senses is capable. Yet this is the very manner in which men act with respect to the Scriptures. There is no other directory than that ; and yet they will not only not follow it, but will go on in wilful opposition to it, and still affirm that they are in the way to heaven. Do we speak too harshly of this conduct if we call it a contempt of God's truth ? It is the very expression used by our Lord himself; " He that heareth you, heareth me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me." Indeed, the inspired writers speak in yet severer terms : they do not hesitate to affirm, that whosoever acts thus, makes God a liar ; " he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar." What hor- rible iniquity is this! If an avowed infidel disregard the admonitions of the Scriptures, he acts consistently, because he does not acknowledge them to be of divine authority. But if zee despise them, zae who profess to regard them as inspired of God, zae who expect to be judged according to them in the last day, what can be said in extenuation of our guilt ? Even " Sodom and Gomorrha may well rise up in judgment against us."
2. In the next place their conduct is a zvilfal deluding of those around them —
Every man, whether he design it or not, has a con- siderable influence on his friends and neighbours. The rich and learned in particular, and more especially they who minister in holy things, are looked up to as examples ; and their conduct is pleaded both as a precedent, and as a justification of those who follow it. ' Can such learned men be deceived ? Can they who have entered into the service of the sanctuary, and solemnly undertaken to guide us in the way of peace, can they be wrong? Can they be "blind, who are leaders of the blind?" If then they, who from their education, their office and profession, ought to understand the Scriptures better than we, if they do not approve, either in theory or practice, the things which appear to be enjoined in the Bible, doubtless they have good reasons for their conduct: they would