worthy part, in attempting to disturb the peace of those who apprehend they can see with clearness the truths of the Gospel. Let such rather wait in patience and humility for an understanding heart, and often query whether the whole of the difference of sentiment between themselves and the real Christian, does not arise from an excess of that which will ever obstruct the divine intelligence, viz. the corrupt will and overweening pride of man.

In thus speaking of infidelity, and of its baneful effects on the minds of those who oppose every degree of Christian revelation, anger or resentment ought to be laid aside. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God;" rather let every faculty of the soul breathe to the Father of all our mercies, that they may be so favoured with his divine influence, as that he may lead them out of the dark mazes of speculation, into that glorious light where every mist and every obstruction will be dissipated. It is only those who artfully endeavour to instil false principles into the unwary that ought to be shunned and condemned.

SECTION IV.

ON THE SCRIPTURES.

THE veracity and authenticity of the Scriptures have been many ways proved. Those who have believed in them have considered the truths they contain as able to make wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus ;" they have been a divine blessing to many thousands, who, by enjoying this privilege, have had the path plainly marked out for them, in order that they might walk in the way of their vocation, in the fear and love of the Almighty. The Scrip tures are not, however, the only guide. The apostle says, "The anointing which ye have received of him (i. e. Christ) abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you." Christ is then the foundation-stone, "the way, the truth, and the life;" and the Scriptures the written and undoubted evidence of this everlasting truth. Barclay says: "They are without deceit or equivocation the most excellent writings in the world; and no revelation coming

from the Spirit can ever contradict the testimony of Scripture or right reason."

It is an observation of some, that many who have been favoured with superior understandings, and who have been in the habit of endeavouring to account for every thing they see, have made the Scriptures also the subject of their researches; not taking into their consideration that many things contained in them, have been, and ever will be," hid from the wise and prudent of this world:" so that it is a matter of no great surprise to the real Christian, to observe with how much readiness they reject Scripture testimony, in order to make room for a more pleasing study than that which forbids selfgratification, controlled by divine limitations. To a seriously-thinking mind it must appear highly absurd, that the accomplishment of the prophecies concerning Christ's coming and death should be considered of no other advantage to mankind, than the coming and death of the prophets and martyrs; when there are so many circumstances related of a peculiar nature, which not only give extraordinary certainty as to the fact, but also the assurances of the benefit spiritually derived to believers.

Many have not given themselves time to consider these subjects; and have supposed the

E

whole to have originated in priestcraft. But when it is fully established that the prophetic writings in Scripture have spoken so circumstantially on the subject, and that what has been written has so exactly been accomplished, the unprejudiced mind surely will not doubt but divine goodness had some singular purpose to effect in bringing this his intention to pass. "That Jesus was the Messias foretold by the prophets appears thus:-The prophets speak of a new and second covenant which God would make with his people; they mention, not once or twice, but very often, the conversion of the Gentiles from superstition and idolatry to the worship of the true God: they speak of four successive empires, the last of which was the Roman empire; and under this last empire they say that a new and everlasting kingdom should be established by one to whom God should give absolute power and dominion. A great person was to come, who should be Emmanuel, or God with us; the Son of God and the Son of Man; of the seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and of David; born of a virgin, poor and obscure, and yet one whom David calls his Lord; the Lord to whom the temple belonged, the mighty God; a great King, an everlasting Priest, though not of the tribe of Levi; born at Beth

lehem; a prophet like unto Moses, but greater than Moses; a prophet who should preach to the poor and meek, and proclaim liberty to the captives, and comfort to the mourners, and heal. the broken-hearted; who should proclaim his Gospel first, principally, in the land of Zebulon and Naphtali, in Galilee of the Gentiles; who should have a forerunner in the spirit of Elias, crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord;' who should instruct in a mild and peaceable manner, without wrath and contention, before the destruction of the temple, in which temple he should be seen and heard; who should enter Jerusalem meek and humble, and riding on an ass; who should work miracles more than all the prophets, and miracles of the merciful and beneficent kind; open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, and make the dumb to praise God, and the lame to leap like a hart; who, notwithstanding all his power and goodness, should be rejected by the greater part of the nation, to whom he should be a stumbling-block; who should be despised and afflicted, a man of sorrows, and cut off from the land of the living; who should have enemies, numerous, powerful, crafty, and wicked; should be accused by false witnesses; betrayed by an intimate and particular friend ; sold