Jesus Christ. Ir must on all sides be allowed, that of the questions which are connected with our Religion, none can surpass in importance those which relate to the nature of that Being, who is the object of our adoration. For as in Him are made to centre all the movements of faith and worship, of prayer and praise, of affection and of thanksgiving, any want of assurance or of distinctness in our ideas of his character will occasion a similar deficiency in all these acts of homage. An enquiry, therefore, which should be undertaken with a view to the better understanding of this subject, must be worthy of every attention that the man of wisdom or of piety can devote to it. But wisdom and piety alone are insufficient to ensure success. Candour of mind, soundness of judgment, patience of investigation, and a freedom from the bias of party or of prejudice, are equally indispensable. And here we meet with the chief difficulties which oppose themselves to the accomplishment of this task. Experience has too plainly shewn, that on all these points men are very apt to deceive themselves, and, often unconsciously, to adopt principles B 2 |