let us read less frequently, and with understanding. Read, my dear, honest, Christian brother, rather read an entire sacred book through at once, for there is none too long. Then wilt thou enter into the connection and tone of the writer, and, as it were, into the current thoughts of his soul. Thou wilt then be quickened with his spirit, and read as he wrote. And where can this advice better suit than in the epistles of the Apostles, and in the discourses of Jesus? The epistles of the Apostles were written, as all letters are, with a specific aim, touching certain religious occurrences in their congregations, and therefore are to be read only in connection. He who breaks them up, and reads them chapter-wise, and divides their meaning, does as if he wrote a continuous text upon little bits of paper, and made it a matter of conscience to read one of them daily, without connection, aim, choice, or order; and, in this way how would the Bible be mutilated! . Especially let none neglect our advice while reading the discourses of Jesus. The discourses of this Anointed One have so much that is noble, pure, and virtuous, that if any choice is permitted us in the books of the Bible, we should value one connected discourse of Jesus more highly than much else. Only we must not break them up-for example the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew, and the last discourse of Jesus, in John-but read them through entire, and think and ponder over them. What holy thoughts of God are there! what excellent precepts! what deep insight into the human heart! what an innocent spirit there breathes forth! what zeal for virtue! what humility in wishing to make Himself of no reputation! and what devotion to the will of God in sealing His doctrine with His own blood! No, "never man spake like this Man ;" and never has any one, through his whole life and by his last hours, so corroborated the superiority of his religion, as did Jesus, the First-Born of God, the Saviour of the world.

Were we to do this, my hearers-thus to mutilate the Biblehow liable would we be to extract from it isolated sayings, and often apply them in a sense that must be to many fearful and sad. What secular writer would not be sadly misused if a person were to tear individual passages out from their connections, so that one could make out of them what he chose, misconstruing, deriding, mal-interpreting, according to his pleasure.

And though it might be impossible to understand every thing, even in its connections, yet would every sincere Christian reader do well if he rested principally in the passages which he does understand, and which are of significance to him. Findest thou, my Christian hearer, one expression which exhibits God to thee in His sovereignty and

in His providence, in some peculiar or more impressive aspect, or which unriddles to thee thine own heart, or which declares to thee thy duties more concisely and exactly defined than thou wouldst be able to express them to thyself, then impress it on thy soul as the voice of God. Let it be thy guide in life and in death.

3. Especially let us bring to the reading of the Divine Word perfect honesty, and a sincere heart. This is more necessary than any extraordinary understanding, or a glowing imagination. We do not listen to sermons simply for the purpose of making critical observations, and to inquire whether the theme has been well treated or not; but the question is, how far it touches, profits, and improves us. Let no one bring to the Bible a heart which is tainted with prejudice, whether it be against the Bible, or for this and that particular dogma of his Church; otherwise he would be sure to see only what he wishes to see. He would remain wrapped up in his own darling notions, and become only more expert than he was before with seeing eyes, yet not seeing, and with feeling heart, yet hardening himself. Let the soil of the heart be mellow and subdued, that God may convince, enlighten, and improve-for He verily teaches men what they know.

With such sincerity in our dealings, what reverence for the Word of God would take possession of us! Thou then, O! man! art in a much nearer way to hold communion with thy God; the Omniscient One fills thy soul; that Omniscient One who was present in the soul of Isaiah and Paul when they spake and wrote: Who, in a way unknown to us, held their hearts in His hands. in order that they, from their inward depths, might think out that which was His will. Thou art before Him; thou and thy thoughts are present to His all-knowing eye. What fear before thy God will this awaken! how will it summon up thy powers in order to be found pure and holy before the Lord! So read, O man, the Bible! Read it only when perfectly qualified therefor; only when thy soul, abstracted from all earthly occupations, and freed from all distractions, is in a state to be a temple of God and of truth; then read thy Bible!

