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ved of his Understanding, or deprived of his Sight? -Could you conceive a more favourable Opinion of his Eyes or his Intellect? If, inftead of trying every Mothod to prevent a Shipwreck, he thould amufe. I himfelf with picking Shells from the Ocean, or drawing Figures on the Sand?

We, and every one of our Fellow-creatures, have 1 an Intereft in Jeopardy, unspeakably more precious, than all the rich Lading of a thousand Fleets. Our Souls, our immortal Souls, are expofed, every Day,every Hour, to the Peril of everlasting Destruction. Every Temptation is threatening to their endless Welfare, as a Ridge of craggy Rocks to a Ship that drives before the strongest Gale. Yet, how unconcerned are Mankind? Where is their holy Fear? Where their godly Jealoufy? Where their wakeful Circumfpection? Rather, what a gay Infenfibility is obfervable in their Behaviour? Or elfe, what a lifeless Formality prevails in their Supplications? Their Supplications to that Almighty BEING,. who alone is able to fave and to deftroy.-Was not the human Understanding both darkened and benumbed, we should fee our Neighbours, we should feel ourselves awakened, into much the fame earnest Solicitude, as the Difciples expreffed; when, perceiving the Waves boiftrous, and their Bark finking, they cried; LORD! Save us ! we perish.

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But alas! in Things of an unfeen Nature, though of eternal Confequence, Intereft, that habitual Darling of every Heart, lofes its engaging Influence. Nay; when Eternity, all-important Eternity is at take, even Self-prefervation is scarce any longer a governing Principle. What can be more deplo-rable? And, if we admit not the Doctrine of origi nal Corruption, what so unaccountablęg

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Ther. This, I muft confefs, is true, with regard to the unthinking Rabble. To them may be ac

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commodated the Remark of Auguftus. Who, wher he faw fome foreign Females, carrying Apes in their Arms instead of Infants, faid to one of his Courtiers; "Have the Women of those Countries no Children, "that they are fo fond of fuch defpicable Ani "mals?"The Vulgar are fo immersed in fecular Cares, that one might indeed be tempted to afk; "Have thofe People no Souls? that Buying and "Selling, Eating and Drinking, ingrofs their whole "Concern?". But Perfons of Rank and Educa tion, think in a more exalted Manner.

Afp. Do you then imagine, that an Elevation of Ꭰ Circumftances fets the Affections on Things above? Or, that it is the peculiar Infelicity of the Vulgar, to grovel in their Defires?-Gold, I believe, is more likely to increase, than to diffipate the Fog on the Mind. Abundance of Poffeffions, inftead of difengaging the Heart, faften it more infeparably to the Earth. Even fuperior Attainments in Learning, if not fanctified by Grace, ferve only to render the Owner fomewhat more refined in ins Follies.-Bút Comparifons, between the various Claffes of Mankind, are as ufelefs as they are invidious. None, in either Condition, attend to the Things which make for their Peace, till they are awakened from their Lethargy, by the quickening SPIRIT of CHRIST. And even then we cannot but obferve evident Indi cations of much remaining Blindness.

How apt are fuch Perfons to mistake the Way of Salvation? To place their own Works for a Foun dation of Hope, inftead of CHRIST the Rock of Ages? Thinking, by their own Performances to win, not feeking from unmerited Grace to receive, the Inheritance of eternal Glory. Which is more ab furdly vain, than to offer Toys as an Equivalent for Thrones; or to dream of purchafing Diadems with a Mite.They are alfo prone to mifappre

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hend the Nature of Holinefs. Are zealous to regulate the external Conduct, without attending to the Renovation of the Heart in outward Forms elabo-. rate; with refpect to inward Sanctity, lefs, if at all, exact. A Labour juft as prepofterous, as to fkin over the Surface of a Wound, while it fefters at the Bottom, and confumes the Bone.

Give me Leave to ask, Theron, when our LORD

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declares, Unless a Man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven when he speaks of eating his Fleft, and drinking his Blood+ when you hear or read of Union with the bleffed JESUS, or Communion with the most high GOD: is there not a Cloud, if not total Darknefs, on your Mind? -How erroneous was the Pfalmift himself, in his Judgment concerning the divine Difpofals? So foolis was I and ignorant, even as it were a Beaft, or as the verieft Beaft before thee -The Voice of Experience there-

+ John vi. 54.

