ry, as my forerunner, Heb. vi. 20. and has prepared manfions of blifs for my final reception? And fhall I not follow him thither in my hopes, and my affections? be as a pilgrim below, and have my converfation above? Is not this a moft fweet and effectual method of gaining my heart, and if my heart, then all my powers, to his bleffed felf?" Such, my dear Theron, will be the effects of faith. Therefore, it is not in vain, much less to the difcouragement of real virtue, that the fcripture lays fuch a stress upon faith; fo frequently urges the importance and neceffity of faith; reprefents faith, as the principal work of the divine Spirit, and the great inftrument of receiving falvation: Because it is a fure, a fovereign means of purifying the heart, Acts xv. 9, and never fails to work by love, Gal. v. 6... Was faith, as fome people are apt to imagine, like a candle put under a bufhel, or like the lamps which burn in fepulchres: it would then be an infignificant labour to inculcate it, and no better than an empty flourish of words to celebrate it. But nothing is more certain, than that faith is a vital, an operative, a victorious principle. Chrift is a store-house of all good. Whatever is neceffary to remove our guilt, whatever is expedient, for renewing our nature, whatever is proper to fit us for the eternal fruition of God, all this is laid up in Christ. And all this is received by faith, for application, use, and enjoyment. Accordingly, when Zaccheus believed, he commenced a new man; his bowels yearned with compaffion; the rapacious publican, became a friend to the needy, and a father to the poor, Luke xix. 8.When the Macedonians believed, how eminently was their fpirit ennobled, and their practice improved! Tho' preffed with afflictions, their fouls overflowed with joy; and even in the deepest poverty, they fignalized themfelves, by the abundance of their liberality *. When * 2 Cor. viii. 2. Here is, efpecially in the original, as fine an antithefis, perhaps as ever was penned. Since my last notes were fo copious, I fhall forego the pleasure of particularizing the LET. IO. the first converts believed, the change in their behaviour was fo remarkable, the holiness of their lives fo exemp lary, that they won the favour, and commanded the refpect of all the people, Acts ii. 47. In fhort, it is as impoffible for the fun to be in his meridian fphere, and not to diffipate darknefs, or diffufe light; as for faith to exift in the foul, and not exalt the temper, and meliorate the conduct. That my dear Theron may be established in faith, may increase in faith, may abound in faith, is the most affectionate wish that thought can fuggeft, or friendfhip adopt. May his faith therefore be estab Hifhed like the mountain-oaks, increase like the progref five ftream, till it spreads and abounds like the overflowing flood* ! I intended to have clofed my letter, and confirmed my point, by a very memorable ftory. But however your patience may perfevere, my time fails, and my hand is weary. The next poft, if nothing unexpected intervenes, fhall bring you the fequel. May it, when brought to my friend, be as a nail fastened in a fure place, and give the rivet of conviction to all thefe important truths! In the mean time, or rather at all times, I remain Cordially and invariably yours, ASPASIO. LETTER XI. ASPASIO TO THERON. DEAR THERON, FAITH in the imputed righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift, is a fundamental principle, in that invaluable fyftem of facred and divine philofophy-the Gofpel: by beauties of this claufe. I leave it to the lover of the facred literature, to admire the apoftle's expreffion, to be charmed with the fpirit of the Macedonian believers, and to derive edification from both. Thefe images we may venture to style beautiful, because which the heavenly Teacher is continually training up millions of rational and immortal creatures, for the true perfection of their nature; for the final fruition of their God; or, in other words, for a state of confummate happiness and everlasting exaltation. In this school, may you and I be humble students, and daily proficients! While others are ambitious of glittering diftinctions, and founding titles, may it be our highest aim, our greatest glory, to answer the character of believers! By this character, the fupreme Lord diftinguishes his chofen people, and denominates the heirs of falvation. This character ftands fairest in the book of life, and brightest in the annals of eternity. This character, however neglected or difesteemed among men, will be remembered and had in honour, when the pompous names of statesman and generaliffimo are known no more. As faith is of fuch fingular and extenfive efficacy in genuine Chriftianity, methinks, I would have all our meditations terminate on its glorious object, and be calculated to invigorate fo beneficial a principle. When we reflect on that stupendous act, the creation of the world out of nothing; let us remember, it was his act, who obtained eternal redemption for us. When we contemplate that immenfe theatre of wonders, the heavens and their fhining hofts; let us not