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in his human capacity, as the Son of Man.But to attribute the miracles which he wrought by the Holy Ghost, to the power of Satan; and still more to vilify or to disregard the visible and manifest agency of that Divine Spirit, whose mission seems to have depended upon our Lord's previous departure from the world, and to have been intended to crown and consolidate all the labours of his ministry, was declared to be an unpardonable offence. All other sins admitted of forgiveness upon repentance and amendment. was the leading principle of his doctrine. A doctrine not more worthy of the wisdom and goodness of God, than adapted to the infirmity and the wickedness of man. But here was a sin which absolutely precluded repentance. For it was nothing less than obstinately to refuse to be convinced by the power of God himself directly exerted for that purpose, to quench and to grieve his Holy Spirit, when actively employed for the redemption and the salvation of the world.

If we who are living under different circumstances, and receiving our religion in a different manner, are (as we may be permitted to hope) incapable of committing a sin of this enormity:

still it becomes us well to consider, what approach we can make to it; whether the evidence we have of our faith is inferior to that of the first Christians, and consequently whether we are more excusable in our incredulity than they were or could be? And I am much mistaken, if we shall not find that our situation in this respect is more perilous, than many persons perhaps imagine it to be; that we have in fact stronger evidence of the truth of our religion than is commonly supposed, and therefore stronger grounds for believing it, and more powerful motives for practising it. I cannot suppose that I am addressing any persons who do not profess to believe it but can it be true, that there may be those whose profession, however constant, is not sincere and well-founded? This is a most important question, which it well becomes every man to examine in his own case, with the most rigorous impartiality. The heart, has been truly said by one of the sacred writers, to be deceitful above all things: and I fear, that in the matter of religious belief, there will be found no exception to this humiliating position.— That in that as in every thing else, we are liable to practise, and do in fact frequently

practise, the grossest deception upon ourselves. If any man (says St. James) seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Here we have an exemplification of this doctrine, in a very extensive class of offences, which a man may commit, whilst he seems to be religious; and is therefore deceiving both himself and others in that respect. The offences of which the tongue may be guilty by falsehood, in swearing, in provoking to anger, and in all the endless modifications of those vices, with their dismal consequences, would present indeed a long and frightful catalogue. But they would still exhibit but a small part of those sins, which are but too frequently committed, by men who do not scruple to call themselves Christians, and who probably consider themselves to be justly entitled to that appellation.

But I by no means intend to insinuate or to assert, that it is every breach of Christian rules or morals, that will amount to a proof, that a man is insincere in his profession of that faith. Were this so, Christianity itself could be hardly said to have any existence. For

the same Apostle, whose doctrine I am stating, has also assured us, that in many things we offend all. It is not therefore the occasional, but the habitual and uniform violation of his precepts, that will exclude us from the benefits of our Saviour's sacrifice, and demonstrate that we are not worthy to be called his disciples. It is to be feared, that there are but few persons who have not to reproach themselves for the frequent neglect, or the inadequate performance, of some of the duties enjoined by our religion. So long as they do thus reproach themselves, there is room to hope that they may at length attain unto an effectual repentance, and an entire amendment, and become reconciled to their own consciences and to God. But should they go on from day to day (as too many do) in the total and deliberate omission of any one branch of Christian morals, without any "compunctious visitings" of remorse, or any serious intentions of a change of conduct ; however regular may be their observance of the external forms of Christianity, and constant their declarations of adherence to its faith, it is but too certain that they are delud

ing themselves, with a vain expectation of partaking of the benefits of that covenant, the conditions of which they have failed to observe.

But faith not only cannot consist with bad conduct-it may be endangered also by erroneous judgment. There have not been wanting those, who after wavering between errors of an opposite kind in this matter, have settled at last in Scepticism or Infidelity. It is of the utmost importance therefore, that we should bring to its consideration minds free from prejudice, and anxious only for the dis"What is truth?" was a covery of truth. perplexing question to the Roman governor. And it will be equally so to us with regard to religion, if we do not seek it in the Scriptures alone, and reason upon them with clearness and simplicity. The diversity of doctrines that have been, and are deduced from them by equally able and good men, should teach us to exercise the utmost caution in forming our own opinions of them, and to treat with great forbearance those, which we deem erroneous in others. Faith itself we know, is very differently understood by different denominations of Christians, and even by individuals of

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