him to confine his attention to the records of inspiration only; especially since he himself quoted heathen writers, (as Aratus, a Greek poet, Acts xvii. 28; and Epimenides, a Cretan, Titus i. 12.) in order to illustrate the truths which he wished to impress.

2.

THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK MUCH IN FAVOUR OF KNOWLEDGE IN GENERAL. Thus it is said, That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good. Prov. xix. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. Prov. xviii. 15. Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. Prov. xxii. 17. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge. Prov. xv. 14. The excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Eccles. vii. 12. These passages apply, in the highest sense, to scriptural and divine knowledge, but comprehend knowledge in general, and especially whatever facilitates the acquisition of that which is divine and scriptural.

The Holy Scriptures state in strong terms the danger of wanting knowledge, both as it respects ministers and people. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me. Hosea iv. 6. Isaiah speaks in a similar way of the evils of having no knowledge. Isaiah v. 13.

The apostle Paul, in the first epistle to the Corinthians, has placed this subject in a clear light. He commences the twelfth chapter with stating that he would not have them ignorant, concerning spiritual gifts. He then shows the nature of those gifts, some of which were miraculous, and peculiar to that age, and others needful in all ages. He tells them to covet earnestly the best gifts; and in the thirteenth chapter, shows the superior excellence of charity, but not to the disparagement of other gifts; for in the fourteenth, he charges them to desire spiritual gifts, and in verse 12

bids them seek to excel to the edifying of the church. Great then as is the value, and supreme as is the importance of the graces of the Christian, they must not exclude a holy diligence to acquire those gifts of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, which are profitable to our own edification, and to the edification of the church.

GOD HAS MANIFESTLY OWNED AND PROSPERED HUMAN WRITINGS ON RELIGION. It is fully admitted that there are many devout, holy, heavenly-minded Christians who are thoroughly versed in the Scriptures, but have little or none of what is reckoned human learning real piety may consist with considerable deficiencies in learning. And again a man may have an extensive knowledge of languages, he may know the whole theory of religion 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, brotherly-kindness, 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. 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 benefitted by study! Many of those Christians, who are now nourished by the Scriptures only, received their first religious impressions through human books. Hardly any Christians are there who have not in one way or other received much advantage from them. 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 need 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, have thus labored 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 a vast accumulation of valuable knowledge in their compositions, and God is continually using them for good.

Again, LEARNING IS NEEDFUL FOR THE DUE UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE. 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 languages, 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.

Learning is also NEEDFUL FOR KNOWING THE WORKS OF GOD. 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 economical, 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 honorable and excellent.'

The EVIDENCE OF EXPERIENCE, in the History of the Church, is DECIDEDLY IN FAVOUR OF LEARNING. Allowing 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 honored 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, that they were supernaturally assisted with all the learning which was requisite for their office. Ecolampadius justly observes to the Waldenses, We are