ture exhibits him to their senses; yet, perhaps, he is not in any of their thoughts.

The sun, clothed in transcendent brightness, most illustriously displays his Maker's glory. The moon, though drest in fainter beams, has lustre enough to shew us the adorable Deity, and his marvellous perfections. The stars, fixed as they are at an unmeasurable distance, and lessened almost to a point, come in with their evidence, and magnify their Creator to a gazing but unaffected world.

The air whispers his clemency in the gentle, the refreshing gales of spring. If we take no notice of this soft persuasive address, the tone is elevated; the majesty of Jehovah sounds aloud, in roaring winds and rending storms; yet both expedients fail. Man is like the deaf adder, that stoppeth her ears; he refuseth to hear the voice of the charmers, charm they never so sweetly, never so forcibly.

Each flower, arrayed in beauty, and breathing perfume, courts our affections for its infinitely amiable Author; not a bird that warbles, nor a brook that murmurs, but invites our praise, or chides our ingratitude. All the classes of fruits deposit their attestation on our palates, yet seldom reach our hearts. They give us a proof of the divine benignity; a proof as undeniable as it is pleasing, and too often as ineffectual also.

In short, the whole creation is a kind of magnificent embassy from its Almighty Lord, deputed to proclaim his excellences, and demand our homage; yet who has not disregarded the former, and withheld the latter? How few walk as seeing him that is invisible, or have fellowship with the Father of spirits? though to walk before him is our highest dignity, and to have fellowship with him is our only felicity.

Ther. This is owing to inattention, rather than to any blindness or defect in man's understanding. The many works of genius which have Leen produced in various ages, are an abundant proof of his intellectual capacity. Have not the seas been traversed and the skies measured? Has not the earth been disembowelled of its choicest treasures, while its surface is beautified with towns, cities, palaces innumerable? What fine

arts are invented and exercised, and to what a pitch of perfection are they carried? Arts that seem, if not to exceed, at least to rival nature. It was the understanding which formed all these great designs, it was the understanding which contrived the means and conducted the execution. And are not these unquestionable evidences of her very superior abilities?

Asp. Then she is like some great empress, who conquers half the world, but is unable to rule herself; who extends her regulations into foreign climes, while her domestic affairs are involved in confusion. Do you doubt the reality of this remark? Set yourself to meditate upon the most interesting truths; how desultory, how incoherent are your thoughts? Charge them to be collected; they disobey your orders: rally the undisciplined vagrants; again they desert the task exert all your power, and keep them close to their business; still they elude your endeavours.

The other day I could not forbear smiling at a little adventure of your youngest son's; some quicksilver which happened to be spilt upon the floor, parted into several globules. The shining balls looked so prettily, he longed to make them his own; but when he offered to take them up they slipt from his hand. As soon as he renewed the attempt, so often he met with a disappointment; the closer he strove to grasp them the more speedily they escaped from his fingers. He seemed at first to be amazed, then became quite angry that the little fugitives should so constantly baffle his repeated efforts. Thus unmanageable I very often find my own thoughts; if yours are under no better regimen, this may convince us both, that all is not according to the original creation.

We apply ourselves to converse with the everlasting God in prayer; here one would expect to have the thoughts all clearness and all composure: But here We are not sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing as of ourselves. All those holy ideas which create reverence, or strengthen faith, or quicken love, come. from the Father of lights; should he withdraw his influence, all will be dull, and dark, and dead. It may

2 Cor. iii. 5.

be we are somewhat enlivened in this sacred exercise; before we are aware, perhaps in the very midst of the solemn office, our attention is dissipated; and not dissipated only, but scattered to the ends of the earth. The God of all glory is forsaken, and the devotion paid to some senseless foppery; a malefactor begging his life at the knees of his sovereign, and discontinuing his suit, in order to caress a lap-dog or pursue a butterfly, is but a faint image of the vanity which attends our devotional services. Reason, which ought to correct these irregularities, is treated like the incredulous lord; who, instead of controlling the unruly multitude, was overborne by their impetuosity, and trodden under

foot.

Since then the reins are struck out of our hands, and we have lost the rule over our own faculties, surely we are in a state different, very different from our primitive constitution.

Ther. However insensible to refined speculation, the understanding, when interest is in the case, is apprehensive enough.

