If men conceive it to be essentially their duty, to comprehend and believe what is incomprehensible and incredible, the greatest distraction and confusion of mind must ensue, whether they think they have accomplished their object or not, If they fancy, that they have attained to a degree of spiritual knowledge, and a perception of Di vine truth, so superior to what others pretend to, they can hardly fail to be puffed up with presumptuous and fanatical conceits. Without a degree of humility, which can scarcely be ex, pected in such circumstances, they will be apt to think themselves righteous, regenerated and elect, and to despise others. If, on the contrary, they find themselves incapable of attaining to this degree of spiritual perfection, which nevertheless they deem essential to salvation, what can preserve them from dejection, despondence, perhaps distraction of mind? So necessary is it to our own edification and peace of mind, that we be sober-minded on such subjects, and establish some rational mode of discriminating between those truths, which are withheld from mortals, and those, which are clearly revealed; those with which we have no concern, and those which we are required to believe, that they may encourage or impel us to obey the Divine law.

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With respect to other persons, the evils ceeding from this overweening conceit and spiritual pride on our part are still more pernicious:

for if we think, that the salvation of the world depends on the universal diffusion of our enthusiastic notions, we shall easily be betrayed into bigotry, uncharitableness and presumption. We shall look upon those, who differ from us, as enemies to God and man, at least as obstacles to the progress of Divine grace, and the eternal happiness of all mankind. How then can we avoid thinking, that we "do God good service," and perform the highest duty of charity to man, by exterminating such dangerous heretics from the face of the earth? Men may even act in this manner, without any malice to those whom they persecute. Without some such supposition, we can hardly account for the horrid and inhuman deeds, that have been perpretated by the wisest, most pious and even meekest of men, under these fanatical delusions. Such barbarities are indeed most pernicious, when they originate in principle, because they cannot then be checked by the compunction of conscience. Of such unspeakable consequence is it, that "we keep our hearts with all diligence, since out of them proceed all the issues of life." A few erroneous notions, and deep-rooted prejudices may convert a saint into a demon; and even make him glory in his new character.

There is a pious scepticism, which a candid and dispassionate man will indulge on many unessential points in religion. He will not only

keep his mind open for new information, but will feel a degree of indifference, and guard against that partiality, or at least that bigoted attachment, which is always uncandid or unreasonable on dubious questions. The want of this degree of candour is a principal cause of the virulence of theological controversy. It is not thought sufficient to have a firm faith in the truth and authority of Scripture, except we form precise, metaphysical notions upon a number of points, of which the most learned are ignorant, and on which the ignorant have no pretensions or occasion to entertain any opinion at all. Many of these are considered by the multitude as essential to salvation, and established as the distinguishing tenets of a sect; that is, as a mark of dis tinction, a signal for hostility, a cause of triumph, and a line of separation and demarcation between the disciples of their common Master. In the first ages of Christianity, these subjects were reserved for the investigation of divines; and, instead of those bitter waters, the people were "fed with the pure milk of the word," This is an example, which I should gladly follow, and a plan, which I study in general to adopt. But it sometimes happens, that one must seem to comply with a common error, in order to counteract its effects. If all ministers confined themselves to the plain principles of piety and morality, I should gladly conform to such a godly practice: but

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when the world is so much agitated about pernicious and unscriptural notions, that men press them zealously on their brethren as fundamental doctrines, and denounce those, whom they cannot convince, a minister may think it his duty occasionally to explain his ideas upon such points, and to give his people such a view of religion in general, as appears to him most edifying and true. Some of these he may enforce in a style adapted to the confidence and conviction, with which he is himself impressed; and others, he may suggest as subjects for pious meditation, with the salutary caution, not to make them subjects of doubtful and contentious disputation.

Let us then endeavour to separate the things, which belong to God, from those which belong to man; each for himself, without attempting to impose his opinion upon others. With this view only, I shall submit to you a few observations on the different classes of religious truths.

"Secret things belong unto the Lord our God." We are furnished by our Creator with an instinctive knowledge of certain necessary truths, both natural and moral, and with a capacity to enlarge our knowledge, as the circumstances of human life may require, to a certain degree. But beyond this, all is mystery. What we have discovered of the works of creation and the laws of nature is as nothing, compared with that, of which we remain ignorant. Now, if we know so little

of the material world, upon which our life, not to speak of our most moderate comforts and pleasures, depends, how great must be our ignorance of every other subject, which is unconnected with those vital interests? As to our ignorance of other worlds, and particularly of the spiritual creation, it may be said to be total and incurable. The secret things, then, that were never revealed, and belong to God, are innumerable: and most of them are so effectually concealed from us, that we have it not in our power even to guess what they are. So far we are protected from the possibility of error.

But there are other principles, both spiritual and natural, of which we have obtained a glimpse; and upon these, the natural curiosity of the human mind prompts us to form conjectures, and our presumption tempts us to dogmatize; and here we are extremely liable to error. Some of these views are opened to us intentionally, and others incidentally. The knowledge of the existence of God is communicated to us by design, as a truth of prime importance to our well-being and improvement. But this could not be done without giving us some intimation of his attributes, character and nature; and then we go to work upon these materials, and out of them frame a variety of extravagant and erroneous systems. We speculate upon points, which are still secret, and belong only to God, or superior beings, as,

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