SERMON I."

FAVOUR SHEWN TO IMPLICIT FAITH.

PSALM CXix. 99, 100.

I have more understanding than all my teachers; for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients; because I keep Thy precepts.

As experience widens and corrects our general views of human life, we are commonly not long in finding out, that the connection between success in any pursuit, and the talent of those employed in it, is by no means so invariable, as our first thoughts would lead us to anticipate. I am not now speaking only of our general liability to failure, how the best concerted schemes are from time to time unaccountably deranged: how after a time we 66 return, and see under the sun, that the race is not" always "to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all."

This and the two following Sermons were preached before the University of Oxford in the years 1822, 1823.

B

No doubt, there is much in this, which can no otherwise be accounted for, than by referring it to the control of a gracious, yet mysterious, Providence, which will not suffer man to depend for success upon himself, or upon any thing on this side the grave. Nevertheless, there is also much, which may in a good degree be explained, without lessening our awful sense of that ever-present control, by reference to certain general laws, according to which the present system of things, so far as it is within our comprehension, appears to be regulated.

One of these laws probably is, "That the common course of what affects human life should be more nearly adapted to the average capacity and condition of mankind, than to cases which rise much above or fall much below it.” For example, those kinds of sustenance, which the great majority of animal frames most constantly require, are most widely diffused, and most easily obtained. In strict

* Πίστεως γὰρ δεῖται μόνης, (τὸ κήρυγμα) οὐ συλλογισμῶν· διὸ δὴ μάλιστα αὐτὸ θαυμάζειν ἄξιον· οὐχ ὅτι χρήσιμον καὶ σωτήριον μόνον, ἀλλ ̓ ὅτι καὶ εὔκολον, καὶ ῥᾷστον, καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν εὔληπτον· ὃ δὴ μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας ἔργον ἐστὶ, κοινὰ τὰ παρ ̓ ἑαυτοῦ προτιθέντος ἅπασιν· ὅπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἡλίου, καὶ σελήνης, καὶ γῆς, καὶ θαλάττῃς, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐποίησεν, οὐ τοῖς μὲν πλουτοῦσι καὶ σοφοῖς πλείονος μεταδιδοὺς τῆς ἀπὸ τούτων χορηγίας, ἐλάττονος δὲ τοῖς πένησιν, ἀλλ ̓ ἴσην ἅπασι τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν προτιθεὶς, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος εἰργάσατο· καὶ πολλῷ πλέον, ὅσῳ καὶ ἀναγκαιότερον τοῦτο ἐκείνων. S. Chrys. in Rom. i. 13. t. 3. p. 15.

• See the same kind of argument in Arist. Εth. i. 8. εἴη δ ̓ ἂν καὶ πολύκοινον, κ. τ. λ.

accordance with this dispensation, we may observe, that, granting a certain degree of common sense, it is not great natural ability, so much as singleness of purpose, and perseverance in uniform and discreet labour, which determines, in the ordinary course of things, who shall succeed, and who fail, in their respective temporal objects. In commerce, a tendency to daring speculations, however skilful and well combined, cannot be so safely trusted as punctual and unswerving industry. In literature, though it were senseless to dispute the great advantage of superior ability, when united with persevering diligence; it is equally notorious, that supposing the two separated, more fatal errors by far against truth and sound reasoning have resulted from genius without application, than from the contrary character: understanding by the word "application," not study of any kind, but the patient bending of a man's powers towards the particular point in question, through a sincere desire of ascertaining the truth.

Now the text appears to point out an analogy, well worth observing, between these circumstances of common life, and what takes place in more important matters: in those, namely, which con"I have more cern our everlasting welfare. understanding than my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my study: I am wiser than the aged, because I keep Thy commandments." These words are evidently uttered, not in the Psalmist's

own person alone, but in the person of every one, who has the privilege of knowing God and His law. And to one who lives within reach of the Gospel, being interpreted by experience and the rest of Holy Scripture, they will be found to speak some such language as this: That such honest attention and thoughtfulness as are in the power of all men, are not only necessary, but sufficient, by God's blessing, and the assistance of His Holy Spirit, to guide us into all truths really important to our final welfare;-not only to make us virtuous rather than vicious, but also to make us Christians rather than Infidels, orthodox Christians rather than Heretics, and conforming Christians rather than Schismatics.

So much of this position, as relates to the ordinary dealings of life, will not, I suppose, seem questionable to any one, who acknowledges the Bible, as a rule of conduct, at all. But, when we come to extend it to matters of religion, as distinguished from matters of morality-to supernatural, as opposed to social, duties-a little explanation may be required, lest we seem to derogate, needlessly and untruly, from the value of high intellectual endowments: which must ever rank among the most precious of the talents committed to our charge in this world. It is not, then, meant to be denied, that original genius, even though destitute of the singleness of purpose, here insisted on, is usually more successful in the discovery of new truths, and