it may well be doubted, whether the insph'ed volume will ever be fully understood, unless a Spirit of inspiration be again vouchsafed to unfold it to us.
Nor is learning at all less necessary for the diffu- sion of sacred knowledge. We admire and revere the memory of one favoured servant of God^, who, possessed as he was of most transcendent talents, and with incredible zeal and industry devoted to the Lord, translated the New Testament into the Persian and Hindoostanee languages. What, then, must be necessary for the translating of the whole Scriptures into all the languages of the world ! Let all the learning of our highly-respected University be em- bodied in one man, and how little would it enable him to effect in three quarters of the globe ! In truth, were it not that God's ancient people are scattered over the whole face of the earth, everywhere possess- ing, in part at least, their own inspired writings, on which ours are founded ; and were it not that we had reason to believe that they are ordained of God to be his instruments for the conversion of the world ; we should be ready still to regard the Millennial age as far distant as ever ; so impossible would it seem, that persons in the present state of the Christian Church, should ever be found for the evangelizing of the world.
And must I not add, that learning is alike neces- sary for the maintaining of Christianity against its adversaries ? We cannot contend even with sceptics and infidels, amongst ourselves, without learning : and how much less can we refute all the objections of Jewish Rabbles, and all the errors of the different religionists upon the face of the globe ? They will not bow to the authority of our Scriptures: nor can we work miracles to convince them. We must search out all their refuges of lies, and expose all their sophistry, and establish our own religion upon the ruins of theirs. But can this be done without learning ? I think, then, we may say, that learning must supply the place of miracles, unless God should
•* 'J"hc Rov. Hcniv INIartyn, a Member of this University.