be thoroughly persuaded that all this seeming attentiveness to the preaching of the word, results from a hearty appreciation of the worth of the ordinances, we should be warranted in entertaining such an opinion of piety, as would be a noble balance against the mass of national degeneracy. Now we cannot but be aware, that an army of motives which have no connection with godliness conspire to produce this crowding of our churches. It would be beside our purpose, and inconsistent with our subject, to dwell on the power that particular preaching may possess to draw together multitudes, who come only to be fascinated by the rhetoric of the speaker; but apart from this, and the like cause of close attendance upon public worship, suppose that it could be computed how many come to church because it is customary-because they have been brought up in the habit-because it is counted respectable-because it sets an example to inferiors-and think ye not the number who fall under such description would make a large addition in the sum total of church frequenters of England? What is to be said of that fear of GOD which seems to discover itself in its attention to ordinances, but which is only dictated by habit-or respect for appearances -or concern for religion as an engine of state? If we could mark each individual, as he enters the house, who is only brought hither by custom-by the feeling that it is decorous to come -by the sense that it is right that old institutions should be upheld, why since in the whole assemblage of such motives there is no real recognition of the authority of Jehovah, we should be bound to say of all those who thus render to GoD a spurious and inferior homage, that their fear towards him was" taught by the precept of men."

Now you will observe, up to this point we have taken no account of the motive or sentiment which is the

prime energy in producing that fear towards GOD which is not according to his word. We allude to the opinion of merit, the attachment of worth to this or that action, which is ordinarily described as self-righteousness. You may see at once that any supposed method of justification, which is not in the strictest sense scriptural, can be based only on precepts which are altogether human. If I were to look unto GoD as the glorious Being from whom I have been alienated by sin, both original and actual; and if I will contemplate him as having reconciled me to himself through Jesus the Mediator; and if, conscious of the total incapacity of restoring myself to the forfeited possession, I will thankfully receive, as the produce of the blood and righteousness of the Saviour, that boon which is unattainable by all the might of human strength, then the Bible from beginning to end is my warrantry, that there shall be the putting away all my transgressions from the sight of the Creator; and being admitted into membership with Christ, there should be no condemnation to me for my countless misdoings: and from this reception of pardon through the work of the Redeemer, applied by faith to myself, will spring that fear of GOD, which alone he approves in the children of men, described in the Psalmist's address, "there is forgiveness with thee; that thou mayest be feared." But if on the other hand, I attempt, either in whole, or in part, to justify myself; and if I throw in, what I count, the weight of human performance against the weight of divine requirement, then it is morally impossible that I can have such a fear of GOD as he demands from his creatures, the consciousness being wanting of what GOD has done for me, and, therefore, also the sentiment which should be awakened in return. And whether it be our attention to ordinances, or the

honourable bearing of our conduct in society, or the strictness of our morality, or the freedom of our almsgiving that we look with a self-righteous complacency, it is undeniable that we substitute the precepts of men for the precepts of GOD; justification being set forth as a thing of grace, whereas we proceed on the assumption that it is a thing of debt.

So, then, it is easy to have some sort of awe and reverence to the Almighty, and to regard him as mysterious, and his greatness thrown around him as tremendous; but if our fear of God allows the harbourage of the thought, that we can make our own peace with GOD, by whom are we taught this fear? Shall not GOD's word by his prophet be applicable to ourselves? "Woe to the rebellious children that take counsel, but not of me, and a cover to cover them, but not of my Spirit." Self-righteousness takes counsel, but not of GOD; and selfrighteousness covers with a covering, but not of GoD's Spirit. We turn ourselves to human systems-and we follow the banner of a pharasaical leader and we listen to the suggestions of our proud heart-and so we put far from us the beautiful truth, "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." And whatsoever be the fear of GOD, which accompanies or results from this infidel endeavour to work out our own justification, it cannot be the fear which throbs in the breast of the penitent when he feels that he is healed by the stripes of his Surety; and it cannot, therefore, be the fear taught by the precept of GOD; and must, therefore, be the fear taught by the precept of men. And we may look around on those who plume themselves on some passing excellence; and while they question not, they have the right fear of GOD, seeing they are rigid in Sab

bath observances, or foremost in observances of religion, or scrupulously upright in all the dealings of life, they hear the Creator saying to them in the language of stern condemnation, "Their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men."

We thus perceive that it must be both an easy thing and a common, that there should be a fear of God to which man's precept is teacher. It needs only that we have a garbled system of theology, that we depart from the plain sense of Scripture, and introduce the pride of a fallen nature, and there will quickly be admiring partizans who shall set themselves to fear GoD according to rules so congenial to their feelings. And thus we may have thronged churches, and active societies, and well disciplined levees, and the aspect of the community may, to a certain extent, be that which will follow on the prevalence of true God-fearing principles; but forasmuch as the opinion of merit is either lost, or avowedly opposed to those who thus act on a false view of justification, their fear of God must be a totally different fear to that which looks to him as unapproachable, except through a Surety-totally different from the fear the Bible inculcates; and, therefore, not being that which the Bible teaches, it can only be that which men's precept teaches.

