The minuteness of these observations may seem tedious, but we have been led to them from the persuasion, that a greater attention to the analogy which subsists between the treatment of the body under danger or disease, and the gospel scheme of salvation, would very much increase the accuracy of our ideas on religious subjects. Salvation from bodily disease is frequently expressed by the word "life:" "Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."-" And he besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall five." In which last instance," she shall live," is used as explanatory of "that she may be healed." Life in these cases evidently signifies the full exercise of the animal faculties, and when it follows sickness, is synonymous with a confirmed cure. This same salvation is also expressed by the term "loosing," or freeing from the bondage of pain: "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?"

We now proceed to consider the import of the term salvation when applied to the soul. Salvation, when applied to the soul, refers also to two kinds of evils which, though different in their nature, are yet always conjoined the one being external to the soul, the other internal-the first consisting in the sentence of God against the soul, on account of dis

obedience, the second consisting in the diseased and depraved state of the soul itself.

The first of these evils, namely, the sentence of God against the soul on account of disobedience, consists in an eternal exclusion from the family and favour of God. The second evil, namely, the diseased state of the soul itself, consists in that disposition which leads to disobedience. Salvation from the first of these evils may be termed a judicial acquittal. Salvation from the second, a recovery of spiritual health.

In order to understand and adore the wisdom of God in redemption, it is necessary to understand the way in which these two kinds of salvation are connected, for they are never disjoined. Now there are two ways in which things may be conjoined, namely, by arbitrary connection, and by natural connection. As an instance of the first, we may take the obligation under which a man lies to take certain oaths, when he is intrusted with certain offices under government. There is no natural or necessary connection between these two things, the connection arises out of law or usage: the man may take the oaths without getting the office. As instances of the second, we may take the connection which subsists between a man's being a father, and having a kindness for his children, or between a man's receiving a favour and feeling gratitude.

It may here be argued, with justice, that as God is the God of nature, every connection which he appoints becomes a natural connection. This is not denied, and all that is meant here by natural connec

tion is such a relation between two things, that to our minds the existence of the one appears indispensable to the existence of the other, or at least that the existence of the one appears to us, in the ordinary course of things, to lead to the existence of the other.

Let us now take a short view of the gospel system, that we may perceive how the two kinds of salvation therein revealed are connected, that is, how pardon through a Saviour is connected with the recovery of spiritual health, and also that we may perceive which of the two is the ultimate object in God's dealings with men.

The Bible informs us that man has fallen from God's favour, and from his own natural happiness, by having a will different from God's will, and by acquiring a character and pursuing a conduct opposite to God's character and conduct. Mere pardon to a creature in this situation would be comparatively of small consequence, because his unhappiness arose necessarily out of his character, and, therefore, unless his character were changed, his unhappiness remained the same. The enjoyments of God's family were things contrary to his corrupted taste and choice, and, therefore, his free admission into them, could be no blessing to him. In order to his happiness, the restoration of his lost privileges must be accompanied by a restoration of the capacity to enjoy them. For this reason, when God invited his rebellious creatures to return to his favour and family, he did it in such a way, that the soul which truly accepted of the invitation, imbibed at the same time, the principles of a new character.

There is a difference between the body and the mind which should here be taken notice of. The body may be perfectly capable of enjoyment, and yet at the same time perfectly miserable, in consequence of being precluded from the means of enjoyment. Thus a man in a perfect state of health may be made unhappy by being fettered in a noisome dungeon, where he is debarred from the exercise of those animal faculties, the gratification of which constitutes animal enjoyment. But we cannot apply this reasoning to the mind.

A perfectly healthful state of mind, according to the appointment of him who changeth not, is inseparably connected with mental enjoyment. The happiness of God arises necessarily out of his character, and the mental health of intelligent creatures, which is in fact nothing more nor less than a resemblance to the character of God, must also be inseparably connected with happiness. So that perfect mental health is not simply the capacity for enjoyment; it may perhaps more properly be said to constitute enjoyment itself.

The same,

or similar causes, must produce the same or similar effects, and if the character of God is the cause of his happiness, a similar character, (with reverence be it spoken) must produce a similar happiness. And this happiness can be produced by no other character, for that would be to suppose that opposite causes could produce the same effects.

If this be so, it follows, that a restoration to spiritual health, or conformity to the divine character, is the ultimate object of God in his dealings with the children of men. Whatever else God hath done

with regard to men, has been subsidiary, and with a view to this; even the unspeakable work of Christ, and pardon freely offered through his cross, have been but means to a farther end; and that end is, that the adopted children of the family of God might be conformed to the likeness of their elder brother -that they might resemble him in character, and thus enter into his joy. This is spiritual health, and it is acquired by the blessing of God upon the reception and faithful use of the means which he hath appointed and made known to us in the history of his mercy through a Saviour. Free offer of pardon through the Son of God is termed salvation, just in the same way that a medicine is, in common language, called a cure; that is, they do not strictly constitute salvation-they only produce it. Before entering on the consideration of those passages which confirm this view of the subject, we shall endeavour to make our meaning more distinctly understood. It must be remembered always, that the love of God with the whole heart, is not only the sum of all that duty which is positively enjoined on us by the divine law, under an awful penalty, but also, that it is the only principle which can produce or maintain spiritual health. Our failure, therefore, in obedience to this law of love, not only exposes us to the penalty denounced against disobedience, but also plants in our souls the seeds of disease.

Let us suppose, that the inhabitants of any district were liable to an epidemic disorder, which, from the partial derangement accompanying it, naturally unfitted its victims for the exercise of civil rights;