er, to forbid all others from casting out Devil in the name of Jesus, who followed not with them! But, how different is this from the conduct of their Lord and Master? He had, indeed, bestowed on his Apostles peculiar privileges and peculiar powers; and he had in an especial manner, commissioned them to teach his doctrines and to preach his Gospel; but he had not forbidden others to do works of charity and goodness in his name, or to spread wide the precepts of his grace; and he particularly enjoins his Apostles, not to do so--for saith he," whosoever is not against us, is for us."

All christians, my brethren, of all denominations whatsoever, are engaged in the same common cause; and all those ministers who sincerely preach and teach what they believe to be the word of God, are casting out Devils in the name of Christ. Shall we forbid them, because they follow not with us? No, my brethren, "whosoever is not against us, is for us ;" and I should say of them, whensoever and wheresoever they are sincerely desirous, in the name of Christ, to aid in the salvation of men, may the blessing of Almighty goodness, attend their labors and direct their steps.

As in every other thing, so in our interpretation of the Scriptures, we are all alike liable to err; but it is not for involuntary error, that we shall any of us hereaf ter be punished. He who sincerely believes in the sublime and heart consoling doctrine of salvation; that “God hath given unto us eternal life, and that that life is in his Son," has no fear that he shall be condemned hereafter, by accident or mistake. That gift of the Almighty is not placed where it can ever hereafter be lost or be destroyed. It is not in us, but in the Son of

God; and unless we wilfully reject, and intentionally deny our Saviour; unless we do despite unto the spirit of grace; unless we commit spiritual suicide; nothing else can destroy us.

Go then, my brethren, and spread wide around you the blessed doctrines of redeeming love. Let your conversation be as becometh the disciples of Christ.--"Preach the word; be instant in season and out of season; exhort, confirm, rebuke;" but do all in the spirit of christian love and charity. Endeavor to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. And when you find your christian brethren differing in opinion from you, let not these differences be the cause of contentions and divisions. Treat them not with hostility, nor think lightly of their opinions, nor doubt the sincerity of their pious feelings. The good, the great, the virtuous and the pious, are not confined to one denomination. Blessed be God, they are to be found in every christian church. And wherever there is one believer in Christ, that believer is, and must be, the brother and the friend of every other.

The subject of religion is almost banished from our family and social circles. Why is this, my brethren? It is more pleasing and more interesting, than any with which the stores of knowledge can supply us; and surely it is the duty, and should be the pleasure, not only of the ministers of Christ, but of every sincere disciple, to cast out Devils in his name; and so far as he is enabled, to enlighten the understanding and strengthen and confirm the faith, of all within his influence.

SERMON VI.

MATTHEW, XXV. 46.-" And these shall go away into ererlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.”

IN former times, when priestcraft reigned supreme upon its throne of darkness, the only light which could restore mankind to intellectual freedom and christian liberty, was guarded with most cautious, jealous care, and hid from their researches, with anxious fearfulness. No mists of earth, however, could veil the brightness of the light of God. The arm of Satan could not withhold from man the holy Scriptures.

But, still, the powers of sin and of destruction, were far from conquered: artifices, even more dangerous, because more delusive; were then resorted to. When the sacred book could be no longer hidden from mankind, this was the language used: Yes, you shall have the Bible, and remember too, it is your duty to peruse and study it; but take good heed, how you indulge the dangerous idea, the dreadful heresy, that you can understand it: take good heed, how you presume to reason for yourselves, or search into its sacred mysteries, or stir one inch from the straight path of safety, in which your priests shall lead you. Yes, you shall see the temple of the Lord; but view it only through the glass we give you, or it is certain death.

The world indeed has now grown older, and the rays of civilization, of knowledge, and of truth, are rapidly rising above the mists which hung upon the morning.

Political freedom has been but the precursor, to prolaim the advent of intellectual and religious liberty. Yet, even now, my brethren, whether the artifices which I have mentioned are not at times resorted to, o delude the ignorant and unwary, your own observaion and experience can best inform you: Whether even on those subjects which most concern their temporal and eternal interests, all the citizens of this country, (certainly, as regards religious freedom, the most enlightened in the world,) whether in all cases, even they dare to think, and to reason, and to judge for themselves.

Be this as it may, however, thus much at least is certain, that until you do search, and investigate, and study the holy Scriptures for yourselves; until you do endeavor to understand them, not blindly receiving their interpretation from the mouths of beings, as fallible as yourselves, and from various causes, frequently more prejudiced; but, from the reason and the judgment which God has given to you, and by the aid of the eternal Spirit, which he has promised to bestow on all; untill you do endeavor to think and judge for yourselves, you cannot comprehend the christian dispensation; you cannot be understanding Christians. Not only before we can be entitled to the glorious character of understanding Christians, but before we can aspire even to be called intelligent and reasonable beings, we must exercise for ourselves, the intellectual powers which God has given us.

My brethren, if I could persuade you, that it is the first and most essential duty of a Christian, to search the Scriptures, and to think for himself; a duty with

out which every act of religion and every exercise of devotion, is unmeaning, and therefore unavailing; a duty without which it is impossible to love our neighbour as ourselves, or love the Lord our God, with all our heart: If I could persuade you to the practice of this first christian duty, I should have effected more than could be done by centuries of controversy upon disputed points; than all the thunders of the vatican, or those more horrible denunciations, which have at times polluted the sacred temples of the Saviour of the world; the Father of mankind; the Prince of Peace; the God of love and mercy. Again and again, would I repeat, therefore, my brethren, if you would wish to be real, sincere and pious Christians, study the sacred Scriptures: "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them." Exercise the divine prerogative which God has given to you; the only evidence of intellectual being. Listen to the dictates of the Holy Spirit: the only evidence of christian life; the only witness that we are born of God.

It has been my endeavor, as you know my brethren, to shew to you from the sacred book, in how sublimely beautiful a manner, the majesty and truth, the mercy and the love of God, are displayed to man, even in the final doom, the eternal punishment of the wicked : and to point out to you, into what palpable contradictions, what glaring absurdites, we are led, when we endeavor to substitute the opinions of men, for the doctrines of Divine Revelation-to prove to you, that the attributes of the Deity are immutable; that the holy Scriptures never contradict themselves. Now, in so doing, if I have made any statements which are not facts; if I