and plead the unfearchable Riches of your R EDEEMER's Obedience.

To thofe who believe, the Law, though ftrict is not terrible. Because, be its Precepts of Holiness ever fo extenfive, they have been moft completely fulfilled by their glorious SURETY. Be its penal Sanctions ever fo rigorous, they have been fatisfied to the utmost, by their great MEDIATOR.Believers, therefore, may make their Boast of their adorable SPONSOR. They may fit under his Shadow with great Delight*. While the Thunderings of Mount Sinai, and all the Terrors of the legal Difpenfation, tend only to increase and quicken the refreshing Senfe of their Safety. Juft as the Poffeffor of a plentiful Estate, in fome peaceful and profperous Country, repofes himself under the Shade of his Vine, or the Shelter of his Fig-tree; and, hearing of the Wars which embroil, or the Plagues which depopulate other Nations, taftes, with augmented Reliih, his own Felicity.

Let me close with the affectionate and emphatical With of an infpired epiftolary Writer. That the LORD of Peace may give my dear Theron Peace —always —by all Means +! Then I fhall think, my Wishes are accomplishing, and this Bleffing is at the Door, when he fees the Purity of the divine Law -fees the Depravity of his own Nature-and the Impoffibility of being juftified, without an Intereft in the great MEDIATOR's Righteoufnefs. That Righteousness, which, as it is the only Hope, and the conftant Joy, is therefore the darling Theme, of

Your ever faithful

ASPASIO.

P.S. Shall I abridge the preceeding Letter, and conVOL. II.

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* Cant. ii. 3.

† 2 Theff. iii. 16.

tra&t

tract the Whole into thofe two great Commandments, which made the firft awakening Impreffions on my own Mind? Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with ALL thy Heart: Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as THY SELF — Amazing! faid your Afpafio. Are these the Commands of GOD? As obligatory, as the Prohibition of Adultery, or the Obfervation of the Sabbath? Then has my whole Life been a continual Act of Difobedience. Not a Day, no, nor an Hour, in which I have performed my Duty. This Conviction ftruck me, as the Hand-writing upon the Wall ftruck the prefumptuous Monarch.-It purfued me, as Saul purfued the Chriftians, not only to my own House, but even to diftant Cities. - Nor ever gave up the great Controverfy, till, under the Influences of the SPIRIT, it brought me aveary and heavy laden to JESUS CHRIST.

LETTER II.

THERON to ASPASIO.

Dear AS PASIO,

TORE than three Weeks are elapfed, fince you Muted me with your improving Company. During which Interval, I have frequently recollec ted the most material Parts of our late Difcourses. I have carefully confidered, both the Doctrines you advanced, and the Anfwers you returned to my fe veral Objections.I have often reviewed your va luable Letter; have úfed-it as a Touch-ftone, to examine my State; and have, with great Punctuality, obferved your parting Advice. I have fat, every Evening, for a Picture of my Mind; and have en deavoured to take a true unflattering Draught of

all

all its diftinguishing Qualities. And, if the Diary is a faithful Mirror, if it does not aggravate the De formity of my Features, I fhall be abfolutely out of Conceit with myfelf; I fhall ever entertain the meanest Opinion of my own, either moral or religi`ous Qualifications..

Where is that intenfe and fupreme Love of GOD,*which his tranfcendent Perfections challenge, and his ineffable Goodness claims? — Where that firm and joyful Reliance on CHRIST JESUS, in any De gree proportioned to his infinite Merits and inviola ble Promifes? Where that cordial and tender Affection for my Fellow-chriflians, which is due to the Servants of a Divine REDEEMER; the People whom he ranfomed by his Agonies, and purchased with his very Blood-Where is the Incenfe of holy Contemplation and refined Defire? Where the Flame of fervent Devotion and ever active Zeal? Such as become the living Temple of GOD, in which bis most immaculate and glorious SPIRIT vouchfafes to refide. These fundamental Graces, like the grand Organs in the animal Syftem, fhould impartHealth to the Soul, and spread the Beauty of Holinefs through all the Converfation. But thefe, alas! far from beating with a vigorous and uniform Pulfe, hardly heave with Life; only juft ftruggle, now and then, with fome faint, intermitted, uneven Throws. How feldom do my Actions fpring from Gratitude to the everlasting BENEFACTOR, or aim at the Glory of his fuper-excellent MAJESTY? In addreffing the KING immortal, invifible, how languid are my Affections, and how wandering is my Attention? How great my Unbelief, and how little my reverential Awe?-I receive innumerable Mercies; but where are my Returns of correfpondent Thankfulness? I am vifited with many gracious Chaftifements; but without proper Refignation, or

