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"Thought, make fure my Title to an eternal Weight of Glory?" Our Querift demands What good Thing fhall I Do, that I may inherit eternal Life? The Reply proceeds upon the Inquirer's own Principles. If You expect Salvation upon fuch legal Terms, know, that your Obedience must be nothing lefs, than a perfect Conformity to the divine Law. Perform all its Precepts, in their utmost Extent, in their exacteft Purity, and with an unremitted Perfeverance, then -But alas! fuch Perfection is too high for fallen Creatures; they cannot attain unto it. Neceffarily, therefore, muft they drop all fuch Pretenfions, and have Recourse to some other Method of Justification.

Ther. Why did that " WONDERFUL « COUNSELLOR," if fuch was the Purport of his Anfwer, exprefs Himself so obfcurely? Why did He not divert his promising Scholar from this fruitlefs Attempt; and put Him in the right, the practicable Way of obtaining Salvation?

Afp. This He did, with the finest Address, and in the moft fkilful Manner.-Had our LORD plainly affirmed, "You are worldly; "You are covetous; your Riches are your "GOD:" fuch a Charge would, in all Probability, have been as confidently denied, as it was plainly urged. Therefore He brings this fpecious

fpecious Hypocrite to a Teft*, which could not be evaded, and which was fure to difcover the Truth. A Teft, which laid open the palpable and enormous Defects of his fo much boafted Obedience. Which made it appear, that, instead of keeping all the Commandments, this vain Self-jufticiary had not obeyed the very first. But, amidst all his towering Imaginations of Himfelf, had been, and at that very Instant was, a fordid groveling Idolater: who preferred his tranfitory Poffeffions on Earth, to an everlasting Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven.-Could any Expedient be more fuitable to the Cafe? Or better calculated to reduce Him, intoxicated as He was with Pride, to a fober humble Mind? To beat Him off from his falfe Foundation, the Righteoufnefs which is of the Law; and lead Him to a Reliance on the promised, the expected, the prefent MESSIAH?

It puts me in mind of my Friend Sagacio's Conduct. Which feems to have fome Conformity with our LORD's Procedure; and may, poffibly, tend to illuftrate its Propriety.

-Visiting one of his unlearned Neighbours, He found Him in Company with a certain talkative Stranger; who was haranguing, at an extravagant Rate, on the Wonders of Aftronomy.-Sagacio foon perceived, that the chief Furni

* Matt. xix. 21.

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pears with an Air of Difproportion. Whereas, reduce the diflocated Part, and it will recover the Symmetry of its Shape; it will harmonize exactly with the animal Syftem.-Replace likewise these Affertions; confider them' in Connection with the whole Paragraph; and they will be found, if not Unifons, yet perfect Concords, with the Strain of St. Paul's Teaching.

What is the Point, which St. James undertakes to illuftrate?-To diftinguish a genuine from an infincere Faith. If a Man fay, He hath Faith; this is the Boaft of fome hypocritical Profeffor. So that the Apostle is evidently dealing with a Pretender to the precious Gift: and therefore replies, Shew me thy Faith: Prove the Reality of thy Claim: Prove it to me and to the Church, to thy Fellow-creatures and Fellow-chriftians. If unproductive of righteous Works, We must pronounce it fpurious, worthlefs, dead.

Having detected the Counterfeit, He proceeds to defcribe the Sterling. The grand Characteriftic of which is, A Frame of Mind and a Course of Action, correfponding with the Doctrine believed. By this Touchstone the Faith of our renowned Progenitor was tried; and, being tried, was "found unto Praife, and Honour, an

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Furniture of this extraordinary Adept, lay in a little Acquaintance with the technical Terms, and fomewhat more than a little Share of Affurance. How fhould He bring the selfplumed Sciolift to a little Modesty of Sentiment, and Decorum of Converfation? He took Leave to ask, "What the Word Aftronomy might

fignify?" The Orator was ftruck dumb in a Moment. He had never informed Himself, it feems, that Aftronomy related to the Order and Regulation of the Stars. This fingle Queftion taught our minute Philofopher, more effectually than twenty Lectures on the Subject. It taught Him his own Ignorance; and that He had the very Rudiments of his fo much admired Science ftill to learn.

Ther. What will You fay to those famous Paffages in the Epistle of St. James? By Works a Man is juftified. Was not Abraham our Father juftified by Works*? Can any Words be plainer in their Meaning? Or, can any Meaning be more directly oppofite to the whole Scope of your Argumentation?

Afp. This I would fay, Theron.The Paffages You quote, when detached from the Context, may seem inconfiftent with the Declarations of another Apostle. As a Limb, when wrenched from its natural Situation, appears

* Fam. ii. 21, 24.