Thus difciplined in virtue, whilst he advance s in knowledge, and encouraged by the example of those pious men, who, in every age, have trod the fame learned and laborious walk, and are gone before him to receive the wages of their virtue, the fame hopes by which they were animated enable him to perfevere: and, whilst he looks up to them with gratitude and veneration for their ufeful labours, he will attribute their fuccefs as much to the goodness of their heart, as to the strength of their understanding, But the great glory of our Faith is, that, if we turn our eye from the theological stu dent to the humble believer, who, employed in any of the honeft occupations of civil life, reads his bible, or hears it read, who thinks "of the Lord with a good heart, and in fim❝plicity of heart feeks him, he will be found "of him that tempts him not, and sheweth "himfelf to fuch as do not diftruft him "." It is the peculiar glory of our Faith, that it is made for all men, accommodated to the use, and intended for the benefit, of every, clafs and description in civil life; that he, who breathes A Wifdom i. I, 2. with a virtuous defire after the prize of his christian calling, however ignorant and uninformed his head may be, if his heart be good, will be accepted "according to what he "hath, and not according to what he hath "not." Since the inhabitants of every age and nation could not poffibly enjoy the evidence of eye-witneffes, let it be our glory to rest our Faith with firmness on the testimony of those who did; in the fanguine hope, that the greater piety, affiduity, and confidence, we exert in the exercise of our religion, the more abundant will be our reward.. "Thomas, "because thou haft feen me, thou haft be"lieved: bleffed are they that have not feen, "and yet have believed." When thofe unhappy numbers, who beheld the miracles of Jefus, rejected his doctrines, and ascribed his works to Beelzebub; whilft we, in these diftant ages, repofe our Faith with confidence on the teftimony of others: at a future day, this will, doubtless, redound to their misfortune and to our advantage. "We are kept "by the power of God, through this faith, • 2 Cor. viii. г2. John xx. 29. 46 unto "unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the "laft time. Wherein we greatly rejoice "that the trial of our faith, being much more "precious than of gold which perisheth "though it be tried with fire, may be found "unto praise, honour, and glory, at the ap" pearing of Jefus Chrift, whom having not ❝feen, we love, in whom, though now we "see him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; receiving the end of our faith, the falvation of "our fouls 9." 66 66 In every age of the world the Chriftian Religion is a fchool of moral difcipline, in which "the wicked will do wickedly. None "of the wicked fhall understand; but the "wife fhall understand "." Had its truths and evidences been made to fhine upon the understanding with that full glare of light and palpable conviction, which fome have ignorantly required; they would have forced from the wicked his hard and unbelieving heart, and rendered it poffible to be a christian against the prerogative of his will, in total fubverfion both of the end of religion and the nature of 8 Dan. xii. 10. 3.1 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7, 8. man. man. He who knows whereof we are "made," hath dealt with his moral agents in a way more fuitable to our condition, and to the honour of his own government, by affording us fuch a degree of light, as, whilst it gives exercise to our liberty and virtue, is fully fufficient to convince the willing and well-difpofed: but which does not fhine with fuch powerful and irresistible force, as to convince thofe, who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil "," THUS, from the nature of THEOLOGICAL TRUTH, it becomes the privilege of Faith to be the greatest of virtues, comprehending all moral and intellectual good, and forming that exalted union in which all the virtues of the Heart and Understanding join in one. It is that inviolable bond, in which TRUTH and CHARITY meet together in that WISDOM which is only from above; which is first pure, fubduing the affections, and then perfect, excelling all other knowledge: and this FAITH, by which, in every age, the is to be " justified of her children "," however varied in $ * John iii. 19: * Matt. xi. 19. See first volume, chap. į. its object by circumftance and fituation, is the fame quality in all men, more the voluntary dictate of the heart, than the necessary result of the understanding. So pure in her origin, fo progreffive in her increafe, and fo perfect in her end, let it reflect no difhonour on this Wisdom that she can be juftified only of her children, nor difcredit on that Faith by which this celestial virtue is entertained, that the names of fome men of brilliant parts and fuperior endowments are not enrolled under its banners. It is not, that they reject and dishonour her: it is, that fhe rejects and difhonours them. Either a cold and evil spirit of unbelief hath chilled the heart; or the ftomach is fo vitiated and depraved, that it turns the moft wholesome food into deadly poison. Whilft we admire their talents and emulate their learning, to these fplendid monuments of human folly let us look up with pity, as our Lord did with tears. to the temple of Jerufalem, that fuperb edifice erected for the fervice of the living God, and once worthy of his abode; but which was then |