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and be able to defend it most ably and skilfully against its most subtle opponents; he may have the intellectual powers and stores of a Warburton or a Horsley, and yet not have that experience of the truth in its sanctifying influence on his own heart, which manifests itself in meekness, humility, forbearance, brotherlykindness, devotion, and the whole spirit of the Christian. Dr. Buchanan justly observes that we must not confound two terms, a Theologian and a Christian. That which constitutes a Christian is faith, hope, and charity, these three. Much human learning is not essentially necessary to constitute a Christian. Indeed a man may be a profound Theologian, and not be a Christian at all. He may be learned in the doctrines and history of Christianity, and yet be a stranger to the fruits of Christianity : He may be destitute of faith, of hope, and charity.'

Yet we must not from the abuse of a thing despise it altogether. Perhaps those Christians, or at least many of them, who are now nourished by the Scriptures only, received their first religious impressions through human books. If we look at the general state of the church, how few eminent Christians are there who have not been greatly indebted to religious books, either for their first impressions, or for much of that knowledge by which they have acquired enlarged and correct views of divine truth, and pursued a wise and holy conduct: how few have been extensively useful to others who have not themselves been benefited by study. Hardly any Christians are there who have not in one way or other received much advantage from human writings. It has, unquestionably, pleased God to carry on His own kingdom, and promote the spiritual welfare of His people by means of human writings.

Undoubtedly, in those of His servants, there has been the manifestation of the Spirit, given to every man to profit withal. Nor can we suppose that so many holy and wise individuals, who have communicated their thoughts to the world, after long, and deep, and devotional study of the sacred writings, can have thus laboured in vain. A person who has travelled, with an observing mind, over every part of a country, has acquired thereby, in all ordinary cases, experience to guide others. The fruit of such toil will only be despised by those who are ignorant of its real value. The Holy Spirit has manifestly, in different degrees, and in varied gifts, helped the servants of God, so that we have in their compositions a vast accumulation of valuable knowledge.

Then again, if reading the sacred volume be important, we must of necessity admit the usefulness of a variety of other studies. The Bible itself could not have been presented to any nation now existing, in its vernacular language, without the aid of considerable human learning. The Bible is, in its first parts, the most ancient of all books; it was delivered in languages that are now dead, in a foreign land, and abounding with allusions to ancient manners and customs. Though the knowledge of these things may be of little comparative importance to a poor man only anxious to know its saving truths for his own eternal welfare, it is of great moment to those who have to preach, and explain, and defend the sacred contents of this blessed volume. Hence it becomes important to acquaint, ourselves with the Hebrew and Greek blanguages, the early versions of the scriptures, the manners and antiquities of the Jews, and other things of a like kind, in order that we may know what is the

full import and meaning of the original record of the divine will.

The Bible also contains predictions relating to all nations that have had any connexion with the Church of God, and ultimately affecting mankind at large. We shall lose one of the most striking and satisfactory evidences for the authority and truth of the Bible, as the word of God, if we disregard the history of nations, which is in fact the developement of the prophecies of that book.

The volume of nature, is as much of divine workmanship as that of grace, and displays the same divine wisdom, power, and love. But an extensive knowledge of what God has created for His glory and for our instruction, can in general only be attained by human writings. Bishop Reynolds remarks, All secular learning is the knowledge of God's works: philosophical and mathematical learning, the knowledge of his works of creation: historical and political learning, the knowledge of his works of providence: moral, and œconomical, and civil learning, the knowledge of those remainders of his image and law which are left in the minds of men for their direction and conviction: grammatical, rhetorical, and logical learning, the knowledge of the use of that reason which God gives us for imparting our minds and evidencing our conceptions unto one another. So then all true learning being a knowledge of the works of God, must needs be honourable and excellent.'1

The evidence of experience is decidedly in favour of learning, and facts illustrate its value. Allowing

1 See Sermon X. Works folio. p. 884.

that talents of the highest order may be joined with depravity of the deepest dye-as is eminently the case in the chief agent of evil Satan-it must be asserted, that the highest created character is like that of the blessed angels, where piety and knowledge are combined in the greatest degree.

If we look at the history of the church, the brightest examples of ardent and useful piety have been found in men of great knowledge. The most honoured instruments in founding and carrying forward both the Jewish and Christian churches, were men eminent in learning as well as in piety. Moses, the lawgiver and leader of the Jews, was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel.

Much has been said of the ignorance of the first teachers of Christianity; but those who dwell on their humble birth and situation, and their few acquirements, forget their extraordinary gifts and endowments. Bishop Horsley speaking, not of the sanctifying influence, but of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, says, 'Learning is to us the best substitute for that preternatural illumination of the understanding which was the privilege of the first preachers. They were qualified without any previous study, for the office to which they were called, because they had that other source of fuller and more certain information.The knowledge which the Holy Spirit conveyed to the understanding of these chosen instruments of God, was the very same in kind, consisting of the same particulars, which in the ordinary way is attained in a more imperfect degree by study.'

The force, therefore, of the objection, that the first Christians were illiterate, is taken away by the fact,

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that they were supernaturally assisted with all the learning which was requisite for their office. Ecolampadius justly observes to the Waldenses, we are not to tempt God as if He were to be expected to instruct us as He did the apostles, miraculously without study on our part.' Indeed we cannot have the local information which they had without much learning. Besides, while the great Apostle of the Gentiles was not destitute, as we have seen, of human learning naturally acquired; he both made use of that learning in defence of the gospel, and disputed with the learned Athenians on their own principles.

It is a very erroneous idea, that knowledge is prejudicial to faith. Religion is not the privilege of the ignorant. In fact, the worst enemies of Christianity have endeavoured to keep Christians in ignorance. We see this both in Paganism and Popery. The ages of ignorance were the ages when Popery was dominant: and in the time of Paganism, the emperor Julian, one of the most artful and bitter opponents which the Christian religion perhaps bever had, well aware of the powerful use which Christians had made of learning, refused permission to them to study the classics. 1

1 With a view to keep the church in ignorance of the arts of reasoning and philosophy, he forbad Christian schoolmasters to teach Gentile learning, lest being furnished, says he, with our armour, they make war upon us with our own weapons. Our learning is unnecessary to Christians who are trained up to an illiterate rusticity, so that to believe is sufficient for them, and by this prohibition I only restore possessions to their proper owners.' Mr. Milner adds, in a note-In the same strain,' he says, if they (the Christian professors) think these authors give a false account of the most honourable things, let them betake themselves to the churches of the Galileans, and expound Matthew and Luke. Yet those of the (Christian) youth who please to go (to the Pagan schools) are not excluded.' So prudently did he provide for