*John iii. 3. With regard to the Myfteries of CHRIST, the greatest Proficients are but obtufe acuti, Dull even in their Acuteness. What fays the wife Agur? An invaluable Fragment of whofe Works, is preferved in the Book of Proverbs. Surely, I am more brutish than any Man, and have not the Understanding of a Man: even though the following Verfes bespeak the very fingular Elevation and Extent of his Knowledge, Prov. xxx. 2.-Conform ably to the Experience of this excellent Man, I have afways obferved, that the more inlightened People are, the more they lament their Ignorance; the more they pant after a continual Progrefs in heavenly Knowledge; and pray for clearer, ftill clearer Manifeftations of the incomprehenfible GOD..:

I queftion, whether Afpafio's Translation comes fully up to the Emphafis of the Original. The comparative Particle is omitted in the Hebrew. As foftens and palli ates the Matter. Therefore the Pfalmift, to exprefs the deepest Senfe of his Ignorance, fays, I was a Beaft, yea, the verieft Beaft, n, Pfal. lxxiii. 22.

therefore will atteft, what the Word of Revelation has averred; that the natural Man, be his intellectua Abilities ever fo pregnant, or ever fo improved cannot know the Things of the SPIRIT of GOD He has no Sight to difcern their Beauty; no Tafte to relish their Sweetnefs. Nay, though they ar the pureft Light, and the moft perfect Wifdom, to him they appear, not only dark and obfcure, but ever Foolishness itself.

Would this be the Cafe, if the Understanding was. not greatly depraved? Should it be difficult for your Ear, to diftinguith the Diversity of Sounds; or for your Eye, to difcern the Variety of Colours; would you not conclude, that the Organs were very much impaired?

Ther. I think, you have treated the Understand. ing, as Zopyrus ferved his own Body +, when he went over to the Enemy.-Do you intend to mangle the other Faculties, at the fame unmerciful Rate?

Afp. That Nobleman made the Wounds, which disfigured his Flesh. I have only probed the Sores, which were found in the Understanding. If I have touched the Quick, and put the Patient to Pain, it is only to facilitate the Operation of Medicine, and make way for a Cure.-But permit me to afk, Where in does the Excellency of the human will confift? Ther. In following the Guidance of Reason, and fubmitting to the Influence of proper Authority. Afp. The Will, I fear, rejects the Government of Reafon; and it is undeniably certain, that it rebels against the Authority of GOD.

Caft your Eye upon that Team of Horfes, with which yonder Countryman is ploughing his fallow Ground. No lefs than five of those robuft Animals are linked together, and yield their fubmiffive Necks

* I Cor. ii. 14.

+ See ROLLIN's Antient Hiflory, Vol. III. p. 46.

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o the Draught. They have more Strength than twenty Meh, yet are managed by a fingle Lad. They ot only ftand in awe of the Lafh, but liften to the Voice of their Driver. They turn to the Righthand or to the Left; they quicken their Pace; or top fhort in the Furrow; at the bare Intimation of nis Pleasure.—Are we equally obedient to the Calls, to the Exhortations, the exprefs Injunctions of our heavenly LORD? The bleffed JESUS spoke at the Beginning, and the World was made. He fpeaks by his Providence, and the Universe is upheld. When he fhall speak at the last Day, the Heavens will pafs away, and the Earth be diffolved. Yet he fpeaks to us in his divine Word, and we turn a deaf Ear to his Addrefs. He fpeaks in tender Expoftulations, and no Melting of Heart enfues. He fpeaks in precious Promifes, and no ardent Defires are inkindled.-The Will, which, in thefe Cafes, ought to be turned as Wax to the Seal, is unimpreffed and inflexible as an iron Sinew.

Ther. The human Will is conftantly inclined to preferve, accommodate, and make its Poffeffor happy. Is not this the right Pofition, in which it fhould always ftand? Or the moft defirable Direction, that can be given to its Motions?

Afp. I fhould be glad, if Fact bore witnefs to your Affertion. But Fact, I apprehend, is on the contrary Side. I took notice, as we came along, of fome Ants bufily employed on a little Hillock. Have you made any Obfervations, Theron, on this reptile Community?

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Ther. It is a little Republic. They inhabit a Kind of oblong City, divided into various Streets. They are governed by Laws, and regulated by Politics, of their own. Their Magazines are commodiously formed, and judiciously guarded against the

*See Nat. Difpt. Vol. I.

Injuries

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