I have already warned you that in no duty of divine service should any one allow himself to sink into a drowsy quiet in order not to think, but should rather listen for the voice of the Spirit; and I must repeat this yet once again. It has been sadly customary among en to confound devotion with soul-sleep; piety with sluggishness thought; so that this, among other things, is always one cause the little use of hearing sermons and reading the Bible, that no will think with the preacher, but that each one allows himself

to be penetrated by the Spirit of God, and then, indeed, no one thinks at all. The Spirit of God and His grace works in men hu. manly; in rational creatures, rationally; in moral creatures morally. Thou must, therefore, think thoughts; thou must awaken the feelings of thine heart; thou must let conscience speak; thou must read thy Bible actively and thoughtfully as any other instructive, affecting, and edifying book; and behold, O, man! it is the richest and most instructive book. With this prejudice thou mayest approach it. Then if thou art honest, will thy soul open itself; then will the feelings of thine heart speak; then will thy conscience exhort; then, and not otherwise, will the Spirit of God speak in thee. Be no mechanical Christian. Bind not thyself to some few heart-touching words, which because thou wert once affected by them in thy youth, are still to call forth tears in thee, though only in a mechanical or magical way. Play not with particular Bible-words as if these by their simple ring were to affect in thee something divine and heartsubduing. Perchance they might do it, perchance elicit some tears; perchance excite some sort of feeling. But if this emotion be any. thing more than a simple preparation, for something better, the tears dry up, the feeling passes not over into good resolves and acts; and every thing which does not go beyond this, which does not make me wiser and better, which does not ennoble me--this though it may have a divine aspect, this is not from God. It is enthusiasm, it is the mechanical vibrations of the fibers of our feelings, it is a counterfeit sympathy. No! Thy book, O God, should serve me for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for blessedness, and for nothing more. I will as often as I can, ask myself this question: why hear. est thou the voice of God? wherefore readest thou the word of God? Oh! that my heart then might ever render back the good answer which I desire! O, that every time that I rise from the perusal of this holy book I could say, Behold! thou hast now become wiser, and better, and holier through God's word. If I, therefore, am in the best condition to think upon God and divine things, to weigh time and eternity, to contemplate clearly the history of Jesus with all its merits, and to yield myself up to those thoughts upon immortality which the Holy Scriptures have so gloriously confirmed, if this is the case, then shall I, O God, hear Thy voice with my heart. Then shall I set myself as a suppliant before Thy sight, and raise myself to Thee, O Lord, that Thou mayest speak in my heart. My Bible-reading will be a quiet and continued converse with Thee; a sincere prayer which will exalt and benefit me. Again: when those hours come in which my taste for all things earthly is gone,

when I am in distress and anguish of heart then shall God's word comfort me that word which has comforted so many, which has poured balm into the wounds of so many wretched souls, and has given consolation in the hours of sorrow, shall also make my heart light, teach me to love my fellow-men, bind me more closely to my God, and make me full of peace and goodness. May it be a light in my path: and in the evening of my life, when in the last hours, my spirits flag, and yet, for the last time, life's taper kindles up, to be quenched again as an expiring lamp; then, O my God! then let the passages of Thy word be the resting-places of my heart, and at the final moment lift my spirit up, that I with quiet, heav enly thoughts, and comforting hopes, may step forth upon my eternal career!

Amen.

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DISCOURSE THIRTY-SIXTH

DR. FRANCIS V. REINHARD.

THIS celebrated Protestant preacher was born in 1753, a native of the duchy of Sulzbach. His educational course was pursued at Ratis bon and Wittenburg, where sacred eloquence particularly attracted his attention. He afterward filled the Chairs of Professor of Philosophy and Theology in the University, and also acted as preacher to the University church. In the year 1792 he became first Court Preacher at Dresden. After filling these stations with high reputation, he died September 6, 1812. His principal works are: a "System of Christian Ethics;" "Lectures on Dogmatic Theology ;" an "Essay on the worth of Little Things in Morals ;" and his Sermons, which are contained in thirty-five volumes.

Reinhard was confessedly one of the princes among the pulpit orators of Germany. His labors have been compared to those of President Dwight of this country, who was born one year before Reinhard. His sermons present great novelty in their texts and themes, remarkable ease in merging the text into the proposition, accuracy of arrangement, lucid and manly phraseology, apt and forcible illustrations, and a general style "instinct with the life of a vigorous mind and a benevolent temper." Several years since, an extended and learned criticism, by Professor Park, of Andover, on Reinhard's Sermons, appeared in the "Bibliotheca Sacra,' accompanied with specimens of his peculiar plans and most marked discourses, from which, by permission, the two following parts of sermons are taken. The first is from a double sermon, which illustrates many peculiarities of his and of other German discourses, and combines exactness of method with fervor of emotion. The second is given as a specimen of Reinhard's sharp analysis of virtue, in his ethical sermons.

THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST.

Oh! Thou Infinite, Incomprehensible, and Invisible One, who hast all sufficiency in Thyself; who dwellest in light which no mortal eye can endure; Thou hast come forth from Thy silent hiding-place;