the things, which God hath prepared for them that love him.' The reverse of the natural man is the spiritual, so called, because God hath revealed spiritual things to him by his Spirit, who is now in him a principle of spiritual and eternal life. The spiritual man,' says the Apostle, 'judgeth, [i. e., discerneth] all things, yet he himself is discerned of no one.' The high state he is in can no more be discerned by the natural man, than the condition of the natural man can be discerned by a brute.* St. Paul not only describes the spiritual man, but speaks particularly of his internal, moral senses. Christians, says he, of full age, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. He prays, that the love of the Philippians may abound more and more in knowledge, and ev Taon aweŋoet 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 sight. St. Paul prays that the eyes of his converts being enlightened, they might 'know what was 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 minds 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.' 'Abraham 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 anoint their eyes with eye-salve, that they might see.' He declares that the world cannot * 1 Cor. x. 15. | Heb. v. 14. t Phil. i. 9. 6 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 the Lord in the land of the living; look unto me, and be ye saved.' 6 (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 scriptures ?:- Hear, 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, because 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. 6 6 '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 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 savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth.' 6 (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.' 6 (5.) If we be not perfect Stoics in religion, if we have one degree more of devotion, than the marble statues, which adorn our churches, we should have, I think, some feeling of our unworthiness, 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 conver sion 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 may 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 consciences seared as with a hot iron. I hope, Sir, you will not attempt to set aside so many plain psssages, 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 life, that exerts itself by them. Our Lord settled the point when he declared to Nicodemus, that no man can see the kingdom of God,' the kingdom of grace here, and of glory hereafter, 'except he be first born of God, born of the Spirit ;' just as no child can see this world, except he be first born of a woman, born of the flesh. Hence it appears, that a regenerate soul hath its spiritual senses opened, and made capable of discerning what belongs to the spiritual world, as a new-born infant hath its natural senses unlocked, and begins to see, hear and taste, what belongs to the material world into which he enters. II. These declarations of the Lord, his prophets, and apostles, need no confirmation. Nevertheless, to shew you, Sir, that I do not mistake their meaning, I shall add the testimony of our own excellent church. As she strictly agrees with the scripture, she makes also frequent mention of spiritual sensations; and you know, Sir, that sensations necessarily suppose senses. She prays that God would "give us a due sense of his inestimable Christ."'* She begs, that he would "make us know and feel that there is no other name than that of Jesus, whereby we must be saved."+ She affirms, that true penitents feel "the burden of their sins intolerable ;"+ that godly persons "feel in themselves the workings of Christ's Spirit ;" that "the Lord speaks presently to us in the scriptures, to the great and endless comfort of all that have any feeling of God in them at all;" that 66 godly men felt inwardly the Holy Ghost inflaming their hearts with the fear and love of God, and that they are miserable wretches, who have no feeling of God within them at all!"¶¶ and that "if we feel the heavy burden of our sins pressing our souls, and tormenting us with the fear of death, bell and damnation, we must steadfastly behold Christ crucified, with the eyes of our heart."** Our church farther declares, that "true faith is not in the mouth and outward profession only, but liveth and stirreth in the heart, and if we feel and perceive such a faith in us, we must rejoice :"++ That "correction, though painful, bringeth with it a taste of God's goodness :"+ That "if after contrition, we feel our consciences at peace with God, through the remission of our sin, it is God who worketh that great miracle in us ;" and she prays, that, "as this knowledge and feeling is not in ourselves, and as, by ourselves, it is not possible to come by it, the Lord would give us grace to know these things, and feel them in our hearts."§§ She begs, that "God would assist us with his Holy Spirit, that we may hearken to the voice of the good Shepherd:"|||| She sets upon asking continually, that the Lord would "lighten our darkness," and deliver us from the two heaviest * Thanksgiving. + Communion. † Office for the sick. Hon, on certain places of Scripture. tt Hom. on Faith 1st and 3rd Part. ✰✰ Hom. on the Fear of Death, 3d Part. |