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LETTER III.

Winchefter-Row.

My dear Brother and Fellow-labourer,

YOUR's I received, but cannot agree with your fentiments in this particular. I never can be brought to believe, that a man of eminent learning and natural abilities, while he remains deftitute of the fovereign grace of God, can be of any ufe to the household of faith. Chrift's kingdom is fpiritual, his Gospel is a mystery, and his houfehold is faithful; and how can a carnal earthly infidel be of any real fervice to fuch a hidden mystical fpiritual body?

I believe every creature can only beget its like: An Arian may beget an Arian, an Antinomian may beget an Antinomian, a bigot may beget a bigot, and a legalist may beget a legalift; but I never will believe that a ferpent can beget a dove, or that a goat can beget a lamb. A divine offspring, from a carnal conception, must be a child of confufion; and all fuch, instead of being the falt of the earth, are but the fuel of it; as the gigantic race of antideluvian profeffors witnefs. They are called mighty men, monsters in mind, and monsters in practice, or finners against the Holy Ghoft, whom the Spi

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rit difdained to take poffeffion of, or always to ftrive with though their fathers were fons of God by profeffion, yet their mothers were the offspring of him who was of that wicked one, the Devil, and flew his brother, only because he was righteous. It is impoffible for the spirit of Mammon, and the fpirit of Christ, to be co-partners in the work of God: God fays of them, their wickedness was great. And although it be faid, that many will fay, in that day, We have caft out devils, and done many wonderful works, yet cafting out devils is not converfion : the devil must not only be cast out, but Chrift must be brought in, and Satan kept out of a foul truly converted :-God fays of them that run unfent, they fhall not profit the people at all.

A man brought up at an academy, if he is ftudious, of quick wit, and has a natural genius, may with these human abilities blaze for a time, and appear in the atmosphere of the Christian world, as a comet does in the ftarry heavens; but, if grace prevent not, he will, fooner or later, drop into fome flood of ungodlinefs; and we often see the false zeal of fuch foon quenched; and fuch are too frequently feen afterwards to appear under the direction of the prince of the power of the air, as wandering stars, only to guide the veffels of wrath, that are laden with error, and bound for destruction, Rev. viii. 10. I have known the awful apoftacy of such almost ready to electrify the building of mercy, Acts v. 10, 11; poor, humble fouls, who have trembled at the found of their fall, have fhewed me

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feveral perfons, who they affirmed were converted by the inftrumentality of fuch men. I thought it at that time prudent to conceal my private opinion; and to watch this wonderful progeny; and when I have got into company with them, have been more confirmed in my fentiments than ever; for not one of them all appeared to me to be a proper child: They feemed with big heads, Prov. x. 8; ricketty joints, Kings xviii. 21; wild, unfcriptural notions, 1 Pet. i. 18; confused ideas, Pfalm v. 21, and a language half Hebrew, and half Afhdod: I thought if Nehemiah had been prefent, he would have pluckt off their hair, and curfed them in the name of the Lord, Neh. xiii. 24, 25: However, I fear all fuch children of Zion will, instead of well-fet hair, appear in baldness, Ifaiah iii. 24.

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This last letter of your's has called upon me to explain my secret thoughts upon a fubject, which I have never mentioned to any foul; I therefore hope will excufe me if I do not fall in with your judgment in the paffages which I intend to comment on; they appear to me full to the purpose, and fufficient to clear the point in hand, Leviticus xxi. 16. And the Lord Spake unto Mofes, Jaying, Speak unto Aaron, faying, whosoever he be of thy feed in their generations, that bath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

Blemish fignifies a foul fpot, a ftain, a thing corrupted, or a defection; and fuch preachers we read of, 2 Peter ii. 10: they are faid to walk after the flesh, in the lufts of uncleanness, to defpife the mild go

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vernment of the King of kings; they prefumed on the mercy of God, though they walked in the flesh; they were free-will mongers, and could fpeak against the dignity and fovereignty of the incomprehenfible Trinity, and that without fear. They Speak evil of the things of the Spirit, which they underftand not; their eyes were filled with adultery; they beguiled unftable fouls; they were called the followers of Balaam; wells without water; clouds carried away with a tempeft; and yet preached great fwelling words of vanity-yea, preached liberty to others while they were the fervants of corruption, Satan leading them captive at his will. Thefe are fpots and blemishes, fays Peter; they dishonour the blessed gospel; they pollute the church of Christ, and fully the glory of God in his righteous cause, 2 Peter ii. 10—22.

A blind man, or a lame, or be that bath a flat nofe, or any thing fuperfluous, Lev. xxi. 18. Not a blind man fhall offer the bread of his God; that is, he fhall not preach Chrift, the bread of life, John vi. 54. A blind man feeth not the depth of his corrupt heart, nor feels the plague of it; and fuch will deny the dreadful fall of man. A blind man feeth not the fpirituality of God's law, and therefore can never handle the law lawfully; for he understands not what he fays, or whereof he affirms, 1 Tim. i. 7. A blind man fees not the holiness, justice, and unchangeableness of God, in his law; and as he is a ftranger to the terrors of God, he is not a fit perfon to perfuade men, 2 Cor. V, II. How can a blind man see the glory of God,

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in the perfon of Jefus Chrift? 2 Cor. iii. 18. And. if he has not feen Chrift for himself, how fhall he fee him for another? He must be looking to Jefus, before he can point him out, Heb. xii. 2. All that a blind man can fay is only, lo! here! and lo, there! and all the establishment flocks can get under fuch fhepherds, is only to halt between two opinions, 1 Kings xviii. 21.

Not a lame man, verfe the eighteenth. It doth not mean a broken fpirit; No: for God bleffeth him who goeth forth weeping, bearing precious feed, and fays, he fhall doubtless return with rejoicing, bringing his heaves with him, Pfalm cxxvi. 6: But it means a man broken in judgment, Hof. v. II. What can a crippled judgment do with a divine parable? The legs of the lame are not equal, fo is a parable in the mouth of fools, Prov. xxvi. 7. A minister of Chrift is to strengthen the weak bands, and to confirm the feeble knees, Isaiah xxxv. 3; but how fhall he do it, who, like Mephibofheth, is lame in both his feet? If he has not made ftraight paths for his own feet, he can only turn others out of the way of healing, Heb. xii. 12, 13. Chrift fends his fervants to bring in the balt, the lame, and the blind, Luke xiv. 21; but we are not to fet about this work with our carnal crutches; the Holy Ghost makes us fing like a philomel, and leap as an hart, Ifaiah xxxv. 6.

Not a man with a flat nofe, verfe the eighteenth. A man with a ftoppage in his of rils cannot dif tinguifh an odour from a ftench.

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