who brings with him balfam for the heart, and light for the understanding. The refult will be full evidence of Chriftianity, full confidence in Jefus Chrift, joy and peace on earth, and a lively hope of falvation. What a funfhine must a mind in fuch a ftate enjoy: how different from the gloominess of the fceptic or unbeliever; how fuperior to the coldnefs of the mere difputant in fcholaftic or fophiftical divinity! Such a man may not take degrees in an univerfity and be clothed in fcarlet, yet may he be crowned with celeftial glory, and have his name recorded in the book of life. If he turn many to righteousness, he may fhine as a light in the firmament for ever. With refpect to the efficacy of PRAYER in bringing down the affiftance, the ILLUMINATION of the Holy Ghoft, not merely in teaching doctrinal notions, but in directing the actual conduct of life, let us hear the declaration of LORD CHIEF JUSTICE HALE, whofe example I felect, because he was a layman, a man deeply converfant in the bufinefs, of the world, a great lawyer, and therefore may contribute to prove, that they who value themfelves on their worldly fagacity, and frequently confider the affairs of religion as trifles, compared with the contests for property and the concerns of jurifprudence, need not, in the most active life and most exalted stations, be ashamed of the Gofpel of Chrift. "I can call," fays he, " my own EXPERIENCE "to witness, that even in the external actions, "occurrences, and incidents of my whole life, I "was never difappointed of the best guidance and "direction, when in humility, and a sense of de66 ficiency, and diffidence of my own ability to "direct myself, or to grapple with the difficulties " of "of my life, I have implored the fecret guidance of "the divine Wisdom and Providence *." SECTION XXIII. Temperance neceffary to the Reception and Continuance of the Holy Spirit in the Heart, and confequently to the Evidence of Christianity afforded by Divine lllumination. T HE Apostle fays, Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excefs; but be filled with the SPIRIT†. The word arwTix in the original, here rendered excefs, correfponds with the Latin prodigalitas, which in the Roman law characterifed the fpendthrift and debauchee, incapable, from his vices, of managing his own affairs, and therefore placed by the prætor under the guardianship of trustees, without whofe concurrence he could perform no legal act. He was confidered as an infant and an idiot. The words of the Apostle may then be thus paraphrafed. "Be not intemperate in wine, One can hardly doubt but that Socrates was favoured with fupernatural affiftance, which was his DæмON; and, if he was, hẹ probably obtained it by prayer. Ην ο βίος Σωκρατους μεσος ευχης.-The life of Socrates was full of prayer. Η οιει τούτο εύξετο Σωκράτης, οπως αυτω χρηματα γενοιτο, η όπως αρχη αθηναίων, αλλ'ευξετο τοις Θεοις αρετην ψυχής, και ησυχίαν βίου, τη ζωην αμεμπίον, και ευελπιν θανατον. Do you think that 50crates prayed that wealth might fall to his lot, or that he might poffefs power over the Athenians, and gratify his ambition? No; he prayed the Gods for virtue of the mind, tranquillity, a blameless life, and death full of hope. MAXIM. TYR. Diff. 30. † Eph. v. 18. See Dr. Powel's Sermon on the text. "because intemperance will deftroy your reafon, "and degrade you to a state of infantine imbecility, "without infantine innocence; but be filled with "the SPIRIT; that is, let your reason be exalted, "purified, clarified to the highest ftate by the 66 co-operation of the divine reason, which cannot "be, if you destroy the natural faculties which "God has given you, by drunkenness and glut❝tony." I think it evident, from this paffage, as well as from the conclufions of reafon and experience, that all excess tends to exclude the radiance of grace. The mental eye is weakened by it, and cannot bear the celeftial luftre *. That great master of reasoning, Aristotle, maintained that pleafures are corruptive of principles (φθαρτικαι των αρχων); and many of the ancients were of opinion, that vice disqualified for philofophical pursuits, where the object was merely terreftrial and human, by raising