the scaly monster can be seen through the thin disguise. Th Christian does not thus cashier the word of God-does no thus reflect upon God's wisdom, nor charge the Almighty with revealing things trifling and unimportant. He knows tha God is wise in all he says, and has important reasons for all that he makes known to man: and he therefore receives withi reverence all the instructions of heaven-all the doctrines of God; and whether he can perceive their immediate connexion with his salvation, or not, yet since God has condescended to reveal them, he gladly and reverently embraces them, and he holds them in religious veneration.

Further, a Christian does not reject from his creed certain doctrines, alleging that they are mysterious or incomprehensible, or inexplicable; or because their modus operandi, or modus existentis involves something he cannot fathom or comprehend. For this involves the following fallacy or sophism,-that there can be no truth in existence but what is either grasped by the human intellect, or must be in conformity with man's existing notions. It implies, too, that man is so wise that he does not need a revelation from God, as he is already qualified to improve upon that which God has given. The Christian does not act in this way. The Christian has no idea that he is wiser than the Bible. He knows it is because he is ignorant and needs instruction that a revelation has been given to enlighten him; and instead of dictating to his Maker what he ought to reveal, or opening his Bible to cavil with what God has revealed, or what God has declared, he reverently embraces whatever the Almighty condescends to dictate unto him,receives it as true, and welcomes it to his heart, although he may not be able to comprehend it with regard to some of its nodes. The Christian believes what his Maker declares in his holy word. He may meet with some things-some doctrines and some facts, which are mysterious; which involve inquiries that the most elaborate efforts of the human mind cannot explain; but he is certain that they are true, because God has declared them. His principle is, not to make the Bible conform to his sentiments, but to make his judgment conform to the teachings of revelation. That is the principle which actuates and guides him. He meets with mysterious things in the volume of nature, and is prepared to expect them in the volume of revelation, since God is the author of them both. He knows, too, that what is called human reason is nothing more than man's faculty of judging; and he knows that man's faculty of judging infallibly can only be commensurate with the range of his knowledge; and that where that knowledge is imperfect, or obscure, or partial, his capability of judging with certainty is proportionately defective and imperfect. He knows, too, that he has already erred in a hundred cases with regard

to subjects with which he is the most familiar: and he knows, likewise, that he is as liable to err in the things of God, especially when he assumes to be his own teacher, and disregards the instructions of divine revelation. He is therefore satisfied, that whatever doctrine the Almighty declares in his Word, however incomprehensible in its mode, however inexplicable in its manner, is not only true in itself, but in harmony with all other truth. He knows that there is no obscurity in the doctrine itself. The obscurity is in his own mind. And probably the day may come, when, with higher faculties, and in a brighter region, and in more intimate intercourse with his God, that obscurity will pass away; and he will see the truth, the harmony, the consistency, and the beauty of every doctrine, however obscure at present, as clearly as he now sees the truth, the harmony, and the beauty of the most familiar facts that occur around him, or are cognizable by the organs and operations of his senses.

The Gospel never professes that all its doctrines are devoid of mystery or difficulty to man. On the contrary, many of the Redeemer's sayings, though he spoke with so much plainness-many of them were hard to human reason,-natural and carnal reason, I mean. Hence, when he stated that he gave his flesh for the life of the world, and that men must eat his flesh, `and drink his blood, or they could have no life in them, the people said,—"This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" But the replies of our Saviour show that, hard as it was to their reason, it was not to be rejected as untrue; and he charges them with positive unbelief, because of their murmuring at his statements, and complaining that they were hard to understand. See the 6th chapter of John's Gospel, from the 53rd to the 64th verses. The apostle Paul taught some things which Peter spoke of as hard to be understood. See Peter's second Epistle, 3rd chapter, and 16th verse. But were they to be rejected? They were not; but they were the very subjects which men of corrupt minds perverted to their own destruction-" Wrested or perverted unto their own destruction." So says the Apostle; and we frequently read of subjects which are mysterious in the Holy Scriptures. We read of "the mystery of faith." And the Apostle says, in the 1st Epistle to Timothy, 3rd chapter, and 16th verse," Great is the mystery of godliness." But was that mystery to be rejected?was that doctrine to be put away by the puny mind of ma because it could not grasp it. See also the 1st Epistle to Timothy, the 3rd chapter and 9th verse,- Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." To reject a doctrine because it is difficult to be comprehended, is just the same thing as to reject a duty because its performance is difficult to flesh and blood; and he who rejects either is guilty of dis

obedience. The Gospel requires obedience and submissi uniform and entire submission to God. And there is the of dience of faith as well as the external obedience of the life there is the submission of the understanding and the judgmen as well as the submission of the conscience and the mor powers. But he who rejects a truth or doctrine which Ge declares, refuses that submission, and acts in rebellion againhis Maker: he is under the influence of a carnal mind, whiel is enmity against God; and therefore cannot be a Christian.

