at Jerusalem, he says, v. 44. Theseare the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me." All these things were plainly enough revealed in the scripture ; the only desideratum was, to have the mind illuminated. This the divine teacher supplied; "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them; Thus it is written, and thus it behoyed Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day." You see from this plainly that it must have been another than the divine teacher that has preached down the Old Testament, and it must be in another association than in the kingdom of heaven, or christian Church that this abolition has taken place.

Again. What do the Apostles say upon this subject? Do they say that, being appointed to establish the church upon the New Testament plan, they deny the authority of the Old Testament scriptures? No; on the contrary, they quote them and submit what they say to be tried by them. They recommend the individuals and Churches which searched these venerable documents and put their doctrines to the test of Old Testament authority. Turn your attention to a few of the many instances which might be adduced in proof of this fact. Acts xvii. 11-These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether

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these things were so. Here again, we have the old testament writings called by their appropriate epithet, the scriptures, and the Berean believers honoured for their diligent attention to the instruction contained in them. Yea, they are more noble than the believers in Thessalonica, because they compared the verbal instruction of the Apostles, whose word they received, with the written authoritative documents of the Old Testament. It must not be overlooked, that the teacher here was the Apostle of the Gentiles, and although he preached in the synagogue both here and at Thessalonica, yet he had Gentile auditors, for ladies of honorable rank, who were Greeks, and of men not a few, believed. All this, however, was perfectly natural and consistent, for he reasoned out of the scriptures, and therefore allowed and invited all his auditors, of course, to have their bibles, and search daily from these authentic and divine writings of the Old Testament, whether or not his reasoning was fair. He wished to urge upon them no article of faith, nor rule of practice which did not accord with God's consistent word.

The next passage to which we solicit the candid reader's attention is in 1 Cor. ix. In that chapter, and indeed in a great part of the epistles addres sed to the Corinthians there is some obscurity a bout the particular bearing of the Apostle's reasoning, because we have not the other side of the. correspondence; still, there is no obscurity as to his opinion touching the point in hand. He is in the beginning of this chapter pleading the right

which he and Barrabas had to remuneration or support in their ministerial labors, and after having reasoned from common principles of justice, he appeals to still higher authority. "Say I these things as a man, or sayeth not the law the same also. 9. For it is written, thou shalt not inuzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn: Doth God take care for oxen? or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt this is written." Here you see the apostle establishes Old Testament authority and utility, not only to us as well as Old Testament saints, but also that it is particularly useful to us.

I providentially glance upon another passage, Eph. ii. 20. And are built upon the foundationof the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. In all things He must have the pre-eminence. If the writer' then had any design in the arrangement, the prophets are nearest him who was before Abraham. However, here the Church is considered under the notion of a temple or holy building, to be a habitation of God by the Spirit. Upon what is this building founded? Upon the Apostles; what does this mean? Is it not that they believed their words, and obeyed their inspired precepts and example? Well, but the Church is built up on the prophets also; and so it is evident that, whatever be the faith of modern Churches respecting the Old Testament, primitive Christians believed it, and endeavored to obey it. The A postics put the prophets upon a par with them

selves. That they were quickened by the Spirit, and were new creatures by the grace of Christ, did not divert their attention from the law of Christ. They knew that the testimony of Jesus was the spirit of prophecy, and therefore to that spirit and testimony they would give diligent heed. By this means they who had been waiting to see the accomplishment of their prophecies, were gratified, and the astonished beholders of all these recent events, were no less gratified and confirmed in beholding that all these things had been foretold.

We have seen transiently what was the faith of the apostles and the churches inmediately planted by their hands upon this important point. Let us now see what the faith of those was, unto whom they committed the trust of building on the edifice which they founded. Timothy was by descent partly Jewish, partly Grecian, i. e. a Greek was his father, and a Jew was his mother. He was ordained by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, a minister of Christ. He was left by the apostle Paul at Ephesus, that he might charge some that they should teach no other doctrine. He receives very particular charge to be choice of the characters, whom he might be instrumental of inducting into the ministerial office. "The same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." What then was his faith upon this subject? The apostle tells us that it was the same which dwelt first in his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. ii. Tim. 1, 5. His fe

male predecessors were careful to instruct him in the doctrines of salvation early, and their labour was blessed. They not only instructed a pupil for heaven, but they educated an evangelist who was to conduct others thither: What was the supreme standard of their faith and system of religious instruction? Why, truly the scriptures. ii. Tim. iii. 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. The Apostle in that chapter seems to have had a very vivid picture of present times before him. This know, says he, that in the last days, perilous times shall come; men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers. 2, 13. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learn-ed, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Seducers and heretics are generally first deceived themselves. This does not excuse them. It is always a very sus-picious character, that would have men renounce the religious principles, in which they have been taught, It ought not to be done without serious and candid examination. It is admitted that a doctrine is not true, because my forefathers believed it and taught it to me; but it is also true, that it is not therefore false, and it argues a very base and ungrateful mind, to renounce, without careful investigation, the principles, which pious and witnessing ancestors believed and perhaps