was princess of Wales. One to Count Wassanaer, a Dutch nobleman. Two were dedicated to her Majesty, after his decease by his son. Professor Dumont, and Mr. Husson, to whom Mr. Saurin left his manuscripts, published the rest, and one volume is dedicated to the Countess Dowager of Albemarle. The English seem therefore to have a right to the labours of this great man.

Mr. Saurin died at the Hague on Dec. 30th, 1730, most sincerely regretted by all his acquaintances, as well as by his church, who lost in him a truly primitive Christian minister, who spent his life, in watching over his flock, as one who knew that he must give an account.

In regard to this translation, it was first undertaken by the desire of a small circle of private friends, for our mutual edification. If I have suffered my private opinion to be prevailed over by others, to print this translation, it is not because I think myself able to give language to Saurin: but because I humbly hope that the sentiments of the author may be conveyed to the reader, by this translation. His sentiments, I think, are, in general, those of the holy scripture, and his manner of treating them well adapted to impress them on the heart. I have endeavoured not to disguise his meaning, though I have not been able to adopt his style, for which defect, though I print them by private subscription, for the use of my friends, on whose candour I depend, yet I do not offer to publish them to the world, for the language of Mr. Saurin. I should have been glad to have pleased every subscriber, by in

serting those sermons, which were most agreeable to him, had I known which they were: but as this was impossible, I have followed my own judgment, or perhaps exposed my want of it. The first volume aims to secure the doctrine of a God, against the attacks of atheists. In the second we mean to plead for the holy scriptures against deists. In the third, we intend to take those sermons, which treat of the doctrines of Christianity, as we humbly conceive that the New Testament is something more than a system of moral philosophy. And the last volume we dedicate to moral subjects, because we think Christianity a holy religion, productive of moral obedience in all its true disciples. May the God of all grace bless the reading of them to the weakening of the dominion of sin, and to the advancement of the kingdom of our blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

R. ROBINSON, Chesterton near Cambridge, April 15th, 1775.

SERMON I.

The Perfection of Christian Knowledge.

HEB. V. 12, 13, 14,-vi. 1, 2, 3.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of fuil age, even those who by reason of age have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.-Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, LET US GO ON UNTO PERFECTION, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will ne do if God permit.

I HAVE put two subjects together which are closely connected, and I intend to explain both in this discourse. The last part of the text is a consequence of the first. In the first, St. Paul reproves some Christians for their little knowledge; in the

last, he exhorts them to increase it: and the connection of both will appear, if you attend to the subject under his consideration. The epistle to the Hebrews, which may be considered as the apostle's principal work, treats of the most difficult points of divinity and morality. In particular, this is the idea that must be formed of Melchisedec's priesthood, as a prefiguration of Jesus Christ's. This mysterious subject the Apostle had begun to discuss, but he had not proceeded far in it before he found himself at a stand, by recollecting the character of those to whom he was writing. He describes them, in the text, as men who were grown old in the profession of Christianity indeed, but who knew nothing more of it than its first principles: and he endeavors to animate them with the laudable ambition of penetrating the noblest parts of that excellent system of religion, which Jesus Christ had published, and which his apostles had explained in all its beauty, and in all its extent.

This general notion of St. Paul's design, in the words of my text, is the best comment on his meaning, and the best explication that we can give of his terms.

By the first principles of the oracles of God, to which the Hebrews confined themselves, the apostle means the rudiments of that science of which God is the object; that is, Christian divinity and morality and these rudiments are here also called the principles of Christ,* that is, the first principles

της αρχης του χριςου λογου.

of that doctrine which Jesus Christ had taught. These are compared to milk, which is given to children incapable of digesting strong meat; and they are opposed to the profound knowledge of those who have been habituated by long exercise to study and meditation, or, as the apostle expresseth it, "who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

In this class St. Paul places, first, repentance from dead works, and faith towards God. These were the first truths which the heralds of the gospel preached to their hearers: to them they said, Repent and believe the gospel.

St. Paul places in the same class, secondly, the doctrine of baptisms, that is, the confession of faith that was required of those who had resolved to profess Christianity and to be baptized. Of such persons a confession was required, and their answers to certain questions were demanded. The formularies that have been used on this occasion, have been extremely diversified at different places and in different times, but the most ancient are the shortest and the most determinate. One question that was put to the catechumen, was, "Dost thou renounce the devil?" to which he answered, "I renounce him." Another was, "Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ?" to which he replied, "I believe in him." St. Cyprian calls these questions the baptismal interrogatory; and the answers are called by Tertullian the answer of salvation and we have a passage upon this article in an author still more respectable, I mean St. Peter, who says, "Baptism doth also now