tures; but those I shall cast into shades or hide under a veil. One particular you must allow me to add, which, like a sullen air in the countenance, throws aggravated horror over the whole. I mean an inclination to be fond of our slavery.

In other instances, the captive exile hasteth to be loosed. But here we prefer bondage to freedom, and are loth to leave our prison. Of this our backwardness to self-examination, is both a consequence and a proof. Self-examination, under the agency of the spirit, would open a window in our dungeon; would shew us our wretched condition, and teach us to sigh for deliverance. Why have we such a dislike of reproof? Because we hug our chains, and choose darkness rather than sight. Reproof is more grating than the harshest discord, though it tends to dissolve the enchantment, and rescue us from the tyranny of sin; while flattery, which. abets the delusion, and strengthens the spell, is music to our ears. Is not our reason, which should arraign and condemn every irregularity, forward to invent excuses, and to spare the favourite folly? Reason, which should unsheath the dagger, superinduces the mask; and instead of striking at the heart of our vices, screens them under the cover of some plausible names. A wicked habit is called a human infirmity; insnaring diversions pass for innocent amusements; a revengeful disposition is termed spirit, gallantry, and honour. Thus our reason (if, when so egregiously perverted, it deserves the name) is ingenious to obstruct our recovery, and rivets on the shackles, which our passions have formed.t

This the eternal wisdom foresaw, and therefore ut. tered that tender expostulation; How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity, and scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Even the

Isaiah li. 14.

+ Perhaps this is what our Lord means, when developing the human heart and discovering its latent enormities, he closes the dark account with appoσuvn, foolishness; implying that stupidity which has no sense of its misery, that perverseness which has no inclination for a recovery; both which render all the other evils far more inveterate. Mark vii. 22.

inestimable precious knowledge of an all-atoning and completely justifying Saviour; who preaches, who has purchased, and who works deliverance-preaches in his word, has purchased by his blood, and works by his spirit, deliverance for the captives-the wretched captives of ignorance, sin and death.

This I take to be the most flagrant and deplorable effect of human depravity, our aversion to the doctrine, the privileges, the grace of the gospel. Beware, dear Theron, lest you prove my point by shall I speak it? Would you suspect it?-your own practice. Zealous as I am for my tenets, I should be sorry, extremely sorry, to have such a demonstration of their truth.

Ther. You are highly obliging, Aspasio, to single me out for your evidence; yet why should the honour be appropriated to myself? It belongs upon the foot of the preceding calculation, not to your friend only, but to the whole species. If you were aiming at none but the licentious and abandoned, you would have none to oppose you but persons of that character. Your arrows of satire, would then be rightly levelled, and might be serviceable to mankind. Whereas, to put all in the black list, to mark all with the villain's brand, this can never be Christian charity; this is unsufferable censoriousness.

Asp. Let me beseech you, Theron, not to misapprehend my design; I speak not as a malevolent satirist, but would imitate the faithful physician. I am opening the sore, that it may admit the healing balm and should I perform the operation with an envenomed instrument? My soul abhors the thought. I must entreat you likewise to remember the distinction between a state of nature, and a state of grace. We are all naturally evil; such we should for ever continue, did not a supernatural power intervene, making some to differ both from their original selves, and from the genera lity of their neighbours. Are they refined in their temper, and reformed in their life? I grant it; but then it is the influence of the sanctifying spirit, which purges away their dross, yet not without leaving some alloy.

Ther. Here, Aspasio, you certainly strain the bow

till it breaks, since Scripture itself celebrates some persons as absolutely perfect. What says Moses the inspired historian?' Noah was perfect in his generation.* What says the God of Moses, who can neither deceive, nor be deceived?'Job was a perfect man and an upright;'+ consequently, their nature must be entirely cleansed from this hereditary defilement, and their character confutes your derogatory representations of mankind.

Asp. Those eminent saints were perfect; that is, they were sanctified throughout, sanctified in all their faculties. No one grace of religion was lacking, as in the new-born infant, there is a human creature complete, no constituent part of the vital frame is wanting: though each is tender, all are very feeble, and none arrived at the full size.

They were upright. This word seems to be expla natory of the preceding, and signifies an unfeigned desire, joined with a hearty endeavour to obey the whole will of God, excluding not all defect, but all reigning hypocrisy and wilful remissness. The interpretation, thus limited, is of a piece with their conduct; if stretched to a higher pitch, it is evidently inconsistent with the narsative of their lives.

