have divined, and which no impostor would have ventured to predict. And who would ever have imagined, that one so ignominiously treated in his death, should yet "have his grave with the rich?" The very price which was to be paid for his blood, together with the subsequent application of it in the purchase of a potter's field, and the untimely death of the person that betrayed him, these, and a great variety of other circumstances equally minute, prove beyond a doubt that Jesus was the person testified of, and that the testimony borne of him was divine.

Had the different witnesses been contemporaneous, it might have been supposed possible that these infinitely diversified circumstances should have been devised and executed by means of a well-concerted conspiracy. But the witnesses lived in ages and places far distant from each other, even many hundreds of years apart: yet did all the prophets so harmonize with each other in all their various predictions, that no room is left for doubt but that they were wholly unconnected with each other, and altogether under the direction and influence of the Spirit of God. Thus whether we consider the testimony itself, or the witnesses by whom it was delivered, we can have no doubt but that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.]

Such then being the excellency of the Scriptures, let us contemplate,

II. Our duty in relation to them

This is clear and manifest:

1. We must "search the Scriptures" for ourselves

[Possessing such Divine records, we should apply ourselves diligently to the study of them. We should search them with simplicity of mind, desiring to learn from them the will and mind of God, and determining through grace to comply with them in every respect, receiving implicitly whatsoever they declare, and obeying without reserve whatsoever they command. We must not bring to them any of our own prejudices whereby to judge of them, or any thing of our own passions wherewith to limit them. We must bring to them the simplicity of a little child, submitting our own wisdom to the wisdom of our God, and our own will to the will of God. In fact, we must desire to know God's will in order that we may do it. Like Samuel we must lend to every word of God a willing and obedient ear, saying, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." We have a most instructive example in the conduct of the blind man whom Jesus healed. Jesus asked him," Believest thou in the Son of God?"

The man

immediately replied, "Who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him?" The whole bias of his soul was towards his God; and his desire of instruction was for the sole purpose of glorifying God by the strictest possible conformity to his holy will. And if we resemble him in these respects, we are assured, that we shall be enabled to "know of every doctrine whether it be of Goda."

Of course, we must prosecute our search with all diligence. The very word, "Search," imports, that we should sift every word, as miners sift the earth in the pursuit of precious jewels; and must exercise all our faculties about it, as dogs do in the pursuit of their prey. A slight and cursory perusal of the Scriptures will be of little use; nor will a formal habit of reading, as some do, the psalms and lessons for the day, answer the ends for which we are to read the Scriptures. There must be in us a habit of weighing every sentiment, and of imploring God to convey to our minds its true import. Diligence of itself will not avail for the full understanding of the Scriptures. We must have the eyes of our understanding opened by the Spirit of God; and his aid will only be given to us in answer to fervent prayer. We must, in fact, never approach the Scriptures without that petition of holy David, "Open thou mine eyes, O Lord, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." Hence these two, diligence and prayer, are united by Solomon as equally necessary for the attainment of divine knowledge: "If thou apply thine heart to understanding, yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding"."

But in particular we must search the Scriptures with a more especial view to derive from them the knowledge of Christ. As they all testify of him, so it should be our most anxious care to see and learn what they do testify. A mere critical knowledge of Scripture, though good, will bring with it no saving benefit. Nor will an historical knowledge of Scripture, no, nor even a speculative knowledge of its doctrines and its precepts, avail us any thing. It is the knowledge of Christ, and that alone, that will convey to our souls the blessings of salvation. "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." In the great mystery of a crucified Saviour " are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge:" and "in comprehending the height and depth and length and breadth of the love of Christ as revealed in that mystery, we Prov. ii. 3—6.

a John vii. 17.

· Ερευνᾶτε.

shall be filled with all the fulness of God." My dear brethren, even good people do not sufficiently bear this in mind. Men, in going into the fields, obtain, for the most part, that which they are in pursuit of. One obtains health, and another pleasure; but it is the botanist only that acquires the science of herbs. So in perusing the Holy Scriptures, whatever else men may obtain, none will obtain the knowledge of Christ in all the glory of his person, the extent of his love, and the fulness and excellency of his salvation, but those who go to them with this express view, and bend all the force of their minds towards the attainment of them. You will remember that the Cherubim upon the mercy-seat were in a bending posture looking down upon the ark, that peculiar symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ as mediating between God and us. This St. Peter explains to us, declaring respecting all the wonders of salvation revealed to us in the Scriptures, that "the angels are desiring to look into them." Be ye then, brethren, in this posture whenever ye take the sacred volume into your hands, and, like the Apostle Paul, seek to your dying hour to know more and more of Christ," of the power of his resurrection, and of the fellowship of his sufferings:" for, in proportion as ❝ ye behold the glory of Christ, ye shall be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord"."]

