hand found him to do, he did it with his might. Having formed his judgment that such a matter was right, he would pursue it with indefatigable industry, patience, and perseverance; he would wade through difficulties that would have discouraged most men ; nor was he ever satisfied till he had accomplished his end.

There are few men that have possessed a greater degree of genuine humility. It is often seen, where persons of affluence unite with a Christian community, they consider themselves as doing great honour to it, and expect great homage in return. But this every one that knew him can bear witness was not his spirit. It was not natural to him to assume the airs of a Diotrephes, or to avail himself of the influence which his circumstances and situation afforded him, to lord it over God's heritage. He was sometimes warm and sanguine; but that was not frequent, and never but when he considered himself as engaged in the cause of truth and righteousness.

To this may be added, there was a vein of serious godliness that ran through his life. It is true, he was often dejected in his own mind, lest he should be found wanting at last; so much so, as to give considerable pain to his friends. "There is something in religion," he would say, "with which I fear I have been all my life unacquainted." This dejection I attribute, in a great degree, to constitution. There are few characters that have discovered a greater fear of God, a greater acquiescence in the way of salvation through a crucified Saviour, or a greater concern to spend his life in doing good. That which would have hurt the pride of many a rich man, namely, to unite with the poor and illiterate as his brethren, was no mortification to him; on the contrary, he lately said, "I reckon it the greatest honour of my life, to have been employed in promoting the interest of Christ."

There is one circumstance more, which I cannot omit. About a week before he died, he requested that a few of his Christian friends might come and see him, and pray with him. Five of us went. When there, he told us, he did not wish us to pray for his life; he considered it as the will of God that he should die; and he added, "His will be done! But pray," said he, "that if there are any sins of which I have been guilty, and have

not yet repented; any sins for which God has any controversy with me, that he would give me a proper sense of them before I die. Or, if not, that I might enjoy the light of his countenance in death." We were all exceedingly affected. After praying with him about an hour, he gathered up what little strength he had, and addressed himself to us with a kind of solemn farewell. He reminded us of the difficulties we had been brought through as a church, expressed his satisfaction in leaving us in so comfortable a situation, recommended us to love one another, and solemnly commended us to the blessing of God! Surely I shall never forget this tender parting! But I have done. He would have invited others of his friends, whom he equally loved, but his strength began to fail him; and, in a few days, after a long series of afflictions, which he bore with great patience, calmness and resignation to God, he fell asleep.

THE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF A DEEP AND IN. TIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF DIVINE TRUTH.

SERMON V.

[Preached before the Baptist Association at St. Albans, June 1, 1796.]

HEB. V. 12-14.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

THERE is nothing in which the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan are more opposed, than that the one is characterized by light, and the other by darkness. The cause of falsehood is itself a dark cause, and requires darkness to cover it: but truth is light, and cometh to the light, that it may be made manifest. Knowledge is every where encouraged in the Bible; our best interests are interwoven with it; and the spirituality of our minds, and the real enjoyment of our lives depend upon its increase. Grace and peace are multiplied through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Nor is it necessary for our own sakes only, but for the sake of others. It is a great encouragement to

Christian ministers, when those whom they teach possess a good understanding in the things of God. Indeed, none but those who are engaged in the work of teaching, can tell how much the ardor of the mind is damped by the contrary: The truth of this remark is exemplified in the writer of this Epistle. In the verses immediately preceding the text, you perceive him highly interested in his subject, and proceeding in a glorious career of reasoning; when, all on a sudden, he is stopped. He had many things to say of his Lord and master; but which were hard to be understood, seeing those to whom he wrote were dull of hearing. It is on this occasion that he introduces the passage now before us; in which his object is to shame and provoke them, by comparing them with those who as to years were men, but as to knowledge children; and who, instead of having made advances in science, needed to be taught the alphabet over again. There are some things supposed and included in the passage, which require a little previous attention.

First: It is here supposed, that all divine knowledge is to be derived from the oracles of God. It is a proper term by which the sacred scriptures are here denominated, strongly expressive of their divine inspiration and infallibility: in them God speaks; and to them it becomes us to hearken. We may learn other things, from other quarters; and things, too, that may subserve the knowledge of God; but the knowledge of God itself must here be sought, for here only it can be found.

Much has been said on faith and reason, and the question has often been agitated, whether the one in any instance can be contrary to the other? In the solution of this question, it is necessary in the first place, to determine what is meant by reason. There is a great difference between reason and reasoning. Nothing which God reveals can contradict the former; but this is more than can be said of the latter. It is impossible for God to reveal any thing repugnant to what is fit and right; but that which is fit and right in one man's estimation, is preposterous and absurd in the esteem of another; which clearly proves, that reason as it exists in depraved creatures is not a proper standard of truth; and hence arrises the necessity of another and a better standard, the