God conveying assurances of good through the medium of intelligible facts. Therefore, the impression of that testimony, or, the belief or faith of those who receive it, is, "the confident expectation of things hoped for, arising from the perfect persuasion of things not seen." Here we shall terminate this, I greatly fear, too protracted discourse. It entered into my original design, to append to these remarks, the exhibition of certain great general conclusions to which they necessarily lead, respecting the proper evidence of faith-the impossibility of justification but by faith—the nature of hope and assurance as implied, in some sense, in faith-the necessity of our attention being directed to the proper object of faith, to truth, to the truth, as the only way to receive its corresponding impression, and to enjoy its healing and happy influences: and hencethe reasonableness of suspecting, that, the infelicity, and what is termed the " unbelief," of believers, is owing, in general, to imperfect, obscure, and perplexed conceptions of truth; or, which is the same thing, to their not looking at it, or at what it is to them, but either to something which it is not, or which is not truth. Into these, however, and other kindred matters, we cannot at present enter. Some of them may, probably, come to be embodied in subsequent discourses. But, if not, it is hardly too much to say, that you can yourselves very easily pursue the principles we have advanced, in all their bearings, upon these topics. In future we shall be principally employed in illustrating the practical power of faith, as seen in specific instances of active or enduring virtue-in individual character and positive achievement. The explanation we have attempted of the general subject, and of certain terms and phrases which may frequently occur, will enable you to enter into future illustrations, whether the language, in relation to the principle, happen to be the philosophic or the popular. Brethren, what we have advanced, illustrative of this important subject, has been, I am sensible, feeble and imperfect. But it is that "whereunto I have attained," according to present knowledge and judgment, and more I could not accomplish. I think I perceive myself the justness of the positions I have been trying to establish, but I am not certain that I have succeeded in making them quite so obvious to you. I desire to commend both you and myself to the divine benediction and the divine guidance. May that Spirit, who is promised to the church, be copiously and constantly imparted to both, to correct and enlarge our conceptions of his own truth-to bestow upon us the docility, and to enrich us with the rewards, of the humble disciple. Impressed with the magnitude of the task I have undertaken, I would humbly solicit your supplications on my behalf: and, if it be not improper or presumptuous, I would desire now to address the Everlasting Source of light and wisdom,—that Being, who himself gave his approving testimony to the men whose characters we are called to contemplate,—and I would address Him in language powerfully expressive, at once, of the necessities of the preacher and the majesty of his theme. "What in me is dark, Illumine. What is low, raise and support, E SERMON II. THE FAITH OF ABEL. HEB. XI. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it, he, being dead, yet speaketh. WE proceed, my brethren, to the fulfilment of the purpose intimated last Sabbath, of inviting your attention to a series of discourses on this chapter;-discourses, which shall exhibit a variety of illustrations of the power of that faith, which consists in "the perfect persuasion of things not seen, the confident expectation of things hoped for." "This is the weapon that overcometh the world." This is the source of courage, and the principle of perseverance. In all ages, and under each dispensation, the secret has been the same, by which holy men have learned to bear calamity without complaint, and to meet temptation with vigorous resistance. In this chapter the apostle has presented to the contemplation of the church, what he terms a "cloud of witnesses" to the truth of this remark. The catalogue is embellished by names that will be held in everlasting remembrance. The study of it will continue to be, as it has ever been, a source at once of courage and consolation, to such as are struggling to be followers of them, "who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises." We propose, then, my brethren, to bring before you, in regular succession, the principal persons included in this catalogue; and to notice the events in their history, and the features of their characters, which tend to illustrate the exercise of their faith. Before, however, directly proceeding with this design, permit me to mention one or two of those considerations, which have had the greatest influence in inducing its formation. 1. The first is, that this species of instruction appears eminently adapted to excite interest, and secure attention. It will be very different from that which it is often our duty to employ. Many of the principles of our Faith are invested with a mysterious sublimity, which renders it difficult, if not impossible, adequately to apprehend or clearly to describe them. It becomes |