66

2. Endeavour to diffuse the knowledge of them to the utmost of your power

[The command to "search them" evidently implies the duty of promoting in others also the knowledge of them. In this respect the Christian world has done well in spreading the Holy Scriptures both at home and abroad, to an extent altogether unprecedented. And in the work of translating the Holy Scriptures, and of sending forth missionaries to diffuse the knowledge of them, this age has also excelled all that have ever gone before it

But who would ever have thought that a great part of the Christian world should set themselves against the circulation of the Scriptures, and should actually prohibit their people from reading them? Yet this is done by the Church of Rome in every quarter of the world. The Governors of that Church will not suffer the word of God to be read, except by their special permission, and with their corrupt glosses, which in ten thousand instances obscure and falsify its meaning. And what shall we say to this? I stand amazed at such conduct in a Church professing itself the Church of Christ. I know

d 1 Pet. i. 12.

e 2 Cor. iii. 18.

f If this be a subject for a Bible Society, or a Mission Society, the line of discussion must be suited to the occasion.

not whether is the greater, the impiety or the cruelty of such conduct. The Lord Jesus Christ says, "Search the Scriptures." No,' says the Papist; 'ye shall not search them: I will not even suffer them to be in your possession: and if they be given you, I will wrest them out of your hands.' But if it be replied, "In them we have eternal life;" 'I care not for that,' says the Papist; 'ye shall perish, rather than I will suffer you to read that book.' But Christ has said, "They testify of me;" and I want to know what they testify.' 'I care not for that,' says the Papist; 'I will not suffer you to know what they testify: you shall not hear their testimony. any farther than I please to inform you of it, and then you shall know it only as corrupted and falsified by me.' What such priests will answer at the bar of judgment, God alone knows but I fear their doom will be very terrible, seeing that they will have to answer for the souls of thousands whom they have kept in the sorest bondage, and blinded to their eternal ruin. Judge then ye, brethren, whether ye should not endeavour to counteract this impious tyranny, and to diffuse the knowledge of salvation through the perishing millions of your fellow-subjects. I mean not that you should do this in a spirit of opposition, but in a spirit of love. And as the legislature at their request has made them partakers with you in all civil and political privileges, so do ye, unsought and unsolicited, labour to impart unto them the full enjoyment of your spiritual privileges, in the knowledge of Christ, and of his salvation.]

1830.

Preached for the Society of Scripture Readers in Dublin, March

MDCXXXI.

THE TRUE REASON OF MEN'S DESTRUCTION.

John v. 40. Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

But

TO doubt whether men wish to be saved or not, may appear absurd. No man would hesitate to answer such a question in the affirmative. though every one would prefer happiness to misery, they are but few who really prefer the way that leads to happiness. The text may be addressed to the generality amongst ourselves with the same propriety as to those who rejected the invitations of our Lord

in the days of old. We shall take occasion from these words to inquire,

I. What are the benefits of coming unto Christ— To" come to Christ" is a frequent expression in the Scriptures:

Let us first consider what is implied in this act— [It imports not an outward attendance on his person, but an inward affiance on him for salvation. It imports a coming to him with humility as sinners with faith as to the only Saviour. and with love as to our rightful Lord and

Master a

-]

From a due performance of this act the most inestimable benefits will arise

[Temporal, spiritual, eternal life will flow from it. Even the temporal comforts of life are enjoyed by none so much as by him who believes in Christ; nor is there any other person who holds them by so sure a tenure. He cannot fail of possessing them as far as they will conduce to his spiritual welfare. But spiritual life is a far richer blessing; and this is the believer's assured portion. His soul shall be endued with a new and vital principle of grace. Christ himself will live in him and be his life. As Lazarus when raised was enabled to perform the functions of animal life, of which he had been rendered, for a season, incapable, so shall the believer's soul, which was once dead in trespasses and sins, be quickened to the discharge of all the duties and offices of the spiritual life. He shall enjoy sweet communion with God in secret, and find his supreme delight in fulfilling his blessed will. The man who thus daily comes to Christ for righteousness and strength is incomparably the happiest man on earth; but his happiness does not terminate with his present existence. No: he shall possess also eternal life. Believer, thou hast a never-fading crown of righteousness and glory awaiting thee at thy departure hence What a recompence is this of all thy labour!

a The full import of this act may perhaps be more clearly understood by expressing the very words and manner in which a sinner comes to Christ-"O my Lord and Saviour, behold I am vile, and justly deserve to be for ever spurned from thy footstool, &c. But thou hast died for sinners, even the chief, &c. I have no hope but in thee, &c. O receive a poor prodigal, &c. I look for redemption through thy blood; O let thy blood cleanse me from all sin, &c. And while I trust in thy name, enable me to depart from all iniquity, &c. Be thou my only Lord, and let every thought and desire of my heart be brought into captivity to thy holy will, &c."

b 1 Tim. iv. 8. e John x. 10. á Gal. ii. 20. Col. iii. 4.