of their spirits after they are separated, by death, from their bodies: or as if they imagine that it makes no difference with regard to their future lot, whether their present lives be virtuous or wicked; I hope and trust that this will never be the case with you, but that, on the contrary, you will attend in time to the things which belong to your eternal peace."

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From the heathens, who were a law unto themselves," God may not require a very strict account; and great allowance will, no doubt, be made for those who "still walk in darkness," and have not the benefit of revelation. But since it has pleased him to make his WILL known to us, he will assuredly require that we should walk according to that will. If we do not perform what is thus required of us, we voluntarily choose for ourselves a condition of the greatest wretchedness and torment. The "servant, who knows his master's will, and does it not, will be beaten with many stripes." If an earthly master be offended, when his orders are not obeyed, how much more shall the "Lord of all power and might," the ruler of the world, be indignant on beholding his laws disregarded. Our reason must convince us that this neglect will be displeasing to God; and the conse quences of his displeasure, "if his wrath

dreadful than we can now conceive. He is represented in the Scriptures as visiting with the utmost severity the wilful shutting of our eyes to the light of truth.

But I would exhort you to take advantage of the knowledge vouchsafed to you, not merely for "wrath but for conscience sake." Upon the principle of gratitude you should endeavour to profit by the advantage you possess. Ye who are fathers, expect your children to obey you from motives of love and respect, rather than from the terror of the rod. Let such be your conduct towards your "Father which is in heaven." Since he" has shewn you what is good," be not so undutiful, or so unwise, as to follow that which is evil. In his goodness, God has made your duty and your interest the same: you cannot neglect your duty, without incurring the danger of losing your happiness. Is it not, therefore, unworthy of reasonable creatures to throw away the advantages they possess; and, as it were, to trample under foot their own precious souls; souls, to save which, the Almighty has condescended to hold converse with man? Let us not be amongst the number who do this. Since " light has come into the world,"-" let us not love darkness rather than light;" but let us rather "walk as children of the light;" not "in rioting and drunkenness," not " in chambering and wantonness," like ignorant

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heathens, who know neither whence they come nor whither they go; but let us live honestly as in the day;" as men on whom the pure light of truth has been poured, and who are duly sensible of the blessing thus conferred upon them.

SERMON II.

ROMANS XV.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.

I STATED to you in my last discourse that the Bible contains the records of God's revealed will; and that to it we are to look for guidance and direction in all our spiritual concerns. But it is plain, that before we can make that volume the guide and director of our lives, we must be convinced that it is what it pretends to be, THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD. We must be convinced of its truth; that it is genuine, authentic, and inspired.

Now a book is said to be genuine when it really is the work of the person whose name it bears. We are therefore to enquire whether this be the case with the various parts of the Bible: and I trust I shall experience no difficulty in convincing you that it is.

That the different books of the Old and New Testaments were really written by the authors to whom they are ascribed, we have the clearest evidence that can in reason be required; evidence as strong as ever was adduced to prove the genuineness of any other book that ever was written. In what then does it consist? It consists in the consent of all who lived nearest the times when they were composed. The Jews, to whose care were consigned the oracles of God; who were particularly interested in their preservation; whose whole statute law was contained in them, and who would not have obeyed so burthensome a code, unless they had been convinced of the truth of its origin, have always, from the most distant periods, ascribed them to the authors whose names they bear; and, unless very decisive reasons can be assigned for our thinking otherwise, we must remain of that belief. Those who may choose to dispute the point, are bound to produce the strongest reasons for so doing; and this they have never yet been able to do, without at the same time destroying all proof of the genuineness of every other ancient book that ever was written. We may therefore rest convinced that these books were written by the persons, or at least under the eye, and by the direction of the persons to whom they have always been ascribed. But it is not only necessary that the dif

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