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LECTURE XVII.
THE PRE-EMINENT CHARACTER AND CON-
DUCT OF OUR LORD.--MARK Vii. 37.
The conduct of our LORD in his more peculiar character
as MEDIATOR
The manner in which he sustained his high claims of
being the Son of God and the Saviour of the world
His conduct as a Teacher and Revealer of the will of
God
His manner of instruction
The matter of his instruction
The manner in which our Lord supported the state of
humiliation
The heavenly reward that he promised to his disciples
The conduct of our Lord as THE EXAMPLE OF HUMAN
VIRTUE TO HIS DISCIPLES
100
His piety and devotion to his heavenly Father
His benevolence and compassion towards man
His meekness and lowliness of spirit
His superiority to the world
His strict temperance and command of the inferior ap-
101
103
104
His prudence and discretion
105
The UNION of separate graces
106
His virtues were unalloyed with the kindred failings
The opposite, and to us apparently contradictory, graces
were found in him in equal proportion
All was carried to the greatest height, and continued in
The character of our LORD AS THE FOUNDER OF THE
CHRISTIAN RELIGION
Its suitableness to the necessities of man
The surprising novelty and sublimity of our Saviour's
character
The impression and effect of the whole public character
of CHRIST
The manner in which it is given by the Evangelists
This argument springs from a FAIR PRESUMPTION upon
the first statement of the case
The different parts of our LORD's character correspond
with his undertaking
Rises higher by CONTRASTING the character of CHRIST
with that of all others
Becomes a moral demonstration, when the OTHER
BRANCHES of the Christian evidence are taken into the
account
IT BEARS AWAY the heart of the docile, and strengthens all the principles of individual belief and love
LECTURE XVIII.
Page
116
119
121
THE TENDENCY OF CHRISTIANITY TO PRO-
MOTE IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE THE TEM-
PORAL AND SPIRITUAL HAPPINESS OF
NATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS.-LUKE ii. 13, 14.
The nature of the argument explained
The DIRECTION which Christianity takes
It comes down to man's actual circumstances
Its direct tendency as to nations
Its indirect tendency
124
125
128
THE HINDRANCES WHICH IMPEDE THE FULL EFFECTS OF THE
In the age following the establishment of the gospel
The next ages
136
The proportion holds with regard to national welfare
This TENDENCY is still in progress
And arises from principles new to man
138
Let each one ASK himself, What is the tendency of MY
CHRISTIANITY?
PRAY for the copious influences of grace
LECTURE XIX.
THE TEST TO WHICH EVERY ONE MAY
BRING THE TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN
RELIGION, BY HUMBLY SUBMITTING TO
ITS DIRECTIONS, AND MAKING A TRIAL
FOR HIMSELF OF ITS PROMISED BLESS-
INGS.-1 JOHN V. 10.
The NATURE of the argument
143
The SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY on which it rests
The facts by which it is sustained
The SINGULAR IMPORTANCE of the proof thus deduced
APPEAL to sincere Christians in confirmation of the argu-
ment
160
164
174
185
LECTURE XX.
PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR THE APPLICA-
TION OF THE TEST TO WHICH MEN MAY
BRING THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION.-
PSALM XXXiv. 8.
The characters addressed described
188
189
The DIRECTIONS; study Christianity in THE BIBLE itself. 192
TRACE out in YOUR OWN HEART the truth of its statements
as to the condition of man and his guilt before God
PRAY fervently to God for his grace
Use the MEANS which God has promised to bless
Keep your eye fixed on JESUS CHRIST
Observe how all the parts of Christianity CONSTITUTE A
WHOLE, and meet all the necessities of YOUR CASE
The RESULT
196
200
203
HISTORICAL faith will only INCREASE your condemnation
NO NEED to make an experiment of ANY OTHER FORM of
religion or irreligion
LECTURE XXI.
