"them in parables "," to ftigmatize their ob ftinacy, to punish their vice, and to confound their pride. And, to illustrate this important point of the progreffive discipline and voluntary establishment of his kingdom in the heart, he delivered two expreffive parables; that of the Sower, and that of the Talents.

After the chofen twelve were fufficiently disciplined and confirmed, he commiffioned them to preach the kingdom of God with power, and appointed Seventy others alfo "to go before his face into every city and "place whither he himself should come 5 :" and, when these humble inftruments told him, on their return, of their success in preaching the Gospel and the progrefs they had made in Faith, "in that hour Jefus rejoiced in

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spirit and faid, I thank thee, O Father, "Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haft "hidden these things from the wife and pru"dent, and revealed them unto babes: even

Matt. xiii. 13, 14.

Matt. xiii. 3 to 23. and Luke viii. 4 to 15.

'Matt. xxv. 14 to 30. and Luke xix. 11 to 27.

• Luke x. I.

" fo,

"fo, O Father; for so it seemeth good in "thy fight "."

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He could have opened their understanding in an inftant, and have filled it with all knowledge: but, knowing what is in man, and "whereof he is made," he treated him asa rational and moral being, leaving the mind to its own voluntary motion, to furnish itself with virtue, to ftrengthen in goodness, and to grow in grace. As it improved in virtue, he increased its knowledge: the latter of which, without the former, was no qualification of a religion which is holy and undefiled. Failing of this moral improvement fo indifpenfable to a found and faving Faith, after all the wonders he had feen, and the divine inftructions he had received, one of the Twelve fell an unhappy victim to this important truth. Even the Eleven, who continued faithful to the end, were fuffered, for the fame moral purposes, to remain in ignorance of the true nature of his fpiritual kingdom, till after his refurrection. Knowing, however, that they were veffels feasoned and prepared, by a long course of severe and try* Luke x. 21. 'See Matt. xx. 21. and Acts i, 6.

ing discipline, for its full reception; at last he poured upon them his Holy Spirit, to open their understanding, and to lead them into all truth.

Such was that Difcipline by which the Apostles were trained, through fcenes of darknefs gradually enlightened, in a virtuous and holy Faith, by the hand of Christ himself: and his example towards them they followed in their conduct towards others, obferving on all occafions the great rule of Faith which he had delivered-". Whofoever hath, to him "fhall be given, and he fhall have more "abundance; but whofoever hath not, from "him fhall be taken away even that he " hath *."

3. Whether it be that of the patriarch, that of the apostle, or that of the modern believer; as it was in the beginning, it will continue unto the end: for as there" is one "Lord, and one Baptifm, fo there is only one

Faith," which is the fame virtue in all

Matt. xiii. 12. & xxv. 29. Luke xviii. 26.

1 Eph. jv. 5.

ages,

ages, requiring the fame joint qualifications of heart and understanding.

Before the advent of Chrift, "Faith was *the substance of things hoped for," brought into the mind by anticipation: and, since his final departure and the præternatural operation of the Holy Ghoft, it is " the evidence of "things not feen," brought into the mind by retrospection. It is evermore the glory of our Religion, that it conftitutes a willing as well as a reasonable, fervice; and the fituation and circumftances under which we are placed, in these diftant times, in regard to its truths and evidences, are fuch as render neceffary the fame virtuous endeavour and voluntary exertion; fuch as aroufe every lovely affection of the mind, in the fearch and adoption of theologic truth; and fuch as conftitute our Faith the fame compounded and exalted virtue.

The truths of our religion are the fame fublime and unfathomable myfteries, to be firmly embraced on the fole authority of the word of God: and the evidences of that word to us are distant and indirect. The road to

these evidences is lengthened and laborious, where numerous difficulties and obftructions are thrown across, to give exertion to the moral, as well as to the intellectual, powers; that the ftudent may improve in virtue as he improves in knowledge. In this laborious fearch, his industry is excited, his defires kindled, his love promoted. Whether we view him travelling through the annals of civil and ecclefiaftical history, to prove the authenticity of the facred code; whether we regard him as employed in the painful task of comparing ancient manuscripts, copies, editions, and tranflations, for the purpose of establishing an uncorrupted text; whether he be engaged in collecting the evidences of chriftianity in order to deduce the immortal argument from the whole; or whether he be interpreting or tranflating different parts of the holy scriptures: we behold him traversing these regions of various learning with a breast throbbing with defire, and with a hope full of immortality. However deep his erudition and indefatigable his industry, his attention and perseverance will prove unequal to the tafk, unless áni, mated by the caufe which leads him on.

Thus