RELIGIOUS
DISCOURSE
.
TO
speak
for
GOD
,
to
sound
Religion's
Praise
,
Of
sacred
Passions
the
wise
Warmth
to
raise
;
T'
infuse
the
Contrite
wish
to
Conquest
nigh
,
And
point
the
Steps
mysterious
as
they
lie
;
To
seize
the
Wretch
in
full
Career
of
Lust
,
And
sooth
the
silent
Sorrows
of
the
Just
:
Who
would
not
bless
for
This
the
Gift
of
Speech
,
And
in
the
Tongue's
Beneficence
be
rich
?
But
who
must
talk
?
Not
the
mere
modern
Sage
Who
suits
the
soften'd
Gospel
to
the
Age
;
Who
ne'er
to
raise
degen'rate
Practice
strives
,
But
brings
the
Precept
down
to
Christian's
Lives
.
Not
He
,
who
Maxims
from
cold
Reading
took
,
And
never
saw
Himself
but
thro'
a
Book
:
Not
He
,
who
Hasty
in
the
Morn
of
Grace
,
Soon
sinks
extinguish'd
as
a
Comet's
Blaze
.
Not
He
,
who
strains
in
Scripture-phrase
t'
abound
Deaf
to
the
Sense
,
who
stuns
us
with
the
Sound
:
But
He
,
who
Silence
loves
;
and
never
dealt
In
the
false
Commerce
of
a
Truth
Unfelt
.
Guilty
you
speak
,
if
subtle
from
within
Blows
on
your
Words
the
Self-admiring
Sin
:
If
unresolv'd
to
choose
the
Better
Part
,
Your
forward
Tongue
belies
your
languid
Heart
,
But
then
speak
safely
,
when
your
peaceful
Mind
Above
Self-seeking
blest
,
on
GOD
reclin'd
,
Feels
Him
at
once
suggest
unlabour'd
Sense
,
And
ope
a
Sluce
of
sweet
Benevolence
.
Some
high
Behasts
of
Heav'n
you
then
fulfil
,
Sprung
from
his
Light
your
Words
,
and
issuing
by
his
Will
.
Nor
yet
expect
so
Mystically
long
,
Till
Certain
Inspiration
loose
your
Tongue
:
Express
the
Precept
runs
,
"
Do
good
to
all
;
"
Nor
adds
,
"
Whene'er
you
find
an
inward
Call
.
"
'Tis
GOD
commands
:
no
farther
Motive
seek
,
Speak
or
without
,
or
with
Reluctance
speak
:
To
Love's
Habitual
Sense
by
Acts
aspire
,
And
kindle
,
till
you
catch
the
Gospel-Fire
.
Discoveries
immature
of
Truth
decline
,
Nor
prostitute
the
Gospel
Pearl
to
Swine
.
Beware
,
too
rashly
how
you
speak
the
whole
,
The
Vileness
,
or
the
Treasures
of
your
Soul
.
If
spurn'd
by
some
,
where
weak
on
Earth
you
lie
,
If
judg'd
a
Cheat
or
Dreamer
,
where
you
fly
;
Here
the
Sublimer
Strain
,
th'
exerted
Air
Forego
;
you're
at
the
Bar
,
not
in
the
Chair
.
To
the
pert
Reas'ner
if
you
speak
at
all
,
Speak
what
within
his
Cognizance
may
fall
:
Expose
not
Truths
Divine
to
Reason's
Rack
,
Give
him
his
own
belov'd
Ideas
back
,
Your
Notions
till
they
look
like
His
,
dilute
;
Blind
he
must
be
—
but
save
him
from
Dispute
!
But
when
we're
turn'd
of
Reason's
noontide
Glare
,
And
Things
begin
to
shew
us
what
they
are
,
More
free
to
such
your
true
Conceptions
tell
;
Yet
graft
them
on
the
Arts
where
they
excel
.
If
springhtly
Sentiments
detain
their
Taste
;
If
Paths
of
various
Learning
they
have
trac'd
;
If
their
cool
Judgment
longs
,
yet
fears
to
fix
:
Fire
,
Erudition
,
Hesitation
mix
.
All
Rules
are
dead
:
'tis
from
the
Heart
you
draw
The
living
Lustre
,
and
unerring
Law
.
A
State
of
Thinking
in
your
Manner
show
,
Nor
fiercely
soaring
,
nor
supinely
low
:
Others
their
Lightness
and
each
inward
Fault
Quench
in
the
Stilness
of
your
deeper
Thought
,
Let
all
your
Gestures
fixt
Attention
draw
,
And
wide
around
diffuse
infectious
Awe
;
Present
with
GOD
by
Recollection
seem
,
Yet
present
,
by
your
Chearfulness
,
with
Them
.
Without
Elation
Christian
Glories
paint
,
Nor
by
fond
am'rous
Phrase
assume
the
Saint
.
Greet
not
frail
Men
with
Compliments
untrue
,
With
smiles
to
Peace
confirm'd
and
Conquest
due
,
There
are
who
watch
t'
adore
the
Dawn
of
Grace
,
And
pamper
the
young
Proselyte
with
Praise
:
Kind
,
humble
Souls
!
