ference painted and decked out in the fairest colours which adorn religion-the colours of universal benevolence and christian toleration: to behold it arrayed in the loveliest garb which religion can wear, the garb of that charity which suffereth long, and is not easily provoked; and then to see it set up as an idol to allure, to deceive, to destroy. In accents soft as the southern breeze, it breathes nothing but peace upon earth, and holds out an infallible remedy for all the strifes and contentions it professes to abhor-simply to remove the offending cause, and extinguish the Gospel. On the same principle, no doubt, were the glorious Sun in the power of the tenderhearted professors of these very considerate views, they would quench his blessed light rather than that the blear-eyed should be offended by his brightness.

Strange that the Christian Paul, who employed all his faculties and energies in the service of his fellow-creatures, and was ready even to lay down his life for their good, should never have thought of so happy an expedient for putting an end at once to those fierce dissensions which, with sorrow, he too soon beheld disturbing the peace of his new

born church; but that, on the contrary, he should have extracted from them an evidence that the worst evil had not yet befallen his Philippian converts, since Christ was still preached among them, though preached in envy and strife.1 Strange that He, whose ineffable love for all mankind, while yet in enmity with God, constrained Him to die the Ideath of the cross-that He who saw the flames of contention which his Gospel (or rather, man's opposition to it) had kindled— that He, who foresaw that son should rise against father, and daughter against mother, should nevertheless deliver to his Apostles as his last injunction, that they should go forth into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. What! should the great Physician of our souls withdraw the only remedy from his dying children, because He foresaw that with the petulance and irritability of disease they would at first struggle against and resist the proffered means of salvation? Would

1 Some, indeed, preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: What then, notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. -Phil. i.

the fond mother refrain from administering to her child the salutary draught which is to restore him to health, because his angry and perverse passions are excited by the attempt? Oh! no with a gentle but firm hand she still holds it to his lips, for in its efficacy is her only hope, nor is she satisfied till he drink the last drop of the unpalatable draught; for well she knows that it is not a part, but the whole, that must work the cure. Analogous in its effects on our moral diseases is the operation of the Holy Word of God: at first resistance, aversion, and contention, to be followed, (where the doctrine is faithfully received,) by peace and good will towards man. "To all new truths, or renovations of old truths," says Coleridge, it must be as in the ark between the destroyed and about to be renovated world. The raven must be sent out before the dove, and ominous controversy must precede peace and the olive branch."

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NOTE CC. Page 112.

There is a wide difference between prying curiously into the secret counsels of the Al

mighty and investigating his revealed will, written expressly for our learning. Popery pretends that to prevent the one it forbids the other as well might it forbid the administering of the life-restoring cordial because the deadly poison might be taken in its stead. Generally speaking, however, we have found that those who delight most in dwelling upon the speculative and mysterious doctrines of religion are just those who pass over thoughtlessly and unprofitably the practical and ob

vious truths in the revealed will of God. The Athenians wanted to hear some new thing, that they might merely gratify their curiosity and love of argument; and to them the Gospel was preached in vain. The Bereans, on the contrary, sought after the truth, and were not satisfied to take even the word of the Apostle, accompanied as it was by miraculous signs and wonders, but chose to search the Scriptures daily, to see whether what he said accorded with that Word which "endureth for ever." What was the consequence of this persevering search? Heresy, schism, fierce contention? Quite the reverse, for Berea was distinguished for its number of converts to the truth. Did St. Paul oppose this spirit of en

quiry? Far from it, for he preached Christ only-not himself: his flock were not to be the followers of Paul, or Cephas, or Apollos, but of Christ; and he fearlessly sent them to those Scriptures which testified of Christ in this respect following the authority and example of his Master; for though Popery says, Remain in ignorance for fear of falling into error, Christ says, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures:" and though Popery appeals to tradition where Scripture is against it, Christ condemns tradition for making the Word of God of none effect.

NOTE D D. Page 114.

How admirable is the account given by the Evangelist of the storm at sea! and how sublime is the contrast between the tempestuous uproar of the elements, the fears, toilings, and agitations of man, and the calm repose of the God-man, expressed in those few simple words, "But he was asleep."