difpleafure; yea, and some have spent hundreds, if not thousands of pounds at law, in order to secure the use of it. What do you think of this?

Cufbi. Suppofe I was to go to-morrow into a town where the gospel had never been preached, and where there was not a foul to be found that was converted to Chrift, and I should preach from this text, Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his, Rom. viii. 9; and I was to declare, first, the infufficiency of a form of godlinefs without the power; fecondly, the neceffity of regeneration; thirdly, fhew the operations of the Spirit from the word of God; fourthly, that God feeketh fpiritual worshippers; and laftly prove, that the Holy Ghoft is fufficient to work faith, to fanctify the foul, and prepare it for the reception of Chrift; and fufficient alfo to lead the believer on in a course of fpiritual devotion, as the fpirit of grace and of fupplication; and four fouls, under this difcourfe, fhould be convinced of the infufficiency of their formality; fhould you not think that I had acted the faithful part in handling the above text in that manner? and that God had approved of it by four perfons being convinced under it?

Abimaaz. I fhould think that you had taken the beft ftep that could be taken to undermine their fandy foundation, and to fhew them the neceffity of being made new creatures in Chrift; and I am fully perfuaded that God's word would bear you out.

Cufbi. Then fuppofe there fhould come a gospel minister the week following into the church, and he fhould preach up the excellency of the form, cast a few reflections on diffenters, and speak lightly of extempore prayer, and fettle thefe four convinced fouls on their old bottom again, would he not build up that which I had deftroyed? Gal. ii. 18; and if fo, who would be the tranfgreffor?

Abimaaz. Certainly he would.

Cufbi. Then you have decided this matter. And I believe there are many in our days, who are def titute of grace, bitterly prejudiced against many minifters that God has fent, who preach and pray as the Spirit gives them utterance, who hear the gofpel, but place all their hopes in the form. And when these unleavened formalifts hear a gospel minifter cry up the excellency of the form, and ridicule fpiritual petitions, their felf-righteous fouls are fed with the venom óf afps; their native prejudice against pious diffenters is fixed the firmer, and they are wickedly and deceitfully established on the old basis of depraved nature;-this is no part of the work of an evangelift.

Abimaaz. Do you think, my brother, that ever the Lord Jefus fet their own fouls at liberty in answer to the form of prayer? One would think that he had, as they fpeak fo highly of it, and fo lightly of extempore prayer.

Cufbi. No; God permits none to prevail with him, but those who by the Spirit's interceffion pour E 2

out

out their fouls before him in faith, under a fenfe of want, and in a language expreffive of their own troubles. And I will be bold to fay, that if my brother could be in the ftudy of these good men on fome Saturday evening, or Sunday morning, when their bible is as a fealed book, Satan buffeting them, their mind confused, their judgments bewildered, a congregation gathering together, and no text opened to them, no thoughts springing up, altogether unfurnished for the pulpit, he would then fee them upon their knees before God at hard work, without any fervice-book in their hands; he would hear their groaning petitions,-see their tears,—and be convinced that the whole bufinefs was carried on between God and their own fouls by thofe very extempore prayers which they publicly speak fo lightly of.

Abimaaz. If this be the cafe, we must act with good men's bigotry as the Saviour bids us do with bad men's precepts; he tells us, not to do as the Pharifees do, but to do as they fay; but here we muft not do (in this matter) as thefe good men fay, but as they do.

Cufbi. If you do fo, you will do right; for if the fupplications of the Holy Spirit will not prevail with God, no human compofitions can.

Abimaaz. I believe there was at one time near two thousand minifters of the gospel in this country that exposed themselves to many hardships for their non-conformity to the Common Prayer; which at

times has led me to think very lightly of their fufferings; fince I have heard many good men who preach the fame doctrine that they did, and yet contend for, and highly extol, the very things that their confciences could never conform to. I have thought that their non-conformity was the effect of a stubborn and rebellious spirit, and their fufferings were only in defence of a blind and mifled conscience. This must be the cafe of those non-conformists, or our prefent advocates for the form must be in the wrong, one of it; and I confess your present converfation about it has brought it as a puzzling matter of debate afresh to my mind; and for my part I am not able to decide it.

Cufbi. It is true, there were great numbers that fuffered hunger, cold, and nakednefs; moreover bonds and imprisonments; yea, and even death itself, rather than conform to the rules of the Common Prayer Book. And if they did it in defence of a blind or mifled confcience, we may fay of their fufferings as David faid of the death of Saul's general-died Abner as a fool dieth. 2 Sam. iii. 33. Yet I think it is eafy to decide the matter between the antient non-conformifts and our prefent advocates; the non-conformifts had the whole word of God on their fide, but the others have not.

It is a bleffed thing that men have no dominion over our faith, and that our faith is to ftand in God's power, not in man's wifdom; but he that attempts to establish my faith on a human form, endeavours

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endeavours to fettle it in the wisdom of men, instead of the power of God. Faith is the gift of God the Father, a grace from God the Saviour's fulness, -and is wrought in man by the operation of God the Holy Ghoft; and in the promised aid of God, and in the powerful operations of Father, Son, and Spirit, it must stand, and nowhere else.

I know there are many venerable and valuable characters, whom God has called to the miniftry fince their first ignorant attempt to qualify themfelves for it at a univerfity; and in that sphere they will shine, while they abide with God, wherein they were called; but as the current of fcripture does not flow in that channel, and as their fouls were not delivered in answer to that form, and as they make ufe of extempore prayer in their families, and between God and their own fouls, I think they might forbear their public reflections on those prayers which have done fo much for them.

Abimaaz. Pray, my dear brother, what may

call thy name?

Cufbi. My name is Cushi.

Abimaaz. Of what country, pray?

I

Cufbi. I am an Ifraelite; and, bleffed be God, through his rich grace I hope I am an Ifraelite indeed.

Abimaaz. That I firmly believe; for flefh and blood could never reveal the things unto thee that I have heard from thee; furely the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel; and the light

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