Проповеди и лекции

criptures, nor th«^ ways of God. And hence such dark-lanterti stumblings they make, when they undertake to try cvpcnence; or, I should nay, hence the rudeness and the un- achoolednes.s of the attempt they make,— their framea, their feelings, their sensaliouk, and ull their selfish informations. How can it be otherwise? They know not Babylon from Jenjaalem, nor care to know. They know not the mystery of bis dealings with the church; how can they know hia dealings with an individual of the church^ They cannot, with the telescope of his word diM^ern 4 u s 1196 THE Kuroaoi' tub kait^ [DU. the stars ; how shall tbey expect to pry into the pores of cheir own flaUi ! 1 gay unto you, bretbreo* the days have t^own sick, and w« are grown &ick in the day»: tho atmosphere iaunvrholevome, asdj ve are meagre skclctonfi of ChnstiaDs. But w»^ not atwayat so : it was Dever so in the Prol antchurcbeK, till within tht^e Utter years viral. The fathers who preached to ouf were men, rery great in this kind- They cooM take up a saint, and lead him ioto £gypt» and shew his ddiveranccs through his wiidcmcfts condition; hi« entering by llit- delectable mouA* taius into the boly land : they could shut him up. in Babylon, and deliver him by thf conquerinfj Lord; and then, by the ^'f^on of his calliag and election throughout, shew him the wisdMi, tba necessity of the diacipliRC, Witness, as an ex* ample of this, the Pil^iin'a Progreiw; which a by ur> ineanH the jierfection of thnikiad, which i belicvo to have been carried much higher among the powerful preachers of the purer timet of ow own church. Nay, they have lost the very ken of n reprobation in the church, and almost of an election ; and so they have h>Ml Uio knowladfe within themselves ofrifle^h to be cmciAed,becaaae it is cursed in Adatn, and of a spirit to be glort* fied, because it is quickened by Christ. And they talk and prattle about faith, and simple faith, like tlie veriest children, seeing rot, nor canag toaec^thc glorious Trimly, and their offices in sal* vation. And Khali theiie ihin^a continue in the church? Shnll ihej sanctify the darkness, and call itti^ht ? Shsdl they consecrate theirabominatioiii, and call them lioly sacrifices? The Lord forbid. The Head of the church forbid. The Holy Spirit Vl^" ' QB TKB TI(N TdlBCa. 1107 Ibrbid. Yc mtuisterft of the word, forbid : yc nainU of God, forhiil. * ^Tli9refon.s desr bre-tlirnn, I re^olvu to anderatand tiie outward, that I may uaderstatid the in^'ardi for of per$oual experieace, I am