many parts of science, he is obliged to confefs his ignorance. But he has not that candour, when he meets with a difficulty in religion. This we call unfair. He fhould certainly acknowledge his own confined understanding in religion, as well as in other parts of knowledge- unless he think he can more eafily grafp the difficulties of a divine revelation, than of a human science.

The man of reason is under another bias, which leads him into infidelity. He often forms a system of his own, which the pride of his heart will not fuffer him to abandon. Or, perhaps, he is under the influence of fome infidel fociety, and has all their scorn to encounter, if he draw back. When he once, therefore, becomes an infidel, he generally continues one *.

* The Abbé Barruel has written a history of Jacobinism, from which it appears, that Voltaire, and all the French philofophers were of this class. Their horrid watch-word was, Ecrafez l'infame, (crush the wretch,) meaning Christ. And in their blafphemous fyftem, as far as we know, they all died.

HOWBEIT IN THE BUSINESS OF THE AMBASSA. DORS OF THE PRINCES OF BABYLON, WHO SENT UNTO HIM TO ENQUIRE OF THe wonDER THAT WAS DONE IN THE LAND, GOD LEFT HIM TO TRY HIM.

WE

E are to fuppose the writer of this book to be inspired, and the doctrine contained in the text to be fcriptural; though I do not remember any where a parallel paffage.

God had bleffed the good king Hezekiah with more riches than any prince of his time; infomuch, that he was the wonder of all thofe nations which bordered on his dominions. Among others, the king of Babylon fent meffengers to congratulate him on his recovery from a dangerous illness; but, in fact, to examine into the truth of what he had heard

heard of his great opulence *.

have indulged the pride of his

Hezekiah seems to

heart too much on

this occafion; and God, to humble him, no doubt left him to himself!!

Now this probably may be one method of God's dealing with mankind, in a state of trial. In fome circumstances, he may leave even good men to themfelves, to try and exercise their humility, by fhewing them how faint their own endeavours are without his affistance. And although this doctrine is not found any where, that I recollect, exce except in this paffage of Scripture, yet it feems very agreeable to the nature of a state of trial. Many expreffions there are in Scripture, which speak of the dereliction of God's holy spirit; that is, when bad men are hardened against it, and perfist in rejecting its gentle admonitions-but this does not amount to the doctrine of the text.-Both doctrines, however, are excellent leffons in a ftate of trial. The former fhould be an awful warning to lead the bad man to repentance: the latter fhould be a ftanding caution to the good man, to keep his mind in that humble state, which alone can make him acceptable to God.*

*This appears from laying together the three feparate paffages in which this tranfaction is mentioned; 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. Ifa. xxxix. 1.—2 Kings, xx. 12.

IT BECAME HIM, FOR WHOM are all things, AND BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, IN BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY, TO MAKE THE

CAPTAIN OF THEIR

SALVATION PERFECT

THROUGH SUFFERINGS.

THIS

HIS paffage feems to have been sometimes misunderstood, as if the character of Jefus Christ could be made more perfect by fufferings. In the words, no doubt, there is some ambiguity, but none in the fenfe.

The great dignity of Chrift, as the son of God, is set forth in the beginning of the chapter in the strongest manner. The world is put in subjection to him; he is crowned with glory and honour, and fet over all the works of God. Such a being, therefore, had no need to be made perfect through fufferings.

It is evident, the apostle, therefore, speaks of our Saviour in the paffage before us, merely as the redeemer of mankind. In the first light, Christ wanted nothing to perfect his nature. It was in the second light only-that of being the captain of our falvation, that he needed to be made perfect through fuffering-particularly the suffering of death; as it was necessary, in this great work, that he fhould taste of death for every man.