Asp. In temporal, not in spiritual affairs; your younger brother, Theron, is a merchant. We will suppose him at the sea-side, within a small distance of the vessel on which a considerable part of his substance is embarked. We will suppose the vessel in the utmost distress, ready to founder with her leaks, or to strike. upon the rocks. If he discovers no sign of concern; calls in no assistance from the country; makes no effort to save the crew and secure the cargo, would you not think him bereaved of his understanding, or de prived of his sight? Could you conceive a more favourable opinion of his eyes or his intellect, if, instead of trying every method to prevent a shipwreck, he should amuse himself with picking shells from the ocean, or drawing figures on the sand?

We, and every one of our fellow-creatures, have an interest in jeopardy, unspeakably more precious than all the rich lading of a thousand fleets. Our souls,

2 Kings vii. 17.

+ Called therefore by the apostle, 'fleshly wisdom,' and opposed to the grace of God. 2 Cor. i. 12.

our immortal souls, are exposed every day, every hour to the peril of everlasting destruction; every temptation is threatening to their endless welfare, as a ridge of craggy rocks to a ship that drives before the strongest gale. Yet how unconcerned are mankind! Where is their holy fear? where their godly jealousy? where their wakeful circumspection? Rather, what a gay insensibility is observable in their behaviour! Or else, what a lifeless formality prevails in their supplica tions; their supplications to that Almighty Being, who alone is able to save and to destroy. Was not the human understanding both darkened and benumbed, we should see our neighbours, we should feel ourselves awakened into much the same earnest solicitude as the disciples expressed, when, perceiving the waves boisterous, and their bark sinking, they cried, Lord, save us we perish!'

But alas! in things of an unseen nature, though of eternal consequence, interest, that habitual darling of every heart, loses its engaging influence. Nay, when eternity, all-important eternity is at stake, even selfpreservation is scarce any longer a governing principle. What can be more deplorable? and if we admit not the doctrine of original corruption, what so unac countable?

Ther. This, I must confess, is true, with regard to the unthinking rabble; to them may be accommodated the remark of Augustus, who, when he saw some fo reign females carrying apes in their arms instead of infants, said to one of his courtiers; Have the women of those countries no children, that they are so fond of such despicable animals? The vulgar are so immersed in secular cares, that one might indeed be tempted to ask; Have those people no souls, that buying and selling, eating and drinking, engross their whole concern? But persons of rank and education think in a more exalted manner.

Asp. Do you then imagine, that an elevation of cir cumstances sets the affections on things above? or, that it is the peculiar infelicity of the vulgar to grovel in their desires?-Gold, I believe, is more likely to in crease, than to dissipate the fog on the mind. Abun

dance of possessions, instead of disengaging the heart, fasten it more inseparably to the earth. Even superior attainments in learning, if not sanctified by grace, serve only to render the owner somewhat more refined in his follies. But comparisons between the various classes of mankind are as useless as they are invidious: none, in either condition, attend to the things which make for their peace, till they are awakened from their lethargy by the quickening spirit of Christ. And even then we cannot but observe evident indications of much remaining blindness.

How apt are such persons 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 performance to win, not seeking from unmerited grace to receive, the inheritance of eternal glory; which is more absurdly vain, than to offer toys as an equivalent for thrones, or to dream of purchasing diadems with a mite. They are also prone to mis. apprehend the nature of holiness; are zealous to regulate the external conduct, without attending to the renovation of the heart: in outward forms elaborate; with respect to inward sanctity, less if at all exact. A la bour just as preposterous, as to skin over the surface of a wound, while it festers at the bottom, and consumes the bone.

Give me leave to ask, 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 ;'t when you hear or read of union with the blessed Jesus, or communion with the most high God; is their not a cloud, if not total darkness on your mind -How erroneous was the psalmist himself, in his judgment concerning the divine disposals? So foolish was I and ignorant, even

* John iii. 3.

t John vi. 54.

With regard to the mysteries of Christ, the greatest proficients are but obtuse acute, dull even in their acuteness. What says the wise Agur? an invaluable fragment of whose works is preserved 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 verses bespeak the very singular elevation and extent of his knowledge. Prov. xxx. 2. Conformably to the experience of this excellent man, I have always observed, that