into flesh and blood, and the protestant unites, after some mysterious manner, the flesh and blood to the bread and wine. Of the two operators, the papist is undoubtedly the most dexterous; but there is," verily and indeed," another mystery connected with this, and that is, How many bodies has Jesus Christ, if one be verily and indeed taken by each of the faithful in the Lord's supper? We are as completely lost in this mystery, as in the transubstantiation of the catholics. If the priest can produce no change in the bread and wine, why all this superstitious ceremony? this affectation of mystery?

In the church of Corinth, there was no minister to consecrate and give the elements, as is clear from the whole relation; for, in that case, the apostle ought to have blamed the priest, and not the people, for the irregularities of which he complained. And it ought to be noted, that though he gives directions for the due celebration of this christian festival, he says nothing about a priest presiding, which shows that his presence is not necessary.

There are certainly mysteries of godliness, as well as mysteries of iniquity; but a preacher's duty is not about mysteries, but truths clearly revealed. How the three persons of the Godhead subsist in one divine nature, and how the two natures of Christ are united in one person, are mysteries which all the learning in the world cannot explain. They who have attempted such things, have demonstrated nothing but their own folly.

Much learning is supposed to be necessary to a minister, because the arts and sciences are frequently alluded to in scripture; and such passages, it is said, cannot be explained by illiterate persons. Suppose this were true, is it necessary to explain such passages in teaching the way of salvation? Is it impossible to preach the gospel, without demonstrating the Mosaic account of the creation to be strictly philosophical? and describing the chemical process by which Aaron's calf was reduced to powder?

There is more frequent allusion in the sacred writings

to common arts and employments, than to the higher branches of science, for most of the arts in those days were in a state of infancy, and many of the sacred writers were illiterate persons; hence a jack-of-alltrades possesses many advantages over a delicate gentleman, who is ignorant of the concerns of common life. A farmer, in preaching from, "Ye are God's husbandry," will plough up the fallow ground of the heart, destroy the weeds of sin, sow it with the word, manure it with the Spirit, water it with the means of grace, and keep it clean with watchfulness; he will ripen the precious grain with the Sun of Righteousness, reap it with the sickle of angels, and gather it into the garner of God. Set a young man, just arrived from the university to preach from such a text, and it is ten to one but he will begin to sow among thorns; the seed of the word by this imprudence will be choked, and his expectations at the time of harvest will be disappointed. If an infidel be railing at the Bible as a false book, because it represents the land of Canaan as a land flowing with milk and honey, though modern travellers inform us it is a barren wilderness, a farmer can give him examples of land, which, a few years ago, was unproductive, that now yields thirty, sixty, or an hundred fold; and will account for the difference betwixt the ancient and modern state of the soil, by showing the influence of cultivation upon it. But a clergyman, unacquainted with agriculture, will be foiled by such objections, and will grace the triumph of infidelity. A shipwright can silence all the cavils of unbelievers against the capacity and shape of the ark. He can demonstrate that her dimensions were sufficiently large to contain so many animals, and provisions for them for so long a time; and that she was admirably well constructed for setting at defiance the destructive element, and proudly riding on a ruined world. A sailor will give an interesting account of the shipwreck of St. Paul, and the anchor of hope. A weaver will preach a most affecting discourse from, "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle."

Upon these, and many other subjects, a common mechanic has much the advantage of a man who knows nothing but a few dead languages, and the arts of courtly address; discussions on the scripture allusions to arts and sciences, however, are, in general, more suitable for the press than the pulpit; and a large fund of valuable information may be collected from Harmer's Observations, and from the fragments appended to Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible.

A minister should be learned, it is said, to enable him to defend his religion, and convert its enemies. Piety is the best defence of christianity; hence christians are exhorted, "by well doing, to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." The christian religion contains so excellent and perfect a system of morality, and its positive institutions have so close and intimate a relation to its moral precepts, that infidels have never found much to object to in the New Testament; the vices of professors and ministers have ever been their favourite topics of scandal. The French philosophers were perpetually declaiming on the superstitions and sins of the church and clergy; and without employing scarce a single argument which would have affected the sacred books, they converted their countrymen into a nation of infidels. Religion has nothing to dread from its open enemies, when not betrayed by its pretended friends. Virtue is the sword as well as the shield of religion; with this she not only defends herself against the attacks of her foes, but also subdues them to the obedience of faith. Our Lord prayed for the union of his disciples with himself, and for their preservation from the vices of the age, that the world might believe and know that he was sent of God; and he exhorted them to let their light shine before men, that others, seeing their good works, might be induced to glorify their heavenly Father. (John xvii. 21—23; Matt. v. 16.)

Deists are to be found principally in high life; and dissenting ministers, of course, hold little or no converse with them: hence, however necessary learn

ing may be to fashionable divines, who have to conflict with knight-errants, it is of very little consequence to persons who never had, and probably never will have, such spiritual foes to encounter. And with all the hard fighting against the opposers of our faith, and the skill and dexterity displayed by our clerical champions, what conquests have been made? Has half a dozen of mighty and noble infidels been added within the last century to the number of the faithful? It is generally over the bottle that our gentry discuss the merits of christianity; and is it to be expected, that a clergyman who participates in their revels, should make any favourable impression upon their minds, when his own cheeks are reddened, and his intellects disordered by half a score bumpers? There are few preachers, however, but have read Paley, Newton, Butler, etc., and have thereby qualified themselves to support, with as much ability as most clergymen can do, the divine authority and obligation of our holy religion.

Proud and haughty mortals think themselves the only beings in the world that deserve attention. Hence the gospel of Christ must be suited to the classical taste, and limited to the comprehension of the literati: it must command the homage, without enlightening the understandings of the vulgar. The heathen systems of philosophy were founded upon metaphysical subtleties and abstract speculations, which only a few individuals of the keenest penetration and brightest genius could possibly comprehend; and, therefore, what little good there might be in them was hid from the multitude. But must we identify christianity, in its leading principles, with paganism?

The Parent of mankind hath made of one blood all the nations of the earth; we all are partakers of one common nature, are exposed to the same temptations, and are required to practise the same virtues; the souls of the rich and learned are not more valuable in the esteem of Heaven, than those of the poor and illi

terate; hence we may fairly conclude, that a revelation from God must be adapted to the capacities and circumstances of men in general, since all stand in equal need of it, and all are equally interested in it. The gospel recognises the truth of these principles, and is constructed upon them.

As the bulk of mankind have neither capacity nor opportunity for making much progress in learning, the gospel is accommodated to their condition. The poor have the gospel preached to them. God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom." (Matt. xi. 5; James ii. 5.) They understood our Saviour, and became converts to his doctrine: "The common people heard him gladly." (Mark xii. 37.) The meanness of his followers gave umbrage to the Pharisees, who demanded, with a haughty and contemptuous air, "Have any of the rulers, or of the Pharisees believed on him?" (John vii. 48.) The plainness and simplicity of the gospel was treated with derision by the Gentile philosophers,

the preaching of the cross was to them foolishness. (1 Cor. i. 23.) But the scoffs and sneers of Jewish priests and heathen sophists could not induce our Lord and his apostles to new-model the New Testament to their taste: "Jesus said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." (Matt. xi. 25, 26.) The apostle Paul says, "Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence." (1 Cor. i. 26, 29.)

Had the christian revelation been wrapt up in