forget, that they are all his works, who brought in everlasting righteousness, for us. Do we turn our thoughts to the ocean, that spacious and magnificent canal, which covers more than half the globe? It was formed by his word, and is obedient to his will, who loved us, and washed us from our fins in bis own blood. Do we take a view of the earth, that grand and inexhaustible magazine, which furnishes fuch a multiplicity of conveniencies for fo many millions of creatures? It is all his property, and wholly at his dif pofal, who emptied* himself for our fake, and had not they are borrowed from the apoftie; βεβαιωμένοι εν τη πισεί, Col. ii. 7. προκοπή της πίσεως, Phil. i. 25. υπεραυξάνει η πιείς, 2 Theff. i 3.. * Exeywoty Exulov. Phil. ii. 7. where to lay his head. lofopher, thus faith the were made by him, and for For thus faith the infpired phioracle of revelation, All things him, Col. i. 16. The great Creator has enriched this habitable globe with a profufion of good. He has adorned it with a variety, an order, and, a beauty, which are perfectly charming. He has ennobled it with a dignity, a fublimity, and a grandeur, which are at once delightful and aftonishing. In all this, reafon cannot but difcern a clear manifestation of power, a bright difplay of wif dom, and a rich demonftration of benignity. But will the Creator himself vouchfafe to be made flesh, on purpofe that he may obey and die for his guilty creatures? This is what neither the utmost penetration of men, nor the very fuperior intelligence of angels, could ever have demonstrated, difcovered, or conceived. This exceeds whatever the elements have produced, whatever the fun has beheld, as much as the extent and magnifi cence of the planetary system exceed the dimensions and the furniture of a fhepherd's hut. To reveal this, is the distinguishing prerogative of a Chriftian. To apply this, to dwell upon this, to connect this with all our obfervations of the univerfe, fhould be our favourite and habitual employ. This will improve wonder into devotion, and raise the entertainments of science into the joy of falvation. This will render every philosophical fpeculation a strengthener of our faith and make the various fcenes of nature, a guide to grace, and a step to glory. When this is done, then all things attain their proper end; and as they are by Chrift, fo they are for Christ. But I forgot myself, my business, and my promise. I am to eftablish the point by incontestable fact, not to embellish it by loofe harangue. With pleasure I addrefs myfelf to discharge the obligation; and exemplify, in a very memorable inftance, the power of faith on religious practice. From whence fhall I fetch my exemplification? From the memoirs of the indefatigable apoftle of the Gentiles? Here I find one, moft concisely, and at the fame time moft forcibly difplayed. After these things were ended, fays the facred historian, Paul purpofed in the fpirit, when he had paffed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerufalem, faying, after I have been there, I must alfo fee Rome, Acts xix. 21. Who can obferve, and not admire, this plain unambitious manner of relating a series of labours, the moft fignally fuccefsful, and moft extenfively ufeful? Nothing in human conduct ever furpaffed the greatnefs of the one, and per haps nothing in hiftorical compofition ever equalled the fimplicity of the other. St Paul had already reduced Ephefus and Afia to the obedience of Christ. He had already brought Macedonia and Achaia into fubjection to the gofpel. He had long ago erected the standard, and fpread the triumphs of Christianity, in the regions of Arabia. Yet, as if he had hitherto achieved nothing, he bends his forces towards Jerufalem. Then be marks out Rome for the feat of his fpiritual warfare. After this he forms the fame beneficent defign upon Spain: including, in his comprehenfive plan, the metropolis and the boundaries* of the known world. The univerfe is but juft large enough, to be the fcene of his action; he never difcontinues the charitable campaign, but with the last breath of his life; and he speaks of this unintermitted courfe of arduous and dangerous fervices, as if he was only going to make fome friendly vifit, or join in a party of innocent pleasure; After I have been at Ferufalem, I must also see Rome.† *Spain was then fuppofed to be the boundary of the westerns as the Ganges was reckoned the extremity of the eastern world, "Omnibus in terris quæ funt a Gadibus ufque Auroram et Gangen." Juv. Sat. X. + I am quit charmed, I must confefs, with this very simple, but incomparably-gallant manner of the apoftle's fpeaking. Far beyond all the pomp of panegyric, it difplays the hero. When a handful of Spartans undertook to defend the pass of Thermopyla against the whole army of Perfia; fo prodigious, it was reported, were the multitudes of the Perfians, that the very flight of their arrows would intercept the fhining of the fun. Then, faid Dieneces one of the Spartan leaders, "we fhall have the advantage of fighting in the fhade." Juft before the battle of Agincourt, news were brought to King Henry's camp, that the |