THE VANITY AND FUTILITY OF THE OBJEC-
TIONS BROUGHT AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN
RELIGION.-2 PETER iii. 3, 4, 8, 9.
The best method of treating objections considered
They are INADMISSIBLE, being speculative opinions, and
aimed against Revelation
They are CONTRADICTORY one to the other
They are FRIVOLOUS in themselves, and manifestly spring
from the pride and ignorance of the human mind
They are upon the whole only TRIALS of our sincerity and
submission of heart to GoD, and go to CONFIRM rather
than weaken the Christian evidences
Sophisms of infidelity fix themselves in UNFURNISHED and
VAIN minds
PROVOKE not the GOOD SPIRIT OF GOD to depart from you 249
SHUN THOSE VICES which prepare for them
See that you have a REAL HOLD on Christianity in its
SUBSTANTIAL BLESSINGS
Objections of infidelity are STRATAGEMS of Satan
Consider them as the most DEADLY PRODUCT of the cor-
rupt and proud reason of a fallen creature
LECTURE XXII.
250
251
252
THE LIVES AND DEATHS OF INFIDELS COM-
PARED WITH THOSE OF SINCERE CHRIS-
TIANS.-PSALM XXXVii. 35-37.
255
Contrast the two classes as to THE TENOR of their lives 256
Their more PUBLIC LABOURS, and THE WRITINGS they have
submitted to the eye of mankind
Their DEATHS AND PREPARATION FOR AN ETERNAL STATE
of being
WITH WHICH COMPANY DO YOU WALK in the journey of
life?
296
THE FAITH WITH WHICH THE CHRISTIAN RE-
VELATION IS TO BE RECEIVED.-JOHN v. 9.
Difficulty in exercising faith in religion arises from the
corruption of man
The REASONABLENESS of such a faith after admitting the
divine authority of Christianity
The discoveries of the Christian religion show this
The province of reason marked out
308
311
The necessity of divine aid, in order to believe aright, is
Stop with minute and watchful conscientiousness where
the Revelation stops
Follow the language as well as the sentiments of the
holy Scriptures
320
Faith produces TRANQUILLITY
321
And is the PRINCIPLE of the Christian life
EXAMINE Whether your faith be LIVING AND INFLUENTIAL
323
324
IMPLORE the grace of the Holy Spirit to IMPART to you
such a faith
The HIGHEST DEGREES OF FAITH are best calculated to produce HUMILITY OF MIND
LECTURE XXIV.
THE SOUND INTERPRETATION OF THE RE-
CORDS OF REVELATION.-2 TIмогHY ii. 15.
A right method of interpreting Scripture, SPRINGS DI-
RECTLY FROM A TRUE FAITH. For such a faith
Implies an honest application of our understanding to
the Scriptures
326
328
330
331
Includes a willingness to submit our understanding and
heart to all the truths which God is pleased to reveal 332
Puts us in possession of many of the blessings of which
the Scriptures treat
333
Leads us to seek the assistance of God's blessed Spirit in
rightly understanding the Scriptures
335
Guards us against the danger of hazardous interpreta-
tions, or a false use of difficult passages
And disposes us to resort to all necessary helps
336
COMMON SENSE and the ORDINARY LAWS of human lan-
guage aid the right interpretation
337
The simplest sense is generally the true one
339
The occasion of the book being written should be con-
sulted
Let brief passages be explained by those that are more
full on the same or kindred subjects
Figurative and poetical parts should be interpreted by
the fixed and ordinary laws which are constantly ap-
plied to such language in common life We should suspend our judgment where, after all, a pas- sage is not obvious
The great scope and analogy of truth will either solve all
material difficulties, or render them practically useful
The rules SUGGESTED by that particular character of IN-
SPIRATION Which belongs to the Bible
We must give to the last portion of Revelation that
weight which it may justly claim
We should rise to the sublimity of the Scripture mys-
teries
What is temporary, local, and extraordinary, must not be
allowed to hide the lustre of what is permanent and
uniform