impossible; but surely from its spirit something might be learned by teachers themselves; while, from the facts of every-day existence, the unalterable course of man and nature, a people might learn, if they would, what to expect with propriety from the inexperienced and the young.-A very youthful minister cannot be a "tried," and mature character; to insult him for immaturity, is irrational and cruel; to wait with candid confidence, will at once be benevolent and wise; but, to insist in insinuating, as is frequently done, a necessity for the appearance of personal acquaintance with certain peculiarities of feeling,-this, I do not hesitate to affirm, on the known, and acknowledged principles of human nature, will lead, in some cases to designed, and in others to unconscious, hypocrisy.

I will presume for one moment more on the indulgence of the reader, to notice, as was proposed, repugnance to practical preaching, and the complaint of not preaching the Gospel, which generally accompanies and flows from that repugnance.

It must be obvious, that an antipathy to practical preaching, presupposes an antipathy to a great part of the Divine volume;

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especially to his instructions, who "spake as never man spake;" who was himself the perfection of practice; the Moral Law, as it were, animated and incarnate. One of the great purposes for which the Son of God appeared "in the likeness of sinful flesh," was, that while he repressed "the glory which he had with the Father," he might emit, as man, the effulgence of another; displaying the moral majesty of character; and presenting, as the model of earth, all the attractive and the awful of virtue. It seems to border on levity-to be inconsistent with those solemn impressions with which an approach to goodness is always attended-or we might be tempted to remark, that, were our Lord to appear now, and again assume his public office, but without declaring himself to the churches which he might be invited to address, there is reason to fear from the evangelical specimens of his instruction, he would not prove, to many modern disciples, either an acceptable or comfortable preacher.

That there is much of simply preceptive and practical address in the New Testament, is not to be denied. To whom, then, does it specifically belong? The communi cations of Deity to us, contemplate the

species under two aspects of moral charac ter; or, man, as sustaining, at two different periods, two different classes of moral relation to Himself. Now, according as an individual exists, at any given time, under the one or the other, he is more especially regarded by one sort or series of communications, those adapted to man, contemplated in that aspect, or under that class of relations to Deity, which he, (this individual,) specifically sustains. To whom then, or to man, under what character, is it, that the morals of the New Testament, are peculiarly addressed? A single remark, distinguishing the two purposes of that Testament, will assist us, perhaps, in the solution of this inquiry.

I ask for no advocate of orthodoxy, in order to ascertain the pretensions and character of Christianity, in its first approach to man, as man. Put the Book into the hand of any intelligence whatever, capable of comprehending the terms of the message, and if there be meaning in words, the simple, irresistible impression upon that intelligence will be "This is a restorative system; it takes for granted,-it proceeds on the pre-sumption, of some previous catastrophe, and it purposes to effect a delivery from its

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evils." That such would be the first feeling of any mind, from any world, appears to me with the force and certainty of demonstration; whatever Christianity may be, hypothetically speaking, whether true or false, it does pretend to be this. Now, it will not be con tended, that its morals are proposed as the means of counteracting the curse, or of res toring the ruins of the primitive apostacy. These are not the basis of hope, nor the medium of pardon, nor "the new and living It is not way into the holiest of all." from these we obtain "boldness," or freedom of speech-liberty to enter the presence, to plead, and to press our suit with offended Deity. These, therefore, cannot specifically belong to man as a guilty intelligence; one aspect in which he is contemplated, and, as which, he sustains one class of moral relation to God. No: Doctrines emphatiThe principles cally belong to him then.

and discoveries which come to the sinful and guilty, as sinful and guilty, to pardon, and renovate, and transform, these are to be preached to the unconverted, for the purposes of conversion ;-But, after this,after that change of moral relation to God has occurred, which conversion supposes,— then the preceptive part of scripture becomes as emphatically the object of christian regard.

An illustration like the following, may more distinctly exhibit the nature and object of these remarks. You can suppose an unbelieving and apostate man,-a subject of the Prince of this world, and a rebel to his lawful Sovereign, approaching the portal, which opens into that "holy place," enclosing, in the midst of a sinful world, the pardoned and the pure, who have "submitted themselves to God." As he approaches, invited by the heralds at the gate, proclaiming the conditions on which he may enter, he is met by the Doctrines of Grace, presenting the proposals of mercy; he is met in one character, but, changed as he acquiesces in their proposals and accepts the pardon as they convey it, he is passed on in another character, and, from that moment,- the laws of the kingdom into which he enters, become his peculiar study; the mode of expressing his allegiance to the prince whose clemency he enjoys;-the character, to be cultivated by the pardoned, the loyal, and the free. That is to say, speaking without a figure, the one absorbing object of converted man, of evangelical solicitude, is the passionate pursuit of moral excellence; -all the moral beautiful, and all the moral sublime;-the illustrious career of "glory and virtue.”