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CAUSES OF ERROR.

1. An innate aversion to the truth is one great, and, indeed, the principal cause of error. There is in the

hearts of all men this innate aversion to the truth. Mankind naturally love error. The glorious and salutary truths, revealed in the word of God, are so opposed to the corrupt and vicious inclinations of men, that they are naturally hostile to these truths, and inclined to substitute some other doctrines more congenial to their sinful dispositions.

Men will easily believe almost anything but the truth. It is certain that there is no opinion too absurd or too impious for them to believe. Anything that will allow them to gratify the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, will be better than the truth. Why is it that men choose to worship gods of wood and stone, rather than the true and living God? Is it not that they think that these gods will let them live as they list, while the character of Jehovah forbids iniquity of all kinds. I cannot believe that idolatry is to be imputed in all cases to ignorance. It must be imputed, sometimes at least, to the aversion of men to the character of God. Averse to this, they form to themselves such gods as their imaginations devised; such gods as will favour their vices and abominations. For the same reasons men reject the truths of the Gospel. These truths are unpalatable; therefore they are often wholly rejected, or new-modelled and metamorphosed, till the disgusting features are removed, and the doctrines assume a form more agreeable to the wicked heart.

Men

2. Pride of reasoning is another cause of error. are unwilling to be indebted to the Father of light for their creed. They imagine this or that doctrine to be unreasonable, because they cannot comprehend it. They make their dark and misguided minds the standard of truth. By this they try the doctrines of the Bible; and deny, or explain away, those which are not agreeable to it. This presumption is not confined to the learned; it is found among the illiterate. They, also, are proud of their understanding; and will often believe nothing

which they are not able to comprehend. Yet it is true that the learned are more liable to err from this cause than the ignorant. Knowledge puffeth up; and the learned having contracted habits of reasoning, are more exposed to reason themselves into error.

3. An over curious spirit of inquiry is a third cause of error. There are some minds which are not content with plain truths; but are for ever prying into some hidden and abstruse subject. To such persons there is a great danger of running into error. While they imagine that they are improving the Christian system, they may involve themselves in error, and introduce tenets inconsistent with the Gospel. The great truths of Christianity are simple; and have been understood in all ages of the church, when holiness has prevailed over iniquity. Such is the disposition of man, that he will be proud of being called the father of something new, though it should be branded with infamy by all the faithful followers of the Lamb.

4. The introduction of worldly wisdom into religious discussions has been another source of error. The wisdom of men is foolishness with God; and men must become fools before they they can be truly wise. Some men with hearts unsubdued by divine grace, have taken upon themselves to write upon the doctrines of Christianity. It is to be expected that such persons will pervert the truth; and then, aided by genius and learning, that their works will be specious and delusive, so that numbers will be led away by these wolves in sheep's clothing. The errors which have been introduced by the Pelagian, Arminian, and Socinian writings, prove this. Professions of a candid inquiry after truth, subtle arguments, and ambiguous expressions, have been found by the enemy of souls, powerful weapons in the subversion of truth, and the introduction of false doctrines. This secret but effectual method of spreading error has of late infected all branches of knowledge. Treatises on the arts, on geology, geography, astronomy, biography, &c., have been employed in disseminating the fatal poison.

These are some of the causes of error, and they should be carefully guarded against. The present is a critical

period; the enemies of the truth are particularly vigilant; they are employing every species of art and cunning to beguile the souls of men, and lead them in the path to ruin. Shall the friends of truth be asleep while these things are done? Shall they not be vigilant in the glorious cause of the Gospel? Shall they not use their best endeavours to promote the extension and final triumph of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