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due Improvement.-Alas for my heartless Devoti ons, my lifeless Virtues, and the Multitude of my refined Iniquities!- Hid behind the Maik of outward Decency, and fome cuftomary Forms of Religion, I was altogether unacquainted with my fpiritual State. I fancied myfelf rich, and increafed with Goods, and to have Need of Nothing: even while I was wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked *.

If I look back, and review the Years of Youth and Manhood, what has been the Tenour, what is the Afpect of my Life? More like a defolate and horrid Wilderness; than a cultivated Garden, or a fruitful Vineyard.-In Youth, what fordid Gratifications of Appetite! In Manhood, what bafe Compli ances with a wicked World! In both, what Sholes of evil Inclinations have polluted my Heart! What Swarms of vain Imaginations have debafed my Thoughts! What frothy and unprofitable Words have dropt from my Lips!-By all which, how have I difobeyed, and how dishonoured GOD! How have I denied, and how crucified the LORD JESUS CHRIST!-And yet fuppofed myfelf, all the while, to be good enough!

It is fomething unaccountable, that a Person of my inquifitive Difpofition, fhould, through the Course of fo many Years, be fuch an utter Stranger to himfelf. I wonder at my own prepofterous Folly!-To travel into foreign Countries, and vifit the moft renowned Cities of Europe; yet never ftep over the Threshold, nor look within the Apartments of my own Breaft. To carry on a Correfpondence with my Friends, even in the remoteft Nations; and never enter upon a Conference, nor hold any Intelligence with my own Heart!-To inquire after News from the Fleet, News from the Army, News from the Court; yet exercise neither Curiofity nor Care, with

Rev. iii. 17.

with regard to the Hope of Heaven, and the Con-cerns of Eternity!-What egregious Mifconduct is this! A moft pernicious Error, in the Oeconomy of religious Life.

Sometimes, I have caft a tranfient Glance on my outward Behaviour; but never extended my Search to the Delinquent, the Traitor, the Rebel within.And even my outward Behaviour has been furveyed,with as much erroneous Partiality, as fuperficial Levity. It has been compared, not with that exact and fublime Standard, the Scriptures of Truth; but, as in the Cafe of the felf-deceiving Pharifee, with the unjuft, .extortionate, adulterous Practices of fome other People. From whence I moft unwarrantably concluded, That, being not quite fo abandoned as the most profligate Creatures, my Character muft be good, and my Condition fafe. But, Thanks to your laft friendly Letter, and the fearching Expedient it recommended, I am now in a different Way of think-ing.

It is ftrange to recollect, and indeed it is fhameful to confefs, the many Artifices which I have ufed, to put a Cheat upon myfelf. Sometimes, I have fancied, that the divine Law could never be so strict, as to condemn us inexorably, if we continue not in all its Precepts. Sometimes, I have pleaded the Infinity of our Nature, and endeavoured to make the Works of Darknefs appear only as pitiable Failings.-Sometimes I have taken Refuge in the Excellency of our Church, and plumed myself with the borrowed Fea-.thers of a religious Profeffion.-At other Times, I have foothed my Confcience to Reft, by a Punctuali ty of Attendance on Places, or a zealous Attach-ment to Forms. And all this, to feduce, cajole, and betray myself betray myself, firft into a vain Conceit of my own Endowments; then into a contemptuous Difregard of CHRIST; and at laft into

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