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Think ye God has ceased to be a Spirit, and no more demands to be worshipped in spirit and in truth, but, like the idols of old, with the fooleries of men? Are the graces of the Holy Ghost converted into bodily gestures? and can your being veiled in a mournful manner deceive him who seeth through the thick darkness? Think ye, the carrying a piece of wood, in the form of a cross, through your city, will awe the earthquake into eternal silence? or will God look down propitious on the image of your saint and patroness, which ye have made, in breach of his own express com. mand? Our blessings must come through his hands that suffered on the cross, and for his sake, but we must expect nothing from the cross itself. Of old the doctrine of the cross was foolishness to Jews and heathen Greeks; but now the cross, while its divine doctrine is dropped, is very folly among nominal Christians.

Now, if God, who has another time to judge, should, in his general forbearance and common mercy, not send a second shock, how will they be persuaded of the prevalency of their procession, and thus be hardened in their superstition and delusion! O with what fervour, for it is the interest of Christ; with what constancy, for souls are precious; with what tenderness, for they are our fellow-creatures and brethren, should all the reformed churches pray for the destruction of the man of sin, and the fall of Babylon, that nations who have nothing but shadows for substance, rites for religion, and the inventions of men for the doctrines of truth, may walk in the light, and enjoy the liberry of the glorious gospel!

But shall I forget the special favour of Heaven to me? for it was not by chance that I was born

in a Protestant land, but by the good will of him who hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of the habitation of every individual under the sun.

MEDITATION CVIII.

SAILING IN THE TORRID ZONE.

April 11. 1761.

WHAT extremes are found on this little ball that is hung upon nothing! Here nations tremble among mountains of ice, and deluges of snow; there kingdoms pant under a scorching sun, and breathe in a sultry air; while others (though perhaps not better pleased with their situation than the former) have but a moderate degree of either. It fares the same way with the rational world as it does with the terrestrial globe; here some live in chilling penury, there others wanton in enfeebling luxury and wealth, while some have the golden mean, the desirable sufficiency, and yet, like the inhabitants of the temperate zone, are scarce content with their situation, or thankful for the mercies of their lot. The inhabitants of one country think that another country abounds with the plenty of the universe; but he that tries all, finds a deficiency in each. But whatever difference there be among men with respect to the bounds of their ha bitation, surely the whole world dwell either under Sinai's tremendous thunderings, or Zion's peaceful voice. The situation of the one is terrible, but of the other triumphant. And what is awfully surprising, is, that though the thunders are both loud

and long, yet, being asleep in sin, they hear them not, and so bless their state, till the terrors of death rouze every organ to be, with the deepest anguish, attentive to the everlasting thunderings of an avenging God. But the still small voice, being accompanied with divine power, speaks into the hearts of those, who, by believing on the Mediator of the new covenant, are come to the heavenly mount Zion.

A warm sun, and a bright day, are big words among the northern nations, who have often a cloudy sky, a short noon, and a long cold night. So affluence and plenty are words of a big meaning to them whom poverty follows, and from whom pity flies; but it is better to struggle with losses and crosses, if so the graces of the soul be kept alive, than to lie on a bed of down, fall asleep in carnal security, and never more awake. It is dangerous to swim in hot seas where sharks, or along shores where alligators devour; and doubly so to wallow in wealth and ease, where lusts and Satan destroy.

The European beauty would not exchange her fair face with a swarthy complexion, for all the treasures of the south; and should the Christian, who is all glorious within, chuse a condition that may cast a blemish on his better part, like Jeshurun, who, when he waxed fat, kicked; and in his greatness forgot him that made him great? More venomous creatures crawl in those countries which never felt a cold day, than in such as annually feel a pinching winter. So, generally speaking, more corruptions (pride, lust, carnal security, wrath, &c.) abound among such as are finely clothed, and fare sumptuously every day, than among those that

sit down to one meal, and know but little how to provide the next.

But again, are the distant beams (for even under the meridian line the sun is millions of miles removed from us) of a burning mountain, or a measureable world of fire, so excessively hot and scorching? then what must the wrath of the Almighty be? Though all the sky were full of scorching suns, they could convey no idea of thy terrible indignation. Who, then, can describe thy terrors, or the fierceness of thy wrath? immensity can only measure its extent, and eternity its dura tion; well then may it awe a finite worm into silence.

MEDITATION CX.

UNDER THE DIRECT MERIDIAN.

Lat. O. W. Long. 9. April 16. 1761.

STRETCHING towards the south, we are at last arrived at the true meridian, where our eyes need not travel through spacious skies, or journey towards the chambers of the south, to find the glorious lord of day; seeing from the summit of the skies he shoots down his perpendicular beams, and gives the brightest day. This appearance would look strange in the northern isles, and therefore invites to some meditation. Then, as one that is always sailing to the south, though sometimes he may be overtaken with calms, or contrary winds, yet sooner or later will reach the line; so the Christian that steers his course heavenward, though he may have many heavy obstructions, from without and from within, as the contrary winds of

strong temptation, the bursting squalls of inbred corruption, and the no less dangerous calms of spiritual sloth and carnal security, shall, in spite of all, reach the meridian of glory. Indeed, the poor sailor may perish before he can come to his port; but the believer, having his anchor within the vail, though earth and hell, and remaining sin, the worst of all the three, often threaten his ruin, shall safely arrive at the haven which he desires to see; and then shall he remember the perils of his passage, and dangers of the sea, only in grateful songs to his divine Deliverer.

Never was I apparently so near the sun as now, and yet never did the sun seem so high above me : So it is with the Christian; the more he knows of God, and the nearer he is permitted to approach to his throne, God is the higher in his esteem, and the more glorious in his adoring eye, while he is the lower in his own sight, yea, ready to sink into nothing while admitted to unclouded views of the divine Majesty. And this, and this only, is the desirable situation below, when the soul, in deep hu mility, adores the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, wholly emptied of himself, and fully replenished with God.

Again, only under the meridian can I set my face every way, and look up and see the sun, because he shines straight above my head, and all in the same latitude share the same amazing noon; so, in the land of glory, shall the Sun of righteousness shine in all the brightness of his uncreated beauty, into every soul, and be no more a rising, a setting, or a clouded sun, but eternally dwell in the full view of his numerous adorers. The Deity, in his most ample revelations, in his most satisfying manifestations, shall fill all the higher house; yea,

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