to the Sole of whofe Feet, there is nothing but confuming Disease, and enfeebling Languors *.-The Rules of Civility, 'tis true, may fet a fpecious Varnifh on the Converfation. But until Grace, fanctifying Grace adminifters the Remedy, the most civilized Heart will be only like the pale emaciated Cheek, that is poorly enlivened with Paint.

Ther. What fay the Writers of the New Teftament? Is not their Way of thinking more liberal and benign?—If human Nature wore fo hideous an Afpect, under the legal Difpenfation; fince the Coming of our LORD, and the Publishing of his Gofpel, One may expect an improved and more pleafing Face of Things.

Afp. Human Nature in every Period of Time, and under every Difpenfation of Religion, is ftill the fame. It was the SPIRIT of CHRIST, who indited the Old Teftament, and He cannot vary from Himfelf, in the Declarations of the New.

I am very much inclined to believe, That all the bodily Difeafes, which our Divine PHYSICIAN healed, during his Abode on Earth, were so many emblematical Reprefentations of fpiritual Disorders. Which, like certain Family Diftempers, may be faid to run in the Blood of all Mankind.-Will you give me leave, Theron, to explain myself? I don't like to engrofs the Difcourfe. Yet I would willingly enlarge upon this Subject.

Ther. By all means. The Laws of Argument, separate from the Indulgencies of Friendship, give

you

Ifai. i. 6. Agreeable to this Doctrine, and confonant to this Metaphor, is the Confeffion of our Liturgy, There is no Health in Us.

you a Warrant to urge, whatever may fupport your Caufe.-Befides, I fhall be glad to hear your Sentiments upon a Point fo curious.

Afp. The poor Leper, covered with noifome Sores, is the very Picture of a polluted. Sinner. Was the One, for his contagious Impurities, feparated from the Society of his Fellow-citizens? So fhall the other, for his abominable Uncleannefs, be banished from the beatific Prefence: Unlefs He be cleanfed by the Blood, and juftified by the Righteousness of JESUS.

You pity the Condition of that unhappy Creature, who was born blind. His Eyes rolled, but rolled in vain, to find the dawning Ray. Such is the benighted State of the human Mind, till Almighty GOODNESS command the Scales of Ignorance to fall off, and pour heavenly Day through all the intellectual Faculties. Then, and not till then, we begin to know the Holiness, the Juftice, the adorable Excellencies of GOD.-We fee the fublime Purity of his Law, and the extreme Depravity of our own Hearts.-We are brought acquainted with the tranfcendent Glories of our REDEEMER's Perfon, and apprehend that most comfortable Mystery of his Subftitution in our Stead. We difcern the ineffable Perfection of his Merits, and the divinely rich Freenefs of his Grace*. Truths, incomparably more delightful to the Soul,

than

*This, and the preceding Particulars, are Leffons of the laft Importance in the Chriftian School. The Knowledge of them deferves to be molt folicitoufly fought, both by attentive Contemplation, and by earnelt Prayer. For, to know them, is to be truly wife; to be influenced by them, is to be fubftantially happy.

"the delectable Scenes of Creation are to

The Paralytic's enervated Limbs too truly reprefent the Impotence of our Nature. Was e unable to grind at a Mill; to run in a Race; or to turn Himself on His Bed? So unable are We, to fight the good Fight of Faith; to exercise the Graces of Christianity; or even to turn Ourielves unto GOD. -Do not you, my Friend, experience fomething of this Inability? For my Part I muft lay my Hand on my Breaft, and daily, hourly confels, "The Palfy "is Here. Though not altogether dead in Sin "(bleffed be CHRIST JESUS, and his quicken"ing SPIRIT!) yet how languid is my Zeal, "how enfeebled my Indutry, in the great Affair "of everlafting Salvation !-I would fain believe, "and with a full Affurance of Faith, the Promises "of the unchangeable JEHOVAH. But how "often do i ftagger through Unbelief!-I would "fain love, and with the warmest Gratitude, my

ever-merciful and moft beneficent GOD. But "Oh! what Coldnefs benumbs my Affections !"I wish to be humble in every Thought; hea"venly in all my Defires; and wholly refigned to «the divine Will. But, alas! my Sufficiency for "these Things, is like the flaccid Sinew, or the "withered Arm."

