has not sent you to make new systems of theology or philosophy he cannot have sent you to do what it is impossible you should be competent to perform. How many years have you spent searching the Holy Scriptures in the fear of God? How many years have you patiently toiled in examining the philosophy of your age, and testing it by the inspired word? And yet you say you have a new system already!

Don't let your youthful inexperience deceive you. Depend upon it, that all the fine systems which shine with such lustre to the enraptured imagination of youth, will not be found to be of God. Depend upon it, there hang up, like models of perpetual motions in the cabinets of the curious-there hang up in the heads of all men who have ever troubled their heads with moral speculations, a great many moral systems, and fine theories. They laboured long on them, they proportioned them curiously, filed and polished them to the utmost, and put them firmly together. And now the decisive moment being come, the artist, with palpitating bosom, puts his machine in motion, and it moves, and the inventor bounds to the ceiling.

This is true glory, for he has done what never was done before! And it will be an admirable present to mankind. It will abolish all wind-mills and watermills; watch-springs, and clock pendulums, and steam engines. And, in the coming age, nothing in this wide world will move but itself-And then begins the

millenium.

Dear delusions, I love you though I laugh at you. You too have your uses.

Now all the systems which improve the christian religion are precisely these perpetual motions, issued and uttered in the moment that the enthusiasm of the inventor was in its delirium. Men more cautious let the machine stop, and try it again and again, and at last finding that it always comes to rest, place it on the shelf. Frequently the same artist lives to finish half a dozen of them. But he gives it up at last as a bad business, locks up his work shop, and puts the key in his pocket. Now he will not let a young artist into his workshop, lest he should fall in love with one of these machines, and either steal it, or go home and make something like it. But when he meets an artist who has laboured at the trade, and given it up fairly, they go in, and laugh at their folly, and wonder how like to wisdom folly can look; and how very much the follies of different men may resemble each other.

But to speak of religious systems with great seriousness. I believe that Satan is permitted to lead thoughtful minds, with the most upright and honest intentions, into these whimsical speculations; and that if they are cool and cautious they will be brought off honourably; and be brought to see a more excellent way. And even the time spent in system making will not be lost to them; they will be put on their guard respecting the tremendous cunning of that adversary with whom all must contend, but, beyond all, the ambassadors of the cross. They will, by a few such instances, learn how, and by what means Christianity is corrupted. It is (speaking respecting its doctrine) seeking after the phisophy of that doctrine: God tells us things are so; and we go to ask how these things are so and not

finding the law of the system, we frequently destroy the bodies which compose it. That men are free agents, is one scripture doctrine; that the grace of God is infallibly efficacious, is another scripture doctrine; how can these things be, we cry? And in searching after this law of the system, one party finds it convenient to deny free will in order to establish their law-and the other balances the account by denying free grace. The Scripture tells us, that all Adam's descendants are guilty of his sin, and liable to its punishment. How does the sin become theirs, we cry? Now this is a philosophical question-And it has been answered, that it flows down in the blood. Now this assertion, if it were true, is no part of Christianity, it belongs to the philosophy of Christianity. And I have demonstrated, that this is false philosophy. Yet Mr. M'C. brings this false philosophy into his system. What that system may turn out no soul can divine. It is in the egg; but when hatched it will be a serpent, and bite. That Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers, and procures for them eternal life, is the scriptural doctrine. But all demur and ask, how can it be imputed? Now I assert that this question entirely relates to the philosophy of Christianity. The reason why a thing is so, is nothing else than a philosophical question. And if nobody could believe in Jesus Christ, except those who can enter into the fine metaphysical doctrine respecting representation, there would not be one Christian for a thousand that now praise this Redeemer. All your charming babes, boy and girl, who chaunt their Redeemer's praise must be pronounced incapable of believing. Does one of them know any thing about the reason why Christ's righteousness can be imputed to them? O poor babes, the stones in

the street know as much of the matter as they. Yet they believe in Jesus, and his righteousness. The gospel was given, to be preached to the poor, to the illiterate, to lisping babes, but we preach it in a manner that only philosophers can understand and some of us in a manner which philosophers themselves cannot understand.

The answer to this philosophical problem comes up again and fires my blood. It is said his righteousness may be ours because he represented us. I have demonstrated this to be a piece of false philosophy. And I pronounce it one of the most pestilent pieces of false philosophy, with which the chief of the fallen hosts ever corrupted the christian church. It was one of his most masterly strokes of generalship to bring the church on that ground. Against this wicked philosophy I raise the hue and cry. I lift up my voice like a trumpet, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I call on the whole christian church to hunt this wisdom of the devil out of the world. I call on all gospel ministers, upon whom God has conferred the power of accurate discrimination, to bring this philosophy to the test. Whatever they

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may have heretofore thought, or said, on this subject, I call upon them to test it again. It is a doctrine of the devil and not of God.

If you ask me what is the grand error of the reformation churches, what has produced most schism, most controversy, most malignity, and been worse than any thing else, or all things else; I name this philosophical doctrine, that Christ's righteousness is imputable to men, because he represented them in the covenant of grace. Look back to page 54, &c. and see how many sects, and of what class and character, have

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of philosophy was introduced into the church. The idea which presents itself to my imagination, concerning the mode of its introduction is this. I conceive one of the old reformers sitting writing on the subject of justification by faith; and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him, whispers the question, how can the righteousness of the Son of God be imputed to a mortal man? And making a hasty reply, perhaps whispered to him, the reformer wrote down in the first glow of approving thought, that Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers because he represented them in the covenant.

Be this as it may, thus much is certainly known, that the doctrine of justification by faith in the blood of Christ was the doctrine of the reformation.

Een a politician states this as the doctrine, the the soul, the cause of the reformation as creating a new society all over Europe; as giving in every kingdom existence to a society, all of which were bound together by this common faith; and felt its influence like the influence of the heart, in the animal system, extending to the remotest members, and even to the slightest excrescences. He represents this principle or doctrine, as giving their societies all the effect of corporate and political organizatio a unity of object, a unity of interest, a unity of affection, a unity of co-operation. Touch this doctrine, in any one nation, and the electric shock was felt, at the same instant, over all the nations of Europe, by every individual of