pleases him. Most commonly, however, the sinner, driven out of all his refuges of lies, feels an aching void in his soul. Unable to satisfy himself any longer with the husks of empty vanity, dry morality, and speculative Christianity; and tired with the best form of godliness which is not attended with the power of it, he is brought to a spiritual famine, and hungers after heavenly food. Convinced of unbelief, he feels the want of the faith of God's operation. He sees, that nothing short of an immediate display of the Lord's arm can bring his soul into the kingdom of God, and fill it with righte ousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Sometimes, encouraged by lively hopes, he struggles into liberty of heart, and prays with groanings which cannot be uttered: at other times, almost sinking under a burden of guilty fear, or stupid unbelief, he is violently tempted to throw away his hope, and go back to Egypt; but an invisible hand supports him, and, far from yielding to the base suggestion, he resumes courage, and determines, to follow on to know the Lord, or to die seeking him. Thus he continues wandering up and down in a spiritual wilderness, until the Lord gives him the rest of faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This evidence comes various ways.-Sometimes the spiritual eye is first opened, and chiefly, though not only, wrought upon. Then the believer, in a divine, transforming light, discovers God in the Man Christ, perceives unspeakable glories in his despised Person, and admires infinite wisdom, power, justice, and mercy, in the blood of the cross. He reads the scriptures with new eyes. The mysterious book is unsealed, and every where testifies of him whom his soul loves. He views experimentally, as well as doctrinally, the suitableness of the Redeemer's offices, the firmness of his promises, the sufficiency of his righteousness, the preciousness of his atonement, and the completeness of his salvation. 7 III. Though 1 III. Though I contend only for those discoveries of Christ which are made by the internal senses, because such only are promised to all; yet I cannot without contradicting scripture, deny, that the external senses have been wrought upon in some manifestations. When Abraham saw his Saviour's day, he was, it seems, allowed to wash his feet with water, (Gen. xviii. 3.) as afterwards the penitent harlot did with her tears. And Saul, in his way to Damascus, saw Jesus's glory, and heard his voice both externally and internally, for they " that journeyed with him, saw the light, and heard a voice," though they could not distinguish the words which were spoken. Sometimes also manifestations, though merely internal, have appeared external to those who were favoured with them. Hence we learn, 1st, That the knowledge of spiritual things, received by spiritual sense, is as clear as the knowledge of natural things, obtained by bodily sense. 2dly, That it is sometimes possible to be doubtful, whether the outward eye or ear is not concerned in particular revelations; since this was not only the case of Samuel, but of St. Paul himself. 3dly, That no stress is to be laid upon the external circumstances, which have sometimes accompanied the revelation of Christ. If aged Simeon had been as blind as old Isaac, and as much disabled from taking the child Jesus in his arms as the paralytic, the internal revelation he had of Christ could have made him say with the same assurance, "Now, Lord, let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." If the apostle had not been struck to the ground, and his eyes dazzled by outward light, his conversion would not have been less real, provided he had been inwardly humbled and enlightened. And, if Thomas, waving the carnal demonstration he insisted upon, had experienced only in his inner man, that Christ is the resurrection and the life, he could have confessed him, with as great a consciousness he was not mistaken, as when he cried out, "My Lord, and my God!" I am, sir, your's, &c. PACE Mrs. Veal's apparition to Mrs. Bargrave after death, TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THIS BOOK. 1. That there is nothing more dreadful than death to such 11. That in all the Heathen philosophy there are no solid III. Of divers sorts of death with which are to encounter, 36 IV. That Jesus Christ our Lord hath redeemed us from eternal death, and by degrees rescues us from a spi- V. Why we are yet subjected to the corporeal or natural death, and what advantage we thereby receive in VI. From whence proceed the fears of death, VII. The first remedy against the fears of death is, to VIII. The second remedy against the fears of death is, to IX. The third remedy against the fears of death is, to consider that God hath appointed the time and X. The fourth remedy against the fears of death is, to disengage our hearts from the world, XI. The fifth remedy against the fears of death is, to forsake vice, and apply ourselves to the practice of XII. The sixth remedy against the fears of death is, to repose ourselves upon God's providence, XIII. The first consolation against the fears of death is, God will not forsake us in our grievous agonies, XIV. The second consolation against the fears of death XV. The third consolation against the fears of death is, to meditate continually upon the death and suffer- PAGE XVI. The fourth consolation against the fears of death XVII. The fifth consolation against the fears of death is, to meditate upon the resurrection of our Lord, XVIII. The sixth consolation against the fears of death is, the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, and his sitting at the right hand of God, XIX. The seventh consolation against the fears of death is, our strict and inseparable union with Jesus Christ by the means of his holy Spirit, and the fruits of his blessed immortality, XX. The eighth consolation against the fears of death is, XXI. The ninth consolation; death shall deliver us from sin, the remains of our corruption, XXII. The tenth consolation is, the glory and happiness of our souls after their departure out of the body, 377 XXIII. The eleventh consolation; the resurrection of our XXIV. The twelfth consolation; the destruction of death, and the eternal and most blessed life, which we shall enjoy both in soul and sody after our resurrection, 449 The Meditations and Prayers at the end of each Chapter. An account of some remarkable passages relating to Mr. The duty and importance of inculcating religious prin- ciples among the common people of these nations, General, observations on the redemption of mankind by 513 FINIS. Liverpool: Printed by Nuttall, Fisher, and Dixon. |