this is to its uses is too obvious to need a comment-" God ought to be regarded no less in his works of providence than in those of creation."

And does not revelation make any provision for the public good of man-for the order and tranquillity of civil communities? Let her dictates be hearkened to-let her paramount authority be practically acknowledged, and the dangers of these portentous times will cease; for she sets government upon its true and proper foundations, in opposition to all those wild and fanciful notions of it, as originating wholly in compact, and in the will of the people, which have long perplexed political philosophers, and led on to conclusions and consequences not to be mentioned, or even thought upon, without horror. Are not these a just punishment for putting the people into the seat of God, and transferring, as it were, his sovereign power to them? Well may the civil fabric totter to its very centre, when the Head of it is despoiled of that divine authority, which was intended to be his fence and his sanctuary. "Government is the ordinance of God;" and therefore subjection to it becomes a duty to him. Such is the inspired representation.

How different from that of those who degrade the majesty of princes to the lowest state of vassalage, as though they were no more than ser

vants to their subjects, and might justly be cashiered at their pleasure. Such monstrous tenets have found place in civilized society, because the sacred clue which it pleased God to throw out, has been too much disregarded by some even of the first writers upon government.

Suffice these instances of the light which revelation pours upon human science, in its principal departments! But she has still higher pretensions to be considered as the true, and only safe guide of the most cultivated intellect, and to be admitted into all our studies and pursuits, so as to regulate our whole plan of life; for she comes to us with certain principles entirely her own-principles of infinitely greater moment than those of human original, because they are exactly adapted to the state of man as a fallen creature, and are of such a nature, that in proportion to his sincere reception of them, his lapsed faculties recover their primitive rectitude.

But these fresh claims require a separate discussion; it is impossible to do them justice, in any degree, within the narrow limits of the present discourse, and therefore they must be the subject of future consideration.

Enough, however, has been said, I trust, to shew the natural and necessary connection which subsists between divine and human instruction, between theology and other sciences. Let it then

be ever kept in view amongst us!

Let all the

teachers in this ancient seat of education consecrate their labours to the cause of God, and carefully mark whatever portion of light may shine upon any of their researches from the lamp of inspired truth! Far from our walls be that perverted reason, which in its jealousy for its own honour, disdains the superintendency and directions of revelation! Far be that unsound, that unhappy erudition, which fosters pride, and by ministering fuel to the natural independence of the heart, only serves to remove the rational creature to a greater distance from his Creator, which missing of its true and legitimate ends, renders the most important talent, or at least one of the most important talents, that can be entrusted to man, an useless, if not a dangerous distinction-the parent, too often, of pernicious errors, and even, on the most favourable supposition, of a knowledge not duly improved to the glory of God, and the advancement of the best interests of mankind!

And now to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honour and glory. Amen.

DISCOURSE III.

[Preached in the University Church, February 20th, 1803.]

JOB Xxviii. 28.

Unto man he saith, behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.

THE importance of education is confessedly great; we know, in this place, how to appreciate it, whilst all its treasures are open to us, and the whole circle of knowledge is put into our hands. But that education may produce its proper fruit, God must be regarded as the ultimate end of all our studies, and the sacred volume, which announces to us his supreme will, must preside over them. That this was the intention of our venerable founders is obvious; that it is a plan replete with wisdom no less than piety can be also proved. Nor need we appeal to the general and acknowledged principles of all religion,—to the claims of God upon his creature man; for if

revelation be considered only in an intellectual point of view, and with reference to the truths she proposes to us, from her sacred lamp the most important of human sciences derive their clearest light. What was moral philosophy till thus irradiated? What, but a most defective and erroneous system? What is political philosophy still, when it refuses her guidance, but a code of false delusive tenets, the constant source of the most dreadful convulsions in the moral world? These subjects have been already treated; and we now advert to them only for the sake of resuming the conclusion, which seemed plainly to result from their discussions. The conclusion is this "That whatever systems of ethics or politics have not revelation for their basis, ought to be rejected as false and visionary, as pregnant with danger and destructive consequences.”—We cannot take a better criterion with us, to regulate our enquiries into all practical points, and especially into the elementary principles of both public and private duty.

Such is the title of revelation, viewed as a divine science, (if I may so speak) not only to be admitted into our plan of education, but to preside over all the other parts of it. She has, however, a far stronger ground of pretension, which remains for our present consideration ; —" for she comes to us with certain principles, entirely

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