"their Pastime amidst such a scanty Canal, as "unftraitened and as much at large, as Levi"athan in the Abyffes of the Ocean.—A whole Kingdom of thefe Creatures, though collected "into a Body, are quite undifcernable by the "naked Eye. What then must be the Size of "every Individual? Yet in every Individual "there is a complete Syftem of Limbs; each en"dowed with fpontaneous Motion; all af

fembled, though not crouded, in a living "Atom. To reflect upon the Texture of Vef"fels, and the Operation of Organs, so com"plex, so numerous, yet so inconceivably mi"nute; how it awakens Admiration! Fills "me with Reverence of the ALMIGHTY "MAKER! and yields a Pleasure, infinitely "fuperior to all the modish Amusements of "our Sex!-Your Discoveries of Life in Mi"niature, have given me a Difguft of, what is "called High Life, and its folemn Fopperies. "You have spoiled me, Theron, for a fashion"able Trifler. I fhall no longer relish the dull Oeconomy of the Fan, or the poor Parade "of the Snuff-Box."

Afp. Have You nothing to say of the TeleScope?I believe, it must be my Province to celebrate this admirable Invention; and I wish I could do it, with Manilia's brilliant Imagination. If the Microfcope leads Us downward,

to

to the curious Secrets of the animalcule Creation; the Telescope bears Us upward, to the grand Peculiarities of the starry Regions, The Eye, conducted by this wonderful Guide, visits a Variety of majestic Orbs, which would otherwife be loft in unmeasurable Tracts of Æther. -This, far more furprising than the Discoveries of Columbus, has found out new Colonies of Worlds, in every Quarter of the nocturnal Skies. This has placed a glittering Crefcent, on the Brow of one of the Planets; and has given others a most stately Train of Attendants +.

Tell me, Theron; could You difcern the full Choir of the Conftellations, or diftinguish the variegated Face of the Moon, without the Aid of your telescopic Tube? Could You, with your unaffifted Eye, get a Sight of Jupiter's Satellites, or procure a Glimpse of Saturn's Ring?

-Without that fupplementary Aid to our Sight, they are quite imperceptible; though the Satellites of the former, are incomparably more magnificent, than the Retinue of all the Monarchs in the World; and compared with the Ring of the latter, all the Bridges on ten thousand Rivers, are lefs than the Ferule of your Cane.

As the Telescope to the Eye, fo is Revelation to the Understanding. It discovers Truths,

*The Planet Venus.

+ The Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn.

which,

which, exclufive of fuch a Discovery, had been for ever hid from the moft fagacious Minds. 'Tis ftrange to the unlearned Obferver, that this ponderous Globe of Earth and Seas, should wheel its rapid Circuit round the Sun. But the Telescope has rendered this Fact clear to a Demonftration.-Tis ftrange likewife to our natural Apprehenfions, that We should die in Adam, and be undone by our first Parent's Difobedience. Nor lefs fo, that We fhould be made alive in CHRIST, and derive our Recovery from his imputed Righteousness. But Revelation makes this Doctrine as certain, as it is comfortable.

Ther. Does Revelation make it certain ?—————— This is a Point not yet established, but taken for granted. I rather apprehend, that Revelation, in no Place maintains it, in many Places difavows it. Since your Absence, Afpafio, I have spent some Time in fearching the Scriptures, with a particular View to this Tenet. And I can find no fuch Expreflion in the whole Bible, as the Imputation of CHRIST's Righteousness. If it was fo leading an Article, as You reprefent; furely, it could not have been intirely forgotten by the inspired Writers, nor utterly excluded from their Body of Divinity.

Afp. The very identical Expreffion may not occur, and yet the Doctrine be abundantly taught.

VOL. I.

U

taught. I believe, You never met with the Word Refurrection, in any Part of the Pentateuch; nor ever read the Phrafe Satisfaction, in all the New Teftament. Yet our LORD fully proved the Truth of the former, from the Writings of Mofes; and You Yourself have acknowledged the latter, to be the unanimous Senfe of the Apostles and Evangelists.

In the Epistle to the Romans, We have exprefs and repeated Mention of a Righteoufnefs imputed. What or whofe Righteousness, can be the Subject of this Affertion?—Not the Righteousness of Angels. They are a fuperior Class of Beings, and have no fuch intimate Connection with our Nature.-Not the Righteousness of eminent Saints. This is the exploded Error of Popery; and furnishes the Romish Zealots with that Chimera of Arrogance and Folly, Works of Supererogation.

-Not any Righteousness of our own: for, it is pofitively declared, to be without Works*; in which no Works of our own have any Concurrence, or the leaft Share. What other Righteousness then can be meant, but the Righteousness of our great SUBSTITUTE, SURETY, and SAVIOUR? Who took our Nature; discharged our Debt; and is therefore ftiled, JEHOVAH our Righteousness +. Ther.

Ther. This feems contrary to the whole Tenour of the facred Inftructions. What fays the Prophet? When the wicked Man turneth away from his Wickedness that He hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, He fhall fave his Soul alive *.-Here, that greatest of Bleffings, the Salvation of the Soul, is afcribed to a Departure from Evil, and a Perfeverance in Good: to a real Alteration in a Man's own Temper and Conduct, not to any fanfiful Application of fome tranfmiffive Righteousness from Another.

Afp. Let me afk my Theron; Is there no Wickedness, but Riot and Debauchery, Profaneness and Injustice ?—Unbelief, though it may pass without Cenfure or Notice in a System of Morality, is, in the Volume of Revelation, declared a capital Crime. Our LORD, speaking of the HOLY SPIRIT, mentions it as a fignal Part of his Office, That He shall convince the World of Sin.-Of what Sin? Scan-. dalous Violations of moral Rectitude? This were a needlefs Employ. The Light of Reafon is fufficient to evince fuch a Charge; and the Court of Confcience is erected, to pass the deferved Sentence.-Of Sin, adds the HEAVENLY TEACHER, because they believe not on me on my Death, as the Caufe of their Forgiveness; on my Rightcoufnefs, as the Ground

* Ezek. xviii. 27.

+ John xvi. 9.