this madness of incredulity, and lust of doubt, will be a matter of uniform resistance, and profound regret; they will know that the path assigned to human reason, though lofty, is limited, and they will sigh over her present excess, as well as her original imbecility; as the steady friends of human nature they will never believe that the cause of real improvement is advanced by men who are neither profound in the theory of religion, nor pure in its practice; against such men they will bend the brow, and shut the heart, and exert the real authority they possess in the world, "to put to silence the lips which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully, speak against the righteous." SERMON XV. PREACHED BEFORE THE SCOTCH MAGDALENE SOCIETY. LUKE VII. VERSE XLVIII. Daughter, thy sins are forgiven thee. THE little narrative of which this text is a part, presents so beautiful a picture of profound sorrow, and virtuous humiliation, that I am sure you will excuse me, if I give you more in detail. it "Behold a woman in the city, which "was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus "sat at meat, stood behind him, weeping, "and began to wash his feet with her tears, |