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and Dissenters enlighten and check the establishment.

The philosophical Christian imbibes zeal from the enthusiast; and the fanatic is moderated by the rational believer. The sceptic becomes the voluntary cause of certainty; and the infidel, an unconscious instrument in confirming and purifying faith. The austerity of a sect may retard the precipitancy of a dissolute age; the learning and liberality of the age may infuse a portion of good sense and good nature into the sect; and a bigoted partiality for ancient systems in one party, may counteract, and be counteracted by an inconsiderate love of novel.. ty in another. All work together for good. In this chain you are an important link. In this spiritual warfare you occupy a strong post. Defend it with vigour and fidelity, neither dazzled with the glare of fashion, nor bribed by the mammon of unrighteousness; neither soured by bigotry, nor bewildered by fanaticism.

You have now my sentiments on natural religion, in my Treatise on the Being and Attributes of God; my opinions on Christian Doctrine, in these sermons; and my thoughts on Church Government, in the Appendix to Towgood's Dissenting Gentleman's Letters;* a book that should occupy a conspicuous place in the house of every Dissenter.

That God may enable you to give a good account of your talents, to persevere in what is right, and improve in what is good, is the sincere and fervent prayer of

Your faithful and affectionate Pastor,

Belfast, March 17, 1824.

* Newry Edition, 1816.

WILLIAM BRUCE.

SERMON I.

ON THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE.

NEHEMIAH, viii.-2.

"Ezra, the Priest, brought the Law before the Congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, and read therein from morning until mid-day."

WHEN we are convinced, that the Holy Scriptures contain a Revelation of the will of God, the duty and advantage of reading them are points, on which, though it cannot be necessary, it may yet be profitable to enlarge. You all know, how forcibly this obligation was impressed on the Jews, and with what perseverance they discharged it. Their kings were bound to transcribe the law with their own hands; and David made it his delight, and meditated on it day and night. On the people this duty was inculcated in such strong expressions as these: "Thou shalt bind the words of the law upon thy hands; and

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they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes; and thou shalt write them on the posts of thy house, and on thy gates;" so that some thought it necessary to make these texts, in particular, parts of their personal ornaments. They were also commanded "to have the law in their mouths and in their hearts; to teach it diligently to their children, and to talk of it, as they sat in the house, or walked by the way; when they rose, and when they went to rest."

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That these injunctions extend to Christians, can hardly be doubted by any among you. Saviour ascribes the errors of the Jews to igno. rance of their Scriptures; and appeals to them for evidence of his divine authority. The Bereans were applauded for "searching the Scriptures daily:" Apollos is celebrated as a "man mighty in the Scriptures:" and St. Paul reminds his disciple Timothy, that "from a child he had known the Scriptures, which were able to make him wise unto salvation."

From this, however, it does not follow, that every part of the Bible is equally edifying; or, that it is incumbent on Christians to be equally conversant with it all. With respect to the Jews, indeed, the rule hardly admitted of any exception; for it was indispensable with them to be intimately acquainted with the history of their nation, their constitution of government and their religion, which were so interwoven, that they

could not be studied separately. Their civil and ecclesiastical laws, their religious ceremonies, and even the nature, use and form of the Temple, with all its ornaments and implements, formed also a necessary branch of knowledge; and even the genealogies of their tribes and families were an important part of their education. But it is evident, that it would be quite superfluous for a Christian to store his memory with these particulars. There are others, however, with which he should, to a certain degree, be acquainted. He should have a general knowledge of the history of Revelation, from the beginning; and should meditate upon those edifying narratives, with which the Old Testament abounds. He should assiduously peruse the moral and devotional books, such as Job, the Psalms and Proverbs; and study those portions of the prophets, which are calculated to excite our pious affections, or contain predictions of Christ. whole of the New Testament should be diligently studied, and habitually read; though his principal attention is evidently demanded by the history and discourses of our Lord himself. It may not be necessary nor expedient, to perplex himself with learned and tedious commentaries and paraphrases; but every Christian will find it satisfactory, to consult such brief expositions, as point out the meaning of scriptural expressions, and the nature of antiquated customs..

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Neither are the books called Apocryphal unworthy of the notice of a Christian. After abstracting some fabulous circumstances, they will be found to contain a rich vein of piety and morality. The Wisdom of Solomon and Ecclesiasticus, abound with beautiful and sublime illustrations of the finest passages in the canonical books; and the Maccabees, beside having their use in connecting the histories of the Old and New Testaments, are finely calculated to awaken a noble spirit of patriotism, and reliance on Providence, in trying and dangerous times.

After these general observations, the most edifying view of this subject that occurs to me, is, to state the motives, which should invite different classes of people to an habitual perusal of the sacred writings, and the benefit, they may respectively hope to reap from this practice. Let us dwell on the intellectual, moral and spiritual improvement, to be derived from the study of the Bible; on the preparation of spirit for an immortal existence, to be drawn from this source by every class of men; and on the practical consequences likely to result to society at large.

With respect to the noble and the rich, it is evident, that the more exalted, or wealthy any man is, the more need has he for religion, to admonish him of the precarious tenure, by which he holds his honours and possessions, their vanity, while they last, and the awful account, that he

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