many parts of science, he is obliged to confess his ignorance. But he has not that candour, when he meets with a difficulty in religion. This we call unfair. He should certainly acknowledge his own confined understanding in religion, as well as in other parts of knowledgeunless he think he can more easily grasp the difficulties of a divine revelation, than of a human science.

The man of reason is under another bias, which leads him into infidelity. He often forms a system of his own, which the pride of his heart will not suffer him to abandon. Or, perhaps, he is under the influence of some infidel society, and has all their scorn to encounter, if he draw back. When he once, therefore, becomes an infidel, he generally continues one.*

* The Abbé Barruel has written a history of Jacobinism, from which it appears, that Voltaire, and all the French philosophers, were of this class. Their horrid watch-word was, Ecrasez l'infame, (crush the wretch), meaning Christ. And in their blasphemous system, as far as we know, they all died.

XXXVI.

2 Chron. xxxii. 31.

Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to try him.

WE are to suppose the writer of this book to be inspired, and the doctrine contained in the text to be scriptural; though I do not remember any where a parallel passage.

God had blessed the good king Hezekiah with more riches than any prince of his time; insomuch, that he was the wonder of all those nations which bordered on his dominions. Among others, the king of Babylon sent messengers to congratulate him on his recovery from a dangerous illness; but, in fact, to examine into the truth

of

of what he had heard of his great opulence. Hezekiah seems to have indulged the pride of his heart too much on this occasion; and God, to humble him, no doubt left him to himself.

Now this probably may be one method of God's dealing with mankind, in a state of trial. In some circumstances, he may leave even good men to themselves, to try and exercise their humility, by showing them how faint their own endeavours are without his assistance. And although this doctrine is not found any where, that I recollect, except in this passage of Scripture, yet it seems very agreeable to the nature of a state of trial. Many expressions there are in Scripture, which speak of the dereliction of God's Holy Spirit; that is, when bad men are hardened against it, and persist in rejecting its gentle admonitions but this does not amount to the doctrine of the text. Both doctrines, however, are excellent lessons in a state of trial. The former should be an awful warning to lead the bad man to repentance; the latter should be a standing caution to the good man, to keep his mind in that humble state, which alone can make him acceptable to God.

*This appears from laying together the three separate passages in which this transaction is mentioned; 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. - Isa. xxxix. 1. 2 Kings, xx. 12.

DD 2

XXXVII.

Heb. ii. 10.

It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

THIS passage seems to have been sometimes misunderstood, as if the character of Jesus Christ could be made more perfect by sufferings. In the words, no doubt, there is some ambiguity, but none in the sense.

The great dignity of Christ, as the son of God, is set forth in the beginning of the chapter in the strongest manner. The world is put in subjection to him; he is crowned with glory and honour, and set over all the works of God.. Such a being, therefore, had no need to be made perfect through sufferings.

1

It is evident, the apostle, therefore, speaks of our Saviour in the passage before us, merely as the Redeemer of mankind. In the first light, Christ wanted nothing to perfect his nature. It was in the second light only that of being the Captain of our salvation, that he needed to be made perfect through suffering-particularly the suffering of death; as it was necessary, in this great work, that he should taste of death for every

man.