more. Had there been in this shadow an omission of the miracles performed, from viewing the present confused and divided state of the church, reason, properly exercised, would have suggested some miracle from heaven must be performed for uniting and preparing the church for the happiness which Christ has prepared for her. But to deny it, when it is so clearly portrayed in all parts of the Scripture, can only come from those citizens who, by such assertions and conduct, are saying, "We will not "have this man to reign over us." The buman heart is treacherous above all things, and desperately wicked; and if pride of learning and conceit of wisdom get in it, they will produce darkness and ignorance. The possession of great mental powers, richly cultivated with human learning, gives such superiority over those that are destitute of these advantages in the natural concerns of this life, and disposes the possessors to feel great confidence and take great consequence to themselves, and have it given to them by others. But the knowledge requi site to fit us for another life cannot be found in man, That must be taught each one individually by the Spirit of God, pure and unmixed from dependence on these men of talents, and will, in its fullest effects, instruct none but those that are humbled as little children. Nature teaches such to cry on feeling wants, without any eye to the means or persons, through whom those wants are to be supplied; and nature teacheth infants to shrink from strangers that could feed them sumptuously, and cleave to their parents' humble fare. So has the God of nature, in his gracious dispensations, taught his children that · they must shrink from strangers, who in human ap

pearance could feed them so sumptuously, and cleave to the provision he hath made for them. Natural luxuries fill the body with disease, and these (supposed) spiritual luxuries disease the mind. The Lord has shown us that with God it is not impossible for a rich man to enter heaven. That which we value above all other things is our riches,-whether wealth in money, covetousness of praise, pride of our attainments of any kind. They may all centre in one and the same person, and that one person may be humble; but the Lord saith, "how hard it is." If that one, be him whom he may, declares to the simplest of his fellow creatures that the adoption of his opinion or understanding is essential to salvation, he is not humble; he teacheth man to trust in man, and on that there is a curse denounced, that is darkness; Jeremiah, xvii. He may do it from a good intention, supposing his own opinion correct; but our good intentions must not contradict the word of God. If I exceeded all that ever lived in the knowledge of the will of God, that will not qualify me for being a pattern of another; Christ must be the alone pattern of all, and the Spirit alone can teach me how I am to be brought to the likeness of that pattern.

This dependence on man is taken up on an idea that those who are called to preach are guided by the Spirit of God. As far as regards the welfare of their own souls, if they seek it, they are; but as far as regards the eternal welfare of the souls of others, it is their duty, as before observed, only to tell them to take the Scriptures as their book of instruction, and the Spirit of God to enlighten their understanding, which Christ has said all may have for asking. If these were the instructions given from all pulpits, we

should soon have more life in worship, and more union in the church; and there would soon be some conviction of the necessity of miraculous gifts for the church (the substance), as with those under the law (the shadow). The groaning of nature would be intelligible, the cure become visible, and false reasoning corrected. Probably among those who reject revelation there may be found men as candid, as moral, and intelligent, as sound in judgement as any in the nation. Such a Babylonish jargon is made by the leaders of souls and guardians of Scripture, in their divided opinions, that as a very sensible and morally good Deist told me some years back, they conceive it entering a state of slavery, and exult that they are free. Such, when you wish to discuss the teaching of the Spirit, feel disgust; they conceive that such ideas have debased humanity; for, from them, men have been prompted to tear each other to pieces, where there has been nothing to cause it, till they were made to believe that they had received the Spirit of God to teach them right, and then thought it their duty to destroy all they supposed wrong; such, having for their guide the faculty of reason, can exercise it only on natural things. Such cannot believe that in the patriarchal age man lived to near a thousand years, nor can believe he ever will again in the kingdom of Christ. These tales are considered like a great deal that is now to be found in the professing world, the inventions of men, merely fabulous. They conceive, by looking at all natural productions, that every thing is subject to perish; and so far they are right,—but it is only because all nature partakes of the curse which man's transgression has brought on the earth. Let that be removed, and nature will wear a very dif

ferent aspect; the fair face of it will be one beautiful and blooming spring. Let man be restored, and he will be the same. Angels are created beings as well as man; they wear not out. We do not learn they were brought into existence on the condition as man, if they disobeyed to die,-but to be expelled heaven. Thus the fallen angels died not, but were expelled,driven from the presence of God; and, according to the sentiments expressed by the inspired writers, the death of man appears to be considered the same. This makes death called the grim King of Terrors. Yet man is taught by nature, reason, and revelation, to believe that some way or other he is immortal. Reason, unassisted by revelation, cannot tell where or how; nature, in a measure, teacheth, if we watch her, all her productions live and die, and die to live; even so is it with man till the curse is removed. Then will immortality begin. Man's opinion can neither help nor hinder it, and, as it regards the event, is of no consequence, but as it regards his interest in it, becomes of very material importance. By the submnission of man to the allurements of Satan, he, Satan, usurped the government of the world, and power of ruling over him, so man, by the allurement and light of the Spirit, must be made to see that Satan is the cause of all the ills of life,-is the author of that enemy, death; and have faith in the promises given of his recovery, and submission to be led as a little child by that divine principle in all things which regard that recovery. But there appears to be no way so effectually to darken men's minds, no way so suited to the policy of Satan, for prolonging his reign, as that of teaching mortals that they shall go to heaven at death. This cools the courage of many that might

make a powerful effort for Satan's expulsion;-this reconciles them to the death Satan has caused. If a thought of his expulsion take place, and the terrific things recorded in Scripture, which must arise to produce it, they, I suppose, consider they shall be exalted on some eminence, where, seated in ease and pleasure, they shall be the unconcerned spectators, look down below, and as the earth rolls round see what is going on on all parts. Some such thoughts as these, I presume, must fill them; and Satan will never tremble, nor his kingdom totter, while such are popular in the professing world. He will be safe and secure if he can but keep miraculous teachings from being given. The professing world is very favourable to him; they will not disturb his reign nor undermine his kingdom; they will get out of his way, jump into that place he was drove from, and leave the survivors for him to do as he will, or can with them. Is not this somewhat similar to that most grievous mistake, that the Jewish people made? They had been fifteen hundred years expecting the Messiah; nay more, for Jacob on his dying bed prophesied, and, from the nature of the prophecy, it must have been expected before: "The sceptre shall not depart "from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, "till Shiloh come; to him shall the gathering of the "nations be." From the tenour of these words, it is natural to suppose that this was not the first expectation of this personage, but information on record: yet after this long expectation, and repeated information of his coming, he was rejected;-all information on it was called delusion; and all that received the information, called deluders: and that on the very same ground that inquiry is now rejected: namely,