works, just and righteous in His ways, infinite and incomprehensible in His nature: but all here, I would persuade myself, will daily set apart some time to think on Him, who gave us power to think: He was the author, and He should be the object of our faculties. And to do this the better, let us take care that every morning, as soon as we rise, we lay hold on this proper season of address, and offer up to God the first-fruits of our thoughts, yet fresh, unsullied, and serene, before a busy swarm of vain images crowd in upon the mind, when the spirits just refreshed with sleep are brisk and active, and rejoice, like that sun, which ushers in the day, to run their course; when all nature just awakened into being from insensibility pays its early homage; then let us join in the universal chorus, who are the only creatures in the visible creation capable of knowing to whom it is to be addressed. And in the evening, when the stillness of the night invites to solemn thoughts, after we have collected our straggling ideas, and suffered not a reflection to stir, but what either looks upward to God, or inward upon ourselves, upon the state of our minds; then let us scan over each action of the day-fervently entreat God's pardon for what we have done amiss, and |