and all its truths are sealed up among Christ's disciples, Isa. viii. 16, and none but a spiritual disciple understands them aright. "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." And, though God writes his laws on the hearts of his chosen, and seals his testimonies among his disciples, and they preach out of their own hearts never so plainly, yet it appears a work which a self-sufficient man shall in no wise believe, though it be told him, Hab. i. 5.

The church calls herself a wall, Cant. viii. 10; and, when God by his Spirit writes his laws on her heart, as he did on the wall of Belshazzar's palace; and poor souls, trembling under the severe impression, run to men in supposed orders to read God's hand-writing on their consciences, they find a right reverend Father in God, by title only, or a carnal Master of Arts, makes no better out with the handwriting than the Babylonish magicians did with the words "Mene Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." They do not know the appointments of God in providence, therefore have no notion of God's numbering the years of a kingdom, and finishing it. They have never been put into the balance of justice, and therefore know not what it is to be found wanting; and, as they are not acquainted with him by whom kings reign, they cannot think it is he that gives kingdoms to whomsoever he will. However, Belshazzar's wife informed him that the Spirit of the

holy Gods was in Daniel, and he was the man, under God, to resolve doubts, and explain hard sentences: and such interpreters are so few, that Elihu compares them to one among a thousand, Job xxxiii. 23.

I have known souls go to carnal priests under their convictions for advice, and they have received very strange consolation for a troubled conscience. Some have advised them to read novels, in order to stifle an awakened mind; and, where this prevails, the wrath of God must awaken them, as it is written, "In hell he lift up his eyes being in torments," Luke xvi. 23. I have known others, who ordered the Bible to be taken from them; as if the promise of eternal life (which, in the hand of the Spirit, brought a prodigal to his senses, and the man bound among the tombs to his right mind,) were a trap to entangle souls for Satan. Such, in effect, as others have done, call the master of the house, and substance of the Bible, Beelzebub, and all his spiritual servants mad, and the snares of a fowler in all their ways, Hos. ix. 7, 8.

I have known other blind guides recommend wine to heal a troubled spirit: but it must be only the new wine of the kingdom that will refresh those who are of an heavy heart, Prov. xxxi. 6. Others I have known recommending wounded sinners to physicians for a blister to be put on their head; which is a very strange remedy to draw the sting of eternal death out of the conscience. One poor woman, at Thames-Ditton, who had never heard

the gospel, was sorely wounded in spirit, and carried her grievous complaints to a blind priest. What comfort she got I know not; however, when she returned, she threw herself into a well, but was got out without much hurt. Soon after this she went to another blind guide, of the same family, and then went home, and cut her throat. I heard of it, and went to the house, but was withstood at the door; yet, by long persuasion, I gained admittance, and told her most of the trouble of her heart. She said it was so indeed, and seemed very glad to hear of a Saviour; but before I could see her again she was in St. Luke's mad-house.

I got two godly men to go with me to the madhouse; but the woman who kept the key of her ward was (to my great grief and disappointment) one of the free-will stamp. She asked me if I belonged to Mr. Whitefield or to Mr. Wesley? Such questions being quite strange to me, I answered that I belonged to neither; yet I held the doctrine of Mr. Whitefield; in which case there was no admittance for me. Wretched work this, and so God will shew them one day or other; for they shut out the kingdom of God from among men. By freewill they cannot enter themselves, and such as are going they hinder. O my soul, come not thou into their secret, nor unto their assembly; but from all such blindness of mind, from all pride, vain glory, and hypocrisy, and from envy, hatred, and malice, and from all such uncharitableness, good Lord, deliver us!

This charitable spirit, or fleshly passions, which these free-thinkers imagine to be the ever-blessed Spirit of God, is, they say, to judge favourably of all, and to preach or exclaim against none. If a man holds a false faith, we are to think the best of it, though God tells us to " contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." If we find a man holds any error, we are not to level any threatening at him, it is uncharitable; nor to preach against him, though he refuse instruction. But God tells us to "cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease," Prov. xxii. 10. If a professor does not come up in life to the strictest of our sect, yet we must think the best of him, though God says, Mark that man, and have no fellowship with him.

God declares, a self-righteous pharisee is farther from the kingdom of heaven than publicans and harlots; yet we are only to judge of their lives; and, if they die insensible, benumbed, and past feeling, yet who dare judge them, or even mention any doubt of their happy end? that is uncharitable; though God says, The wicked have no bands in their death, and their strength is firm, Psalm lxxiii. 3; and that such lift up their eyes in hell.

If the doctrine of eternal election be offensive to any, who will have some ground left for boasting, we must let it alone, says Universal Charity, though

it is the leading truth of the Bible, and foundation of all others; yet we must leave it, rather than give an offence; though God tells us to speak his truth, and to diminish not a word, Jer. xxvi. 2. If we find any with nothing but a dry form of godliness on their tongues, and mocking God therewith, though they are void of grace, yet we must say nothing against them, nor their formality; though Christ declares, such shall receive the greater damnation, and from such we are to turn away.

If we find any in Arianism, we must judge favourably of them; though they differ in sentiment from us, says Universal Charity, there may be some good souls among them. So to be an universal lover is to please all men. The Arminian calls upon you to forsake the strong food, or every essential truth in the Bible; the Arian wants you to give up your God, and to bow your knee to a creature; the Antinomian calls upon you to give up the Spirit's quickening power, your daily cross,. and a tender conscience; and the Deist makes short work of it; he tells you there is a first cause, who had a hand in our beginning, but has nothing to do with our end, and declares that God hath forsaken the earth, Ezek. viii. 12. These are scoffers, who say, Is there knowledge of our ways in the Most High? Ps. lxxiii. 11.

The world has its main spring in itself, and all things continue as they were from the beginning,