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We cannot be assured of his favour if we desert it.

VI. How long will this ordinance continue to be celebrated in the church?

The Jewish dispensation stood sixteen hundred years, but would never have been supported so long, had it not been a religion of business and ceremony. It was like an immense building, with ten thousand gates, with such numerous appendages, that it required ages to bring it into ruins. Such has been the case also with respect to Popery. The length of time which that continued, proved the difficulty of destroying its foundation. But this service, without one single appendage to support it, in a short time will have completed eighteen centuries, and will continue to be observed, while a christian church remains on earth. It stands like a pillar; a colossal pillar, which will endure for ever.

Let us give it our cheerful concurrence. Let us not leave it to our children to pick out the service for themselves. Let us set them the example of a regular attendance upon it. Let them not have it in their power to say, This service has not been regularly kept through the train of my ancestors. I can trace a grandfather who

kept it, but my parents did not.' What a break is this in the silken cord! Let it not be so with us, but, feeling the advantages as well as the duty of observing such an insti

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tution, let us keep it as a feast unto the Lord for ever, throughout all our generations!"

SERMON XXXII.

RULES

FOR

STUDYING THE EPISTLES.

As also, in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things: in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 2 PETER iii. 16.

SOME, whom I am addressing, may recollect, that I have formerly delivered two discourses from these words, in connexion with the preceding verse; "Even as our beloved brother Paul, also, according to the wisdom given. unto him, has written unto you."

I shall make no further use of these sermons, at this time, than merely to repeat two observations which I then made, and which immediately apply to the words of the text.

In the first place, we are to keep in mind, that Peter was specifically the Apostle of the Circumcision, Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles, appointed to abolish all outward rites and ceremonies, and to establish, in their room, a more spiritual worship. It is therefore to the eternal honour of Peter, that he speaks thus highly of the person and writings of St. Paul. Paul had withstood him to his face; had publicly accused him of being a dissembler, and a time-server: but, "the words of the wise," it is said, " are an excellent oil." Peter felt this, and he generously forgets the severity of the censure, and brings forward his reprover with admiration. He speaks of him as a "beloved brother," and places his epistles on a level with the whole body of Scripture.

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My second observation is, that I perfectly agree with Dr. Doddridge, in the opinion, that the word, which our translators have rendered unlearned, ought to have been translated unteachable, otherwise it bears hard upon those who are ignorant, and have no means of escaping from ignorance.

It can only refer to such as are unwilling to be taught, and careless respecting the truth; those who are rooted in prejudice and error, and unstable in principle. These may justly be said to turn and torture the Scrip

tures to their own destruction; and thus lead many to doubt, and some to disbelieve altogether their divine inspiration.

I shall now, waving any further introduction, proceed to the discussion of the subject, allotted for our present meditation; namely,

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Rules for studying the Epistles." But, before I enumerate them, permit me to lay down two preliminary remarks, which must be acknowledged to bear upon the subject, and which I wish to be kept in view throughout the whole discourse.

1. It is highly important to endeavour, as far as possible, clearly to understand every part of Scripture.

2. The epistolary parts of the Sacred Volume are by far the most difficult.

1. In the first place, it is highly important, to endeavour to understand every part of Scripture.

The Scriptures are a sealed book till we read them with attention, and a wish to comprehend their meaning and design; they might as well have remained in their original language, and never have appeared in our

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