prevail, his gospel a superfluous, and even ugly excrescence upon it. There is a kind of wisdom, we are told on the best authority, "which descendeth not from "above, but is EARTHLY, SENSUAL, DEVILISH*." No wonder that men, who are taught, by their instructors, to pursue this wisdom, and, in effect, to reject the gospel at the very moment they are solemnly professing it, should become (like the wisdom which they cultivate, and which the Apostle so strongly reprobates) earthly, sensual, DEVILISH. Much of the profligacy of manners in the present century is to be attributed to the desertion of the religion of our forefathers, and the teaching of a Christianity which has not the SAVOUR OF LIFE, and was unknown in England at the reformation.

"Earthly, sensual, devilish," are the epithets which the Apostle uses: now let us turn from the written book to the living world. Can any impartial observer deny,

"

a

"recte gloriamur. Quod non contingeret, si id donum a Deo, non nobis haberemus. At vero aut bonoribus aucti, aut re familiari, aut si aliud quippiam nacti sumus fortuiti boni, depulimus mali, "cum Diis gratias agimus, tum nibil nostræ laudı assumptum arbi"tramur. Num quis, quod bonus vir esset, gratias Diis egit unquam? "at quod dives, quod bonoratus, quod incolumis. Ad rem autem_ut "redeam, judicium boc omnium mortalium est, fortunam a Deo · petendam, a seipso sumendam esse sapientiam.”

CICERO, de Nat. Deor. lib. 3. c. 36. "Multos et nostra civitas et Græcia tulit singulares viros quorum` "neminem, NISI JUVANTE DEO, talem fuisse credendum est.” Cic. de Nat. Deor. lib. 2.

"Nemo igitur vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino usquam fuit.”

CIC.

Cic. Leg.

"Hic est quisquam gentis ullius qui ducem naturam nactus ad vir"tutem pervenire potest." Both Cicero's and Seneca's sentiments on this subject are contradictory.

σε Δέονται ξυναγωνίσου θεου και ξυλληπΊορος.”

* James, iii. 15.

MAX. Tyr. Diss. 22

without affected candour, that there are many, whose conduct deserves these epithets? and can he deny, that they are chiefly among persons who seem to live without God in the world, and to be unbelievers in Revelation, though perhaps conformists to the church? Such persons seem to delight in evil; and, like the being from whom the last of these epithets is taken, to go about, seeking whom they may devour*. No man can be much conversant in any business in the world, especially where there is competition, without meeting with men who hesitate at no falsehood or baseness, and with I whom it is never safe to have either conversation or transaction. Plausibly pretending to courteousness, to friendship to every thing just, right, and amiable, they lie in wait to deceive and to injure. They will do wanton mischief, for its own sake. They will not only demolish the fair fabric of another's happiness, but laugh over the ruins which they have made.

How beneficial would it be for such persons, and for society, if their hearts were renewed by regenerating grace; if they could be persuaded to believe that there really is something more desirable than MAMMON ; something that contributes more to happiness, and the pleasurable enjoyment of life, than shew, equipage, liv ing in the eyes of others, and the indulgence of an unfeeling, self-idolizing vanity, at the expence of truth, justice, mercy, and every thing that gives solid satisfaction and real dignity. The grace of God would even

* Read, in the following description from scripture, how men ONCE degenerated, when estranged from God.

"So that there reigned in all men, without exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation; corruption, unfaithfultumults, perjury, disquieting of good men, forgetfulness ""of good turns, defiling of souls, changing of kind, disorder in - "marriage, adultery, and shameless uncleanness."

86- ness,

WISDOM, C. xiv. 23.-29.

It

ADORN them, make them more estimable and honourable, than the longest series of unmeaning titles, the most brilliant gems in a coronet, the most magnificent houses and parks, and most gaily-painted vehicles. - would do more; it would liberalize and soften their hearts, and make them MEN, such as the Creator intended them to be, feelingly alive to the charms of goodness, and to the touch of sympathy. The film

would be removed from their eyes; and while they consulted the peace and happiness of others, they would. see the things that belong unto their own. The horizon of their mental vision, now all sombrous and cloudy, would be beautifully serene. The stream of their lives, now a desolating torrent, abruptly dashing and foaming over its banks, would flow in its proper channel, smooth and clear, blest and blessing in its course.

