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betwixt my breafts. Song, i. 13. Her faith view. ing him as the fulfiller of the law, and the glory of the gospel, fhe refts fatisfied with the fanctuary fervice, until the bleffed period fhould arrive, when her beloved Lord fhould be revealed. Until the day-break, and the fhadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the bill of frankincenfe. Song, iv. 6.

As for the caution againft allegorizing and fpiritualizing the word of God, I fee the Saviour and his apostles perpetually at it.

Solomon's preference given to the lowly mind, in the presence of the prince, Prov. xxv. 7, is brought in by the Saviour as a check to the pride of Pharifees, in their choice of the higheft feats, and is intended to fhew, how he differs from the humbled believer, who, like the prodigal Son, begins his religion with a sense of the plague of his own heart, and a keen hunger for the bread of Heaven, before he fits down to feaft on the fatted calf. Luke xv.

Elihu's comparing his heart, filled with divine inspiration, to a bottle that had no vent, Job xxxii. 19, is brought in by the Saviour to fhew the neceffity of a new heart, and a new fpirit; but new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preferved. Matt. ix. 17.

Job's defcription of the eagle, Job xxxix. 30, is introduced by the Lord to fhew the deftruction of Jerufalem under the Roman eagle; but much more to fhew the entertainment of hea

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venly minds, who by faith feed on his own flesh and blood, as their Spiritual meat and drink, John vi. 53; and fweetly prefigures the certain protection of the elect beneath the fhadow of his wings in the great and terrible day.

The two mountains mentioned by Mofes, Gerizim and Ebal, Deut. xxvii. 12, are an allegory. Mount Gerizim, where the bleffings were to be pronounced, prefigured the church of Chrift, on which the Spirit of God pronounces the benediction, and was a figure of mount Zion; for there the Lord commanded the bleffing, even life for evermore. Pfalm cxxxiii. 3.

Mount Ebal, from which the curses were to be pronounced, prefigured mount Sinai, where the law and its curfe were given, and is Hagar in the allegory, and agreeth with Jerufalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children, Gal. iv. 24, 25, and reaches to every work-monger in the whole world,--for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curfe, Gal. iii. 10; and fo it will appear in the great day, when the Judge will fay to Zion (on which himself was crowned King), Come, ye blessed of my Father ;-and to Hagar, and her bond children (who rejected his reign), Go ye cursed; these two will appear to be mount Gerizim and mount Ebal with a witness; and there the bleffing and the curfe will remain to all eternity.

Abimaaz. The things which you have mentioned, my brother, are confiftent with the ana

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logy of faith, and your method is well calculated to bring the word of God down to a holy familiarity with the weakest believer; which certainly is a method that every man of God ought to adopt, or aim at, more than fhewing his human learning, or knowledge of the languages; for Paul fays, he would fooner fpeak five words to the edification of the church, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.. 1 Cor. xiv. 19. For as he obferves, an unintelligible teacher is a barbarian to the people, which made the apostle determine to use great plainness of speech. 2 Cor. iii. 12. And to be fure I have often felt the binding effects of legalizing the gospel myfelf, fince I fet out in the paths of wisdom; and have been entangled more than once by their legal miniftry. Gal. v. 1.

But as for you, my brother, you have certainly great natural parts, a very strong memory, and have been very ftudious in the fcriptures; this is plain, for you appear a ready scribe, well instructed in the law.

Cufbi. I believe men of the greatest natural parts in all the world, are at this time either deifts or atheists. The greatest scholars are in the greatest confufion-the most studious men are the most ignorant of God—and thöfe of the strongest memory are the moft freighted with the rubbish of heathenifm. The greatest natural logician is the fartheft from the bafis of found reafon; and he that is wifeft in his own conceit, is the greatest enemy to the wifdom of God,

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Natural abilities are the gift of God; and if they are not influenced by the Holy Ghost, they are always turned against the giver. But the fpiritual man will own with Paul, that if a man be wife in divine myfteries, the word of wisdom is given him. If difcerning, it is in divine light that he fees light. If ftable in confidence, the word of faith is given him. If divinely knowing, the word of knowledge is given him. If ftrong in memory, it is the fpirit that brings all things to his remembrance, whatsoever the Lord hath faid unto him. All these things worketh that one, and the self-fame fpirit, dividing his gifts feverally as he will. Cor. xii. 11. God will never give the glory of his grace to men's brains, nor his praise to graven images. Ifa. xlii. 8.

Abimaaz. True, my brother; every good and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, or shadow of turning. James i. 17. And every gracious man. will acknowledge this to the honour of the great benefactor; for, as the prophet fays, let not the wife man glory in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his might; nor the rich man in his riches. But let bim that glorieth, glory in this, that he underftandeth and knoweth me; that I am the Lord, which exercife loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, faith the Lord. Jer. ix. 24. And indeed I have always found the moft pure liberty, the greatest love, and the greatest encouragement to confidence in God, ministered

ministered to my foul from fuch pure and evan-. gelical converfation as yours. But I would wish to be led by the voice of my teachers, and fo to fteer between the two extremes. For my part, am for the middle way.

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Cufbi. I do not rightly understand thee, my brother. If by way, you mean the way to God, the middle way is one of your own devifing.There are but two ways to heaven that God has devised; the one is by perfect, fpiritual, and perpetual obedience, agreeable to the command.He that doth thefe things, even he shall live in them. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. The other way is, by faith in Chrift, which Paul calls the new and living way which God the Saviour bath confecrated through the veil; that is to fay, bis flefb. Heb. x. 20.

These are the only two ways that lead to life, that are opened in the fcriptures; therefore, he that devises a middle way, is in reality a defpifer of both. If a man will enter into life by works, his righteousness must be a perfect conformity to the law. This must be his legal righteoufnefs; and if perfect, it gives him a legal right. The gofpel righteousness is one ready wrought out by the furety, and received by faith, both which must be brought from the law.

The pharifee, he sticks to the old covenant, and trufts in his own merit, being too proud to beg. The fenfible finner, he is humbled to re

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