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the world, the spiritual or figurative sense which I still found to be in myself, and to be continually poured into my mind involuntarily; and which, like an interpreter, explained to me the parables of Scripture and nature. This, therefore, I resolved once for all to do, in spite of the opposition (as I supposed) of my spiritual enemy. Yet as my deficiency in human knowledge, and experimental philosophy, disabled me in great measure from doing justice to these truths, of which, only the seeds, as it were, had been given me for cultivation; or, to use a more lively figure, only the unhatched eggs, had been given me for mental incubation; and as I saw, that to propose any thing to the world, in its present enlightened state, in matters of natural philosophy, which would not stand the test of a rigid scrutiny, would only weaken instead of supporting the truth; so I concluded, that the most reasonable and humble thing that I could do, would be to treasure up every thing that I learnt in my mind; to continue to study the Holy Scriptures, with prayer for faith and grace, and, finally, to compare and try every spirit, by this unerring guide and standard of truth, according to the directions of St. John.

With respect to the history of my own conversion, I determined to resume it when I should arrive in Bengal (to which the detach

ment was then on its return from the Carnatic) and become more stationary; yet I resolved not to plunge into those metaphysical depths which had almost swallowed me up in my late attempt, but as much as possible to keep in shallow waters, and not attempt to sail, much less to walk, upon this great deep. Above all, I resolved, that in the mean time, since I had again mingled in some degree in society, my conduct therein should be such as became the Gospel of Christ.

In meeting the mess of the corps, I was often attacked on the subject of religion. On these occasions, I did not fail to argue boldly in favour of the Christian faith, and to illustrate my arguments by the help of those parables of nature, which were so luminous, so convincing to me. But these were either not understood, or considered as mere accidental resemblances which proved nothing, but only tended sometimes to illustrate what was obscure; or lastly, as the mere evaporations of an imagination overheated and subtilized by the fire of enthusiasm. When I supported myself by texts from Holy Scripture, all rational argument was supposed to be at an end; and I was plainly told, that ignorance and folly were the groundwork of religious faith; and that such tales were below the notice of a man of sense, and of the world.

Hence I continually perceived more clearly, that unless I could reduce my speculations to a regular system, commencing in shadows, or natural things of the most simple and obvious interpretation; and drawing the mind on by degrees to spiritual and intellectual things, in an almost imperceptible manner; and unless this system was founded, like geometry, upon self-evident truths of an universal nature and application; embracing every object of visible creation, and reducing them all as it were to one common denomination, to one general language of divine truth, I should do nothing. Single illustrations, however just and exact, were considered as only casual coincidencies of the infinite forms of imagination and matter, and lost nearly all their force from the want of connexion, on each side, with the adjacent links of the great chain.

From this experience I was convinced, that to address such a mode of argument to the ignorant, gross, and sensual, was like firing shot or cannon balls into an immense mound of mud. They were lost in it, and made no breach, but were not even felt, because the matter was too soft to show the force of the battery by resistance; whereas, the stone walls of deistical philosophy would, I conceived, be easily breached by their own resistance, when opposed by the fire of my analogical artillery,

supported and reinforced by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. I saw, therefore, (through the medium of an inexperienced and too sanguine imagination) that I must, if it should please God, address my speculations to the world at large; and I vainly trusted, that when the truth of my principles should be admitted by Christian philosophers*, the rest of the world would readily receive them.

Here, many of my Christian readers, who have not, like me, been lost in the bowling wilderness of infidelity; or, who have not been brought back to the king's high-way, by the same unfrequented path, may perhaps say, this man is quite besotted by his analogies and parables! He not merely endeavours humbly to minister to the word of God, and to illustrate its parables by analogy; but he seems to wish to advance a kind of natural philosophy from the rank of a servant, to that of an equal, or associate; and sometimes even to make it the predominant object in his system. This will never do. "Our faith must stand, not in "the wisdom of man, but in the power of God." -1 Cor. ii.

* I did not then know that the prejudices of Christian philosophers were as numerous, and perhaps as strong, as those of infidels, though of a different kind.

I fully subscribe to the truth of the above sentiments in a general point of view, and only object to them so far as they would impute to me intentions, or at least a bias, which I trust I do not possess. If I know any thing of my own views, respecting analogy, parable, and physico-theological philosophy, they are simply these; viz. I would recommend them to inquirers, just so far as I myself have found them useful; that is to say, subordinately, as admirable illustrators of divine truth; as most lively, delightful, interesting teachers and expositors; as imparting a living spirit to the dead forms of nature, and the dead truths of philosophy; as servants or handmaidens to the word of God.

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Having formerly lost my way in the wilderness of error, it pleased the good providence of God to bring me back to His high-way, through this beautiful and flowery path. Can I then do otherwise than recommend it to all who are looking for the right road? Am I wrong to declare to those who may be lost, as I once was, that this path will bring them to the very objects which they are in search of, viz. truth, goodness, happiness? They have only to walk humbly and faithfully in it; and not to consider it as the end, but as a means; not as the mansion to which they look as their final rest, but only as a pleasant road to it, which

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