to discern good and evil.* He prays, that the love of the Philippians "may abound more and more in knowledge, and ev xaon aiodnoɛt in all sense or feeling." The scriptures constantly mention, or allude to one or other of these spiritual senses :-Give me leave to produce some instances.

1. To begin with the SIGHT. St. Paul prays, that the eyes of his converts being enlightened, they might know what is the hope of their calling. He reminds them, that Christ had been evidently set forth crucified before their eyes. He assures them, that the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not the 'gospel; and declares that his commission was to open the eyes of the Gentiles, and turn them from darkness to light. Abra'ham saw Christ's day, and was glad. Moses persevered, as seeing him who is invisible. David prayed, Open my eyes that I may see wonders out of thy Law. Our Lord complains, that the heart of unbelievers is waxed gross, that their ears are dull of hearing, and that they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, understand with their hearts, and be converted. He, counsels the Laodiceans, to ansint their eyes with eye-salve, that they might see. He declares, that the world can* Heb. v. 14. † Phil. i. 9.

not receive the Spirit of truth, because it sees him not; that the things which belong to the peace of obstinate unbelievers, are, at last, judicially hid from their eyes; and that the pure in heart shall see God. St. John testifies, that he who does evil, hath not seen God; and that darkness hath blinded the eyes of him, that loves not his brother. The Holy Ghost informs us, that believers look at the things which are not seen, and behold the glory of God, shining in the face of Jesus Christ. These are the eyes, with which believers see the salvation of God. They are so distinct from those. of the body, that when our Lord opened: them in St. Paul's soul, he suffered scales to grow over his bodily eyes. And no doubt, when Christ gave outward sight to the blind, it was chiefly to convince the world, that it is he who can say to blind sinners,› Receive your sight; see the goodness of ther Lord in the land of the living look unto me and be saved.

2. If you do not admit of a spiritual HEARING, what can you make of our Lord's repeated caution, he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear? And what can be the meaning of the following scripturesHear, O foolish people, who have ears and hear not. Ye uncircumcised in heart and ears. Ye cannot

hear my words; ye are of your father the Devil. He that is of God heareth God's words; ye, therefore, hear them not, be cause ye are not of God? Can it be supposed, that our Lord spake of outward hearing, when he said, The hour cometh, and now is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live. My sheep hear my voice. He that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Do not all sinners stand spiritually in need of Christ's powerful Ephphatha, Be thou opened? Is that man truly converted, who cannot witness with Isaiah, The Lord hath wakened my ear to hear as the learned; and with the Psalmist, Mine ears hast thou opened ? Had not the believers at Ephesus heard Christ, and been taught of him? When St. Paul was caught up into the third heaven, did he not hear words unspeakable? And far from thinking spiritual hearing absurd, or impossible, did he not question, whether he was not then out of the body? And does not St. John positively declare, that he was in the Spirit, when he heard Jesus say, I am the first and the last?

3. How void of meaning are the following passages, if they do not allude to that SENSE, which is calculated for the reception of, what the barrenness of human language

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compels me to call spiritual perfumes? The smell of thy ointments is better than all spices. The smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. All thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia; and because of the favour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth."

4. If believers have not a spiritual faculty of TASTING divine things, what delusion must they be under, when they say, Christ's fruit is sweet to their taste; and cry out, How sweet are thy words to my taste! they are sweeter than honey to my mouth? But how justly can they speak thus, if they have tasted the heavenly gift, and the good word of God, and, as new born babes, desire the sincere milk of it? Surely, if they eat the flesh of the Son of God, drink his blood and taste that the Lord is gracious, they have a right to testify, that his love is better than wine; and to invite those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, to taste that the Lord is good, that they also may be satisfied with his goodness and mercy, as with marrow and fatness.

5. If we are not to be perfect stoics in religion, if we should have one degree more of devotion, than the marble statutes, which adorn our churches, we should have, I think, some FEELING of our unworthiness,

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some SENSE of God's majesty. Christ's tender heart was pierced to atone for, and to remove the hardness of ours. God promises to take from us the heart of stone, and to give us an heart of flesh, a broken and contrite heart, the sacrifice of which, he will not despise. Good king Josiah was praised, because his heart was tender. The conversion of the three thousand, on the day of pentecost, began by their being pricked in their heart. We are directed to feel after God, if haply we might find him. Our Lord himself is not ashamed to be touched, in heaven, with a feeling of our infirmities. And St. Paul, intimates, that the highest degree of obduracy and apostacy, is to be past feeling, and to have our conscience seared as with a hot iron.

I hope, Sir, you will not attempt to set aside so many plain passages, by saying, they are unfit to support a doctrine, as containing empty metaphors, which amount just to nothing. This would be pouring the greatest contempt on the perspicuity of the oracles of God, the integrity of the sacred writers, and the wisdom of the Holy Ghost, who inspired them. As certainly as there is a spiritual life, there are senses calculated for the display and enjoyment of it; and these senses exist no more in metaphor, than the