millions of human beings of very limited faculties is to depend hereafter, not upon their obedience to plain precepts here, but upon their profession of unintelligible doctrines; if not to cease to do evil, and to learn to do well; but to be spiritualized, to feel the operation of the Holy Ghost, to experience sensations which they cannot define, and to be guided by a light which they alone can discern if to adopt a system of faith, which, acted upon, would totally unfit them for the business of the world, in which they have a part to perform; but which, if not acted upon, becomes a mere empty speculation, or a fantastic dream—if, I say, all this be any thing like the Revelation of the Gospel, further light is undoubtedly to be wished for; and another Jesus devoutly to be looked for, to clear up and explain what is at present involved in impenetrable obscurity.

But if the very reverse of all this be (as we trust it is) the truth-if the Gospel has brought life and immortality to light, by assuring us of another state of existence, in which they that have done good shall be eternally rewarded, and they that have done evil eternally punished—if it has clearly defined the

doing good to consist in obedience to God, and in love to our fellow-creatures: if it has exacted from us not more than we are able to perform, but has required of every man only to make the best use of such talents as have been entrusted to him; if it has instructed us, that salvation has indeed been purchased for us by our Saviour, but only upon conditions which we are bound to observe; that those conditions, though arduous, are not impracticable, being no other than to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world; that is, to be kind to others, and innocent in ourselves—if, in short, it has called upon us to evince our faith by our practice, and has assured us that we must, with the assistance of that Divine grace which is denied to none who seek for it, work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; then may we be confident, that we have not another Saviour to look for-that as no future Revelation is promised to us, so is none other necessary; that the light which we have is, indeed, the true light whose bright and glorious effulgence is abundantly sufficient to guide us safely to the mansions of peace and eternal felicity.

SERMON VII.

LUKE Xxiv. 27.

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself.

THE two main pillars of Christianity are undoubtedly prophecy and miracles. Though they might properly be considered but as one, since the former is clearly a species of the latter; yet are they usually treated separately, because there are marked differences between them. The one being better calculated for the conviction of those who witness them, than for succeeding generations, who believe them only upon testimony: and losing, perhaps, something of their force by the lapse of time. The other being designed to influence posterity, and frequently a very distant posterity, and consequently gaining strength by

the revolution of ages'. So admirably has the wisdom of Providence adapted both these great instruments to the accomplishment of those purposes for which he has been pleased to call mankind into existence. This distinction between prophecy and miracles is noticed by St. Peter in his second Epistle to the newly-converted Christians. After having assured them for the confirmation of their faith, that he and the other Apostles, had not followed cunningly devised fables, when they made known unto them the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty―he adds-we have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts. By which he could not mean that the prophecies were surer evidence to himself, that Christ had appeared, than the miracles which he had seen him perform: but that they might be so to them, whom he was addressing, and to those who should live after them because by considering those predic

1 See Warburton's Divine Legation, vol. vi. p. 341, &c.

tions which had already been verified by his first coming; they might encrease their confidence in those which related to his second and final appearance.

To each of these two strong grounds of our faith,our attention is necessarily very frequently directed because we can hardly read a page of the Old Testament, without being deeply impressed with the one or open the New without being powerfully affected by the other; and because it is not a little remarkable, that whilst believers confidently appeal to each of them in support of their faith: unbelievers as confidently rely upon them to justify their infidelity: the former considering them as clear evidences of truth: and the latter treating them as marks of imposture.

At this season of the year our services naturally lead us much to the consideration of the prophecies relating to our Saviour: and I think that our time here cannot be better employed than in examining any of their difficulties, and refuting any of the objections that have been urged against them. If there are any persons who think that there are no difficulties in the Scriptures: and that it is not worth while to bestow any attention upon