They
with
a
right
good
Will
Admire
his
Progress
—
till
he
stands
stock
still
.
Speak
but
to
Thirsty
Minds
of
things
Divine
,
Who
strong
for
Thought
,
are
free
in
yours
to
join
.
The
Busy
from
his
Channel
parts
with
Pain
,
The
Lanquid
loaths
an
Elevated
Strain
:
With
these
you
aim
but
at
good-natur'd
Chat
,
Where
all
,
except
the
Love
,
is
low
and
flat
.
Not
one
Address
will
diff'rent
Tempers
fit
.
The
Grave
and
Gay
,
the
Heavy
and
the
Wit
.
Wits
will
sift
you
;
and
most
Conviction
find
Where
least
'tis
urg'd
,
and
seems
the
least
design'd
.
Slow
Minds
are
merely
passive
;
and
forget
Truths
not
inculcated
:
to
these
repeat
,
Avow
your
Counsel
,
nor
abstain
from
Heat
.
Some
gentle
Souls
,
to
gay
Indiff'rence
true
,
Nor
hope
,
nor
fear
,
nor
think
the
more
for
you
.
Let
Love
turn
Babbler
here
,
and
Caution
sleep
,
Blush
not
for
shallow
Speech
,
nor
muse
for
deep
;
These
to
your
Humour
,
not
your
Sense
attend
,
'Tis
not
th'
Advice
that
sways
them
,
but
the
Friend
.
Others
have
large
Recesses
in
their
Breast
,
With
pensive
Process
all
they
hear
digest
:
Here
well-weigh'd
Words
with
wary
Foresight
sow
,
For
all
you
say
will
sink
,
and
ev'ry
Seed
will
grow
.
At
first
Acquaintance
press
each
Truth
severe
,
Stir
the
whole
Odium
of
your
Character
:
Let
harshest
Doctrines
all
your
Words
engross
,
And
Nature
bleeding
on
the
Daily
Cross
.
Then
to
yourself
th'
Ascetic
Rule
enjoin
,
To
others
stoop
surprizingly
benign
;
Pitying
,
if
from
Themselves
with
Pain
they
Part
,
If
stubborn
Nature
long
holds
out
the
Heart
.
Their
Outworks
now
are
gain'd
;
forbear
to
press
The
more
you
urge
them
,
you
prevail
the
less
;
Let
Speech
lay
by
its
Roughness
to
oblige
,
Your
speaking
Life
will
carry
on
the
Siege
:
By
your
Example
struck
,
to
GOD
they
strive
To
live
,
no
longer
to
Themselves
alive
.
To
positive
Adepts
insidious
yield
,
T'
ensure
the
Conquest
,
seem
to
quit
the
Field
:
Large
in
your
Grants
;
be
their
Opinion
shown
:
Approve
,
amend
—
and
wind
it
to
your
own
.
Couch
in
your
Hints
,
if
more
resign'd
they
hear
,
Both
what
they
will
be
soon
,
and
what
they
are
:
Pleasing
These
Words
now
to
their
conscious
Breast
,
Th'
anticipating
Voice
hereafter
blest
.
In
Souls
just
wak'd
the
Paths
of
Light
to
choose
,
Convictions
keen
,
and
Zeal
of
Pray'r
infuse
.
Let
them
love
Rules
;
till
freed
from
Passion's
Reign
,
Till
blameless
Moral
Rectitude
they
gain
.
But
lest
reform'd
from
each
Extremer
Ill
,
They
should
but
Civilize
old
Nature
still
,
The
loftier
Charms
and
Energy
display
Of
Virtue
model'd
by
the
Godhead's
Ray
;
The
Lineaments
Divine
,
Perfection's
Plan
,
And
all
the
Grandeur
of
the
Inner
Man
.
Commences
thus
the
Agonizing
Strife
Previous
to
Nature's
Death
,
and
second
Life
:
Struck
by
their
own
inclement
piercing
Eye
,
Their
feeble
Virtues
blush
,
subside
and
die
;
They
view
the
Scheme
that
mimick
Nature
made
,
A
fancy'd
Goodness
,
and
Religion's
Shade
;
With
angry
Scorn
they
now
reject
the
whole
,
Unchang'd
their
Heart
,
undeify'd
their
Soul
;
Till
Indignation
sleeps
away
to
Faith
,
And
GOD's
own
Pow'r
and
Peace
take
root
in
sa
cred
Wrath
.
Aim
less
to
Teach
than
Love
.
The
Work
begun
In
Words
,
is
crown'd
by
artless
Warmth
alone
.
Love
to
your
Friend
a
Second
Office
owes
,
Yourself
and
Him
before
Heav'ns
Footstool
throws
:
You
place
his
Form
as
Suppliant
by
your
Side
,
(
A
helpless
Worm
,
for
whom
the
Saviour
dy'd
)
Into
his
Soul
call
down
th'
Eternal
Beam
,
And
longing
ask
to
spend
,
and
to
be
spent
for
Him
.