Pray what was your motive for decorating the sylvan retirement, which sheltered us yesterday, with the statue of Elijah?

Ther. Because I thought his solitary life and gloomy temper suited that sequestered bower; because the memorable adventure there represented is, with me, a favourite portion of sacred history.

Are we pleased with spirited and delicaté raillery? nothing exceeds his pungent sarcasm on the stupid and despicable dupes of idolatry. Every sentence is keen as a razor and pointed as a dagger, yet wears the appearance of the most courtly complaisance. We may truly say, in the beautiful language of the psalmist, His words are smoother than oil, and yet be they very swords.'

Gen. vi. 9.

+ Job i. 1.

t1 Kings xviii. 27. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a God. Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.'

Are we delighted with instances of magnanimity? A single prophet, unsupported by any human aid, maintains the cause of truth against the king, his grandees, and hundreds of the apostate priests. He ventures to stake all his credit, to risk his very life, and, what is dearer to him than personal credit or bodily life, the honour of the true God and interests of his holy reli gion to risk all on the immediate interposition of a most surprising miracle.

Do we admire the triumphs of faith? his faith was in a manner omnipotent. He prays, and torrents of fire descend from the sky to devour his adversaries : he prays again, and the sluices of heaven are shut, there is neither dew nor rain for several years a third time he prays, and the windows from on high are opened, abundance of showers water the earth. On another occasion he presents his supplications, and God makes his feet like harts' feet; insomuch that an aged prophet outruns the royal chariot.

Asp. I commend you taste, Theron, and am particularly pleased with the reasons of your choice: but do not you remember, that even the wonder-working Tishbite failed in his resignation, and failed in his faith? Eminent as he was for mortification, he gave way to unreasonable discontent; and though a champion for the living God, he yielded to unbelieving fear. The man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth' yet he, even he was provoked in his spirit, and spake unadvisedly with his lips. Was not Peter the hero among our Lord's followers? yet he trembles, more than trembles, at the shaking of a leaf; he denies his di vine Master, scared by the voice of a woman. * 2 Kings i. 10. +1 Kings xvii. 1.

51 Kings viii. 46.

James v. 17, 18.

Elias," or rather Elijah, was a man subject to like passions as we are, James v. 17. Upon which passage an eminent commentator makes the following remark: This probably is said with respect to his fear and discontent manifested 1 Kings xix. 3,4. Oμоcoяaong must, I think, imply a state, liable to the irregular workings of passion, not free from the sinful infirmities of nature; otherwise it is an instance foreign to the purpose, does by no means answer the end designed, which is, to encourage the heart and strengthen the faith, even of frail, corrupt, offending' creatures. See ver. 16. ** Psalm cvi. 33.

Numb. xii. 3.

Look wherever we will, we find proofs of human depravity, reigning uncontrolled in some, making frequent insurrection in all. It is written on our own hearts by the pen of experience; the finger of observation points it out in the practice of others; even in the practice of those who have been saints of the first rank and of the highest endowments. Yet they were defective; defective too in that very quality which was their distinguishing gift, in which they particu. larly excelled.

Ther. While we are talking the day has insensibly stole itself away, and left us surrounded with twilight; which is a sort of lustre intermingled with darkness; no part wholly lucid, no part wholly obscure; an emblem, according to your representation, of the renewed soul and its imperfect holiness.

Asp. A very just one. Even where the gospel shines, still there is an incurrent gloom of corruption. Ignorance mixes itself with our knowledge; unbelief cleaves to our faith; nor is our purity free from all contamination. The prophet Zechariah, foretelling the establishment of the gospel kingdom, and describing the state of its spiritual subjects, says, It shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear nor dark. This, as to its literal sense, we now see exemplified in the circumambient atmosphere. With regard to its spiritual meaning, every true be liever feels it accomplished in his own breast.

Ther. While you are so vehement in decrying all human attainments, consider, Aspasio, whether you do not check and dispirit us in the pursuit of exalted virtue.

Asp. I suppose you never expected to be such an adept in geometry as Archimedes, nor so profound an astronomer as Newton; yet this did not check your application to the study of mathematics, or the contemplation of the heavens. Your brother, the merchant, I presume, has no prospect of amassing the

Zech. xiv. 6. 1 Cor. xiii. 9. For we know in part.' Perhaps this declaration of the apostle may be a key to the prophet's meaning; however, it is a sufficient confirmation of Aspasio's sentiment.