what
necessity is there of urging the importance of the new birth through
faith in the truth, in as much as faith cannot be exercised at the
_pleasure_ or simply at the _will_ of man? And here we would remark--
that the guilt of unbelief does not consist in rejecting a fact after
patient investigation, by collecting all the evidences in our reach,
but it consists in rejecting a fact without examination of its truth.
For instance; let the gospel be preached to a heathen, who rejects it
without attempting to acquaint himself with the evidences upon which
its truth is based. He is condemned for not believing, because he
neglects the only means by which he might be convinced of the truth.
He declines searching for evidence. Of the truth of this remark we
have a striking instance in the scriptures. Paul preached at
Thessalonica, but they heeded not his words. He preached also at
Berea, and the inspired penman says, "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 these things were so."
It is our duty to search the scriptures prayerfully and "labor to
enter into that rest that remains to the people of God, lest any of us
through unbelief should seem to come short of it." It is our duty to
search for evidence of the fact, at least on all subjects relating to
our present happiness, and particularly those that appertain to the
future world. They are too momentous to be treated with indifference.

There is nothing more important than that we should exercise a living
_faith_ in a future and happy existence beyond the grave. This alone
can afford the mind "joy unspeakable and full of glory." There is in
every human bosom an unceasing uneasiness, an aching void that nothing
on earth can satisfy or fill. Old and young, ignorant and learned,
heathen and christian feel the same dissatisfaction with the objects
of momentary duration. The heathen, in the midst of all his
self-denials and self-tortures to appease his gods, and in the
conscientious discharge of all his devotional duties, is still a
dissatisfied and miserable being. God has so constituted the human
mind that it cannot repose in error, however sincere may be the faith
it exercises. There is still a growing vacuum within that nothing but
the powers of truth can fill. Philosophy has endeavoured to search out
that system of moral duties, in the rigid performance of which, that