way of reasoning-they are delivered as authoritative declarations, which claim the submission of our minds to them, not on account of the conviction which attends rational demonstration, but on account of a belief in the testimony of those to whose veracity God has given full confirmation. And, although there can be nothing derogatory to us in this mode of receiving our religious knowledge-and although such a vast proportion of it is necessarily a matter of faith, yet there is advanced by many, the absurd and arrogant pretension, that their opinions must always exclusively rest on the evidence of reason. They accordingly form a system after the "tradition of men" and the rudiments of the world. This phraseology accurately expresses their religious knowledge, both in its source, and with regard to its extent. Its source is not God, in whom all the fullness of wisdom dwells-but exists in the uncertain reasonings of men, who, refusing to submit their minds to the authority of revelation, with overweening vanity advocate their own dogmasand as their knowledge is derived from an insufficient source, so is it in its nature exceedingly imperfect. And, so far as it possesses the character of truth, it consists merely of those elementary principles of religion which are diffused in the world, which are the remains of an original revelation to the first men, or which have been attained to by the exercise of our own understanding.

It is then folly to substitute these beggarly elements in the room of the full and accurate information contained in holy Scripture-it is worse than folly, for there is involved in this conduct a criminal disregard to the teachings of eternal wisdom-and we earnestly exhort you to beware how any one thus carries you captive, inducing you to embrace opinions which are not "after Christ."

But we have observed, that not only has a certain modification of religious opinion arisen, from the influence of the particular mode of philosophizing in which many have indulged, but that there has also been produced a feeling exceedingly unfavorable to the reception of Christianity in general—a feeling of total indifference in regard to it. A stronger obstacle than this to embracing the truth, cannot well be imagined. The most virulent opposer of our faith experiences an interest in the controversy-he earnestly proposes his objections, and if they can be shown to be insufficient, we hope that conviction may be produced in his mind. But, how can we anticipate this result with regard to him who thinks so little of religion as not even to form an objection to it-who deems it of so little consequence whether Christianity be true or false, as to be entirely indifferent whether the sentiments of others are conformed to his own or not.

Beware then, lest this feeling so unfavorable to all that is true in principle and good in practice, obtain

an admission into your hearts-remember that he who opposes the truth is not so far removed from the acknowledgment of it, as he who is utterly indifferent in relation to it. And, while you are strongly impressed with the vast importance of correctly understanding the divine will, be careful to resort for information to the oracles of God, where alone truth may be found without any admixture of error; which contains discoveries indispensable to our happiness, that could never have been made. by the soundest philosophy, and much less by that which is justly described as empty and deceitful.

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SERMON XXI.

THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH.

REVELATION i. 10.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.

IN choosing this passage for our present consideration, it is not intended to direct your attention to the character and history of the writer, or to the very remarkable visions which were afforded to him while under the influence of the Spirit of prophecy. It is chosen as the groundwork of the observations which are to be made, simply as conveying the information, that in the time of the Apostles there was a day held in peculiar regard, and designated as the Lord's day. Having it in view to establish the authority of the Christian Sabbath, and designing principally to rest the argument on the language and usages of inspired men

under the dispensation of the gospel, no more appropriate passage of holy writ could have been selected than the one which has been read to you. A considerable time has elapsed since this subject was on a former occasion brought under your view. It is necessary, however, that one so important should be again and again referred to. Yet it is our object at present, to give only a general statement of the argument then proposed, and to dwell principally upon some auxiliary considerations. In enforcing the precept," remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," it was urged that this precept being given to our first parents, was not to be viewed as of limited or temporary, but as of universal and permanent authority. In reply to the objection that the passage occurring in Genesis, was inserted by way of anticipation and in reference to the institution of the Sabbath in the wilderness, it was insisted that ours was by far the most obvious interpretation of that passage. It was, moreover, urged that the sacred historian's omission to mention the observance of the Sabbath during the patriarchal ages, was not conclusive against the fact of such observance, inasmuch as a similar omission marks the record of many ages subsequent to the undoubted establishment of the institution in question. In farther proof of the universal and permanent obligation to keep holy the Sabbath day, it was remarked, that the injunction to do so constituted a