our belief and esteem of the Gospel. For all that follows from such disappointed curiosity is only this, That we are weak and blind; and not that the things themselves are either false or unreasonable. Our duty, therefore, is to confide in the revealed word; not questioning its authority, or torturing its language; but accepting with thankfulness, what we do understand, and with reverence, what we do not.

When these two conditions are inviolably observed, the way of minute inquiry into the doctrines of Christianity, so far forth as they are the objects of inquiry, at all, may be use fully and commendably employed. For then none but men of leisure and ability will think themselves concerned in making such inquiry and even these, if they should not obtain all the satisfaction they propose to themselves, will neither attempt to disturb the faith of others, nor suffer their own faith to be disturbed by their curious speculations. Still: when learned men are taken up in those profound inquiries, and seem most confident that they have penetrated far into the reasons of many things which are kept secret from others, they should especially remember (and that is the Fourth, and last observation I shall make

on the text), to present their answer or apology to mankind, with meekness and fear.

1. With MEEKNESS, or a soft and gentle spirit, breathing in words, neither passionate, nor assuming; that so they may gain as many, and exasperate as few, as they can. This was a caution more than commonly necessary to the first apologists for Christianity, who had to plead its cause at the tribunal of Kings, at that time, their enemies and persecutors. But the rule is always a good one to be observed by the advocates of the Gospel, who never serve it better, than when its prime virtue, CHARITY, corrects, or rather consecrates, their zeal.

2. The reason of the hope, that is in them, should, also, be given with FEAR: that is, not only with a fear of giving needless offence to those, to whom they address their apology, but chiefly with a reverential awe of that transcendantly great Being, whose ways they desire to contemplate, and some part of whose councils it is their ambition to unfold. For, when we speak of God, farther than we are authorized by himself to speak, we are in constant danger of ascribing to him our own weaknesses, and of degrading his ineffable wisdom, when we think to exalt it most.

Such reason there is, even when we apologize for the truth of God, to do it with meekness and fear.

To conclude: Religious inquiries, when thus conducted (and only then) are commendable and useful. They exercise our best faculties on the noblest subjects: They may be the means of bringing some to the kingdom of God, and they can alienate none from it. Or, whatever the merit and the success of these inquiries may be, the authors of them will have the satisfaction of knowing, that they have inquired in a right manner; and, that, how little soever their UNDERSTANDINGS have profited the Almightyd, they have honoured Him with the noblest sacrifice, which a mortal can offer to his Maker, that of an HUMBLE AND

SUBMISSIVE SPIRIT,

d Job xxii. 2.

SERMON XXXVII,

PREACHED FEBRUARY 4, 1770.

JOHN vii. 46,

Never man spake like this man.

IF by speaking, be here meant what is called fine speaking, ora discourse artificially composed according to the rules of human eloquence, the subject is unworthy of this place, and the praise, infinitely disproportioned to the divine character of Jesus. A pagan philosopher, nay, and a Christian preacher, might haply so far forget himself, as to affect the credit of fine speaking; or, his followers might think to

honour him by applauding this talent: But the Son of God spake with other views, and to nobler purposes; and his inspired historians would not have condescended to make the panegyric of their Master, from so trivial a distinction.

Let us see, then, to what the encomium of the text amounts; and what those CIRCUMSTANCES are, in the discourses of Jesus, which give real weight and dignity to the observation-that never man spake like this man.

This will be an inquiry of use, and not of curiosity only; we shall find, in the course of it, very much to confirm our faith, as well as to excite our admiration.

I. The first particular, that strikes an attentive mind in considering the discourses of Jesus, is the MATTER of them; the most im

a Hence the name of Theophrastus, or the divine speaker, given to the favourite scholar and successor of Aristotle ; And hence the stories told of Plato, whose eloquence Quintilian so much admired, that he thought it more than human-Ut mihi, non hominis ingenio, sed quodam Delphico videatur oraculo instinctus. Quintil. 1. x. c. 1. Hence, too, the name of Chrysostom, given to the famous Greek Father.