In once more looking over this verse, my mind is impressed with other ideas, which I must commit to paper and send to my dear friend. We read in sacred Writ of the Door of the Heart, and of the Door of the Lips, and of the Conscience: these Doors are all opened by the finger of God. The conscience is quickened to feel the native guilt of our sins; the heart, the mind, all the faculties of the soul are opened by the operations of the eternal Spirit; the Understanding is enlightened to perceive the glories of the Saviour; the Will is bowed down to chuse Jesus, the Affections are set upon him, the Thoughts love to retain him; thus the Door of the Heart is open. Hence the Spouse says, _He put in his finger by the hole of the Door_, _and my bowels were moved for him_, _I rose up to open to my beloved_. The Door, here, may signify Faith in her heart; the Hole of the Door, a principle of love, though not wide open, free, and at sweet liberty, yet, as a principle, it was there. The Lord Jesus putting forth his powerful grace in the heart afresh, stirred her up, opened all the faculties, and afresh quickened the Conscience, she was led forth in soul after him. This is opening the Door. Hence he addresses the Laodicean Church; _Behold I stand at the door and knock_; _if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come into him_. This text has been awfully perverted by the Arminians and Modern Calvinists of the day: they tell us that the Deity is knocking at the door of every man’s heart, begging to come in—waiting till the creature will open the door, and receive salvation! Alas! what a most miserable perversion of the text. The passage has nothing to do with the World, it is an address to the Church in a backsliding state, as the 5 Chapter of Songs shews. The Church knew her Beloved’s voice, which is the Gospel. Every enlightened, quickened soul, understands the truth, whether it is drowsy or not; the soul is again made willing to receive Jesus, to seek most ardently the best of friends: this is opening the door, as we are made willing in the day, the time, the moment he puts forth his power. This is what the Church means by _the Beloved putting forth his hand by the Hole of the Door_. The heart moved after him, the door of the lips is opened, in prayer, in entreaty, and when admittance is gained, they are opened in praise, and in speaking good of his name. _They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom_. Thus the doors are opened for the King of Glory to come in. These are everlasting doors and will never be fully shut against Christ, nor will his doors ever be shut against his Church. He manifests himself to us, and we entertain him with the fruits of his own Spirit. The Grinders cease in the best of senses. The worst oppressors we ever meet with is a broken Law and a tempting Devil, and accusing conscience, this is the trouble of the Spirit. Hence that fine passage, _They shall cry to the Lord because of the oppressors_. _He