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darkncfia, and the natural mind in a state of grealest illumination, and in all and every slate between these Iwo extremes, is enmity, bitter enmity, to God'amindand will, and utterly unable of itaelf to receive God's word; that there doLh moat frequentty attend upon the acquisition of knowledge, aft upon the acquisi- tion of any thing el$tv a proud consciousness of power, B selfish feeling of distinction, and the vulgar avarice of possessing more, with vanity, jealousy, and presumption and olhcr vicious feel- inga. holding of pride and avarice, which cause it to be experienced that the steps and degrees in the invisible kingdom of mind, like the step^ and degrees in the visible kingdom of rank and 3 F 2 796 OS EDUCATIOX. [DiW, worldly state, are often so many remores away from the humility, sincerity, and child-like sini^ plicity of the spiritual temple ; into which yoa eater neither through the stately porch of the academy, nor through the unfolded portals of the palace, but by the narrow way and ttnit gate of repentance and self-abasement, whid there be few of any rank that find ; but c^iainly fewest of those who are wise after the wisdooi of the present world. So that if a palace, the hi^ place of visible power, be generally the strong bold of falsehood, intri^e, and sensuality^ tiiea a university, the high place of invisible power, ia generally the strong-hold of indifference, hatred and contempt, towards the humbling truths of the Gospel, and all well-grounded morals ; — either a focus of most hot and violent rage against spi*- ritual religion, or an ice-berg of cold indifferenc^^ concentrating death within itself, and radiating chilling cold to the region round about. Having uttered tbis our conviction with respect to know ledge of the nature of things, taken separately from the law of conscience, which is morality and the obligation of God's revealed will; namely, that the carnal mind, with all its works, is enmity against God, — and that knowledge of itself puffeth up, and cannot build up, but by the addition <rf the strong; band of charity or Christian love, when the cold nuM>n-beam of knowledge is converted into the chorishin^r sun-beam of wisdom ; 1 were content to rest here, but that there hath started up in thin unprincipled and changeable gene- ration, a class of objectors of a very peculiar kind : wbu, wiih much ntloctation of good nature, allow nil that hath been said, yea, become all at once very puriUDical, and with an can^e&c coun- tenance exclaim, ' Oh yes., there can be oo doubt rdigioEt i« a mos