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GREAT RESULTS FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS. GREAT results sometimes proceed from small beginnings, and mighty causes are put into operation by trivial incidents. This was exemplified in the case of that great and good man, the late Rev. Lewis Way. He was one day riding by the walls of a garden belonging to a certain lady in the county of Devon, when some one said to him, That must have been a very peculiar character, for she left a request in her will, that some of the trees in her garden might not be cut down till the Jews were restored to their own land." This circumstance led the excellent man to reflect upon the subject, and to read the Scriptures with reference to the Jews; and as he read, his mind became deeply impressed with the thought, that they were emphatically the people of God, that they were a people beloved for their father's sake, and that in the Divine purposes they were destined to exhibit the unchangeable faithfulness of Jehovah, in their future restoration to their own land, and in their conversion to their own Messiah. Thus was the seed lodged in that good man's mind, which took deep root, and which has already produced abundant fruit. He became the warm and devoted friend of the "seed of Abraham," and by his noble contribution of £10,000, was instrumental, in the hands of Divine Providence, in preserving from ruin, and placing on a stable foundation that excellent Institution, "The London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews."-Rev. Dr. Marsh.

LETTER TO THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS AT HARROW.

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

I CANNOT allow the day on which I have received your very kind present to close without attempting to express to you my gratification in accepting it: as it is however the day of my leaving Harrow, and I have had a long and troublesome journey; my acknowledgments must be short and hurried. Much as I shall ever value this testimonial of your good-will towards me, I cannot but take the opportunity afforded me by the presentation of it, to assure you that I needed no additional proof of your esteem and affection; and that I never can need any visible material memorial to remind me of Harrow. I shall always have to look back with pleasure and thankfulness to the years I have passed among you, and to that work on which I was employed while stationed in your corner of my Master's vineyard. I have always felt peculiar satisfaction in those occupations which have more especially brought me into intercourse with yourselves; and have always regretted that I was not able to spend more time with you, in preparation for the work of teaching, as well as in the actual performance of it. You know very well my sentiments on the subject of Sunday-school teaching: how a teacher ought to seek qualification for the office; in what spirit it ought to be undertaken and discharged; and what are the subordinate duties by which these ought to be always accompanied. It may be quite impossible for all of you to follow out in practice the theory of perfect Sunday-school Teaching, which I have so frequently laid before you; but I trust you are so far convinced of its reasonableness, as to make every endeavour to bring your practice into as close an accordance with it, as your circumstances will enable you to do. The great rule for your actual Teaching, is the same with that for your own spiritual growth and improvement. The continual, ever varying, distinct and personal presentment of the Lord Jesus Christ to the mind. To your own mind, for your own increase in grace, and in the "hope of glory;" and to the minds of

the children, for their right and truly Christian instruction in religion. But if the Lord Jesus be the continual theme of a Teacher, who is not personally and deeply convinced, by happy experience, of the blessedness of having Him always the subject of the thoughts and the companion of the life; the effect upon such a Teacher's class is likely to be only satiety, and a habit of listless inattention to the name and character and actions of the Saviour. You must not talk of Him beyond your knowledge of Him, but fully speak out from your own feelings, and especially concerning those words and works of His, which have had much power over your own souls; and then I am sure your scholars will catch a portion of your spirit, and themselves begin to understand, that they have a personal interest and portion in the manifestation of God in the flesh. I do not, however, advise you ever to tell children what your feelings or experience have been; but to dwell on that, whatever it may be, in Christ, which has been in any way blessed to yourselves. As a guiding limit to the younger and less advanced among you, on this important rule, I would say: talk of some act or discourse or parable of our Lord's, every Sunday if you can, distinct from the lesson they are learning, or the chapter they are reading; never mind the connection, but take any that may have been especially present to your own mind of late. My object in our fortnightly meetings has been all along to lead you into the habit of studying God's holy word; of reading parts of it continually, with the desire and attempt to understand every sentence, rather than to prepare you for the immediate work of teaching. I trust that not a few among you have formed this habit, or, at any rate, have had it considerably strengthened, and rendered more profitable, in consequence of the readings which we have had together. I have noticed a marked improvement, in several instances, in the spirit with which the study of the holy word has been approached, and the sort of consideration given to it; an improvement in earnestness, in comprehensiveness, in knowledge, in conviction of its importance and profitableness in every part; and this I trust will continue and increase. It will always afford me the

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