SERMON VI.

MORAL AND EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE.

Ps. XIX. 7-8.

THE LAW OF THE LORD IS PERFECT, CONVERTING THE SOUL: THE TESTIMONY OF THE LORD IS SURE, MAKING WISE THE SIMPLE: THE STATUTES OF THE LORD ARE RIGHT, REJOICING THE HEART: THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD IS PURE, ENLIGHTENING THE EYES.

It has often been remarked that the evidence in favour of Christianity is cumulative; and ought to be taken in the mass, so that to each separate portion there should be attributed only that degree of weight which belongs to it, while we confidently rely on the whole, as infinitely overbalancing any arguments that can be placed in the opposite scale. They, who instead of looking at the evidences of our faith in this light, consider each part of them as a link in a chain of demonstration, and therefore essential to the completeness of the whole, peril, as it were, their faith unnecessarily upon points, which they may find to be less certain than they had originally conceived. They so build up the superstructure of their belief, as not to allow any of the single stones of the foundation to be touched without endangering the whole edifice. At all events they are liable to be disturbed, and made uneasy, when they find objections, which they cannot answer, brought against truths hitherto deemed by them essential: while in fact such may, perhaps, be merely incidental circumstances, and supernumerary portions of testimony, the truth or falsehood, the proof or disproof of which in no way involve the general issue.

They, on the other hand, who have taken a more comprehensive view of the case, though they willingly use as subsidiaries, all branches of evidence, which they think capable of being profitably so employed, can part with some things, if they appear irrelevant, or give them up, if they prove untenable, without weakening thereby their confidence in those truths, for their reliance on which they have many other and independent grounds. Such portions of evidence are to the one, as the foundation stones of a column, essential to its stability, while, to the other, they are as the rooted branches of the Eastern tree, of which it is hard to say, whether they are more properly to be regarded as mere offshoots and dependencies, or supports.

And again-not only is there a great accumulation of arguments of the same kind, each of which has its proper force independent of the others, though doubtless a very increased strength in connection with them; but there are also entirely dis

tinct branches of evidence-modes of proof proceeding on different principles, -appealing to different faculties of the mind; and, though leading to the same point, arriving at it by roads, running parallel through a great part of their course, and not converging till the end. Thus some kinds of testimony address themselves more simply to the understanding: others call in the aid of the imagination: others appeal more directly to the feelings.

And an advantage results from this variety of the evidences of our faith, that suitable testimony comes home to different classes of persons according to their capacity, degree of information, or natural turn of mind. The accurate and critical are convinced by close argument, and as near an approach to demonstration as they can obtain. The imagination assists the reason in others by making their conceptions more vivid, and the images in their mind more distinct. While the warm and enthusiastic spring to certainty through impressions made immediately on the affections.

Undoubtedly it is good for a man to unite, as far as possible, all these different branches of evidence, and through every channel to open a passage for the truth. For each of these mental faculties are suited in some sort to act upon, and assist the other-the imagination to give life and reality to the deductions of reason the reason to lay a firm basis, on which the affections may rest-the affections to stimulate to the practice of what the reason approves, and to give that effectual determination to the will, which the intellect of itself is unable to enforce. That man builds his faith on the surest foundation, whose mind is so constituted as to admit the due influence of testimony of whatever kind-in whom vivid fancy is combined with strength of understanding; and who is able to reason with logical accuracy, and enter into critical research, while unsophisticated feeling gushes warm from his heart.

But this is rarely the case: and indeed the constitution of our nature forbids us to expect, that it ordinarily should be. As in the body the presence of one disease suspends the progress of another, nature being unable to carry on different actions at the same time; so in the mind, it would seem, that one faculty can seldom be highly developed, but in some degree at the expense of its fellows. The cultivation of the reasoning powers has justly been considered unfavourable to the force of the imagination: very susceptible feelings are rarely found united with cool and accurate judgment: while the faculty of examining evidence, and nicely balancing probabilities implies a state of doubt hostile to the elevation of the sentiments, which, as has rightly been observed "flourish in tranquillity of mind and security 1."

We must not therefore expect to see the same person equally alive to the force of different kinds of evidence. Nevertheless we should endeavour as far as possible to embrace all in our view, both for our own sake, and that of others: as whatever fresh convictions open on our own minds the stronger we become in faith: and should it be our lot to instruct others, the more completely we are armed, the more likely we are to wield our weapons with effect: the more power we feel, the more strength we can communicate; and there is consequently the greater hope that our ministrations may be blessed to the edification of our hearers.

As men of liberal and classical education, our attention is in this place directed more particularly to the historical and critical evidences of our faith, this being the road to conviction, which such an education especially opens. We are led to examine the proofs of the genuineness and authenticity of the sacred volume-to bring the knowledge of the original languages in aid of the elucidation of Scripture truth to vindicate the orthodox faith by sound criticism and historical consent; and by thus "drawing all our studies this way 2" to consecrate profane learning by making it the handmaid of sacred truth.

And since this is the line of evidence to which