ferent difcourfes. This may be in fome, measure owing to their being written piecemeal, or not only at different times, but after long intervals. Some of what might be called repetitions have been expunged in the prefent copy, and if any should still remain, as they occur when taking different views of the fubject, I hope they will not be found either altogether ufelefs or impertinent. As it ref pects the style of the work, the thing principally aimed at has been perfpicuity, and not to pleafe the faftidioufnefs of criticism. Such as it is, it is recommended to the bleffing, of heaven and the candor of the public, by THE AUTHOR. Colrain, September 3d, 1810. CONTENTS. The fuperior excellence of revelation, or the Bible a book containing matter worthy of God to re veal, and adapted to the circumftances and ne-- PSALMS, xix. 7, 8, 9.-The law of the Lord is perfect, · converting the foul: The teftimony of the Lord is fure, making wife the fimple: The ftatutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes: The fear of the Particular evidences of the divine authority and infpiration of the Old Teftament. LUKE, XVI. 29, 31.-Abraham faith unto him, they have Mofes and the Prophets; let them hear them. And he faid unto him, if they hear not Mofes and the Proph A general view of the accomplishment of prophecy. 2 PET. i. 21.-For the prophecy came not in old time by The facred fcriptures tranfmitted to us without any material alteration or corruption. The importance of an intimate acquaintance with the fcriptures, with general reflections on the JOHN, V. 29. Search the fcriptures. - 321 ERRATA.-Typographical errors in this work are not very numerous or very important. A few, however, have efcaped the corrector's eye--the principal of which are as follows: Page 31, line 17 from top, in part of the copies, dele a, between fuppofe and prayer.-P. 34, 1. 38, for appears read appear.--P. 67, 1. 26, for promifer r. promifes.-P. 70, 1. 13, for derived r. devifed.-P. 83, 1. 3, for truths r. truth.-P. 88, 1. 24, for confirmed r. confined.-P. 127, 1. 20, for importunely r. importunately-1. 29, for fet r. fat.P. 217, 1. 32, and p. 235, twice in l. 13, for bare r. bafe. P. 230, I. 4, for Gadaza r. Gadara.-P. 277, l. 10, •for ftatute r. flatutes.-P. 295, 1. 3 of the note, dele that. -P. 336, 1. 30, after it infert is.-P. 368, last line, in part of the copies, for of r. from. DISCOURSE I. 1 CORINTHIANS, i. 21. The world by wifdom knew not God. WISDOM, abfolutely confidered, is one of the ef Tential perfections of Jehovah. Divine wisdom, like all the other perfections of Deity, knows neither bounds nor limits, but embraces in one comprehenfive view, things past, prefent, and to come. From the fountain of his own inexhauftible fullness, God has been graciously pleas ed to communicate a portion of wisdom to his creatures, particularly to his creature man. He has taught him more than the beafts of the field, and made him wifer than the fowls of the air. Wisdom, as applicable to man, is in fcripture, frequently put for religion and virtue. Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wifdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. In the more ufual acceptation of the term however, and frequently in facred writ, by wifdom we are to understand an intellectual endowment, common to perfons of different and oppofite moral characters, and is generally confidered as implying two things. ft. Prudence and difcretion, which although an endowment of nature, may be cultivated and improved by experience. zdly. Knowledge, which is principally acquired. The man who inherits from nature, or rather from nature's God, a found judgement, a retentive memory, and accurate reafoning powers, especially if these powers are cultivated by a proper education, and improved by application, and when the exercife of thefe powers is under the direction B |