We

and life of the soul, and will actually produce fatal effects, if suffered to exert and diffuse itself unchecked. Some errors are immediately destructive. Great mistakes in speculation, indeed, may be so counteracted in their influence by strong habits and dispositions of goodness, as not to destroy the virtue and final happiness of their subjects; while smaller errors, embraced by light or vicious minds, are in many instances eventually fatal, as they insensibly lead on to greater, and thus betray their soul into an inextricable labyrinth of 'delusion, irregularity and mischief; the natural termination of which is irretrievable, everlasting ruin. In reviewing our subject, we are led to this important inference, that the only sure method to establish our faith in the truths of religion, is to cherish a cordial love and obedience to them. have seen that the want of this practical regard to the truth is the main source of speculative unbelief and delusion. Would we then continue stedfast in the infinitely momentous truths of Christianity, in this giddy, sceptical, and licentious age? Let our affections and practice embrace and steadily adhere to these divine principles: let us supremely love and delight in them on account of their transcendent purity, let us cheerfully and steadily regulate our conduct by them. Let us rejoice with our whole hearts, that there is such a salvation, and such terms prescribed for the enjoyment of it, as the Bible reveals. If our affections and practice thus cleave to the truth, our understanding and moral sense will naturally see more and more of its beauty, will be more candid, diligent, and successful in their inquiries after it, and thus be led into more comprehensive views, and a more full, stedfast, and impressive belief of it. God has likewise promised and actually affords peculiar light and direction to such as sincerely love and practise religious truth. In a word, the specious arguments of subtle ob

jectors against natural or revealed religion derive their greatest charm and seductive influence upon mankind, from their own corruptions, from their secret willingness to be deceived. A heart and life, therefore, truly pious and good, would be the shortest and most satisfactory method of answering all these objections; this would give us an experimental, and delightful, and immoveable assurance of the truth and excellence of religion. Further, our subject enables us to account, in an easy and satisfying manner, for the principal errors, both in opinion and practice, which have prevailed in the world. For example, we plainly perceive the main root of modern infidelity and atheism. The leading doctrines of natural and revealed religion are so necessary and suitable, so beneficial and comforting to a creature, so framed, circumstanced, and related as man, that every good and considerate mind must at least wish to find them true, and accordingly must carefully attend and readily yield to the abundant evidence by which they are confirmed. The disbelief of these principles, therefore, especially in enlightened protestant countries, must in general be traced to a depraved heart or profligate life, which leads them first to dread and hate, and at length to renounce those truths, which stand in the way of their favourite propensities. The same account may be given of the errors of Popery, which have so long and so extensively prevailed in the world, and to which our text immediately refers. It seems very strange at first view, that creatures, enlightened at once by reason and revelation, should be capable of believing such an assemblage of absurdities and lies, as the Romish religion contains. But when we consider how exactly that system falls in with the corrupt inclinations of the human heart; how admirably it gratifies the avarice and ambition of their priests, especially in higher orders,

by giving them the command both of the purses and consciences of the people; and how entirely it suits and flatters the licentious appetites and passions of mankind at large, by allowing them every vicious indulgence here, and yet assuring them, on very easy conditions, of final absolution and blessedness, we may readily see the reason why so great a part of the world, especially in the dark ages, were induced to believe and hold fast so pleasing a delusion. At the same time we doubt not that many individuals in popish countries, of the best hearts and morals, have by the force of education and example, and the want of better means of information, been led to believe and to sacredly observe the peculiarities of that apostate church. We might easily account, in a similar manner, for the prevalence of certain dangerous errors in the Protestant world. For instance, how gratifying must it be to those, who are devoted to vicious pleasures and pursuits, and who have long practically defied the threatenings of future punishment, how gratifying to such persons to hear that these threatenings will never be executed, that they have already spent their force upon Jesus Christ, as the head and surety of mankind; in consequence of which the most abandoned sinners are placed on as fair ground, and have the same unconditional promise of everlasting life, with the most exemplary saints. How pleasing to proud and carnal hypocrites is the doctrine, which teaches them to regard certain transient internal feelings, joined with an orthodox belief, as a sure evidence of saving faith, conversion, and fellowship with God; while they are led to view a life of strict virtue and holiness as a comparatively low and needless attainment? How pleasing also to the depraved heart is the opposite idea, that exterior civility, morality, or devotion, without a corresponding sanctified temper of mind, will recommend us to the

final acceptance of Heaven! These and similar schemes of religious falsehood naturally engage the approbation and warm attachment of those, who hate strict practical godliness, because they lend effectual aid to that great effort of our degenerate nature, which aims to reconcile conscience and lust, or the hope of future happiness with the present indulgence of sin. On the whole, it would be easy to show, if time permitted, that all the fashionable errors of the present day are the natural growth as well, as just punishment of its licentious taste and manners. Let us then be humble under a sense of those sottish and dreadful delusions, at which human nature is capable of arriving; let us bless that divine goodness, which has preserved us so far from these evils; let us constantly watch and pray against them, let us beware of that giddy spirit, those itching ears, that extreme liberality and freedom of inquiry, which have ensnared so many; let us prize and search the Scripture, receive its truths into an honest, unbiassed heart, and practise them in a holy, obedient life: this only will keep us stedfast to the end.

Naaman the Leper.

2 KINGS V. 10-14.

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servant came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith unto thee, wash and be clean? Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in Fordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

THIS chapter, with a beautiful simplicity peculiar to

the sacred writings, relates the story of Naaman the leper. As this man was a favourite of the king of Syria, and possessed high rank and authority under him; his master hearing that there was a prophet in the land of Israel, by whom leprosies were cured, sent Naaman thither to be healed. Accordingly this great General having presented himself in his chariot at the door of Elisha's house, the prophet sent out a messenger to him, direct