passages that have been adduced, declare at least as much as they have been brought to estabhsh ? How much more they affirm, we shall not now inquire : but that they shew the fallibility of our reason in things relating to God, and the propriety of submit- ing our reason to the teaching of God's word and Spirit, no candid person will deny.
Is it not then reasonable that we should acknow- ledge these truths ? Shall we make ourselves wiser than God ? Will not the very attempt to do so be an irrefragable proof, that we are fools indeed ?
But the reasonableness of becoming fools in order to be wise appears yet further, in that it is the very thing which we cheerfully do in order to attain human zcisdom.
If a man begin to learn any science, and his pre- ceptor tell him of some deep part of that science, which at first sight appears to involve in it a contra- diction or absurdity ; he does not presently determine that that point is false ; but he conceives that there are things which he does not yet understand ; and he contents himself with studying, in the method prescribed to him, those parts which are suited to his capacity, hoping that in due time he shall gain a fur- ther insight into those abstruser matters, and see the truth and reason of those things which he cannot at present comprehend, and which, through his igno- rance of the intermediate points, he would not be able to comprehend, even if they were ever so clearly stated to him.
Now why should we not act thus with respect to religion ? Has not that as great depths as any human science ? Or rather, is it not more above the sphere of human intellect than any other science whatever ?
But it will be asked. What are those first rudiments which we must understand well in order to qualify us for a deeper knowledge of the subject ? To this we answer, (and O that God would impress it on all our minds !) The knowledge of ourselves is the key
TO ALL other KNOWLEDGE. If We do UOt kuOW
by deep experience, that we are '' wretched, and