Surely every thinking and good-natured mortal, who observes what a despicable and detestable, or rather. pitiable object, a man may becomes, however elevated his rank and affluent his fortune, when his heart is hardened, and he feels no sentiment of love to God, or kindness to his fellow-creatures, must wish to promote, and gladly co-operate with others in promoting, the prevalence of the true Spirit of Christianity*. This

*The true Spirit of Christianity can alone preserve the CHURCH and sincere religion in society.

"I must profess, that I believe the DEGENERACY from the "truth and power of the Christian religion, the ignorance of the principal doctrines of the Gospel, and that scorn which is cast in these, and the like expressions, on the grace of our Lord "Jesus Christ, by such as not only profess themselves to be min "isters, but of a higher degree than ordinary, will be sadly omi"nous to the whole state of the reformed church amongst us, if "not timely repressed and corrected. Dr. OWEN,.

The scriptures themselves attribute the corruption of religion,. and even the total loss of DIVINE KNOWLEDGE, to the reasonings. of men upon it: when they regard the outward, and neglect or despise the inward testimony.

alone, operating by grace, can restore the depraved, fallen, wretched creature, become by his perverseness,

There is no truth more clearly asserted in scripture, than that the things of God are not known but by the SPIRIT OF GOD. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of "God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know "them, because they are SPIRITUALLY discerned."

1 COR. ii. 14. "He that lacketh these things," (the graces mentioned in a preceding verse, particularly the partaking of the divine nature,) “ is "BLIND, and cannot see afar off.”

2 PET. i. 9..

Men wanting these graces, and this participation of the divine nature, we are expressly told, grew vain in their imaginations; professing themselves wise, they became fools; worshipping the creature (and among the created things is to be numbered the faculty of reasoning) more than the Creator. They spoiled the religion of Christ, through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, and turned the truth of God into a lie. This was in consequence of following the rudiments of the world, xaτa τα 501x8, according to the elements and principles of natural reason and philosophy. Wherefore the Apostle would have them dead to the rudiments of the world, for they are only the commandments and doctrines of MEN, vainly puffed up by their FLESHLY mind, and science falsely so called, consisting of foolish and unlearned questions, which served only to GENDER STRIFE, (2 Tim. ii. 23.)

The Apostle gives Timothy a description of human learning unaccompanied with divine grace; and says that "it is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of "words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the "truth." (1 Tim. vi. 4. 2 Tim. ii. 14.) He therefore bids him put them in remembrance, charging them, before the Lord, not to strive with words to no profit, but to the perverting of the hearer; for they will increase into more ungodliness, (they will cause infidels to grow more obstinate and disputatious in defence of their unbelief,) and their words will eat as cankers; (they will, by submitting the claims of Christianity to human reason only, eat up and destroy its very essence, which is divine.) Therefore

earthly, sensual, devilish, to his proper rank, as a rational, immortal being, and to the unspeakable happiness, for which he was intended by divine benevolence.

Mine is an humble attempt to promote the prevalence of the true Spirit of Christianity. In recommending the doctrine which this book particularly enforces, I know that I am justified by the holy scriptures*, by the church, by the tenets of the most learned and virtuous of the dissenters, and the greatest divines of this country, who have displayed their abilities, either by the press or the pulpit. I claim no merit, but that of endeavouring to rescue the true and most momentous doctrine of the Gospel from the neglect and contempt in which it has been involved, during this century, by false policy and partiality, expressing their rancorous hatred to sects, deemed, at various times, injurious to certain worldly interests, and temporary purposes of state. Christianity itself has been wounded by weapons, aimed only at men, whose political sentiments might perhaps be wrong, though their religious were, for the most part, strictly

he again dissuades, "foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that "they do gender strifes;" that instead of settling disputes, and confirming men in the faith, they provoke controversy, multiply doubts, and are ultimately a fruitful cause of infidelity. "If you "are determined to rely on reasoning," said the Tindals, Collins's, Morgans, Chubbs, and Paines, "we will accept your challenge, "and fight you with the weapons of your own choice." They fought; and in the opinions of many deluded persons, were often victorious in the field of syllogism.

It is a sad instance of imprudence in the leaders of our Christian warfare, when they give up the sword of the Spirit, and rely entirely on the govnμa cagxos for protection and defence. The doctrine of grace furnishes a panoply.

* "He who doubts it, quarrels not with our creed, but our "grammar; and instead of going to church to be instructed bet"ter, he ought to be sent to school." Bp. HICKMAN.