Now, we think that the cases of the fear towards GOD, which is taught by the precept of men, might be further multiplied. If you went the round of even the religious world, you would find much of a restless endeavour to bring down godliness to something of the human standard. The men who profess piety will, oftentimes, manifest an over-weening anxiety to keep piety within such limits that it shall not raise the dislike of a fashionable neighbourhood-they will be scrupulous as to what the men around them count enthusiasm-they will not push

of philosophy, rather than the cross of Calvary-it bows to GOD as weilding the thunderbolts, but shows him no homage as bruising and puting to grief his only beloved Son. And this is the highest stretch of human teaching. Human teaching is fetched up from Gethsemane. Oh, if we take this meagre and shrivelled and prisonhouse fear, and offer it instead of that exalted and generous sentiment which throbs to GoD as a Father, and burns to God as a deliverer, what shall we expect but that the Almighty will be roused to indignation at the sentiment, and bid us away from his presence "with a fear taught by the precepts of men."

Secondly, not only is this fear in itself a defective fear, and, therefore, offensive to GOD, but it involves also a contempt of revelation; and on this account as well as on the former most peculiarly incurs the wrath of Jehovah. It was a noble declaration of Chillingworth, that the Bible—and the Bible only is the religion of Protestants. If we would adhere to the principles of the Reformation, Scripture interpreted in its plain grammatical sense, would be our sole guide in all that has reference to the service of GOD. And whatever the variety of conflicting theories, which may have been wrung from the pages of inspiration, we are bold to say, that all which has to do with the fear of the Lord is written as with a sunbeam; and that no man who bringeth a pure and teachable spirit to the perusal, shall fail of attaining the characteristics of that fear. But if the case shall arise in which fear towards GoD is taught by the precept of men, then there must be evidently a setting aside of the teaching of the Bible; human precept must have been, at least, so far substituted for divine, that we have received some man's statements without bringing them to the toutchstone of truth, or put faith in a motley interpreter when

we had free access to the Spirit of the Almighty; and one of the most favourable conclusions is made insupposable, of GOD's fear being taught by man's precept, and yet no neglect, and no contempt having been shown towards the disclosures of revelation.

But the instant we arrive at this conclusion, there opens before us an immensity of reasons, why a humanly taught fear should excite God's anger. Of all the boons which God has bestowed on this apostate and fallen creation, we are bound to say that the Bible is the most noble and most precious. We bring not into comparison with this illustrious donation, the glorious sunlight, nor the rich sustenance that is poured forth from the storehouses of the earth, nor that existence itself by which we soar into companionship with angels. The Bible is the unfolding of man's immortality, the guide which informs him how he may move off triumphant from the contract of temporary sin, and grasp destinies of unbounded splendour-his home, Heaven-and his lifetime, eternity. It is the Bible which tells us that this rebellious section of GOD'S unlimited empire is not excluded from the compassions of our Maker; but that the creatures which move on its surface, though they have basely sepulchred the magnificence of their Creator in their corruption, are so dear in their ruin to him who formed them, that he hath bowed down the heavens in order that he may open their graves. Oh, you have only to think what a change would pass on our race if the Bible were withdrawn, and all its revealings swept away, and you arrive at some faint notion of the worth of the volume! Take from Christendom the Bible, and you take away the moral chart by which alone its population can be guided. Ignorant of the nature of GOD, and of their own immortality, tens of thousands would be as mariners beating on the ocean

without the pole-star and the compass; and when the tornado of death rushed across the waters there should be heard nothing but the long wild shriek which tells of the desperate shipwreck. It were to shroud the earth with more than Egyptian darkness it were to dry up the fountains of human happiness-it were to take the tides from the waters and leave them stagnant-and the stars from our heavens and leave them in sackcloth and the verdure from our valleys and leave them in barrenness— and the future all hopelessness, the maniac's revelry, and then the fiend's imprisonment-if you would annihilate that precious Volume which tells us of GOD and of Christ, and opens up to us immortality, and instructs us in duty, and moves us to glory. And if there be this worth in the Bible, and if amid all the gifts of our Maker there be none so wondrous, and none so inestimable as the Bible, shall it be questioned, that to show contempt of the Bible, is calculated to excite more than ordinary indignation in the Author of every good and perfect gift? Oh, then, if he who learns God's fear from the precepts of men, must have undervalued this splendid donation, shall we marvel that the Almighty should mark him out for especial vengeance; and that burthened, as he must be, with the crushing sin of the contempt of revelation, this should be a reason for the outpouring of wrath, "his fear toward GoD was taught by the precept of men."

would, therefore, wind up our subject with one brief word of admonition. In a day when there is no lack of spiritual partisanship, be ye diligently careful that ye call no man 66 Master." So far as you have the opportunity of research, take not you theology secondhand. You have access to the Bible for yourselves, and the Spirit is ready to interpret it to yourselves. We would have you yield a close and prayerful attention to what you hear from the pulpit, but we would have you then carry it to the closet and there examine it by the light of revelation. GOD forbid that any one among you should pin his faith upon his minister. If he teach nothing but the truth, you would lie open to the charge of being taught by the precepts of men; if he teach error, he shall be reckoned with for having delivered a false message, and you condemned for having received it without examination, believing man without appealing to GOD. We bid you, therefore, be much in the study of Scripture. Ye will not exhaust Scripture. It is a mine into which he who has dug the deepest will be sure to think himself the farthest from the bottom. Compare what you hear with what you read; and then there shall be no fear of the precepts of men usurping it over the precepts of GOD. And may the Lord guide you into the knowledge of all truth; may he take you instruction into his own hands; and whether or no he honoureth the minister by enabling him to open to your the mysteries of the Word, may he lead you by the Spirit to a clear understanding of his will, and to the rich discovery of the glory of his