It would be endlefs to particularize all the Maladies, which were Emblems of our Mifery, and the Triumphs of our LORD's Power. Let me only remark-That their Bodies were afflicted with a fingle Disorder; our Souls labour under a Complication of Evils. They felt their Affliction, and were defirous, importunately defirous, of Relief. We are, till awakened

awakened from above, infenfible of our curfed State and our loft Condition. We add, alass! We add, to all our other Indifpofitions, a ftupifying Lethargy, or an extravagant Delirium.

Ther. Such allegorical Expofitions of Scripture are pretty enough. But, I prefume, You yourfelf cannot reckon them demonftrative. For my own Part, I muft appeal from the Surmifes of Fancy, to the Verdict of Reafon.

A. I cannot think, that the allegorical Senfe, when foberly introduced, is unworthy our Regard, or without its Weight. However, I have no Defign to preclude your Appeal.-Will the avowed, will the reiterated Decifion of an Apoftle, fatisfy my Friend, and be admitted as the Verdict of Reafon?-St. Paul has declared of Himfelf; in me, that is, in my Flesh, or unrenewed Nature, dwelleth no Good *; 110 good Temper, nor fo much as any good Defire.-Elsewhere he affirms; That the carnal Mind, or unregenerate Soul, is not fubject to the Law of GOL. Nay, is an Enemy, or rather Enmity itself + against what?-Against Sin? That were a noble Antipathy. Against the World? That were a l'audable Difaffection.

No; but against GOD and his Law. Amazing Perversenefs! To be Enmity against GOD; who is boundless Benignity, and confummate Goodness. Enmity against his Law; which is the Tranfcript of his amiable Perfe &tions, and the faultlefs Model. of all Virtue.

Ther. This, I fuppofe, is the Character of Saul the Pharifee, not of Pul the Apostle. Descriptive VOL. II.

of

K

* Rom. vii. 18.

+ Rom. viii. 7.

of his Condition, when He was "a Blafphemer, "a Perfecutor, and injurious."

Afp. It relates not to Himself alone, but is appli cable to All, who continue in a State of Nature.-The bleffed AUTHOR of our Being, fpeaking of Mankind in general, fays; That He is even Flesh*: mere Flesh, altogether Flesh, his very Soul, and all its Powers, are wholly enflaved to flefnly Appetites. The beneficent RESTORER of our Happiness, pronounces the fame Sentence, in the very fame Words: That which is born of the Flefh, is Flefb +: The Faculties, which Men receive by their natural Birth, have a vitiated Tafte, and a carnal Biafs. They relish not the refined, the heavenly, the godlike. They incline only to selfish Aims, and groveling Pursuits.-Our SAVIOUR reinculcates the Admonition, and illuftrates it by a very remarkable Allufion. You cannot forget his Answer to a procraftinating Difciple; Let the Dead bury their Dead : Intimating, that as many as are unfanctified by the HOLY GHOST, though poffeffed of an animal, are deftitute of the divine

Gen. vi. 3. The Word Flesh, by which the All-wife CREATOR characterizes Man, fignifies, in the facred Writings, whatever is difhonourable ie itself; provoking to GOD; or introductory to the Ruin of Man.-The Works of the Flesh, are a Compendium of all Iniquity. Gal. v. 19, 20, 21.-To walk after the Flesh, is the very Reverse of walking in the SPIRIT; diametrically oppofite to the divine Law and true Holinefs, Rom. viii. 4. -To be carnally minded, or to have the Influence, the Savour, the Relish of the Flesh (pomua Cape) predominant in our Minds, is the fpiritual Death of the Soul; and a Prefage of eternal Death, both in Body and Soul. Rem. viii. 6.