In the first place, in their purity.

Their fpirit, and their tendency is to promote perfet fanctity of manners.Whatever flows from human reafon alone will be mingled with human corruption, and tainted by it. Accordingly, in all the fyftems of morals that have been framed by philofophers either ancient or modern, we find a tincture of the character of the author-fome principle that favours vice-fome that juftifies or excufes frailty. We may commonly determine the ruling paflion of the writer from the spirit of his work. But in the divine word we difcern a purity worthy the holiness of him who speaks. The fpirit of God knows no accommodation with fin, or with frailty. He leaves even no ambiguities in the truth behind which the vices of men may find a protection. All is plain, fimple, and molt holy. But the word of Chrift aims not at regulating the outward conduct merely, but enters into the heart, and fanctifies the fource of our habits and manners.. "Except a man be born again, faith the Saviour, he cannot fee the king

dom of God."*

No incenfe can be acceptaассераble on his altar but the incenfe of a pure heart-no ftreams can be pure that do not flow from a pure fountain-no actions can be approved that do not spring from a holy principle. The holy fcriptures cleanse the life by cleaning its inward fountains. A mind illuminated by the word and spirit of God, and a heart renewed in all its principles and affections by his grace, will afpire to higher degrees of virtue than were cultivated by the fages of the world who were contented with being merely citizens. They will aim at a celcftial purity accommodated to that mature, and perfect fate of being in the Heavens, of which the prefent life is only the infancy, and the preparatory difcipline.

The word of God acquires great value and efficacy as a law of holiness, in the next place, from its high authority.

*John iii. 3.-A principle like this was maintained likewife in many of the ancient fchools; and that change of temper and habits which philofophy aimed to produce in its difciples was ftiled regeneration. But, in fpirit and meaning, the doctrine of the fchools was far inferior to the doctrine of Chrift.

Extremely feeble, in the bulk of mankind, are the dictates of reafon as a rule of duty. On many fubjects it is dubious and hesitating in its decifions-on many it is eafly corrupted and biaffed by the heart-on all, its conclufions, purfued through a train of deductions which grow lefs evident at every ftep, ftrike with little force upon the mind wherever they are oppofed by the vices and paffions of men. Were they clearer than they are, reafon is too weak to make them obeyed. Of its weaknefs let me produce a familiar and acknowledged example. Although the principles of juflice, that the form the bafis of fociety, are among most evident of its conclufions, is that evidence alone fufficient to procure fubmiflion to its rules? Would the mass of men, become good citizens, if they were subject to no other controul than the lights of their own minds? What diforders, what crimes would diftract the flate, if their own reason were their fole law, and their fole judge! And would they, if they were obedient to no higher authority, become good citizens of that heavenly country whole duties are infinitely more complicated and pure? What, alas! would be their fyftem of reli

gion? What their law of duty? What the fanctions that would give efficacy to that law, if they were left to derive them all from the feeble lights of their own minds? Obfcure, imperfect, and impotent. No, we require revelation to render duty certain, and we require the awful authority of God to give it its full energy upon the heart.

Man was formed to be governed chiefly by authority, in order to promote and fecure his virtue. His firft opinions and actions are subjected to the wisdom and controul of parents-his early years to the inflructions and difcipline of teachers. The molt reasonable laws of fociety require to be enjoined by a power fuperior to his individual will: and the wifeft legiflators have found it neceffary to call in the force of religion to ftrengthen the bands of focial order, and to give complete and efficient energy to their laws. to their laws. But what is the veneration and obedience which we owe to the most revered and beloved of parents-to the most wife and powerful rulers of the world-to the preceptors that have enlightened our early years-or to the mafters of fcience that govern the opinions of the age,

compared with that which is due to the eternal Spirit of Truth who hath enlightened the law of our duty? To the facred and awful authority of the Creator and Judge of the univerfe, added to that law to give it an effectual impreffion on the heart? The Chriftian, the believer in divine revelation enjoys infinitely more powerful means of virtue than others who depend only on themselves, or who attempt to follow the erring and contradictory lights every where held out to them by a falfe philofophy.When I hold in my hand the facred volume, I feem to hear the voice of an affectionate parent who, by requiring perfect holiness, has no other end in view but my fupreme felicity--I feem to liften to the dictates of unerring truth-I feem to receive the commands of a divine lawgiver who has all power in Heaven and on earth to fave or to deftroy-I feem to read the decrees of that holy and omnifcient Judge from whom I fhall fhortly receive my everlafting defliny. What an awful, what a fublime, and facred authority does the word of God poffefs! Both youth and age will find in the ftudy of its divine precepts the happieft inflitution for cleanfing their way, and