us accept the benefit with thankfulness, without cavilling at the means. If there is any thing plainly revealed in scripture, it is the atonement which Christ made for the sins of mankind. Every part of scripture, the old testament as well as the new, discovers to us by prophecy, type, or reality, this gracious truth. Indeed no reason can be given for the death of Christ, but that of making an atonement for sin. If we disbelieve the doctrine, I see not how we can believe the scripture. And, indeed, we generally find that such as renounce the atonement, garble scripture in their own peculiar way.

If, indeed, we inquire into the nature of this mystery, and ask, how the death of Christ can be any satisfaction to God for the sins of mankind-there we are silent. But then our question recurs, Is this the only point, of which we are ignorant? Can we tell how this massy globe of the earth, on which men have lived so many thousand years, hath continued, through all that space of time, to swim in the air? It rests on nothing but air: it is in continual motion, though we do not perceive its motion. Can we

account for that force which holds it in balance,

and

and keeps it from rolling to one side or the other? Let us then have the modesty to conceive, there may be other things as well as the atonement of Christ, equally mysterious, yet undoubtedly true. They who believe this earth hangs poised in the air, on the credit of philosophers, cannot reasonably reject the idea of Christ's atonement on the credit of scripture.

SINCE then God Almighty hath thus put the means of our salvation, in a manner, in our own power, by leaving us at option, whether we will accept, or not, the terms he hath offered; let us not be so lost to ourselves, as to go on in any sinful course, till at length our Sin find us out; but let us manfully endeavour to find it out first, wherever it lurks among the deceits of our own hearts, or among the temptations of the world: -Infidelity, where proper means of obtaining evidence have been neglected, is certainly a high offence. This sin, and whatever else we detect, let us bring to the throne of grace, and implore God's pardon through the merits of Christ.-When we have done our utmost to discover our sins, still it is to be feared, our best endeavours will not be wholly effectual. Many ignorances and negli

gences will still be left behind; and each of us, in the true spirit of christianity, should lay his hand on his breast, and in the language of the penitent publican, cry out, God be merciful to me

a sinner!

SERMON

SERMON VII.

2 PETER, ii. 15.

THEY HAVE FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY, AND GONE ASTRAY; FOLLOWING THE WAY OF BALAAM, THE SON OF BOSOR, WHO LOVED THE WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

ST. PETER, in this passage, alludes to a very extraordinary man, and a very extraordinary story, the story of Balaam, which I have just been reading to you in the lesson of the day; and as it may, in some parts, be apt to mislead you, I thought it not amiss to accompany it with an explanation.

In the following discourse, therefore, I shall first explain to you the character of Balaam; and

shall

shall then point out to you such uses as arise from the story of this singular man.

BALAAM lived at that period of the Jewish history, when the Israelites were taking possession of the promised land. The Amorites, who had opposed their progress, had suffered a total defeat. A second battle had reduced the dominions of Basan; and the victorious army, now encamped on the banks of Jordan, was preparing to enter the country of Moab.

Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of Moab at that time. This prince, terrified at the approach of so numerous a host; which, as he expressively phrased it, was like the ox, licking up the grass of the field; and dreading to be involved in this general ruin, cast his despairing eyes around for assistance. Human arms, he found, were vain. The victorious army marched under the conduct of supernatural power. Laying aside therefore all design of regular defence, he resolved to oppose them with their own weapons; and to call supernatural power to his assistance also.

In this design who could serve him like Balaam the son of Beor-Balaam, the favoured prophet of those times, to whom all the nations around, in their difficulties, had recourse.