a mist round the understanding, fuch as the rays of truth could not penetrate. It was for this caufe that one of them maintained "juvenis non eft idoneus mo"ralis philofophiæ auditor;" that, though youth is most in want of moral inftruction, yet, from the violence of its paffions, and its ufual immersion in fenfuality, it was the leaft qualified to comprehend, he does not fay to adopt or follow, but even to understand, the doctrines of moral philosophy. * Ωσπερ οφθαλμω λημωντι, και ου κεκαθαρμενο, τα σφόδρα φωτεινα δειν ουκ δέοντες ουτω και τη ψυχη μη την αρετην κεκτημένη, το της αληθείας ενοπτρισασθαι καλλος ο As it is impoffible for an eye, labouring under a malady which caufes a defluxion, to fee clearly any very bright and brilliant object, till the impurity is removed; fo it is for the mind, unpoffeffed of virtue, to reflect the beautiful image of truth. HIEROCLES, in Præf. ad Pythag. One One of our own philofophers philofophers, who in many refpects equalled the ancients, juftly obferves, "That anger, impatience, admiration of perfons, "or a pufillanimous over-eftimation of them, de"fire of victory more than of truth, too close an "attention to the things of this world, as riches, "power, dignities, IMMERSION OF THE MIND "INTO THE BODY, and the flaking of that noble and "divine firet of the foul by intemperance and ❝ luxury; all thefe are very great enemies to all "manner of knowledge, as well natural as di❝vine." I therefore earnestly recommend it to every ferious man, who wishes to be convinced of Chriftianity, to confider it in the morning, before either the cares of the world, or the fumes of that intemperance which conviviality fometimes occafions, blunt the feelings of the heart, and spread a film over the visual nerve of the mental eye. Devotion, pouring forth early in the morning her orifons of humility and gratitude, would greatly conduce to the happiness of men and the reformation of fociety. According to the present system of luxuri Dr. Henry More. + Igneus ille vigor.-That energy refembling fire. PROVERBS, viii. Si præceptor, HOMO, gravatur homini disciplinam bumanam committere, puta dialecticen aut arithmeticen, fomnolento, ofcitanti, aut crapulâ gravato; quanto magis SAPIENTIA COLESTIS dedignabitur loqui voluptatum bujus mundi amore temulentis, cœleftium rerum neglectu, nauseantibus?—If a preceptor, a mere man, hesitates to give merely human instruction; for instance, lectures on Logic or Arithmetic, to a pupil who is drowly, who yawns, or who is fick with the intemperance of yesterday; how much more will the heavenly Wisdom difdain to fpeak with those who are drunk with the pleasures of the world, and who, from a total neglect of heavenly things, ficken at the mention of them? ERASMUS. Verùm bæc impranfus.-These let him learn before the fumes of indigestion cloud over the faculties. HOR. ous indolence, many rife from their pillow at noon, with no other apparent view than to trifle away an hour or two, till the time comes for plunging again into the intemperance of the banquet, continued with little intermiffion till the midnight bell, when tired nature finks from mere wearinefs to repose, without inclination or ability for reflection. SECTION XXIV. On improving AFFLICTIONS duly as a Means of Grace and Belief in the Gospel.-Humility requifite to the Reception of divine Influence. A CELEBRATED divine*, on his recovery from a fevere fit of sickness, is reported to have faid, "I have learned, under this fickness, to "KNOW SIN AND GOD." He had ftudied divinity, during many years, with great attention; he had prayed and preached with great ardour; yet he acknowledges, that till the affliction of fickness vifited him, he was unacquainted with thofe important fubjects, SIN AND GOD; fubjects which he had fo frequently confidered in private, and discourfed upon before an admiring audience. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, faid one, who had finned egregiously in his profperous days, and who was rendered wife by adverfity. Afflictions, if fuffered to have their perfect work, will certainly become the means of grace, cause belief in the confolatory gospel, and ultimately * Oecolampadius. |