Godhead; the incarnation of Christ, and his atoning sacrifice; and the influences of the Holy Spirit. But to all such proud objectors I will say, with St. Paul, " Nay but, O man ! who art thou that repliest against Gode?" Thou mistakest utterly the province of reason, if thou thinkest that she is to sit in judgment upon such mysteries as these. She is to judge whether the book which we call the Bible, be of divine inspi- ration : but when that is once admitted, then she must give way to faith, whose office it is to embrace all that God has revealed, and to make use of it for the ends and purposes for which he has revealed it. And if thou wilt presume to "re- prove God, thou shalt surely answer for itf :" for " he giveth not account to man of any of his matters g."]
2. What direction we should give to the humble inquirer —
[There may be many things brought to your ears which are above your comprehension, and which you may find it difficult to receive. But there is a standard to which every sentiment may be referred, and a touchstone by which every doctrine may be tried. Our blessed Lord said to those who doubted the propriety of his instructions, " Search the Scrip- tures : for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and they are they which testify of meh." And the Prophet Isaiah told his hearers to bring every thing to this test : "To the Law, and to the testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no truth in them1." All that is needful for you to know, is contained in God's word. Whatever agrees with that, is true : whatever is contrary to it, is false : and whatever cannot be determined by it, may well be left among those " secret things which belong to God alone."]
3. What encouragement we are to afford to the true believer —
[" The secret of the Lord," we are told, " is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant k." Yes, this is indeed a most encouraging truth. Not that we are to suppose that God will give any new revelation to his people : we have no reason whatever to expect that: but he will shine upon his revealed truth, so that they shall have a perception of it which others have not. I need not tell you how much clearer any thing is discerned when the sun shines upon it; or how much more accurately it is seen when the eye is fixed more intently on it: or how things most minute or distant are rendered distinctly visible by glasses suited to our organs of
e Rom. ix. 20.
f Job xl. 2.
s Job xxxiii. 13.
h John v. 39.
1 Isai. viii. 20. F F 2
k Ps. xxv. 14.