Though the eye of the understanding be shut, the eye of the imagination may be open. The

man who is without faith in the realities which lie on the other side of death may nevertheless be all awake in his fancy to those images of bliss with which he has embellished his vision, and may even possess his own heart with a pleasing anticipation of it as his destined inheritance. It is not upon his fancy, however, but his faith, that the fulfilment of his anticipation will turn; a faith, which, had it been real, would have had respect to the prescribed road, as well as to the revealed inheritance; a faith, which would have found him in holiness here, as well as in Heaven hereafter.*

There is somewhat of arrogance, I think, in the presumption that Religious Instruction is better understood, and better conducted, by Divines of the present age, than it was by those of former times. I speak not of the careless and ill informed, of which there will always be some among such great numbers in every Profession, but of the diligent and pious, the men of competent learning and benevolent sentiments. If it was not their practice to dwell almost exclusively on the more profound mysteries of the Christian Faith, the more difficult and obscure parts of Scripture, it was because * Dr. Chalmers' Introductory Essay to Payne's Translation of Thomas â Kempis.

they were anxious to impress upon their hearers the virtues of the Christian Life as the best preparation for the highest degree of Christian Knowledge. Hence it is that not only in the Homilies of our Church, but also in the most admired Writers and most eloquent Preachers of Antiquity, these Virtues are frequently and earnestly inculcated.*

The elementary doctrines of Christianity are open to all; they are profitable to all; and applicable to persons of every state and condition of life. Whereas there is not perhaps one in a hundred who is substantially edified by metaphysical subtleties, and topics of nice and difficult discussion. It was not, therefore, without reason that both the dignified and parochial Clergy of times prior to our own were cautious in handling such topics, and made them less frequently the exclusive subject of their Discourses. Look at Tillotson, Clarke, Sherlock; some of the greatest names which this Country has to boast of: these eminent men, you will find, were not always arguing on those delicate points which form the subjects of the tenth, thirteenth, and seventeenth Articles; but more frequently inviting the attention of their hearers to that universally interesting and uni

See Homilies, 5, 6, &c. and Index to Homiles and Tracts of Joh. Chrysostom. in Fabric. Bib. Græc. Tom. 7, p. 560. seq.

versally intelligible doctrine of the twelfththat "Albeit good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ." Even Calvin himself can hardly forbear revolting at his own ideas of Absolute Decrees and Final Reprobation. After all, nothing new can be advanced upon these mysterious points by the most zealous of his followers; and if we may judge by its effects, nothing more improving to the morals of Society. We shall not therefore greatly err in following the steps of those who have gone before us, and may apply to ourselves the admonition of the Prophet Jeremiah:-"Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein; and ye shall find rest to your souls."*

* Jeremiah vi. 16.

SERMON XX.

ON A REMARKABLE PASSAGE OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH.

JEREMIAH XxxI. 22.

The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man.

FEW passages of Scripture are rendered in a less satisfactory manner, by the Authors or Compilers of our established Version, than that which I have just recited. Notwithstanding a literal Version of the Original Text is always desirable, when it can be had without prejudice to the sense,* yet there are cases in which, by too close an adherence to the letter, we may render obscure a sentence otherwise not difficult to apprehend. To compass, encompass, or surround, is undoubtedly a strictly literal version of the original term used by the Prophet; but unless metaphorically applied, it can throw no light on the sentence

* See Visitation Sermon, apud init.

Precisely the same as the Vulgate:-Fomina circumdabit

virum.

before us.

Whereas if our Translators so understood it, and had adopted a less equivocal word, they would have opened the way to a probable elucidation of it.

But if they were not perfectly satisfied as to the true meaning of this sentence, and therefore confined themselves to a merely literal version of it, we cannot wonder; for it has met with as great a variety of interpretations as any equal portion of the prophetical writings. Of these the most singular and far-fetched, is the opinion of those who suppose that the Prophet alludes to Rachel, represented in the fifteenth verse of this Chapter, as inconsolably lamenting her desolate state in consequence of the captivity of her children, (the posterity of Joseph and Benjamin,) and thus prevailing on the Almighty, (here signified by the term great or powerful man,) to restore them.

Very little more deserving of notice is the exposition of certain Critics and Commentators among the Jews. Most of these by the woman, understand the nation, land, or people, of Israel; but apply the term rendered compass, in a different manner. Some suppose that by it is implied the return of a vicious or adulterous woman to her duty, and her reconciliation with her lawful husband; and that it figuratively signifies the return of the perverse and rebellious Israelites, to obedience and recep