words. Mark viii. 34. Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and

follow me. Methinks it would not be improper to divide the fermon into two parts. In the first we

Where canons of interpretation, as data of expofitors, are agreed on, there is no danger. Our Saviour, countenances, at leaft, this notion. Matt. xii. 39. 40. and in many other places. Some argue for our notion, 1. From a definition of fcripture. 2. From examples in fcripture. 3. From the abfurdity of either of the above notions. 4. From the five-fold rule of interpreting fcripture, laid down by S. Paul. 2 Tim. iii. 16. Rom. xv. 4. See Glaffius ubi fupra.

In regard to the meaning

would

of a word, or a phrafe peculiar to one writer, the meaning of it can only be taken from circumftances relative to that one writer. An expofitor of a phrase of S. Paul fhould endeavour to enter into the childhood, youth, educacation, company, travels, converfion, books, genius, temper, fentiments, motives, fufferings, and views of this apoftle. And fo of others. A young minifter must put off a thousand prejudices to do this, for most of us have reafon enough to complain

By education we have been misled;
So we believe, because we were fo bred.
The priest continues what the nurse began;
And thus the child imposes on the man.

This felf-denying practice, however, has the strongest motives to enforce it, for, what the Earl of Rofcommon

Hind and Panther. faid of a famous English preacher, may be truly applied to such a perfon. He

Extenfive fenfe ftill into compafs drew,
Said what was juft,

On the contrary, a man, who, without ftudying the writer's meaning, whofe words he pretends to explain, racks his own invention to make the most of his text, will fay the moft abfurd things imaginable, and expofe himfelf to the cenfure of thinking

and always fomething new.
people. Here follows an ex-
ample.
66 Three children
walked in the midst of the fire.
Apocrypha. Song i. If thefe
three young noblemen be ta-
ken figuratively, a definite
number for an indefinite, then
they fignify a competency of
witneffes for God. 2. If we
X X 2
confider

would treat of the expreffions, which Jefus ufes, Come after me-deny himself-take up his cross-and follow me. And in the fecond we would examine the entire fenfe of our Saviour's whole prepofition. To begin then with the explication of these expreffions. To come after Jefus Chrift fignifies no other thing than to be his difciples, to take him for the rule and model of our conduct, in a word, to profess an acknowledgment of him as our head and mafter, our fupreme prophet and teacher, our pattern and exemplar. You may reduce all the ideas contained in this expreffion, to four articles.

1. That we take from Chrift and his doctrine all our light and knowledge, as from the perfon, who fpeaks to us on God's part, and whom God commands us to hear. Here you may mention Mofes's prophecy, A prophet like unto me fhall the Lord your God raife up unto you from among your brethren, bim fhall ye bear. To this may be added the voice, which was heard at the transfiguration of Jefus Chrift, This is my beloved fon, bear ye him. Now, because it is common for difciples to arrange themfelves near their mafter, and to go after him, the Lord

confider them typically, they are to be taken for the three laws, natural, mosaical, and evangelical. 3. If taken my/tically, they fignify the three offices of Chrift, of prince, prieft, and prophet. 4. If taken parabolically, they mean the different nations of mankind; for Ananias anfwers to Japhet, Azariah to Shem, and Mihael to Ham: the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Babyloni

ans and Egyptians. 5. Prophetically, it beareth thus. Whereas the nation of the Jews were to be as the common furnace of affliction, &c. &c." &c." All this, and feveral pages more, come out of this line, Three children walked

in the midst of the flame.This is not three children fliding on the ice, all on a fummer's day! Vindicia Danielis. R.S.

Lord expreffes faith in his inftruction by the words Come after me. (7)

2. That we yield all kinds of fervice and obedience to him as to our fovereign Lord; for fervants generally follow their mafters, and do not wander far from their prefence. They wait at hand to receive their maiters commands, and to employ all their time and strength in the advancement of their interests.

The profeffion of chriftianity engages us to this in regard to Jefus Chrift, obliging us to acknowledge him as our fovereign, and inceffantly to eye his fervice and glory. To this may be referred the title, which S. Paul and the other apostles claim, fervants of Jefus Chrift, juft as Mofes is called the Servant of God, that is, his minifter and officer acting by his orders, and therefore Jefus Chrift calls all believers his fervants, Where I am, there Shall alfo my fervant be. (8)

3. That

πιςεύσαι τω Θεω, τοσούτους

αρραβώνας έχων παρ' αυτά. Theoph. ad Autol. lib. i.

(8) The profeffing of chriftianity is the acknowledging of Chrift as our fovereign king. A late Lord Bishop of Lincoln recommends to ftudents of divinity Efius, a Popi writer: but obferves, he is to be read with caution, becaufe "fworn, as all Romish ecclefiaftics are, to maintain all the received do&rine, difcipline, and rites of the church of Rome, τη υποθεσει δουλευει, he explains places fo, as may make moit, not for truth: but for the intereft of the church of Rome."

NOW

3: That we concur with him, and under him, in one and the fame defign and work, in the fame manner as fubaltern officers and foldiers in an army march after their general, concurring with him and under him to the glory of the king their common Lord. A chriftian profeffion engages us to this conformity. Jefus Chrift is confidered as the head officer in this myftical war, which is carrying on against the enemies of God, in order to deftroy the empire of fin and Satan, and to establish that of the Creator. (9)