here amongst us. People lull themselves afleep in a chimerical confidence, and they rest upon imaginary fyftems and affurance, which ought to reft only upon the rock of ages. Thefe perfons make a fcruple, even when engaged in the most criminal habits, of faying, they doubt of their falvation: and, as if a perfuafion of being faved difcharged us from the neceffity of working out our falvation, affurance of getting to heaven is confidered as a virtue, which fupplies the want of every other I am perfuaded, fays S. Paul, of what? of being faved live in what manner I will? No, but I am perfuaded that neither death nor life can separate me from the love of God. That is, I am perfuaded I fhall triumph over all temptations, and perfevere in loving God. Saurin. fer. tom. ii. S. pre

miere.

(7) Some phrafes are expreffive of dignity. There is, undoubtedly, a great deal of truth in this remark: but, it must be allowed, great accuracy and prudence are neceffary in determining and arging fuch modes of fpeech in controverfy.. Here, then,

it fhould feem, the neceffity of philological knowledge for a minifler of the gospel comes in. None but a good philologift ought to deal in arguments taken from idioms, epithets, tours of expreffion; in a word, from the nature and structure of a language. Theodoret lays down this rule, "Non funt dogmatum norma cenfenda, quæ in Ecclefia panegyrice et declamatorie dicuntur." This rule is applicable to many anonymous orations bound up with those of fome of the fathers, which, probably, were only private declamations of ftudents of divinity imitative of a father, laid up with his works as pretty effays and elucidations, and, after they had acquired the venerable marks of moths, and duft, and antiquity, antiquity, published with the genuine works of the father. The fame rule may be applied to many declamatory lives, legends, orations, and other difcourfes; for, in fuch, hundreds of fine words, lines, phrafes, and expreffions actually mean nothing at all. I will not at prefent cite examples from pretended reafoners in theology: but I will endeavour

first to convey my idea by an example, in the inanity of which we have no intereft. The celebrated Hakfpan entered on his hebrew profefforfhip in the univerfity of Altdorff in Switzerland, by an oration on the neceffity of facred philology in divinity; and thus he begins, "Nobiliffimi, ampliffimi, prudentiffimique domini Scholarcha, Domini benigniffimi -Nobilis atque confultiffime domine ProcancellarieMagnifice Domine RectorIlluftres atque generofi domini Barones-Spectabiles fingularum facultatum Decani, wiri reverendi plurimum, confultiffimi, experientiffimi, clariffimi, Profeffores celeberrimi, fautores atque amici honoratiffimituque literariæ juventutis corona ornatiffima, lectiffima"-If the queftion were concerning the oratorical value of this addrefs, perhaps it would diminish in compazifon with the fimple ftyle of Digniffime Domine, Domine Procancellarie, et tota Univerfitas. But it lies before us here in a logical point of view, and although we were to admire the fertility of the profeffor's genius, the complaifance of his addrefs, and the punctilious accuracy of his traits de grace; yet we must fay, should a hiftorian

in

fome feven or eight hundred years hence write the life of that Mr. Vicechancellor, whom the profeffor complimented, he ought neither to feek his birth in Hakspan's nobilis, nor his mental excellence in his confultiffime, nor in both the neceffity of pof fefling difcretion and fame in order to procancellarian preferment. There is nobile genus-nobile pectus-nobile nomen-nobilis Phalaridis taurus-nobile facinus.

Monfieur Voltaire obe ferves, God called Cyrus bis Shepherd, Ifai. xliv. 28. and Nebuchadnezzar bis fervant, Jer. xliii. 10. and thence concludes very gravely, that the religions of Babylon and Perfia were as agreeable to God, as that of the Jews. was. (fur la tolerance, chap. xii.) Some divines have remarked, that Cyrus faid, the God of heaven gave him his kingdom. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 23.-that Nebuchadnezzar called Jehovah King of beaven, Dan. iv. 37.-that Artaxerxes called Ezra a fcribe of the God of heaven, and acknowledged, he had the law of God in his hand, Ezra vii. 12, 14.-that S. Luke wrote to a Theophilus, a lover of God, Acts i. 1.-that S Paul allowed Feftus to be a man most noble, Acts xxvi. 25. and great intelligence Y 2 2 have

The introductory language of the apoftles is-Men of Judea, all ye that dwell at Jerufalem. Acts ii. 14.-Ye rulers and elders, iv. 8. Men, brethren, and fathers, vii. 2. -Men of Ifrael, and ye that fear God, xiii. 16.-Ye men of Athens, xvii. 22. My little children, Gal. iv. 19.-My brethren, my joy and crown, Phil. iv. 1.-Beloved, John iv. 1, 7, 11.-Dearly beloved, Ph. iv.1. Inimitation of thefe, our minifters fay-Brethren -Chriftians-Fellow-Chriftians, &c. &c. a good judge fays "true politenefs confifts in giving to every one the greatest fatisfaction in our power, confequently it pro fcribes all empty and long compliments.

(8) The manner is confiderable in many paffages. This common-place like all the reft, may be very advantageously used, when proper difcernment is employed: on the contrary, what an occafion of trifling when love of the marvellous fuffers fancy to make the choice! Thus when fcripture fpeaks of the jafper, the chryfolite, the topaz, the amethyst, Rev. xxi. 19, 20, &c. it is not enough to have them for ornaments: but we muft alfo take them for medicines; they fhall be pulverized, and prefcribed for difeafes, or hung about the neck to preferve

from contagions; as if, when the holy ghost spake of precious ftones, he meant to convey the idea of healing, By fuch principles Juftin Martyr found the cross of Chrift in the born of the Rhinoce ros, Pfalm xxii, 22. To zap neρaτWV μоVOKEрWTWV OTI TO nua to saupe es MO

ngoan vμ-thus alfo Tertullian, after Cyprian and Juftin, expounds Deut. xxxiii. 17. Tauri decor ejus, cornua unicornis cornua ejus, in eis nationes ventilabit pariter ad fummum ufque terræ, non util que rhinoceros deftinabatur unicornis, nec minoratus bicornis, fed Chriftus in illo fignificabatur, taurus ob utramque difpofitionem, aliis ferus ut judex, aliis manfuetus ut falvator, cujus cornua effent crucis extima.

When the typical œconomy adumbrates the Meffiah under the images of oxen, goats, &c. it means to point out the facrifice of his body, not the difpofitions of his mind.

Thus alfo Cyprian difco vers in Ezek. ix. 4. the letter tau, and, though this letter is more like a gallows than a cross, and though the punishment of the cross was unknown when the prophet wrote, yet he imagines, the angel marked all the pious people in Jerufalem with the fign of the cross. God for

bid