leave as a lash of scorpions to all eye-servants, who cannot work without the whip; to those who halt between the service of God and mammon; and to all who reject the easy yoke of Christ for the yoke of bondage, and cleave to the strong hold of Satan rather than accept of gospel liberty upon the easy conditions of self-denial and the heart-felt humility of an insolvent debtor, freely cleared by a Surety. And may the God of all comfort make the heirs of such legal trumpery as sick at heart of it as he has made my poor soul, and effectually teach them to beware of the doctrines of the pharisees which are hypocrisy, and no better than binding grievous burdens on men's shoulders, which they never touched with one of their own fingers.

Fifteenthly, The following books, entitled Seneca's Morals, The Old and New Whole Duty of Man, and all those productions of ignorance entitled The Week's Preparation, that friend to Moses called The Practice of Piety, that highly esteemed composition of carnal invention entitled The Christian Monitor, The Crumbs of Comfort, Sherlock upon Death, the Annotations of Fleetwood, Stackhouse, and Southwell, together with that blasphemous piece of deception called The Turkish Alcoran, with all the Apocryphal books, except the book of Wisdom; I desire to will and leave every one of them to be equally distri. buted among all those pharisees in the kingdom of Great Britain who reject the sovereign grace

of God, and deny the blessed inspiration of God the Holy Ghost, as a proper nurse to their present pride, and a certain prelude to their everlasting confusion; but to be enjoyed by them no longer than while they remain in a state of ignorance and unbelief. If at any time any one of the aforesaid legatees be converted to the Christian faith, they shall immediately forfeit all their right and title to the above-mentioned legacies, and shall by no means enjoy any part thereof any longer than while they live and remain in legal blindness of mind, and hardness of heart.

Lastly, The comments and other works of that immortal and most miserable Doctor, Samuel Clarke; as also the books written by Mr. Elliot and Mr. Lindsey, together with the whole blasphemous system of Dr. Priestley, if they are found in my study at the time of my death, I will and desire that the same may be burnt at Tyburn within two hours after my interment, by the hands of the common hangman; for which act no more shall be given than thirteen "pence halfpenny.

Having waded through the settlement of these my

various effects, I do now, in my present decline of life, in presence of these witnesses undermentioned, vow and declare that all the aforesaid articles are bequeathed and settled exactly agreeable to my mind and will; and which I never intend to disannul, make void, cancel, or revoke; and as a proof hereof, I have hereunto set my

hand and seal this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-four.

TO THE

CHRISTIAN READER.

Good Christian, if thou hast perused my Will,
In search after learning, good language, or skill,
Disappointed you are, no learning is there,

My weakness has met your surprise :
But what tho' the author and language be mean,
You know there are readers as foolish as him,
And, if the Almighty should bless it to them,

Pray why should the scholar despise ?

Illiterate Christians may read and may pray,
And lead the benighted to stand in the way;
And each in his station be bless'd in his day,

But authors they never must be.
Truth is not confined to Masters of Arts,
The aged, or learned, or famous for parts;
She's known by the chosen, and dwells in their hearts,

Her gracious instructions are free.

A fable in elegant language may pass,
And dangerous errors, if learning's their mask;
The arrantest falsehood in many a class

Shall meet with the highest regard :
But Truth, if she's naked, can never be sham'd;
Allow but distinctions, she cannot be blam’d;
But, tho’ she brought comfort wherever she came,

She always has met with discard.

No ploughman, nor joskin, nor whimsical head,
To touch Holy Orders must ever be led;
But credit the clergy whatever be said,

If reason and virtue be there:
No feelings of enthusiastical fools,
But science and logic distill’d at the schools,
With Jewish traditions and heathenish rules,

These only must furnish the seer.

Good Enoch and Abel were otherwise taught;
The ancients with faith and with patience were fraught;
No chanting devotions by prophets were taught;

They never adopted the mode:
They worshipp'd the Saviour with only his own,
And preach'd him without either rochet or gown;
Yet none can deny but their gospel was sound,

And all their devotions were good.

Divine revelations were given of old,
And miraculous gifts to apostles foretold,
But visions of faith we are not to behold;

Nor to inspiration pretend.
The British divines, with their excellent parts,
Invested with titles and fitted with arts,
Have left us a rule for devotional hearts;

The whole is directed by men.