Application to their Works. They may ferve as fo many Shades, to fet off, with heightened Luftre the Beauty and Glory of the facred Oracles.

While I perufe Plato's ornamented Page, or listen to Cicero's flowing Periods, I am somewhat like the Perfon, who amuses Himself in a Gallery of painted Flowers. He is pleased with the curious Creation of the Pencil. But, finds none of that delicious Fragrance, none of those breathing Sweets, which meet Him in the Garden, and regale his Sense from the blooming Parterre.-So, here are brilliant Sentiments, and a florid Diction; delicate Touches of Wit, and bold Strokes of Description. But, no Discoveries of CHRIST JESUS-no Difplays of his ineffable Love-no Overtures of Reconciliation with the bleffed GOD. Nothing to yield Us folid Comfort, in our prefent State; or any joyful Expectations, with regard to the approaching Eternity.

Befides; when I converfe with thofe celebrated Geniuses of Antiquity, who were at once the moft erroneous, and the most judicious-the most judicious, in their Taste of polite Literature; the most erroneous, in their Apprehenfions of invifible Things; they fhew me, what they never intended, the inexpreffible Need of Revelation. They teach me to fet a higher Value on that ineftimable Gift. I blefs the diftinguishing Goodness of Providence, which has caft my Lot, not at Athens, but in IMMANUEL's

*

Land..

Alluding to the Story of the Philofopher, who used to blefs the Gods for three Privileges.-That He was made, not a Brute, but a rational Creature.-That He was born, not in barbarous Climes, but in Greece.-That He lived, not in the more uncultivated Ages, but in the Time and under the Tuition of Socrates.

<did not my

Land. I fay, with Wonder and Gratitude" Why Existence commence, in those Æras "of religious Dotage? Why did not my Heritage "lie in those Régions of Barbarism and Delusion? "Why am not I burning Incense to Idols; pay"ing fenfeless Adoration to fculptured Stone; or "worshipping, with deteftable Ceremonies, a Set "of lafcivious, debauched, and fcandalous* Dei"ties?"-Surely, Theron, from every Perufal of those Volumes, attended with fuch a Reflection, We shall see the utmost Reason to magnify the tender Mercies of our GOD; whereby the Day-fpring from on high hath visited Us †, and brought Us out of Darkness into the marvelous Light of the Gospel:

Permit me to mention another Benefit, which may refult from an occafional Correfpondence with those masterly Writers.-The Streams may lead Us • to the inexhauftible Fountain. Lead Us to admire the only wife GOD our SAVIOUR, who has given fuch a fhining Vein of Ingenuity to his rational Creatures. As I read their Works, and am L 2 charmed

* This, I think, gives Us the most deplorable and horrid Idea of the Blindness of our fallen Nature. The Heathens, even amidst all the Politeness of their Taste, and notwithstanding their fuperior Advancement in the fine Arts, were Haters of the true GOD, and robbed Him of his Honour: pay, what is unfpeakably worse, they paid it to Monsters-Monsters of Lewdnefs and Treachery, and Vice and Immorality. Egregious, fottish, almoft incredible Stupidity! To worship thofe Beings, which deferved univerfal Abhorrence! To deify thofe Characters, which could never be fufficiently detefted!

And Devils to adore for Deities!

+ Luke i. 78.

charmed with their Beauties, I would frequently reflect" If the Effays of a finite Mind, and the "Compofitions of a mortal Pen, yield fuch high "Satisfaction; what rapturous, what unknown De"light muft arife, from an uninterrupted Com"munion with infinite Wisdom? To stand-not "at the Feet of Homer, and attend the Flights of "his elevated Imagination-not in the Presence of "Solomon, and hear the Dictates of his fagacious "Soul * but, to ftand in the Courts of the "LORD, and before the Throne of the LAMB. "There to contemplate, without any interpofing "Veil, the Counfels of his unerring Providence ; "to have the Mysteries of his redeeming Love, "laid fully open to our View; and receive the 66 brightest Manifestations of all his amiable, his "adorable, his unfpeakble Attributes !"

