which was just in Adam was rendered unjust in us. This is a true account of the fear of death, whence it sprung, and by what means it was tainted and vitiated.

Let us then clear up the darkness and error of nature by the light of faith. The fear of death was once good and commendable; but it was so only in paradise, where, could it have prevailed, it must have destroyed a life altogether holy and virtuous. It was therefore just to hate it, while it could not arrive, without separating a holy soul from a holy body: but it is no less just to love it, while it releaseth a soul which is righteous from a body which is impure. It was reasonable to decline it, when it must have dissolved the peace and agreement between soul and body; but by no means when it composes the struggle and contention otherwise endless and irreconcileable. In a word, while it must have punished a guiltless body by taking away its liberty of serving and honouring God; while it must have divided the soul from a body perfectly subject, and universally compliant to its will; while it must have put an end to all the happiness which man is capable of receiving; it might, with justice, so long have been dreaded, and even abhorred. But now, when it ends a life ever stained with some degrees of impurity; when it takes away from the body the liberty of sinning; when it rescues and delivers the soul from a powerful rebel, which was continually opposing the measures of its safety and bliss, it would be highly injurious to maintain the same opinion.

Let us not abandon the love of life which attends our nature, because we received it from God. But then let us apply it to such a life only as God gave it us for; and not to a quite different object.

While we admit and embrace that love which Adam had for his life of innocence, and which even our Lord Jesus Christ retained for his, let us be resolute in hating such a life as is contrary to that which was loved by

Jesus Christ: and let us be concerned at such a death only as affected our Lord himself with some sort of apprehensions, a death happening to a body pure and spotless in the sight of God; but let us not fear a death which punishes a sinful and purges an impure body; and which therefore ought to inspire us with quite opposite sentiments were we in any degree possessed of those noble endowments, faith, hope, and charity.

It is one of the most acknowledged principles of Christianity, that whatever happened to Jesus Christ, is likewise to be transacted in the soul and in the body of every Christian. So that as our Lord suffered in this life of infirmity and mortality, as he was raised to a new life, and at length carried up into the heavens, where he now sits at God's right hand; in the same manner both the soul and body are to suffer and die, to be raised again, and to ascend into heaven. All these particulars are accomplished in the soul during this life, though not in the body.

The soul suffers and dies to sin, in repentance and baptism. The soul is raised to a new life by the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit. The soul relinquishes this earth, and soars towards heaven in leading a heavenly life on earth: which is St Paul's meaning, when he says, Conversatio nostra in cælis est.

The like changes are not accomplished in the body during this present life, but shall be accomplished after it.

For, at our decease, the body dies to this mortal life: at the judgment, it shall rise to new life: after the judgment, it shall be exalted to heaven, and there live for ever.

Thus the very same things happen to soul and body, though at different periods: and the revolutions of the body do not take place, till those of the soul are completed; that is, not till after death. Insomuch that

death, which is the end and crown of the soul's happiness, is but the first beginning or prelude of happiness to the body.

Behold the admirable conduct of Divine wisdom in man's salvation! Upon which subject St Austin informs us, that God has been pleased to dispose things in this manner, lest, if the final death and resurrection of the human body should be performed in baptism, men would yield themselves obedient to the gospel on no other motive, but the love and desire of life. Whereas the glory of faith shines out in its chief magnitude and brightness, while we pursue and press towards immortality through the vale and shadow of death.

It is not reasonable that we should continue absolutely unmoved and unaffected at the misfortunes and evils which befal us, like angels, who have no sentiments or inclinations of our nature: nor is there more reason that we should sorrow without hope, like heathens, who have no feeling, no apprehension of grace. But reason and justice allow, that we should sorrow like Christians, and be comforted like Christians; and that the consolations of grace should overcome the affections of nature: so that grace may not only dwell in us, but may be victorious and triumphant in us: that by our thus hallowing the name of our Father, his will may become ours, his grace may rule and reign over our nature; that our afflictions may be the matter and subject of a sacrifice which his grace will perfect in us, to his glory; and that these particular sacrifices may be so many assurances of the entire and universal sacrifice, in which our whole nature shall be purified and perfected, by the power of Jesus Christ.

Thus shall we make advantage of our own infirmities, while they furnish matter for this whole burnt-offering. And to profit by failings and imperfections is the

great aim of Christians, who know that all things work together for the elect.

If we observe these things with a closer view, and as they really are in themselves, we shall not fail to derive from them much instruction and edification. For it being most certain, that the death of the body is but the type and image of that of the soul; if we have reason to hope for the salvation of our friends while we lament their decease, though we may not be able to stop the current of our grief and lamentation, yet we cannot but reap the benefit of this lesson, that since bodily death is so terrible as to create these disorders in us, the death of the soul is a subject which ought to give us far more inconsolable regret. God having been pleased to deliver to the first those for whom we mourn, we may believe that he has graciously rescued them from the second, Let us contemplate the greatness of our happiness, in the greatness of our misery; and then even the excesses of our grief can be but the just standard of our joy.

As the wicked are punished in another life for the sins which they have committed; so the righteous are recompensed in a better state for their virtues.

* Man is undoubtedly too weak to form a correct judgment of futurity. Let us trust in God, and not fatigue ourselves with indiscreet and unwarrantable apprehensions. Let us depend on the Divine assistance, for the conduct and issue of our lives; and let us not yield ourselves up to despair.

St Austin observes, that there is in every man a serpent, an Eve, and an Adam. Our senses and natural affections are the serpent; our concupiscence is the Eve; and the Adam, is our reason.

Nature continually tempts and allures us: concupiscence ever wisheth and covets: but sin is never finished, unless reason authorise it by its consent.

Let us leave our serpent and our Eve, to carry on our solicitations; if we may not entirely expel them. But let us pray God so to fortify our Adam by his grace, that we may yield ourselves to be governed only by Jesus Christ, and that he may reign in us triumphantly for ever.

CHAPTER XXXI.

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS.

THE greater degree of parts and sagacity any one is master of, the more originals he will discern in the characters of mankind. Persons of ordinary endowments are utter strangers to this difference amongst men.

* A man may have good sense, and yet not be able to apply it alike successfully to all subjects: for there are those who judge exactly within one certain order of things; and yet are quite lost and confounded in another. Some are excellent in drawing consequences from a few principles; others from many. Some, for instance, have an admirable understanding of hydrostatics, where the principles are few, but the consequences so fine and delicate as not to be reached without the greatest penetration. And these persons would perhaps be no extraordinary geometricians: because the principles of geometry are numerous; and because a genius may be so formed as with ease to search a few principles to the bottom, and yet not to comprehend things with the same accuracy where the principles are diffused to a larger compass.

There are two sorts of geniuses therefore; the one