clamation; and yet have no true savour, no solid experience, no real communion, of the truths themselves within him. What proves this is, that he is not the same man in the pulpit and in the world. The doctrines of the gospel will serve for orations as well as other topics; nay, will serve for the most exquisite orations, because there is more of sublimity and glory in thein than in any other. An author likewise may write about divine revelation, and all the mysteries of redemption, with precision, accuracy, force, and elegance, and yet himself be destitute of the main concern, which is, the faith and inward perception of these things for his own soul. I would deal fairly and closely with myself in this respect, as well as with others; and I will confess, that my light is far beyond my liveliness; and though I humbly trust that I have some little real life in my knowledge of God and his truths, yet I own with an aching heart, that it is indeed but little, too little, and much less than my inbred fondness for myself, or vanity, or pride, or conceit, (for, Lord, thou knowest, and I know, that I have all these in abundance within me!) will suffer me at times to think that I have. Perceiving, then, my own weakness, and the deceivableness of unrighteousness in my own heart, I am able to see, and yet to pity and bear with, the same infirmities and defects in others. However, no real believer can find much or long satisfaction in any notions or conceptions of divine truth, though very subtle, clear, full, extensive, and convincing, without something of a more substantial nature arising from them. He doth not despise head-knowledge, indeed, because by this he can see the wisdom of God; but he would have heart-knowledge too, because he wishes to taste, to enjoy, to be assured of his interest in, the love of God. He can no more feed upon words and syllables in his soul, than he can live upon air only for his body. The Lord, therefore when he imparts the demonstration of the spirit to a man, imparts it not in word only but in power: And so the gospel becomes the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. He cannot receive it aright without this power; he cannot live upon it but by this power; nor hold out in living and believing to the end but by the same power. This gracious feeding of the soul upon the things of God is its greatest enjoyment here upon earth, and one of its bright evidences for heaven. It is a secret holy act, carried on best without the clutter of the animal passions, or the intercourse of corporal things. The holy bread was eaten in the holy place, before the holy light; and all out of the air, or view, or correspondence, of the world.Thus, in the secret place of the Most High, the soul feeds upon Christ, beholds Christ, and obtains all its divine communion with the things of God. And when it hath thus tasted that the Lord is gracious, it loves to be with him, and says earnestly, as Peter did, It is good to be here. The carnal notion even of the best things will no longer satisfy or feed it. The bread of God which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the hungry soul, can alone satiate its cravings and completely answer its desires. CHAP. XXIX. ON THE SPIRIT OF SCOFFING. It is no less ungracious than unwise to indulge a scoffing temper in our souls. Pride and an unmortified opinion of self, joined with contempt of others, are the true origin of this evil. It is the more dangerous, and not so much to the scorned as to the scorning, when set off with wit and mimicry, point and satire. But attic salt is not the salt of the covenant; and, in sacred things especially, is not the true savour for a christian. It may be diverting to mimic and to take off others, in order to expose their foibles or defects; but how, and to whom, is it diverting? Is it to the humble, spiritual, and mortified mind? No, but to the profane and the carnal; or, at least, to what is carnal and profane in a christian, which is the very principle of all others, that he would not strengthen or encourage, but subdue. There is so much inhumanity, as well as irreligion, in this jeering temper, and usually so little good sense, that the christian is bound to oppose it both in himself and in others.---Chearfulness is his privilege; but surely he may be happy in his mind without planting thorns elsewhere; nay ceeds from the want of true happiness, if he it procan endure at any rate such a contemptible shadow of it.---True peace is gentle in itself, and glows most sweetly in diffusing gentleDess and kindness on every side. The happy Cristian would increase his own joy, by making, if possible, every one truly happy about him. CHAP. XXX. A GREAT POINT OF CHRISTIAN WIS- BIRY would do for God, nor crush the evil things that he would not do, within himself. These opposite principles have two opposite laws, or rules, of action and power. The inclination and effect of the one are constantly directed to self, and to carnal things for the indulgence of self and those of the other, to God, and to spiritual things for the glory of God. Men under nature, having only one of these principles, cannot, in their natural state, discern the other. It is by grace, as by a rule, that they are able to measure nature, and to know the tendencies and proportions of both grace and nature, within themselves. He that is spiritual, judgeth, or discerneth, all things; yet he himself is judged of no man. Nature in the christian is for cleaving to sense, to its own doings, and to its own powers, even in religion: But grace in his soul is for living by faith, above and often against the feelings of sense, upon the truth as it is in Jesus, and upon his work and working, for life and salvation. Nature loves to show and set off itself, and to be admired as excellent, eminent, wise, and great in the eyes of men. Grace doth not set much by itself, but is lowly and humble, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, dreads the applauses of men, and enables the soul to see, that it is so utterly weak and poor, as well as vile, that it must receive out of the fulness of Christ every one of its |