tence.

cient to repel the force of every condemning senA little of this experience makes a man a sound preacher of imputed righteousness and gospel faith.

"Put in the breastplate urim and thummim," Lev. viii. 8; light and perfection. To consult God by urim, is to go, by the light of the Spirit, to the Father of lights, and fountain of light; and so to pray to him by the Spirit, and with the understanding also. A preacher of the gospel must be turned from darkness to light, before his light can shine before men, or he be called, with any propriety, a burning and a shining light; and thou must have thy candle lighted by a coal from Christ the true altar; no strange fire, no; nor any flame kindled by the devil, who sears the sinner's conscience as with a hot iron; this, and a stony heart, under his influence, cast the sparks of pride into a fleshly mind; vainly blowing it up like a willo'th-wisp. Such are the Arminians, wandering stars, now shining here, now there; how is a vessel of mercy to make her port under such wavering planets? However, this I clearly see, the farther they go the darker they get. I know several who are sunk so deep in despondency, that neither sun, moon, nor stars have appeared on their souls for many years together; and no small tempest lays on them; but it is meet that such, who keep hacking the cable of truth, should feel the need of an anchor of hope; and those that wilfully depart from realities, should end in a fable. "But the

path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

Thummim signifies perfection. To consult God by thummim is to go to him in a perfect Saviour; viewing one's self complete in Christ, and stripped of all confidence in the flesh: to be like Noah, perfect in his generation, is to be of the spiritual fraternity of God by regeneration. To be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, is to be changed, and renewed by the Holy Ghost, and to bear the spiritual image of God the Son; our heavenly Father being spirit only, and not flesh and blood as we are. All perfection in the flesh, which we daily hear of, is an absolute denial of the dreadful fall of man; a giving God the lie in his word of truth, and a contradiction of the whole cloud of witnesses. It leads us, first, to selfadmiration; secondly, to independency of God; thirdly, to self-confidence; and, fourthly, to selfdeification. These were the leading steps that Satan took when he left his own habitation; and when truth detected him for trusting in a lie he rebelled, and aimed at Divine sovereignty; adding this rebellion to his sin, all holiness and happiness left him; he was arraigned, and charged with folly, Job iv. 18; cast out of heaven into the bottomless pit; bound with the chains of his sin; and reserved to take a final judgment, with all his angelic associates; and with all that part of the human race, who should credit his suggestions, tread in his steps, and believe and die in his lie,

Jude, verse 6; Isaiah xiv. 12; Job iv. 18; Heb. ii. 5-8; Prov. v. 22.

By what I have said, we may see who is the author of this wonderful doctrine of sinless perfection. Howbeit, let us walk in the Spirit; and mind the things of the Spirit; and he shall change our vile bodies, and fashion them like the glorious body of Christ: then all mortality shall be swallowed up, when he who only hath immortality shall appear; all that die in gospel faith leave their flesh to rest in hope, Psalm xvi. 9. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;" therefore all who are made perfect in the flesh, all who trust in the flesh, glory in the flesh, walk in the flesh, and die in the flesh, shall awake in the image of Satan, Psalm lxxiii. 20; and that to everlasting shame and contempt, Dan. xii. 2. Such doctrines are dishonourable to the divine sanctifying unction from above, who alone anoints, sanctifies, and makes souls meet for heaven. However, if these dead flies, by self-holiness, endeavour to render the Divine Physician's unction unsavoury, it is just in God to let them fly into the devil's web, Eccles. x. 1. But you, my son, have not so learned Christ.

I will send thee the rest of my thoughts in the next letter; fare thee well: may the God of Abraliam, before whom I have walked, bless thee with "the precious things of heaven;" even "the precious fruits brought forth by the Sun," of Righteousness; "and for the precious things put forth

by the moon," the church; " and for the chief things of the ancient mountains," of eternal election; "and for the precious things of the lasting hills," of glorification; "and for the precious things of the earth, and fulness thereof;" together with the breasts of divine consolation, and the blessings of Zion's fruitful womb; and may "the good will of him that dwelt in the bush" be on the top of the head of him who, by grace, is separated from his fleshly brethren, Deut. xxxiii. 13-16; while I remain thy joyful and affectionate father in Christ Jesus.

LETTER VI.

W. H.

Winchester Row.

My dear Son,

YOURS I received with great delight. I approve much of your letter; you seem therein to put away childish things, and appear quite a man in divinity. I shall not answer that letter yet, as I intend to continue my comment on this chapter, which I hope you will not be displeased

at.

You know we have many ministers, who appear in the pulpit scripture-corrupters; therefore, do not marvel if God turns coalheavers into commentators.

Thummim and Urim, or light and perfection,

The

we proved to be Christ, the true light, and that Saviour who is perfect; so let the Thummim and Urim be with the Father's Holy One, whom he hath proved at Massah, or with temptation; and with whose unparalleled love to sinners Justice strove at the waters of Meribah, or with whom he disputed and quarelled, Deut. xxxi. 8, until vindictive Justice had spent his shafts in the Saviour, and retributive Justice appeared in the behalf of sinners. "And he put the mitre on his head," Lev. viii. 9. This mitre was ornamental. best ornament for a minister is a head stored with instructions from God, Prov. i. 8, 9. That minister, who cordially embraces Christ, our wisdom, in his affections, and extols him with his tongue, shall never know the want of an ornament of grace to his head, Prov. iv. 8, 9. "Even upon his forefront did he put the golden plate." Saving, purifying, and tried faith, which is more precious than gold which perisheth, will case over our foreheads with divine fortitude against every opposition; even as the adamant is harder than a flint, so doth God make his servants' foreheads against the foreheads of the wicked; without this plate we shall be awed by the fear of man, Ezek. iii. 9.

"The Holy Crown." A crown is an head ornament of state worn by sovereign princes. Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God, Rev. i. 6 and as kings we must reign over the flesh, and keep it in subjection; lest, after we have preached reigning grace to others, sin reign over