which all men breathe, and the objects which all see: more refined speculations upon such subjects, are like inquiries into the composition of the atmosphere, or into the hidden properties of bodies, which, in the hands of the wise, may lead, no doubt, to great and important uses, but which may be abused by the fool to purposes of mischief and folly.

The wise will never rake into the corners of nature for strange appearances, upon which their ignorance may raise a doubt as to the wisdom and the beneficence of its author. It is their delight, on the contrary, to explain every passage in the great volume of creation, which may render his attributes more admirable to the human mind. Nor, in their examination of the various forms under which religion has appeared among men, do they ever officiously study to conceal the original characters of truth, which run through the whole; or to throw into the dark those features of divinity, which distinguish the religion of Christ from all the other forms of human belief. Such, indeed, are sometimes the me. lancholy attempts of the fool; or, what is worse, of those men of unfortunate ingenuity, who abuse the gift of God committed to them to their own ruin, and that of others. It is, on the other hand, the part of the wise, through all the varying forms of superstition, to trace the workings of the same common religious nature in man, and, amidst the darkness which sits deep over the hopes of the human race, to descry the appearance of that star which gives the promise of a better day, and "to rejoice with exceeding great joy," when it leads them to the place where they may "fall down and worship him," who has come to enlighten and to save the world.

These observations, my brethren, as I have already said, are chiefly intended for the young. In that period of life, more than in any other, wisdom seems to be something remote from common observation, and to be found only "in the ends of the earth." It is at this period that we are more attached in our inquiries to ingenuity than to truth; and that, in the fancied liberality and illumination of our views, we are tempted to hold in the utmost contempt every thing which we can class in our imaginations under the aspect of superstition. Under that name, alas! we are too ready to include the most venerable and the wisest opinions; and, on the shrine of popular delusion and folly, to sacrifice all that is truly great, either on earth or in heaven! These, however, whatever they may seem to be, are not the true employments of genius, and are, at all times, most unworthy of an elevated mind.

Go then, my young friends, and fill your minds with all knowledge, and with all science. Let your eyes. and your thoughts run into the ends of the earth. Give full scope to that ardour which this seat of liberal education is so well adapted to inspire and to gratify; but, as you value your peace of mind here, and your happiness hereafter, let not the vanity of knowledge lay snares for the principles of your virtue, or your faith. Make philosophy, as she ever ought to be, the handmaid of morality and religion, and she will then supply you with additional confirmations of that wisdom which is ever before you; and your eyes will then have been in the ends of the earth, not like the eyes of fools, but like the eyes of the servants and the children of the most high and all-wise God.

SERMON IV.

ON THE CHARACTER OF FAITH.

ST. JOHN, xx. 29.

“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

THESE words, my brethren, convey much useful instruction to those who, like us, live in the latter ages of the Gospel. They are the words of our Lord to St. Thomas, occasioned by that singular incredulity with which this apostle received the accounts of his master's resurrection. After having removed his doubts, by affording him all the evidence which he required, or · which the fact was capable of receiving, our Lord reproves him, but in very gentle language, for the want of faith which he had shown. "Thomas (says he), because thou hast seen me thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

It is evident, that we, in this age of the world, stand very much in the situation in which St. Thomas stood before our Lord appeared to him. We have not seen, There are, however,

and yet, I trust, we believe!

some in this age, who will tell us, that our belief is fal

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lacious and vain; who will deride the promises in which we trust, and affirm that there are no grounds for those hopes which we have set before us. If, at any time, we feel our minds giving way to such representations, or are dazzled by the plausible ingenuity with which they may be supported, let us call to our recollection the memorable words of our Lord, that although we have not seen, although we have not received the highest evidences, we are yet blessed if we believe. The words, my brethren, are very affecting, and very important; and I trust, that I shall be usefully employed in drawing from them a few obvious reflections.

In the first place, then, it is apparent, that when our Saviour tells us we are blessed if we believe, he cannot possibly mean to recommend that we should believe any thing which we have not good grounds for believing. He cannot mean that we should take our opinions upon trust, or without making a proper use of that reason which God has given us. We are, on the

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contrary, expressly required to prove all things,' and to be "ready to give an answer to every man who asketh a reason of the hope that is in us." According to the opportunities which we possess, our faith ought always to be established on solid and substantial foundations. But, from the very nature of the thing, these can never amount to the highest possible evidence. What we learn from the testimony of others, is never so certain as what we see with our own eyes. It may, however, be sufficiently certain to be credited or believed; and that mind must be very full of suspicion,

which will always require the highest evidence for every species of truth.

1

He

This was plainly the case with St. Thomas. had surely been witness to many circumstances in the life' of his master which rendered the fact of his resurrection not a very improbable one; and his companions, the apostles, had, with one voice, declared to him, that they had conversed with their Lord, and that he was indeed risen from the dead. The hesitation of St. Thomas with regard to the truth of this fact was evidently, therefore, very unreasonable, and argued a strange degree of stubborn incredulity. It was possible, certainly, that the apostles might be joined in a plot to deceive him; but this was both an improbable and an unamiable suspicion. He knew well the worth and the veracity of these men; he knew likewise their love for their master, and the extreme consternation and distress which his death had occasioned them; and it was surely most unlikely that, in this temper of mind, they should be so idly and cruelly employed as to attempt to trifle with the feelings of one of their own associates. While, then, our Lord cannot mean to recommend groundless belief, yet he very reasonably. recommends belief on such convictions of the understanding as have a substantial foundation, although they may not rest on the highest possible evidence.

But, secondly, my brethren, the expression of the text conveys much more. It expresses not merely a simple approbation of such belief as a right and reasonable thing, but it speaks of it in a high strain of commendation. It is not merely said, it is reasonable to believe although we have, not seen, but, "blessed are,