heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy." This old fashioned doctrine comprises the whole contents of all false doctrines. Love to some, and hatred to others, is the peculiar character of all the doctrines which the partial wisdom of man has ever invented. People in all ages, and in all countries, who have been so taught, and who have so believed, have been ardent in their love to those who loved them, but equally ardent in their hatred of others; and according to their love and their hatred, they have shaped their practices. But Jesus teaches as follows: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? and if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Here we have the doctrine of Jesus. It teaches us that our Father in heaven loves mankind, both the evil and the good, with an impartiality which is indicated by the sunshine and the rain; and this doctrine requires us to love as our heavenly Father loves.

The hearer is requested to take particular notice of the fact, that Jesus accompanied his doctrine and his precept with such proof as the senses of the people could judge of. If he had stated the fact that our Father in heaven loves all men, it would have

been just as true without the proof as with it; but this would have fallen short of his purpose; and might have been rejected as a mere matter of opinion. Jesus, therefore, addressed their senses with such evidence as their senses could judge of, but could not reject or gainsay. In our time, the opposers of this doctrine of Jesus have often asked, if it be a truth, why was it not long ago found out? Why has it not until lately been discovered and preached? Why have not the learned doctors of the church, in former ages, preached this doctrine? Kind hearers, if we may rely on the testimony of Jesus, and the corresponding testimony of our senses, this blessed doctrine has been preached as long as the sun has shone, and as long as rains have fallen on mankind; and these eloquent and faithful preachers will continue thus to testify, thus to preach, in direct and open opposition to all the partial systems of man's wisdom.

But we are not only furnished with outward senses to which the proofs of divine truth can be successfully addressed, and through which conviction can be sent home to the heart; but our heavenly Father has constituted us with those natural affections, which are capable of becoming the mediums of convictions equally strong as those we receive through our outward senses. This being the case, Jesus did not fail to call those natural affections into action, in support of his doctrine of the divine love. Listen to his words: "What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give

good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Here the divine teacher makes an appeal to the kind affections of the parental heart, and summons them as evidences to prove his doctrine. Until fathers and mothers can hear their hungry children ask for bread, and feel satisfied by putting a stone into the stretched-out feeble hand; and hear them cry for but a piece of fish, and take delight in throwing a serpent to them, let them not represent our Father in heaven as destitute of compassion.

We are taught, by the several examples which have been presented to the hearer, that Jesus never proposed any thing for the people to believe, without presenting at the same time such evidences as are accommodated to the condition of the human understanding.

We shall now proceed to make use of the word prove in a way varying somewhat from the manner in which it has been used in this discourse, yet not in opposition, but by presenting another way or manner of proving all things. We prove the utility and suitableness of a thing by using it. In Jesus' parable of the supper, the excuse which one who had been bidden made for not coming, was, that he had bought five yoke of oxen, and must go and prove them. That is, he desired to put them to labour, that he might know whether they were suitable for the purpose for which he had bought them.-When David, with a pious enthusiasm and patriotic spirit, had accepted the challenge which the boasting Goliath offered the armies of Israel, Saul was appre

hensive that the youth would certainly fall before the champion, and expostulated with him as follows: "Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." But when Saul found that David's determination was not to be changed, and that he could not daunt his courage, "he armed him with his own armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail, and David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them." David had never had occasion to use such weapons, and he chose a sling, with which he was well acquainted. He had, in his boyhood, become familiar with the use of this deadly weapon, and felt confident that it would not fail him in the conflict in which he was to be engaged.Many more instances of this use of the word prove might be cited, but these are sufficient. You will

say, "We all know that this is a proper use of the word prove; but what is the speaker going to do with this use of the word?" He is about to call you to the experiment of putting doctrines to a faithful trial, by attempting to prove them by reducing them to practice.

The doctors of the church, by the wisdom of their schools, and by their deep researches, have, ages ago, furnished the Christian community with a creed, which teaches, that God from all eternity elected some of the human family, and ordained them to obtain eternal salvation by a Redeemer. The rest of the human race, this human creed con

signs, by a decree of our Creator, to a state of unspeakable sufferings, which will never end, nor be diminished. In their wisdom, these doctors maintain, that the Creator saw fit to establish the forementioned decrees, for the purpose of making the most full and perfect display of his glorious perfections to intelligent beings, and of producing the greatest possible happiness in the universe.-It is not the object which we now have in view, to show that this doctrine is as repugnant to the Scriptures, as it is to reason and to the principles of moral nature. What we now desire is, that those who are parents in this assembly should prove this doctrine, by casting in their minds, whether they can go into their family circles, and practice this doctrine in their domestic government, and in the management of the concerns of their children. In the following manner you must proceed: Out of the goodly number of your beloved sons and daughters, you must choose, say one third, to be ever hereafter the objects of your kindest regards; and bring your minds to the determination to exclude all the rest of your children from your love and favour forever. When you have fully resolved on this method of procedure, and have, in your own minds, made the division of your family, you must then reveal your purposes to your children, and let them know your sovereign will. You must then proceed accordingly, and feed and clothe your elected favourites as their wants require. You must educate them in every branch of learning, which will contribute to their enjoyments in life. You must give them, at all times, a realizing sense of your tender regards for them, and keep them near to yourselves, that they may enjoy