Still to imbitter all the woes I feel, 'And aggravate the cruel pains of hell;

Far from my gloomy cavern I behold

Heav'n's glorious frontiers, bright with burnished gold,
Where, God, in grandeur, all his pomp difplays,
And high-born feraphs fwell the fong of praise.

I too, with them, had trod yon fhining plain,
Where endless joy, and peace celestial reign;
Had not my youth, by thy falfe friendship led,
Purfued thy fteps !-Perdition on thy head!
When will the hour arrive, to waft thee o'er,
And give thy fpirit to this doleful shore?
May thronging demons round thy bed appear,
And breathe their curfes in thy tingling ear;
Whisper the horrid fecrets of thy doom,
Then furious drag thee to thy loathsome home!

And, when arrived on this terrific plain,
Thou hearest me clash my adamantine chain;
Before my ghoft thy frighted foul fhall flee,
And find no fury half fo fierce as me.
Swift I'll purfue thee to thy dark retreat,
And tear thy heart from its unhallowed feat;
Thrice dip it deep where flaming billows roar,
And thrice I'll dash it on the glowing shore;
Then fling it blazing to the furies' scorn,
'Midft clouds of fuffocating fulphur borne;
Whose ready hands, warned by my vengeful look,
Shall fix it quivering to fome burning rock;

That every paffing fiend may hurl his dart,
And pierce it with unutterable smart :
While I pursue thee through the dreary shade,
And pour my keen reproaches on thy head;
Blaft thy fick fight, fting thee with fiercest pain,
And furious dafh thee with my fparkling chain.
Where'er thou turn'ft, my angry ghost shall fly,
And haunt and curfe thee through eternity.

THE

Arminian Magazine,

For APRIL 1790.

*

An Illuftration of Part of the Seventh Chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans, from verfe 14, to the end of the Chapter.

By JAMES SMITH, Minifter in DUMFERMLINE. [Continued from page 119.]

IN

N the former section I have endeavoured to afcertain the general scope: A more particular examination of the feveral expreffions used by the apoftle will decide, with fill greater certainty, the true purport of the whole.

Ver. 14. For we know that the law is fpiritual: but I am carnal, fold under fin.

The first thing which presents itself in this verfe is that contrariety which St. Paul here ftates between himself and the law of God: of the latter he faith, "It is fpiritual;" of the former, "I am carnal, and fold under fin." The expreffions, "In the VOL. XIII. flesh

Y

flesh, after the flesh," in ver. 5. and chap. viii. 5, 8, 9, &c. are of the fame import with the word carnal in this verse. All are agreed, that thefe expreffions, "To be in the flesh, or, to be carnally minded," in these verses, folely respect the unre generate. In that flate, the man is in a state of death and enmity against God, chap. viii. 6-9. This is St. Paul's own account of a carnal man. The foul of that man has no authority over the appetites of the body, and the lufts of the flesh; reason has not the government of paffion; the mind is fubje&t to, and the fervant of the body; his work is, "To make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lufts thereof," chap. xiii. 14. His enjoyments are moftly of a carnal nature, and "he mindeth the things of the flesh," chap. yiii. 5. This is the fcriptural defcription of a carnal man. In all these things the spiritual man is the very reverse. He lives in a state of friendship with God in Chrift, the Spirit dwelleth in him; his foul has the dominion over the appetites of the body and the lufts of the flesh; his paffions fubmit to the government of reason, he mortifieth the deeds of the body; his enjoyments are chiefly of a fpiritual nature; his great employment is, " To work out his falvation with fear and trembling :" and "he mindeth the things of the Spirit," chap. viii. 5. The feriptures, therefore, place these two characters in direct oppofition to one another. Now, our apostle begins this passage, by informing us, that it is his carnal ftate which he is about to describe, in opposition to the fpirituality of God's holy law, faying, "But I am carnal." Those who are of another opinion, maintain, that by the word carnal here, the apoftle meant "that corruption which remained in him after his converfion." This opinion is founded upon a very great mistake: though that corrupt principle may be strong, and at times will violently struggle to obtain the dominion; yet the man is never denominated by the inferior principle, which, in general, is under controul; but by the fuperior principle, which habitually prevails. Whatever epithets are given to corruption or fin in fcripture, oppofite epithets

are