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sound view of the subject would, I think, induce us to join, in such a sentiment concerning mental attainments, as was once expressed in prayer concerning the endowments of fortune: "Give me neither poverty nor riches: feed me with food convenient for me."

Our judgment, also, of the state of mind, and religious proficiency, of those in any way committed to our charge, (the only persons, strictly speaking, of whom it becomes us to judge at all,) would be materially affected by such considerations. We shall be in less danger of rashly condemning the simple, or lightly excusing sinners on the ground of ignorance-less likely to fall into the common error of imagining, that those who talk best about the truth, really know and love it best-if we bear it always in remembrance, that they, whose meditation is in God's testimonies, shall have more understanding than all their teachers and they who keep His commandments, shall be wiser than the aged.

Not, however, by a wisdom, or an understanding, directly and perceptibly infused, or communicated from heaven by sensible inspiration. For this too is a further use of considering the analogy which subsists between Christianity and common life in the matter of implicit Faith: viz. that it would tend to relax the hold, which enthusiastic thoughts are daily gaining upon the minds even of sincere believers, and to make their views of their duty soberer and

more practical. In order to this good effect, what is chiefly required is, duly to impress serious persons with the belief, that God's Spirit works on our spirits, not miraculously, but by quiet methods, guiding not superseding reason, and in such a way, as we must never expect to distinguish from the natural movements of our own thoughts. Such, evidently, is the tendency of the argument, on which I have been employed. It not only takes a large portion of Scripture out of the hands of the enthusiast, but gives it a turn the direct contrary way. Such texts, I mean, as dwell on “the calling of the foolish, the base and despised, rather than the wise, the mighty, and the noble:" on "the hiding of holy things from the wise and prudent, and revealing them to babes:" on " the doing God's will, being the way to know of His doctrine;" and the like. The weak impatience of men, too soon weary of the slow and silent process of real improvement, causes them to lay hold on every thing of this kind, as warrant for their expecting some interruption of the established order of things, something approaching to sensible, miraculous inspiration, for conveying to sincere unlearned Christians that knowledge of the ordinary means, of which they are supposed to be destitute. Whereas the true meaning of the Bible in all such passages is strictly analogous to what our daily experience in temporal matters would lead us to expect. "The word of God is a

lantern to the feet, and a light unto the paths"— not of every one who takes up the Scripture, as though there were something almost meritorious in the mere act of reading it; or, it may be, with some secret unacknowledged hope of special aid to be vouchsafed to him in interpreting of it, as though he were, beyond his brethren, high in God's favour:-not unto these is God's word a light, but to those, who have sworn," and are stedfastly purposed, to keep His righteous judgments" to those all without exception; and to none besides.

Thus, as intellectual pride may well be abased, upon finding that it has been God's will to constitute uprightness, rather than ability, judge of the truth on the highest of all subjects: so it may reasonably serve to put down spiritual pride, and those self-satisfying thoughts, which the doctrine of assurance, in its various shades, is continually fostering among Christians; if they are made to be aware, that there is nothing capricious-no sort of partiality or fatalism-in God's distribution of spiritual understanding: that the Holy Spirit works with us, exactly in such measure as we are disposed to work for ourselves: and that it is not the notion of having, already, pleased God, but the earnest desire to please Him better for the future, which must accompany us in our use of the means of grace, if we would not have them prove to us, in the end, means rather of confusion and condemnation.

SERMON III.

IMPLICIT FAITH RECONCILED WITH FREE ENQUIRY.

1 THESSALONIANS v. 19, 20.

Despise not prophesyings: prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

THESE two verses, taken both together, appear to contain full directions on the true way of profiting by the public instruction, delivered from time to time in the Church by the authorized ministers of the Gospel, whether that instruction be contained in set formularies, as in the Creeds, Lessons, and Exhortations of the Prayer Book: or in occasional Sermons and Homilies; but more especially the latter. For so large is the import of the term "prophesying" in the New Testament.

It is true, that the Apostle is here speaking, in the first instance, with a view to his own times, and to cases of professed inspiration. We know from the first Epistle to the Corinthians", that among the various extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, which were so bountifully dispensed to the

1 Cor. xiv.

primitive Church, prophecy, or the authorized declaration of God's will, though of the greatest use for edifying, was most apt to be unduly depreciated, in comparison with other gifts, more striking, and more evidently supernatural.

To correct this error, the Thessalonian converts are here warned not to " despise prophesyings." And, on the other hand, to prevent their running blindly after any doctrine, which might please their ear, or their fancy, they are told, that it is their duty, as a Church and congregation, to judge of what they hear; not of the teacher, nor of the style, but of the sense of what is spoken: to judge of it, not as matter of speculation or criticism, but simply with a view to their own practical improvement. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

St. John, in later and more perilous times, proposes a rule to the same purpose: and by comparing the two together, it will be seen how closely, in the minds of the inspired writers, orthodox faith was associated with sound morality. "Beloved', believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ come in the flesh, is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus Christ come in the flesh, is not of God."

b John iv. 1-3.

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