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which the apostle wrote, is perhaps even more forcible ;* signifying the nature of man's knowledge of things beyond the earth; IMPRESSING upon us the fact that we are not to EXPECT in this state to "know as we are known;" teaching us that we should continually remember how "man walketh in a vain shadow!" that the glad tidings of redemption through Christ confirm lessons of wisdom which have been from old time, that, here "all is vanity.” That, man, that is born of a woman, is of few days, coming forth like a flower, to be cut down; that he fleeth like a shadow. That the dust, of which we are formed, will soon return to the earth from whence it came, and our spirit unto the God who gave it.§

That "the conclusion of the whole matter" is, that, "if any man think that he KNOWETH ANY THING, he knoweth NOTHING yet as he ought to know."||

And, that except we ACT under the cherished consciousness that we are but as ignorant

* “ Βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι.” "'Ev pro dia," says Hardy, says Hardy, "ex idiotismo Hebræorum, i. e. per figuras adumbrantes, obscure et difficulter." † Eccles. xii. 8.

Eccles. xii. 13.

2.

Job xiv. 1,
|| 1 Cor. viii. 2.

children here, we shall " in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven."*

v... Reflection will lead men to the conviction, that, humility, mercy, and resignation to the will of God, must be our duty here. Continued thought will tell us why we should in this life "speak" as children, "understand" as children, and "think" as children, in order that a time may come when we may be enabled to "put away childish things."

vi... Therefore, when we enter upon the determination of perusing the volume which announces itself to us as the sacred Scripture of God's truth, let us bear in mind all that we

* Luke xviii. 17.

+ "It is an assured truth, and a conclusion of experience, that a little, or superficial, knowledge of philosophy may incline the mind of man to atheism, but a farther proceeding therein doth bring the mind back again to religion; for in the entrance of philosophy, when the second causes, which are next unto the senses, do offer themselves to the mind of man, if it dwell and stay there, it may induce some oblivion of the highest cause; but when man passeth on farther, and seeth the dependence of causes, and the works of Providence, then, according to the allegory of the poets, he will easily believe that the highest link of nature's chain must needs be tied to the foot of Jupiter's chair." See Appendix M.

have been able to learn from meditation, from research, and from inquiry; and with the soul prepared for "audience to be held with the King of kings," know, that, as without the light which God hath set in the firmament of the physical world, earthly objects cannot by the natural eye be seen; so, without light, which can only proceed from light, spiritual things will not be seen.*

Of God, the Father Almighty, we must seek for light; for that light, which is for us "who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace."

"We preach unto you that ye should turn unto the living God, which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are therein."

* See Ellis on Div. Rev. p. 130.

SERMON VIII.

PROV. II. 3, 4, 5.

"If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."

I...You will recollect, probably, the conclusions we arrived at, from our contemplation of the limited nature of man's capacity and attainment, as regards the subject of

KNOWLEDGE.

Now, let us suppose any one to make use of such conclusions; and, with his mind DULY PREPARED, to set forth earnestly, quietly, humbly, and freely, as possible,* upon the task of searching the Scriptures of Truth.

Not assuming the Bible to be what it purports to be; but, on the contrary, undertaking

* See Appendix N.

the work of searching the Scriptures daily, to see whether the things which the christian ministry preach be so.

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"The Bereans," St. Luke writes, were more noble than those of Thessalonica; in that they received the word, with all readiness. of mind, AND SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY,

TO SEE WHETHER THESE THINGS WERE SO.

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When man" crieth after knowledge, and lifts up his voice for understanding; seeks the TRUTH as silver, and searcheth for her as for hidden treasures;"- when, laying aside, to the utmost of his power, all prejudices and opinions, received on the credit of those whose ingenuousness may not be certain,

he prays to God for assistance to enable him to perceive that portion of his truth which, in his mercy, he may grant to benighted man; when-with humility, and honesty, and prayer-man searches the Scriptures:—what does he find? He is seeking the truth; and he finds it written-" God will have ALL men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth."† "The way of the truth shall be evil spoken of." But, said Christ to the Jews, who believed in him, "If ye continue in my word.........ye shall *Acts xvii. 11. † 1 Tim. ii. 4.

2 Pet. ii. 2.

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