He alludes to the fraudful dexterity of practised gamesters in managing a die, or cube, as the word signifies, which they will throw with such a sleight, as to make the side come up which they wish. Much so crafty deceivers toss men about by addressing their feelings, and plying them with subjects suited to agitate their passions. And, for this spiritual legerdemain, they seldom find a more handy instrument, than the form of liberty. Their first object is to unsettle people's minds from the doctrine and order of the gospel, by insinuating, that their understandings have been imposed on, and their consciences enslaved, and it is time to assert their liberty. If they can only set men afloat, they hope to take the direction of them into their own hands. This game the devil too successfully played with our progenitors in Eden. He insinuated, that they were held in ignorance and blind obedience; and if they would throw off the restraint, their eyes would be opened. The ministers of Satan use the same artifice. Corah would - persuade the Jews, that they were led about

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blindfold by Moses, and priest-ridden by the standing order. Peter and Jude describe seducers, as despising government,' and endeavouring, under pretence of liberty, to level all distinctions: As murmurers and - complainers; presumptuous and self-willed; and as sporting in their deceptions: As headstrong in their ways, and incapable of being mended by counsel, or reclaimed by

reason.

* Peter mentions this among other marks of false teachers, that in their festivals or assemblies, they sported themselves with their own deceivings: Or with certain devices to deceive their followers; thus beguiling unstable souls. Ireneus, a Christian father, who wrote soon after the apostles, has mentioned a particular device, which Peter is here supposed to allude to. Speaking of these heretics, he says, They made it their custom, in their festivals, sortibus ludere, to play with lots.' How these lots were applied, Peter may be supposed to intimate, when he says, their sporting was to deceive and beguile, that they might better exercise their covetous practices. It is probable that these deceivers, pretending, that a lot drawn in a particular manner was a divine decision, took upon them thus to direct men's conduct, and to predict their destiny. Hence it appears that the impious practice, lately known among us, of discovering men's spiritual state by a lottery, is not so novel as some have imagined. Something similar to it seems to have been in use among those religious gamesters who vexed the church in, and soou after the apostles' time. But the use of passages of sacred writ in a way of lottery, is a

Paul gives the same account of them in his second letter to Timothy. He says, Perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,' teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake; proud, and boasters of their own superior sanctity; evil speakers and disobedient to parents' under pretence of being more godly than they; unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, covenant breakers,' or disregarding the covenant obligations which they are under to the church of God: false accusers, incontinent,' or much given to lust; fierce' and malignant in their tempers; heady and high-minded : and yet assuming a 'form of godliness!' 'Of this sort are they who creep into houses, to lead the simple captive. From such turn away.' What is the liberty, which such goodly patrons procure? The apostle calls it captivity, or subjection to divers lusts. It is a liberty, which begins in licentiousness and

species of impiety probably unknown to the ancients. This improvement on the old plan modern gamesters may doubtless appropriate.

ends in bondage. Peter says, 'They allure through the lusts of the flesh those who had escaped from them that live in errour.While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same he is brought into bondage.' 2 epistle ii. 18, 19. They relax the strict precepts of the gospel, preach doctrines suited to men's corrupt inclinations; flatter their spiritual pride, and bolster them up with false hopes by hastily pronouncing them in a state of grace. Thus delivering them from the restraints of fear, they plunge them into more absolute bondage to their lusts, and make their last state worse than the first.

I would observe once more.

X. False teachers corrupt the word of God and handle it deceitfully. In opposition to them Paul says, 'We are not as many, who corrupt the word of God. We have renounced the hidden things of dishonestynot handling the word of God deceitfully’— 2 Cor. ii. 17-and iv. 2. One common way in which they corrupt the word is, by turn

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ing the truth into fables,' or by rejecting the plain, literal meaning of scripture for the sake of a mystical, allegorical sense which they absurdly call the spiritual sense.'Thus they make the whole bible uncertain, and are at liberty to give every text a fanciful turn, which best serves their own purpose, or pleases the humour of their hearers.

There were, in the apostles' days, some of this fantastic complexion. They denied the literal incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ; and affirmed that his body was only spectral, and his death and resurrection only illusive. They professed high perfection in holiness, absolute freedom from sin, clear discernment of spiritual things, uncommon illuminations from God. It is manifest, that the epistle of Jude, and the first epistle of John, were written in opposition to these enthusiastic, mystical religionists. Jude calls them dreamers;' men whose religious notions were as wild and incoherent, as the sports of imagination in a dream.