imagination is active and bright, when the judgment is well informed and skilful, when the will is most under the dominion of reason, we are best fitted to form religious beliefs. We do not ask you to cease to think that you may cease to differ; but we rather urge you to think more that you may comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length, and depth and height, of Divine truth; and when you have thought, and reasoned, and compared, you will begin to see that God has found an everlasting task for your intelleet, and you will exclaim, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" The answer to the appeal of our text, If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" is not, because men reason about religion, but rather because men do not reason. Their understanding is darkened, their judgment perverted, their will deprayed, and therefore they believe not the truth. If men were ruled by reason, they would believe the sayings of Jesus. the same the same detailed, we differ from each other in religious beliefs. Do not charge the difference upon the truth. The universe is one and the same, look upon it who may. Systems of astronomy make no difference to the movements of the heavenly bodies; their revolutions pursue the same course whatever men's beliefs may be about them. The Christian religion is one and the same, look upon it who may. Systems of theology or opinions about Bible truth make no difference to the contents of the Scriptures; they have remained unchanged amid all the changes through which men's faith has passed. The fact that all do not believe alike suggests to us that we should look for the cause and the cure of this difference in ourselves. "If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" Jesus well knew that the reason was not in him or in his sayings, but in the Jews. A consideration of the manner in which reli This leads me to the next step in my argument. Religious belief is not determined by evidence, either solely or mainly. The same heavens are above us all, and alike declare the glory of God to all; the same firmament encircles all, and alike showeth God's handiwork to all; day uttereth speech and night showeth forth knowledge alike to all; the same Bible is put into the hands of all, and the same Gospel message is sent to every creature; the same helps are prorided for all, and the same Holy Spirit surrounds all with his Divine influence. Obviously, therefore, if evidence determined our beliefs, if our faith necessarily agreed with the revelation made to us, we should all believe alike. This is not the case. With all the sameness that I have gious beliefs are formed will show us why they differ. Among the things that regulate and determine our faith, I assign the first place to education and culture. Among the proverbs which experience has verified is this: 66 Train up a child in the way he should go "-or in the way he should not go-" and when he is old he will not depart from it." As the twig is bent the tree grows. Who does not know that the influences which surrounded our childhood, the instruction and inspiration received from honoured and beloved parents, early scholastic training, and our religious associations in youthful days, have had much to do with the formation of our beliefs? Children generally tread in the footsteps of their parents. In politics, the same families take the same views, ally themselves with the same party, for generations. And it is the same in religion. Whether Tory or Whig, Churchman or Nonconformist, the father usually hands Roman down his faith along with his name to his son. "Adam.. begat a son in his own likeness, after his image." But there are exceptions to this rule. Sons have differed and do dissent from their fathers' beliefs. Catholics have become Protestants, and the children of Quakers have become members of the Established Church. This fact reminds us that another element of power has a part in the production of our creed. I refer to knowledge. Very much depends upon the information a man has acquired. An open and candid mind often remains in error because ignorant of the truth. It was so with the Apostle Paul. No sooner did he learn that Jesus was the Christ, than he preached the faith which aforetime he sought to destroy. Such, I doubt not, is the case with many a Pagan, with many a Papist. "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" Ignorance is the mother of unbelief; faith is the child of knowledge. A man cannot believe in that of which he knows nothing; while doubtless the books we read and the ministers we hear, very largely influence our beliefs. A third agent in the formation of our faith is, attention. Men do not believe the truth read or heard, because they do not attend to it. In vain do you go through the form of reading the Scriptures, whether on Sunday or a week-day-in vain is the truth plainly stated and fairly placed before you in vain are reasons urged why you should believe the words of Jesus and receive them into your hearts in vain are spiritual treasures poured at your very feet-so long as you are inattentive. With your privileges, surely you should have learnt much truth ere now. If any one were to ask me, How is it that, reading so many books and hearing so many sermons, I know so little ?" my answer would be, "So long as you read and hear without attention, re 6 sponding with a lazy yawn to the preacher, or with your thoughts