its literal Senfe, We now fee exemplified in the circumambient Atmosphere. With regard to its spiritual Meaning, every true Believer feels it accom→ plished in his own Breast.

Ther. While You are fo vehement, in decrying all human Attainments; confider, Afpafia, whether You do not check and dispirit Us, in the Pursuit of exalted Virtue.

Afp. I fuppofe, You never expected to be fuch an Adept in Geometry as Archimedes, nor fo profound an Aftronomer as Newton; yet this did not check your Application to the Study of Mathema❤ tics, or the Contemplation of the Heavens.-Your Brother the Merchant, I prefume, has no Profpect of amaffing the Wealth of a Crafus, or the immense Treafures of a Kouli-Khan * ; yet this does not difpirit Him in profecuting the Business, which brings Him both Opulence and Honour.

However, Theron, fo long as you deny the Impu tation of CHRIST's Righteoufnefs, I must acknowledge, You act a confiftent Part, in being zea

lous

derful Difpenfation, it shall not be entire Day, nor entire Night; but a Mixture or Interchange of both. Sometimes Grace triumphant, fometimes Sin rebelling, in the Hearts of Believers. Sometimes Calamity darkening, fometimes Profperity brightening, the State of the Church. However, at Even-tide, when fuch an Appearance is least expected, it shall be unmixed, prevailing, perfect Light. Then the Light of the Moon fhall be as the Light of the Sun, and the Light of the Sun as the Light of feven Days. Then fhall Satan be trodden un der Foot, and the LORD's People fhall be all righ

teous.

*The Treasures, which this Perfian Ravager, this áváritious Barbarian amaffed, in his Invafion of the Ma gul's Dominions, amounted to more than eighty-feven Millions of Money.

lous for the Perfection of perfonal Obedience. You ought either to acquire the One, or to accept the Other. Therefore, I fhall produce no more Arguments for your Discouragement; but shall comprize the Whole of my Anfwer, in the Motto to an Irish Nobleman's Arms, TRY. Or, if this be too concife, I will fubjoin, with a very little Alteration, the Words of a Jewish King; " When You have at"tained what You purfue, bring me Word again, "that I may go, and attain it also *.

→ Ther. According to your Account, the most advanced and established Chriftians, are but like a Company of Invalids. Does not this extremely derogate from the Honour of our LORD, confidered as the Phyfician of Souls? It feems to make a mere Nothing of Sanctification; and would fwallow up CHRIST the King, in CHRIST the Priest.

Afp. Invalids they are † : and such will continue, till they are difmiffed from this great Infirmary, and admitted

* Matt. ii. 8.

+ Do not the best of Men lament their Ignorance of the divine Perfections, their Slownefs of Heart to believe the divine Promises, and the Languor of their Gra titude for inestimable, for innumerable Gifts of the divine Goodness?-Do they not frequently feel Deadness in their Devotions, Disorder in their Affections, and various other Relics of the original Leaven ?-Do they not often complain, in the Language of the Apoftle, When I would do Good, Evil is prefent with me? And fay, with the earliest Chriftians, We that are in this Tabernacle da groan, being burdened. Burdened, not fo much with AfAiction: thofe Heroes in Chriftianity had learnt, to rejoice in Tribulation. But burdened with a Senfe of their fpiritual Infirmities, and with the Workings of their inbred Corruption. Which, to a tender and lively Believer, are the heaviest of Croffes, and the most galling of Loads.-Nay; do not the Heirs of Glory wash their

very

admitted into that holy, happy, bleffed World; Where the Inhabitant shall no more fay, I am either in Soul or, in Body fick *,

If the Cure was never to be completed, this doubtlefs would be difhonourable to our Almighty PHYSICIAN. But the fpiritual Recovery, begun on Earth, and advancing through Time, will be perfected in Heaven, and prolonged to Eternity,-Does this make a mere Nothing of Sanctification? No, but it makes room for a continual Progress, and affords Caufe for continual Humiliation. It referves a moft exalted Prerogative, for the heavenly State and beatific Vifion; and perpetually reminds Us of a most important Truth, That our prefent Bleffednefs confifts, not in being free from all Sin, but in having no Sin imputed to Us +.

