of his people Israel? Why should we build upon the sand of man's vain imaginations, while we are faithfully and lovingly invited to repose in safety on the Rock of ages? Devoutly let us listen to that message of salvation, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded "." With thankful hearts let us continually give heed to the admonition of the Holy Spirit by St. Jude," Ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life"."

c See Luke ii. 32. d 1 Pet. ii. 6.

e Jude 20, 21.

LECTURE VI.

THE EFFECTS OF SUPERSTITION.

JONAH ii. 8.

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own

mercy.

HAVING considered the sources of Superstition, we now direct our attention to its consequences and results. The issues of unbelief, as we have already seen, are disastrous in the extreme, the very opposite of those peaceful and happy effects which flow from Christian faith. But of what character are the fruits of Superstition? Are they also noxious? Are they not possibly harmless? Let us attentively examine this question, as a question of deep practical importance. It may probably be found that the evils of Superstition are in themselves less pernicious or deadly than those of unbelief; but it will also appear that, regarded in their ultimate results, they deserve to be no less sincerely

deprecated, and no less assiduously avoided by all those who, through divine mercy, have obtained access to the blessings of the gospel.

Much has been said, and in some respects truly said, concerning, not the harm, but the benefits, which have accrued to mankind from the influence of superstition and the observance of its practices. It can hardly be denied that, while superstition has been always attended with evil, yet, under certain circumstances, it appears to have been also productive of some good. As a principle of restraint, and especially of restraint from crimes against society, it is better than unbelief with even its best and most refined philosophy; nor can there be room for doubt that, throughout the heathen world, both in ancient and in modern times, large contributions to the temporal welfare of society have been extracted from superstitious fear. "A superstitious terror," says a writer of the present day, "has been the means of restraining multitudes from crime, when love to God or to virtue would have been altogether ineffectual," he means, of course, in the absence of that love to God or to virtue which would have been effectual, if present. "Witches and fairies, ghosts and demons, gods and goddesses, the penances inflicted by the

priesthood, and the terrors brought from the invisible world, (we allude of course to superstitious terrors), have all exercised a power in keeping back mankind from deeds which would have proved injurious to society. The peopling of the air, the streams, and the woods with supernatural beings, and of the darkness with ghosts, has deterred from the commission of crime multitudes who were not prepared to be awed by the thought of an omnipotent God. Every one knows how dangerous it is, so far as the peace of society is concerned, to remove even a false religion until such time as a true religion has taken its place; for in rooting up the weed, the very grain may be torn up along with it." This statement may be admitted as containing a full representation of the truth. But let us carefully observe how far the truth extends. The benefits of superstition have reference chiefly, if not wholly, to society; that is, to human society, with all its corruptions, and without its appropriate remedy, -society beyond the influence of true religion, or refusing to admit that influence. Besides this, so far as any good effects proceed from superstition, they flow, in fact, not from the false belief itself, but from those elements of truth and fragments of religion

which some superstitious system embodies or involves, from those sacred embers which

still glow beneath the rubbish of error and delusion (164). And further still, it should be well considered, that, whatever advantages may be supposed to proceed from the inferior principle, the same are also to be ascribed, only in a far higher degree, to the influence of pure religion. Evil may be held in check by superstition; but by the gospel it is destroyed-superstition may repress its outward development; Christianity attacks it at its root.

These things having been premised, we proceed to observe that, notwithstanding all considerations which can fairly be adduced in its favour, Superstition not only appears to fearful disadvantage in contrast with the true and elevating religion of the gospel, but it becomes plain that, while the religious principle is essentially a good thing,—a good of the highest order, the jewel of the soul,superstition, on the contrary, is essentially an evil thing, hurtful to our spiritual nature, at variance with human peace and happiness, and tending to eclipse the brightness and to impair the blessedness of any degree of Christian principle or spiritual goodness with which it may coexist. For it must be