ferve evident Indications of much remaining Blindnefs. How apt are fuch Perfons to mistake the Way of Salvation? To place their own Works for a Foundation of Hope, instead 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 abfurdly vain, than to offer Toys as an Equivalent for Thrones; or to dream of purchafing Diadems with a Mite. They are alfo prone to misapprehend the Nature of Holinefs. Are zealous to regulate the external Conduct, without attending to the Renovation of the Heart: in outward Forms elaborate; with refpect to inward Sanctity, lefs if it all exact. A Labour just 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 afk, Theron; When our LORD declares, Unless a Man be born again, He cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven*: when He speaks of eating his Flesh, and drinking his Blood: when You hear or read of Union with the bleffed JESUS, or Communion with the moft high GOD: is there not a Cloud, if not total Darkness, on your Mind ‡? -How John iii. 3. + John vi. 54. 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 befpeak the very fingular Elevation and Extent of his Knowledge. Prov. xxx. 2.-Conformably to the Experience of this excellent Man, I have always Q4 obferved, -How erroneous was the Pfalmift himself, in his Judgment concerning the divine Difpofals? So foolish was I and ignorant, even as it were a Beaft, or as the veriest Beast before Thee *.-The Voice of Experience therefore will atteft, what the Word of Revelation has averred; That the natural Man, be his intellectual 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 Taste to relifh their Sweetnefs. Nay, though they obferved, that the more enlightened People are, the more they lament their Ignorance; the more they pant after à continual Progrefs in heavenly Knowledge; the more they pray for clearer, ftill clearer Manifeftations of the incomprehenfible GOD, and his tranfcendently rich Grace in CHRIST JESUS. * I queftion, whether Afpafio's Tranflation comes fully up to the Emphafis of the Original. The comparative Particle is omitted in the Hebrew. As foftens and palliates the Matter. Therefore the Pfalmift, to exprefs the deepest Senfe of his Ignorance, fays, I was a Beaft, yea, the verieft Beaft, mn, Pfal. Ixxiii. 22.-In Figures equally ftrong, and equally abafing, is this Blindness of our fallen Nature defcribed, by the Writers of the New Teftament. Men, in their natural State, are Children of Darkness; nurfed up by Ignorance, and totally fubject to its Influence. Theff. v. 5. They walk in Darkness; it is the very Element, in which they live and move. John xii. 35. Nay; they are not only in Darkness, but Darkness itself. Eph. v. 8. Their Souls are like the Region, which Job, with fuch inimitable Energy, describes; A Land of Darkness, gloomy and horrible as the Shadow of Death; where all is Confufion, without any Order; and the very Light, or that which fhould illuminate the difmal Shades, is the Blackness of Darkness. Job x. 22.-Let me clofe my Note, with the candid but weighty Sentence, which closes Xenophon's Hiftory of Gyrus. Ει δε τις ταναλια εμοι γινωσκει, τα είδα των ανθρώπων επισκόπων, ευρήσει αυλα μαρτυρωνία τους έμοις λόγοις. +1 Cor. ii. 14. t they are the pureft Light, and the most perfect Wifdom, to Him they appear, not only dark and obfcure, but even Foolishness itself. Would this be the Cafe, if the Understanding was not greatly depraved? Should it be difficult for your Ear, to diftinguish 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 Understanding, 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? 1 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 ask, Wherein does the Excellency of the human Will confift ? Ther. In following the Guidance of Reafon, 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 thofe robuft Animals are linked together, and yield their fubmiffive Necks. to the Draught. They have more Strength than twenty Men, yet are managed by a fingle Lad. They not only stand in awe of the Lafh, but liften to the Voice * See ROLLIN's Ancient Hift. Vol. III. p. 46. Voice of their Driver. They turn to the Righthand or to the Left; they quicken their Pace, or ftop fhort in the Furrow; at the bare Intimation of his Pleasure. Are We equally obedient to the Calls, to the Exhortations, the exprefs Injunctions of our heavenly LORD? The bleffed JESUS fpoke at the Beginning, and the World was made. He fpeaks by his Providence, and the Universe is upheld. When He fhall fpeak at the laft Day, the Heavens will pass 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 enkindled.-The Will, which, in these 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 should always ftand? Or the most desirable Direction, that can be given to its Motions? Afp. I fhould be glad, if Fact bore witness 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? 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 commodioufly formed, and judiciously guarded against the In *See Nat. Difpl. Vol. I. juries juries of the Weather. Some are defended by an Arch made of Earth, and cemented with a peculiar Sort of Glue. Some are covered with Rafters of flender Wood, and thatched with Rufhes or Grass. The Roof is always raised with a double Slope, to turn away the Current of the Waters, and fhoot the Rain from their Store-houses. They all beftir themfelves, with inceffant Affiduity, while the Air is ferene; while the Roads are good; and Abundance of loofe Grain lies fcattered over the Fields. By thefe Precautions, they live fecure, when Storms embroil the Sky; they want no Manner of Conveniency, even when Winter lays waste the Plains. Afp. Do We improve, fo diligently, our prefent Opportunities? This Life is the Seed-time of Eternity. Do We husband the precious Moments, like Perfons fenfible of their unfpeakable Importance? Senfible, that if We trifle and are indolent, they will be irrecoverably gone, and We irretrievably ruined. Sickness, We know not how foon, may invade Us, Pain may torment Us, and both may issue in our final Diffolution. Are We duly aware of these awful Changes, and properly folicitous to put all in order for their Approach?-We walk (alarming Thought!) upon the very Brink of Death, Refurrection, and Judgment. Do We walk like wife Virgins, with our Loins girt; with our Lamps trimmed; in a State of continual Readinefs, for the heavenly BRIDEGROOM's Advent? Thofe Ants have no Guide, Overfeer, or Ruler. Yet they prepare their Meat in the Summer, and gather their Food in the Harveft *. We have all thefe, yet neglect the Time of our Vifitation. * Prov. vi. 7. We have |