This Imperfection of our Obedience, inftead of confounding, maintains a proper Distinction between CHRIST the King, and CHRIST the Priest. Whereas, if We were perfect in Piety, the pricftly Office, with regard to Us, would be fuperfeded. What Need of an Interceffor, to recommend our Prayers? What Occafion for an High-Prieft, to bear the Iniquity of our holy Things? If fome Taint of the original Leaven did not pollute our best Services ? VOL. II.

T

Neither

very Robes, even their faireft Deeds, and their brightest Graces, in the Blood of the LAMB? Which, if they were free from Spot, and void of Impurity, need not be made white in this facred Fountain. See 2 Cor. v. 4. Rev. vii. 14.

* Ifai. xxxiii. 24. + Pfal. xxxii. 2. Exod. xxviii. 38. Id eft, expiare Peccata, quibus fanc tiffima cæteroquin Actiones noftra inquinatæ funt.

WITS. De Oecon.

Neither does this detract from the Wisdom, from the Goodness, or from the Power of CHRIST. It rather administers to the advantageous Display of all these divine Attributes.-Of his Wisdom; in conducting the Affairs of his Church with fuch exact Propriety, that the Righteousness of Faith may have its due Honour, and the Sanctification of the SPIRIT its proper Efteem.-Of his Goodness; in carrying on the Work of Grace, amidst fo much Infirmity, and fo many Corruptions; and in crowning, with confummate Happiness, fuch frail undeferving Creatures. Of his Power; in extracting a Variety of Benefits even from

Ther. Benefits, Afpafio!-Can any Thing beneficial proceed from an Evil, which, according to your own Representation, is fo incorrigibly malignant?

Afp. It will tend to make Us lowly in our own Eyes. When We remember, that by Nature We are altogether become abominable; that the Remains of this hereditary Plague ftill adhere to our Minds; that no one Faculty of our Souls, nor fo much as a fingle Action of our Lives, is wholly free from this noifome Infection; how muft fuch a View of Ourfelves cover Us with Shame, and lay Us low in Abasement! Less than the least of all thy Mercies*, will be the Language of fuch a One's very Soul.

It will difpofe Us to compaffionate Others. How can We take a Brother by the Throat, and require faultless Perfection in his Behaviour, when We Ourfelves in many Things offend, in all Things fall fhort? Every fuch Confideration rebukes, what I may call spiritual Unmercifulness. It pleads for

* Gen. xxxii, 10

Ten

Tenderness and Forbearance to our Fellow-creatures. Is a Monitor within, and whispers that affecting Remonftrance; Oughteft not Thou to have Compaffion upon thy Fellow-fervant, fince thy Almighty LORD hath fuch renewed, fuch unwearied Pity on Thee*.

It will teach Us to admire the Riches of Grace. Shall fallen Creatures, that are taken from the very Dunghils of Sin, and rescued from a Hell of inward Iniquity. Shall they, notwithstanding their total Depravity in a natural; and their innumerable Deficiencies in a renewed State-Shall they be admitted into the Bofom of eternal Love? They be exalted to the Thrones of Glory, and numbered with the Princes of Heaven? This is Grace, tranfcendently rich, and divinely free indeed!

Will it not reconcile Us to the Approach of Death? This, methinks, like Wormwood on the Nipple, or Gall in the Cup, must tend to wean Us from the World. How can We be enamoured with such a Land of Darkness, and fuch a Vale of Tears? Or why should We covet, when Providence gives the Signal for our Departure, to prolong our Abode in thefe Territories of Disorder?-Surely, this must incline Us to leave them, every Day, more and more in our Affections; and at last, to leave them, without any Reluctance, by final Diffolution. Leave them, for that better Country, where our perfonal Righteousness will no longer be defective, like the waning Moon; but fhine forth with confummate Luftre, like the meridian Sun, in the Kingdom of eur FATHER.