But I here anticipate an objection or two. It may be said that a man may not know all the truths or doctrines in the Gospel at the time of his acceptance with God: and therefore cannot be said to believe them seriatim. I may make that admission without at all weakening the force of my argument; for not to know a doctrine is undoubtedly different from rejecting a doctrine. If a man does not know, it is the result, merely, of a want of information: but if a man rejects a doctrine, it is the result of unbelief; and it is unbelief that makes God a liar, and grieves the Holy Spirit, and excludes man from the covenant of grace; for "he that believeth not shall be damned," The rule with regard to faith is parallel with the rule of our obedience. A man, when first brought to God, may not know specifically and individually, every duty he ought to perform throughout the whole course of his life but there is in him the principle of obedience--there is in him unreserved submission to God-a principle applicable to every duty prescribed and specified in God's word--and applicable also to every other duty which may subsequently arise from new circumstances, new relations, and the diversified dispensations of Jehovah's providence. And so with regard to the Christian's faith; it may not seriatim embrace or recognise every doctrine at the moment of our acceptance with God; but that principle of faith is unreserved confidence in God's word-actually embracing every doctrine at present recognized, and prepared to embrace every other doctrine which may subsequently be found to be revealed in the oracles of God. It is the rejection of a doctrine, I say, which constitutes the sin of unbelief.

I may illustrate this by a few examples. When Noah first found grace in the eyes of the Lord, he did not know that it was the purpose of the Almighty to destroy the world by a deluge. But when that purpose was revealed to Noah, the patriarch believed it, though the world derided it, and scouted it as incompatible with the benevolence of the Divine character. But that faith of Noah was not a new principle, but the application of an old principle to a new revelation. When Noah was first brought to God, he did not know that the Almighty would require him to encounter the task of construct

ing an ark for the purpose of saving himself and family, and the numerous animals that were to be preserved; yet when that duty was commanded, Noah did not hesitate to obey, though it cost him full 120 years of labour, and he had to endure the brunt of the world's reproach and scorn. But in this obedience there was no new principle, but the application of an old principle to a new precept. So with regard to the patriarch Abraham. When God first called him to seek his face, and leave his native country, the patriarch did not know that God would ever give him such a hard command as that of sacrificing his own son: but there was in the patriarch's bosom the principle of obedience; and when the command came, Abraham proceeded with a steady purpose to obey the command of God. And when Abraham was first called of God, he had no conception of those discoveries of truth and those blessed purposes of God which were subsequently revealed to him; but there was in the mind of the patriarch the principle of faith, similar to the principle of faith displayed by Noah-faith in the promise that in his seed should all the families of the earth be blessed and that principle involved the reception of every other truth which might be revealed to him in the subsequent course of his history by the benevolence of his Father and his God. Now if Noah had rejected the truths subsequently made known, or if Abraham had rejected those revealed to him, and persisted in unbelief, their former faith, by which they were interested in God's covenant, would have been destroyed, and they would have been severed from their union with God, and the enjoyment of his favour. The principle of Abraham was never that of testing God's revelation by the dictates of carnal reason or worldly wisdom. If he had, the bright example which his history unfolds, would never have been given to man. When God promised the patriarch that he should have the land of Canaan for an inheritance, he believed it, whatever natural difficulties stood in the way. When he promised him a son from whose loins the Messiah should spring, and a mighty nation proceed, the patriarch believed it. And though the fulfilment of the promise was delayed until it was physically impossible that it could be fulfilled, he believed it still. He did not consider his own body as now dead, nor the deadness of Sarah's womb ; but, knowing that the God who promised was able to perform, he hoped against hope, and was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And when Abraham received the command of God to sacrifice his son-that son on whose strong arm the aged father leaned-that son in whom his tenderest affections were centred that son on whose existence his own welfare and the world's salvation seemed to depend ;-when God required that son to be offered up as a victim--although it appeared contrary

to common sense and reason, so called, the patriarch was prepared to obey the precept, and still held fast the promise of his God. His faith was not governed, as a principle, by human probabilities. So the faith of a Christian regards the testimony of Heaven-of that God, who cannot be deceived himself, and who will not deceive the creatures that depend upon him.

Now the Christian possesses this faith-the Christian retains this faith-the Christian is required to retain it-and the Christian continues a true Christian only while he retains this faith in God. Hence the numerous exhortations we have in Holy Scripture to hold fast the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; and hence the distinction made between a heretic and a true Christian. A heretic is not an infidel in the broad sense of the term. He is an individual who partially embraces Christianity, and partially rejects it. He is an individual who holds the truth in part, and rejects it in part; as Hymenæus and Philetus held the Messiahship of Jesus, but rejected the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. Hence in the Holy Scriptures, to mark the importance of faith, we find that heretics are denounced in language of unmeasured reprobation and condemnation. In Acts the 20th chap. and 29th verse, the apostle Paul admonishes the Ephesian church, that after his departure grievous wolves would enter in among them, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves," he adds, "shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” The apostle Peter, in his second epistle, 2nd chap., 1st and 3rd verses, speaks of false "prophets," who should "bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." Though the Gospel beams brightly with benevolence, and though the Gospel inculcates benevolence, it never tolerates the renunciation of truth, but speaks of those who reject it as the worst enemies of the Gospel; and such are pronounced "accursed," even by the benevolent Paul, who could die for his countrymen at any moment when the providence of God required it. Adverting to those who had corrupted the faith, Gal. i. from the 6th to the 8th verses, he speaks the following language :"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel, which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."Then he repeats the sentiment and gives it a peculiar emphasis," As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received,