among the flesh-pots of Egypt' while he is discoursing on the Bread that cometh down from heaven,' your beliefs will be neither enlarged nor amended." And let me add, that as long as sects and parties attend exclusively to their own creed, study only their own authors, and refuse to look at any other than their own side of a controversy, it is morally impossible that Christians should cease to differ, and begin to agree in their beliefs. We want more attention to the word of God as read, to men's words as heard. Moses felt this want, knew that the Hebrews were ruined by thoughtless inattention, and hence he exclaimed, “O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider." I am afraid that the chief factor of our beliefs is, after all, the disposition. We believe what we like; the heart rules the head more than the head rules the heart. no uncommon thing for a man to resolve that he will never change his belief, that he will live and die in the faith of his fathers. Men put their foot down, and say, that is my opinion; and, because it is theirs, they abide by it, even though they may be unable either to support or to defend it. Argument with such is useless. It is "Convince the man against his will, He's of the same opinion still." They love their own thought and way more than they do God's, they love their own church more than they do Christ, they prefer the lighted candle of their sect or party to the noontide light of the Sun of Righteousness. There is more or less of this in each of us, and I fear that, if the secrets of our hearts were laid bare, we should be found among the number with whom belief is as much a matter of prejudice as it is a question of truth. "If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" It was be cause the Jews were disinclined; they loved darkness rather than light, and therefore they believed not the truth. I have altogether failed to secure the object I have in view, if you fail to learn a lesson of charity. A reasonable man will not expect uniformity of beliefs. Just as long as education varies-and it ever will vary with the circumstances and the opinions of parents-you must have equality of culture, and with it difference in belief. Just as long as knowledge is unequally distributed among men and this will be so long as men are unequal in mental power and in opportunities for acquiring knowledge-you will have diversities of religious beliefs. Just as long as Some give more attention and others less to what they read and hear, men's beliefs will not be the same. Just as long as the inclinations of men differ will their beliefs be unlike. The wise and good man, therefore, will ever make due allowance for the misbeliefs of others; and in estimating their honesty will not forget the infuence of parentage, education, and Only the narrow associations. minded bigot, whose intellect is too small to admit of enlarged views, will condemn as dishonest those who difer from him, and denounce as heretics-that is, men consciously wrong-all who will not pronounce his shibboleth. Remember that had you been born in a High Church family, and carefully secluded from the influence of Dissent, the proba bility is that you would have shunned the chapel as though it were a lazarhouse; had your parents been Austrians, you in all likelihood would have believed in the pope, and would have shrunk from Protestantism as from a plague; had you been trained in the haunts of thieves, do you think that you would now have held the enlightened views you do about morality and religion? and had your lot fallen in Japan, there is little doubt but that you would have been a Pagan. If you have been more highly favoured, and know the truth, do not act the part of the Pharisee, "and despise others," but exercise charity. God never reaps where he has not sown-will, in the judgment, require no more than he has given; so that it will be more tolerable even for heathen cities than for self-sufficient Pharisees. Give credit, I pray you, to your neighbours for honesty, and never refuse to them that charity which takes pleasure in covering a multitude of sins. This, however, is only half the lesson I have been striving to teach. If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" There is truth which 66 we do not believe. Some of us have very little truth. How is this? I hold that we are responsible for not believing more truth. Do you plead inferiority of intellect? My answer is, "Had you devoted to the improvement of your mind the precious hours which you have wasted on veriest trifles, you might at this moment have had an intellect quick to see, patient to investigate, skilful in separating the chaff from the wheat, wise to judge, and firm in its grasp of truth." Many a man and woman is blameworthy for neglecting mental culture. Do you plead ignorance? Still I charge home the fault on yourself. Have there not been instructors willing and eager to teach you? You might have read good books, had you been so inclined. And the ever-blessed Book of books has been in your hands, inviting you to dive for its pearls, to gain its heights of thought, and to explore its unsearchable riches. If you have preferred the last new novel, or to-day's paper, to the word of God, you have only yourself to blame that you are as yet "unskilful in the word of righteousness," and "need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God." Ignorance in the present day is a sin against