ye are not come unto the [material] mount that might [not] be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest; and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more; for they could not endure that which was commanded; and, if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake," Heb. xii. 18-21.

Alas! said I, this can never be the shining mount, for it is covered over with smoak; nor can it be the summit of all perfection, it is rather the fountain of all destruction; it has blinded my eyes as bad as ever, and inflamed my soul with malice against God himself, instead of filling me with love to him; and, if a beast is to be killed for touching this mount, I can hardly expect life on the top of it; for, if an innocent brute be in danger, a guilty rebel can never be safe. In this dilemma I knew not which coast to steer, nor had I any light left; Moses's veil had quite blinded my eyes, nor could I tell who to inquire of. In the midst of my distress I put up this petition; "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments," Psalm cxix. 176.

In answer to this, I thought I heard a voice saying, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy command

ment delivered unto them," 2 Pet. ii. 21. This answer cut me to the very quick, and brought me even to the gates of death; for I was now fully persuaded that I was directed the wrong road, and yet I knew that the person who turned me out of the right way declared that his name was Charity. I thought, if Charity be not a proper guide to Heaven, who is? The man that walks in the path that love points out must be right; for we are commanded to walk in love; and love must undoubtedly lead to God, for God is love.

But, notwithstanding all my logic, I still heard the thunder rolling over my head, and discharging its curses as it rolled. I stood astonished at the dreadful discharge of the mount, but did not know how to account for Charity turning me out of the way, and yet I knew I was out. However, some circumstances occurred to my mind, namely, about his speaking so slightly of a crooked path, his dislike of the wall, the plowed field, the vineyard, &c. which my Lord most certainly mentioned, and that with an emphasis, and told me to set up his words as waymarks.

While I was thus musing there came another clap of thunder, and discharged its dreadful curse, saying, "Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark." This much surprised me, and seemed to level all its fire against Charity; but I could not be brought to think that Charity could ever err; or that he could be guilty of dealing unjustly with one that had been born blind, and

just brought out of worse than Egyptian darkness; besides, the very name, as well as the nature, of Charity, must be productive of every thing contrary to so base an action.

But, while I was thus busied in justifying Charity in my heart, there came another clap of thunder over my head, which discharged another curse in these words, "Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of his way." This fully convinced me that Charity, notwithstanding all his pretensions, had turned me out of the way of God, which greatly distressed me, and yet I knew not which way to take. I knew that I was to go into a vineyard, but, alas! there were no signs of that. O, said I, how soon is unwary man turned out of the way! And, instead of meeting with a blessing, here is nothing but curses, and a wilderness instead of a vineyard. But, ere I had done complaining, I heard a voice saying unto me, "He is swift as the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. He beholdeth not the way of the vineyards," Job xxiv. 18.

This whole curse seemed to discharge itself on the head of Charity, falsely so called, whom I had justified times without number. At other times I was ready to take all the blame upon myself rather than entertain a thought that my venerable guide could be wrong. The fault, surely,' said I, ' must lie with me.' But ere long I heard a voice, saying, "Turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities." I answered, "Turn thou me, and I

shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God,"

Jer. xxi. 18.

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As soon as I had put up this short petition I heard the voice of a man, saying, What dost thou

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here? I thought it was a voice that I knew, and asked who spoke to me? When, to my great surprise, I found it to be my good friend Evangelical. He asked me what I did there? And told me that I had gone all that way diametrically opposite to the right road. You have all this ground to go over again,' said he; and added, Did not Immanuel tell you to go on in that crooked path that you was then in, until it became straight and narrow; and did he not tell you to go to a large enclosed spot of ground, part fallow and part vineyard, with a shining hill at the end of it?' I said, 'Yes; and while I walked on that road I found my path to get brighter and brighter, Prov. iv. 18; but, since I turned out of that way, I have lost all my eye-sight.' Then said Evangelical, No wonder at that; the smoak of that mountain has blinded every legalist in the world. How couldst thou think of getting light where God has sent blackness and darkness? Justice dwells there in thick darkness, 1 Kings viii. 12. Thou wast ordered to go to Zion; instead of that thou art got to Sinai. The nigher thou gettest to that mountain the farther thou art from God. The pharisee is the closest adherent to that mount, and Truth hath said that he is farther from the kingdom of God than publicans or harlots.

'The damned in hell are just under that burning mountain, and they are as far from God as immensity itself can set them. Pray who told you to come this road?' I answered, He was a grave old man, who seemed, I thought, to understand the road well, for he brought forth many scriptures to me, yet I found an inward check when I stopt and listened to him; but, asking his name, and being informed it was Charity, my heart leaped for joy; I thanked God for placing him by the way side, for I was sure that he must be an able director; for, as one says, "Charity believeth all things." Then said Evangelical, Charity and you seem to be both of one faith; for Solomon says that "the simple believeth every word." And this is your faith; had you been one of Solomon's prudent men, you would have looked well to your way?'

'But,' said I, 'does not one declare that we should walk in love as the most excellent way? And, as Charity believeth all things, I cordially received his instructions; nor had I a doubt but I was right in following his directions; for who would have suspected Charity to be a deceiver?' He said unto me, 'You must know, my friend, there are two sorts of charity or love, divine and natural. A man, that has got the love of God in his heart, loves all them that have got the same blessing; He that loveth God that begat him, loveth him also that is begotten by him, 1 John v. 1. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren," 1 John iii. 14. On the other hand,