HE following difcourfe, concerning the increase of Holinefs, in the profeffors of Christianity, is annexed to the preceding Analogical difcourfes, both upon account of the Analogies included in it, and because it in fome degree answers the pious request made in the letter, hereafter printed.

It was not written profeffedly to answer that defign; if it was, perhaps it might have been more fully to the purpofe; yet it is hoped, that the reader will be fatisfied with it, till fome perfon of piety, judgment, and imagination, shall be excited to do it compleatly. The reafon of prefixing the Greek and Latin text, will be feen in the course of reading. And in as much as the Author had an opportunity of receiving a letter addreft to himself, from a worthy perfon, repeating a request which he had made before to a third perfon, in order to be communicated; the reader will excufe the inserting of it here.

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66

I

took the liberty to exprefs my wish that the Author of that performance could be pre"vailed with, to explain the feveral Analogical reprefentations, which the new Teftament hath given us, of a Chriftian's life, through the fe"veral stages of it; from its infancy upwards, to "a ftate of maturity; in order to correct the fanci"ful and wanton ufe that hath of late been made of "them after the example of the Enthufiafts of the "laft century. A work of this kind, I thought, and

Viz. part 2. 4, 5. of this Book, printed in London. A. D.

1747

❝ indeed

1

"indeed, do ftill think, would be of particular fer"vice, at this time.

"

"I do not pretend to give my judgment of these things, either as a Scholar or Divine; but "only in the character of thofe, who are in a fober way of thinking, and defirous of feeing the "Scriptures juftly and properly explained. To "me therefore, and to fuch as I am, it would be a very ufeful, and is a very desirable work.

CHRISTIANITY

CHRISTIANITY

In a State of

GROWTH, &c.

HE B. 5. 12.

When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye bave need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become fuch as bave need of milk, and not of Arong meat.

Καὶ γὰρ ἐφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκολοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν χρεια ἔχετε το διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς τίνα τὰ τοιχεία τῶν λογίων τῷ Θεου. καὶ γεγονάτε χρειαν ἔχοντες γάλακίος, καὶ οὐ τερεῶς τροφῆς.

Etenim cum deberetis magiftri effe, propter tempus; rurfum indigetis ut vos doceamini, quæ fint elementa exordii fermonum Dei, et facti eftis quibus lale opus fit, non folido cibo.

I

N the natural world, there is a certain point of perfection, to which all things tend, and to obtain which, every thing is difpofed in

the best manner by the wife Author of nature. Plants and trees admit of a continual increase, from the feed, which is the first principle of their being, till they come to that maturity,

which

which answers the purposes of God, in being fefviceable to men.

Animals too are daily increafing in beauty and ftrength, from the time of their first formation in the womb, till they become able to provide for themselves, and their offfpring, to be wholesome nourishment for man, or a fharer with him, in the toil and labour of the world.

Even many kinds of ftones, and minerals, are now acknowledged to grow, and admit of a continual increase in the bowels of the earth; till they arrive at a proper confiftence, which renders them exceeding beneficial to mankind.

All things, in fhort, are wifely contrived to obtain that perfection, which God in framing the univerfe, thought fit to affign to each clafs of creatures, which when obtained, they gradually decrease, and fall from that perfection, till at laft they perish; as if, when the end is accomplished, for which they are defigned, they are incumbrances upon the earth, and must therefore give place to other creatures, who have not yet come to their maturity, and not fufficiently glorified their Creator.

It is thus with man, confidered as a part of the natural world, as well as any other creature: He is born in weakness, and much more helpless, than many meaner creatures, yet he daily improves in the powers both of his foul and body, fo as at laft to become the moft glorious part of this lower world, and the nearest image of the great Author of the universe: And like other creatures too, when he is come to his highest perfection of bodily ftrength and understanding, from that time there is a fenfible decay of all his powers, till at laft by Death, there is, in all appearance, fuch an intire diffolution of them, that his body becomes part of that mould from which it was originally formed. But