be wrong.

scrupulous an avoidance of all which it tells them to Thus far they walk on a plain path; and there is but one suggestion more, which, if theirs be indeed an honest respect for the authority of scripture (as sufficiently vindicated to their apprehension on the ground of its argumentative and literary evidence alone) they will not shrink from— and that is, the obligation as well as the efficacy of prayer, and of prayer for other and higher manifestations of the truth than they have yet been permitted to enjoy. They surely do not imagine such to be the fulness and perfection of their knowledge, that there is no room in their minds for any further enlargement or further illumination. Let us then suppose them to have actually entered on this process-a most careful perusal of His word-a most careful and conscientious doing of His will as far as is known to them-and withal, most earnest prayer for the visitation of that light which they have not yet reached, but now most honestly aspire after. We think that the truth of scripture may be perilled on the result of such an enterprise; and that, because its own declarations will either be verified or disproved by it. For here are men willing to do the will of God; let us see whether they will not be made to know of Christ's doctrine that it is of God.* Here are men keeping the sayings of the Saviour; let us see whether He will not manifest himself to them in such a way as He doeth not unto the world.† Here are men making a conscientious use of the light they have;

John vii. 17.

† John xiv. 21.

and let us see whether in their history there will not be the fulfilment of the saying, that to him who hath more shall be given.* Here are men giving earnest heed to the word; let us see whether the promise will not be accomplished, that the day shall dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts.f Here are men seeking intently, and with all earnestness seeking; let us see whether or not the declaration of the Saviour will come to pass, he that seeketh findeth. Here are men, while in the busy and anxious pursuit of that truth which is unto salvation, conforming their walk as far as in them lies to all the lessons of piety and righteousness; let us see whether the glorious assurance will not be realized, that to him who ordereth his conversa. tion aright I will show my salvation.§ Such seems

then to be the economy of the Gospel. It has an incipient day of small things,|| which, if not despised but prosecuted aright, will terminate in a day of large and lofty manifestations. It takes its outset from the plainest biddings of conscience. It has its consummation in the things of the Spirit of God, which the natural man cannot receive, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. It begins with that which all may apprehend, and all may act upon. It ends with that which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive; but which God reveals by His Spirit even by the Holy Ghost given to those who obey him.¶ He is quenched, He is grieved, He is resisted by our despite of

* Matt. xxv. 29. 2 Pet. i. 19. Zechariah iv. 10.

Matt. vii. 8. § Psalm 1. 23. 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10.

Him and of His suggestions-or, which is every way tantamount to this, the despite and disobedience done by us to the suggestions of our own conscience. Were we faithful to the lesser light, the larger would at length shine upon us. Did we hunger and thirst after these higher revelations of the Gospel, then their glory and their fulness would at length be ours. This is the constitution of things. There is a connexion established between disobedience and spiritual desertion" he who hateth his brother is in darkness.' And there is a connexion between obedience and spiritual discernment"the path of the upright is like the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."t The every-day virtues of the Gospel form the steps of that ladder, by which we ascend to the mystic. glory of its full and finished revelations. The moral is the conductor to the spiritual. Conscientiousness in practice leads to clearness in theology. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him."‡ "He meeteth him that worketh righteousness."§ "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall

*1 John ii. 11. ↑ Prov. iv. 18. Psalm xxv. 14. §Isaiah lxiv. 5

go before thee: the glory of the Lord shall be thy rere-ward." "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day."t

20. Now this should reconcile men to the alleged mystery of these higher communications, should soften or rather do away their offence and prejudice against it when Christianity thus consents to be put upon its trial. However inconceivable or inaccessible the glories of its inner temple might be deemed, it is truly a plain and practicable avenue which leads to them. That is no uncertain sound which the trumpet giveth forth, when the Gospel makes its first intimations, and sets those who are obedient to its call on that progressive way, which leads to the discovery of things beyond the ken of nature, and which only a light from the upper sanctuary can make manifest to the soul. It is true that there are things revealed unto babes and hidden from the wise and the prudent; but this is because they want the docility of babes. They have not been initiated into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, because they have not been converted and become as little children. They do not sit to the book of revelation, as Newton did to the book of nature, with the modesty and teachableness of him who felt that he had all to learn. They have been alike unobservant of the wisdom of true philosophy, and the piety of true Christians; and so have renounced not their lofty

Isaiah lviii. 6-8. † Isaiah lviii. 10.

Matt. xviii. 3.

imaginations, nor brought every thought of their hearts in captivity to the obedience of Scripture.* It is thus that their contempt for the higher mysteries of the Gospel, will be found to resolve itself into contempt for the plainest of its lessons. It tells them how to wait and work for spiritual illumination, yet they did not act it tells them how to seek for it, yet they did not pray. They admit the authority of the book; but they refuse its sayings. It is because of its rational evidence, that they admit the authority; and it is because they refuse the sayings, that they remain contemptuous and ignorant of its spiritual evidence. They are strangers to that which is recondite, because, traversing even their own principles, they have not made a faithful use of that which is obvious. Theirs will be a palpable condemnation-that the clearest dictates of their own conscience, the clearest intimations of the word acknowledged by themselves to be divine, have been alike disregarded by them.

21. That evidence for Christianity which is seen in the light of the spirit, though called a mystical, is in truth a moral evidence. By all the Scripture testimonies which we have quoted, it is an illumination which begins and brightens onwards along the pathway of a moral obedience-advancing step by step from the lesser to the greater light, but through the conscientious use of the smaller being followed up, under the virtuous administration of the Gospel, by the larger manifestation.

2 Cor. x. 5.

When