Ther. These are Advantages, truly desirable, and equally obvious. Methinks, it surprises me, that I fhould never fo much as propose them; and grieves me, that I should fo long be deprived of them. A View to such very fuperior Improvements will, I hope, render my future Intercourfe with those favourite Authors, ftill more agreeable, and abundantly more beneficial.

But let me afk, what Paffage was engaging your Attention, this Afternoon?

Afp. The great Orator's Treatife, concerning the Nature of the Divine BEING +. That Part efpecially, which proves his Exiftence and Perfections, from the Formation of the human Body.

Ther.

Happy, fays the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, are thy Men, and happy are these thy Servants, tinually before Thee, and hear the Wisdom. ↑ De Natura Deorum.

which fand con2 Chron. ix. 7.

Ther. Don't You perceive, that the Orator is almost as deficient, in the Knowledge of his Subject; as he is mistaken, in his Ideas of the Supreme CAUSE? The exquifite Contrivance and inimitable Workmanship of the human Frame, were, in those early Ages, but dimly difcerned. It was the Infancy of Anatomy: when the very Profeffors had scarcely the Qualifications of a modern Pupil. Many of the received Notions, were childish almost all of them, fuperficial.

Afp. Will my Theron then entertain me with a more accurate Defcription of this wonderful Structure?

Ther. How could You take occafion, Afpafio, from the Hint I dropped, to conceive any fuch Expectation? It is one Thing to discover, another to correct, what is amifs. Many Spectators can point out an accidental Defect in fome celebrated Statue, or a fmall Indelicacy in fome valuable Piece of Painting; who are abfolutely incapable of retouching the One, or fupplying the Other. Remember the Cobler and Apelles *.

Afp.

As fome Perfons will be at lofs to understand the Meaning of this Hint, a Word or two by Way of Explanation, may, to them at leaft, not be impertinent.

Apelles was the most masterly Painter in Greece, perhaps, in the World. After He had finished any noble Work, He used to expofe it, in fome Place of Concourfe, for general Examination: Himself standing behind a Curtain, and listening to the Remarks, which the Spectators made. When one of his finest Pieces was, in this Manner, exhibited to public View, Multitudes flocked to the curious Spectacle. Among others, came a Cobler. Who, taking particular Notice of the Foot, cried out; "Here "Apelles has blundered. The Strop is too big for the

L 3

"Shoe."

Afp. I remember the Story, but without relinquifhing my Requeft. No; fince We are fallen upon this Point, I cannot, I had almost faid, I will not difmifs it, till I am favoured with your Explanations and Remarks.-Especially, as You have made this Branch of Science, a Part of your Amusement; and not without the Advantage of anatomical Diffections. Whereas, I have very feldom applied my Thoughts to the former, and never had an Opportunity of being present at the latter.

Let me alfo obferve, that our very Situation favours, or rather fuggefts fuch a Topic of Converfation. This deep embowering Shade has drawn a Curtain between Us and the World. All the fine Profpects of the Country are excluded. We have fcarce any Thing left, but Ourfelves, to contemplate. And shall this be the only Theme We neglect?

Ther. It is fomewhat prepofterous, I must confefs, to pry into the Receffes of Libraries; to ranfack the Cabinets of the Virtuofi; and carry our Search through the whole Compafs of external Nature.

Yet

"Shoe."-Truly, Friend, Thou art right; replied the Artift. There is a Difproportion; and it fhall be corrected. The poor Mechanie, tranfported with the Honour paid to his Judgment, muft needs deliver his Opinion upon other Parts of the Picture.-Hold, fays Apelles, with a fcornful Sneer; Ne Sutor ultra Crepidam. That is; "Cobler, keep to thy Lait. Here, Thou art a Critic; "elsewhere, an Ideot."

The Sarcasm paffed into a Proverb; and is very juftly applied, When human Reafon would brow-beat divine Revelation-When the moral Senfe would fupplant the Grace of CHRIST-When the Righteoufnefs of Works would, in the important Article of Juftification, share with or fet afide the Righteoufnefs which is by Faith.