and futile.—In doubtful cafes confcience is called in to arbitrate: while the Holy fpirit of God, the greateft light within us, throws its divine rays upon every part; and gives life, and energy to the whole.

But now all these lights, which the great Creator hath thus given to man for his direction, may be turned into darkness-unlefs, as the text advi feth, we take heed.-An uncontrouled imagination, for inftance, runs wild. I omit the many disasters it leads to in worldly matters; and confine myself merely to religion. Here we often fee it take the moft extravagant flights. If it be not properly reftrained, it leads us into all the abfurdities of fuperftition, and fanaticifm.-Reafon, again undifciplined, generates pride, and felf-fufficiency. It fwells into various extravagancies. It will even fet itself above divine revelation.-Often alfo, it will connect itfelf with vice, as well as irreligion. Sometimes it forms an alliance with both; and both find it a very able affistant. When a man of abilities employs his reafon (as is often the case) in contriving, and perpetrating crimes, he forms the connecting tie between the human, and diabolical nature. Confcience too may be darkened, as well as reason, either when it is mifinformed, or inattentive

tentive to its charge.

When mifinformed, it will

fometimes authorize horrid crimes with a view of

doing God fervice. But most frequently it is darkened by being inattentive to its charge. Amidst the temptations of the world its voice is filenced; it becomes by degrees hardened, and makes no oppofition to the perpetration of any immorality.

Laftly the Holy Spirit of God may be darkened within us, by improperly prefuming upon it—or by our leading wicked lives. In the former cafe, by carrying the idea of infpiration higher, than any fcriptural warrant allows, a man may be led, as we have often feen, into innumerable follies, and even crimes. The idea of immediate infpiration ftamps a divine authority on every thing which a weak mind can imagine.And when a man quenches the Holy Spirit of God by wickedness, his mind is left under the influence of its greatest darkness.

LXXXI.

He killed James, the brother of John with the fword; and because he faw, it pleafed the Jews, he proceeded farther to take Peter alfo.Acts xii. 2.

WE

E have here a remarkable paffage. Two of the apoftles, James, and Peter, on an equal footing, as far as appears, are treated in a different manner. A tyrannical prince feizes them both. James is put to death: Peter is delivered miraculoully by an angel.

Now on the face of the ftory, there feems to be great partiality. Whence arifes this difference in the of Providence? Why was one more favoured than the other?

ways

If either was favoured, it feems to have been James. He was immediately taken into glory; while Peter had a long, laborious life before him, with a cruel death at the end of it.

But we confider neither favour, nor diftinction meant to either of them. On the face of the tranf VOL. II.

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action

action, we fee only God's common mode of dealing with mankind. He leaves us always in uncertainty with regard to the time of our death. One is taken, and another left, without any material difference in the cafe of either.

Chrift's fervants have various offices. One is ordered on this fervice-another on that. One preaches the gofpel-another ferves the cause of christianity by fuffering martyrdom.

That there fhould have been early martyrs in the church, many reasons might be fuggefted. They gave a proof of the truth of the gospelthat is, of their belief of all those matters of fact which the truth of the gofpel depended. This, no doubt, would ftrengthen the faith of many new

converts.

on,

They afforded also a degree of confirmation to all the gracious promifes, which Jefus had given his difciples. Thefe promifes were always guarded with intimations, that they should be hated of all men for his fake-that they fhould be perfecuted, and put to death. They might reasonably therefore found a hope, that their bleffed mafter would never have involved them in fuffering unless he bad meant to lead them to glory.

The

The martyrdom also of one of their body was an example to the reft of the apoftles. None of them could draw back, after feeing St. James fo nobly lead the way.

It would be a teft alfo of the faith of novitiates. Our Saviour wanted only true difciples; and wifhed for none to follow him, who looked back, after they had put their hands to the plough. He himself often used to bring them to proof, by telling them, he had not where to lay his head and that through much perfecution, they must enter the kingdom of God.

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