God as well as a wrong done world can add. Look at them for a moment. Men smile on error-it is fashionable; they endow it with gold -it pays in the current coin of the realm; they minister to it-all pleasures attend it. Truth is frowned on. It is unpopular; it is persecuted; poverty dogs its footsteps; it is cast out to die; sorrow is its portion. Still, I say, "Buy the truth." Truth and error are seeds; in the other life and through eternity error will yield corruption, while truth shall bring forth the fruit of everlasting blessedness. Be it yours and mine to have the truth. Ask not whether the many walk in the way, but whether it is the way of truth; ask not whether the rulers believe on Jesus, but whether he is the Son of God, and then believe his sayings. HABAKKUK'S VISION. BY THE REV. J. W. LANCE. "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. The just shall live by his faith."--Habakkuk ii. 2, 4. WHEN Habakkuk watched, and waited, for the Lord, the Lord answered him in plain and open vision. The prophet, too, was to make it plain to others, not indeed as the popular inverted order of these words puts it, that "he who runs may read," but that he who reads may be excited to run, quickly and earnestly reporting the word of the Lord. "One post" shall, with this vision, as well as concerning the taking of Babylon, "run to meet another," and by this running knowledge of the Lord's word shall be increased. To this end the vision is to be, not only plainly spoken, but written upon tables. What is this vision? Now for the most part we connect with a prophet's vision ideas of mystery, splendour, terror, and so on, or of future things revealed. What Isaiah saw in the Lord's house the year that King Uzziah died, what Ezekiel saw by the river Chebar, what John saw in Patmos, these are prophet's visions; but let us remember, too, that a prophet was a preacher and a witness for God as well as a seer, and the vision which this prophet was to make plain was not so much one of supernal glory, or future destiny, as of present duty. In a word, this is the vision, and no loftier theme can engage a prophet's speech or pen-"The just shall live by his faith." As to the third verse, concerning the "appointed time," &c., I take the meaning to be, that though Divine aids, rewards, and punishments, may be delayed, yet in due time they come; and with respect to them, as to all else, "the just man lives by his faith." The just man, in Scripture meaning, is the good man; and the moral of this plain vision is that a good life is a life of faith. Let us see how this is illustrated in the thought which Habakkuk develops. 1. A good life is one which by faith conquers pride. "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him.” There seems here almost a play upon words, or verbal paradox. The woman who "could in no wise lift up herself" was not upright, but bowed together; and David says, "I lift up my soul unto Thee." Ah! there it is the man who by faith lifts up his soul to the Lord is upright, but he who lifts up his soul to vanity or pride is maimed, crooked, and deformed. Nebuchadnezzar's soul was not upright when he said in the pride of his heart, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built?" and the Divine judgment fell upon him, making the posture of the body to correspond with that of the earthward soul, each grovelling alike, for he was driven from men, and became as the beasts of the field; but when at the end of the days he lifted up his eyes to heaven, then his reason returned to him, and he was restored to the habitations and the likeness of men. Hezekiah's soul was not upright when in the matter of the messengers from Babylon he lifted up his heart to pride, showing to those heathen ambassadors the treasures and the precious things in his house. Those of you who dwell in your ceiled houses may be sinning as these kings sinned, and if you would conquer this most vulgar form of pride, this lust of the eye, you must do it by faith: ponder the things that are invisible, turn the eye of your mind from that poor Babylon that you have built for after all it is poor-to the celestial city, whose builder is God-from those treasures that you have amassed, to those more precious things which abide in the heavenly house. This is the vision we would make plain to you to-day, and may God so enlarge your hearts while you read it, that you may "run" in the way of his commandments. There are, however, more subtle forms of pride against which the good man by faith will wage continual war. There is pride of intellect which affects to despise wealth, and there is pride of goodness which, with much unctuous talk, sneers, in its feeble way, at intellect. One man is proud of his morality, another of his religion, and a third is proud of his "views." Between these I, for my part, see nothing to choose. Whether you expect to be saved by your religion or your morality, the issue is pretty much the same; you are depending on yourself rather than on Christ the Lord, who is our righteousness. You may hold the most orthodox "views," look with pity on those benighted ones who expect to be "saved by their works," and be yourself, at the same time, one of the veriest Pharisees that ever trod the temple floor. Faith in the things that are not seen will deliver us from the pride of life; faith in that gracious Saviour who is himself meek and lowly will deliver us from pride of heart. |