that is with the righteous; and all other secrets essential to salvation are included in it.

I have often observed that, when a letter-learned Atheist has taken pen in hand against a treatise of divinity, he has acted just as an ignorant bully would do with a reasonable man, discharged the vulgar spleen of his heart at the book, though never able to overthrow or disprove one truth contained in it with either sense or reason on his side; so that his bolt has only served to disclose the rebellion of his heart, and betray his ignorance of his Maker.

Ahimaaz. If God hides his mysteries from the wise and prudent, they can do but little with them. No man can counterfeit a thing of which he has no idea, nor can he disprove what he does not understand. If the Messiah hides his mysteries from a man, he has no knowledge of them; therefore he can never counterfeit them, nor disprove them. Such a man may be counted wise while he keeps silence: "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding," Prov. xvii. 28. "Wisdom is too high for a fool," Prov. xxiv. 7; therefore if he meddle with it, he "layeth open his folly," Prov. xiii. 16.

But pray give me a further account of Prodigalis; for it is the power of religion that warms the heart, as saith the psalmist; "They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom," Psalm cxlv. 11, 12.

Cushi. After Prodigalis had been indulged with a saving view of the cross, he lived some time in that open vision, until his soul was so meekened and

humbled under that affecting tragical scene, that he died to all earthly comforts and earthly things. The charms of his wife, the delight he had taken in his children, the pleasures of company, and the blessings of health, of sleep, and of food, were all insipid and unsavoury to him. Infinite fulness had entertained him with such divine satisfaction, that there was no room for a second course: God was all in all. And, though God has made every thing beautiful in its season, yet there was but one object beautiful and seasonable to him.

For many months he lived in this open vision, and spent his time in the pleasing element of silent solitude, until he pined after heaven, as the infant just weaned doth after its mother's breast. He was like the psalmist: "As the hart panteth after the water brook, so panted his soul after God," Psalm xlii. 1.

Ahimaaz. This is the blessed state of a restored soul; and he can do no less than love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength. The man sees his own salvation so precious, and himself such a debtor to grace, that the united efforts of every mental power are not sufficient to express the high obligation that such are under to God, nor the love and gratitude that are due to him.

Cushi. Why you talk like a sound divine; that is a most gracious speech, and a very true one. Howbeit, after Prodigalis had been long indulged with this vision of the cross, it began in time to grow dim in its lustre, and to get more remote from his view; and its appearing at a greater distance caused the sensations thereof to abate in proportion: but the Saviour sent him another Comforter, who gradually opened to his understanding the sacred and profound mysteries of

the holy Trinity; and led him up to the eternal counsel of Father, Son, and Spirit, in the economy of man's, salvation: These things afforded him fresh entertainment: and no wonder; for such astonishing and establishing views led the poor soul into joys unutterable: so that he rejoiced as much in the resurrection and glorification of the Son of God, as he had before mourned at the visions of his unparalleled sufferings. and death. The blessed Spirit shone like the sun on his understanding; revived his drooping heart; influenced his mind with life and peace; set his affections in a flame for God; and informed his judgment respecting those things which are hid from the wise and prudent. In short, he had a glimpse of almost all the essential mysteries, Mark iv.11. This kindled a becoming zeal within him, and made his heart overflow with "joy that is unspeakable and full of glory." Thus he was saved" by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which was shed upon him abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour," Tit. iii. 5, 6. He was a new creature indeed; "old things were passed away, and all things became new," 2 Cor. v. 17. His flesh seemed “fresher than a child's, and he returued to the days of his youth," Job xxxiii. 25. This made him desire no longer to appear as a candle under a bushel, or under a bed; but he wished to appear on a candlestick, that others might see the light, Matt. v. 15.

He began to speak cheerfully of divine things to his wife, family, and friends: "The law of kindness was under his tongue;" his conversation was savoury and powerful, and his zeal and knowledge were accompanied with a public spirit. He became a lively

companion to those who had any reverence of their Maker; a warm reprover of the wicked; an informer of the misled; a keen detector of errors; a sound scriptorian; a son of consolation to a wounded spirit; and a conspicuous prevailer with God in prayer. The order of his family visibly reflected the religion of his heart; he endeavoured to train his children up to useful learning; to make them dexterous at their pen; good accomptants; good grammarians; excellent readers; good geographers, &c. and to inform their judgment in these things, as well as to load, their minds with "great swelling words of vanity." These things, when accompanied with becoming prudence and good sense, make persons shine like stars in their own native country.

Prodigalis never suffered his daughters to learn to dance, to swell their breasts, or to stretch their necks with the cursed air of wantonness. He knew by woful experience the craft of the devil, that he would use every effort to get at their hearts and destroy their souls, without his giving him a clue. Nor did his wife gad about with a dress upward man and downward woman, as if they were a kind of mermaids; with a man's hat and wig and a woman's apron and petticoat-a dress becoming none but hermaphrodites. How odious does it look to see men imitate women, with a back to their coat after the fashion of French stays, and bows of ribbon to their shoes, like misses in their teens; while the women wear not only the beaver and the wig, but the coat and waistcoat also: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for all that do so are abomination unto the

Lord thy God," Deut. xxii. 5. God has excluded the cottish man from his kingdom: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate," 1 Cor. vi. 9.

I used to wonder what could be the reason of so many divorces and elopements among our married nobility; but it is not to be so much wondered at when we see so many act like the king of Babylon: -dress the wife for a show, and call for others to admire her, until her heart is imprisoned by one of her admirers; then she quits her husband, and sets her favourite to law with the injured man for a separate maintenance; and, if she carries the suit, which is often the case, then she keeps her humble servant at the expense of her injured husband. One would think these were all Nicolaitans, and that they were determined to have all things common. However, God will certainly "visit for these things, and his soul will be avenged on such a nation as this," Jer. v. 9.

Prodigalis acted not so; he endeavoured to lead his family in that way where he was the the most likely to meet with the blessing of his God. He used the means appointed, did his duty in his station, and left the event to his God; nor did his family like him the worse for it; for they saw the hand of God so visibly with him, that they feared him as his servant, and revered him as a tender and gracious father.

Ahimaaz. The man that puts his trust in God will surely be defended and honoured by him; for he is a wall of fire round about them that fear him, and they will surely burn themselves that attempt to op