can boast of, besides Christianity.

The prophets and

teachers among the Jews, though divinely aided and inspired, were ftill men; their example, therefore, could not be abfolutely perfect: And with relpect to the heathen philofophers, the most eminent among them were very imperfect patterns of virtue. They taught doctrines evidently fubverfive of goodness, and maintained the lawfulnefs of practices to the laft degree abominable. It is the peculiar glory of the Christian Inflitution, that it exhibits in the life of its Blessed Author a compleat example of goodness ;-an example, not only perfect in itself, but excellently adapted to our prefent circumstances, and therefore fingularly useful in leading our minds to the love and purfuit of univerfal holiness.

With respect to the means employed by Christ to diffuse the knowledge of his religion, and to give it permanency and effect, I fhall not take notice of his own perfonal labours during the course of his ministry; neither fhall I mention the commiffion which he gave his apostles to preach the gofpel to every creature, nor the powers with which he endowed them to render their labours fuccefsful. I fhall only observe, that the history of his life, and the most important inftructions which had been delivered, either by his own mouth, or by others in his name, were, under his wife direction, committed to writing, as the most certain method of preservation and conveyance. And left his religion fhould fink into disrepute, and then into oblivion, after

the

the miraculous powers, neceffary at its first publication, fhould be withdrawn, he established a visible church, a fociety called by his name, diftinguished from the reft of the world by peculiar religious institutions, and by an appointed method of public instruction, that, by these means, the truths of revelation might be more eafily preserved, their falutary influences more widely diffused, and the knowledge of them tranfmitted with increafing efficacy, through all generations to the end of time.

In fine, the chriftian difpenfation hath made the most ample provision for the recovery of human nature from the power and defilement of fin, and for the attainment of that purity and perfection, without which the privilege of eternal life can never be ours. It hath exhibited a clear and compleat discovery of the prin ciples of religion; it hath furnished us with a perfect rule of action; it hath given us the well-grounded hope of pardon; and hath employed every motive and encouragement that can work upon the human heart. But as the efficacy of external means cannot be depended upon, in the prefent enfeebled and debased ftate of human nature, fupernatural aid is promised and bestowed. Whilft, in the facred volumes of infpiration, Chrift, the great prophet of God, unfolds every neceffary truth to the mind, and by the ordinances of the gospel, fixes our attention, and affifts our researches, thefe means are accompanied by the inward and effectual teaching of the holy fpirit, directing our views to pbjects of the greatest importance, enlarging the un

ftanding,

derstanding to comprehend, ftrengthening the memory to retain, and constraining the heart to delight in, and fubmit to the fublime truths which he reveals. It is the work affigned to this divine perfon, in the gospel fcheme, to rouse the finner from the flumbers of fpiritual death, to implant the principles of heavenly wif dom, and to excite an ardent thirst for the attainment of every kind of religious and moral excellence ; in fhort, to extinguifh the power of fin in the foul, to administer affistance, confolation, and support, in the seafon of duty and of danger; and, by perfecting us in holinefs, to qualify us for the fublime exercifes and enjoyments of the heavenly world.

Such is the provision which the chriftian inftitution makes for removing the guilt, the darkness, and the debility of human nature, and for bringing us to eternal life; and from the account we have given of the matter, fhort and imperfect as it is, its excellence, as a mean in reference to that end, is fufficiently apparent. But whatever excellence the gospel may appear to poffefs, when confidered in itself, yet we cannot reasonably depend upon it for falvation, unless we have, at the fame time, fufficient grounds to give credit to it as the contrivance and appointment of God. Let us then confider the fourth ground or reafon upon which we proposed to justify the faith of the chriftian, namely, the fufficiency of the evidence by which the truth of the gospel, as a revelation from heaven, is eftablished. This branch of the fubject opens a large field for difcuffion.

A

A fummary view of the argument, however, is all that our time will permit us at prefent to offer.

And here permit me to obferve, that the ftupendous nature of the chriftian scheme is, of itself, a prefumption in favour of its divine original, which cannot poffibly be evaded. It unfolds the counfels and defigns of the Almighty, in their formation, execution and confequences, and exhibits an assemblage of doctrines, and facts and characters, fome of which are far beyond the line of human invention, and yet perfectly confonant to the jufteft ideas which reafon can form of the character and government of God. It comprehends an amazing variety of parts, and includes events and tranf. actions widely remote, and feemingly difconnected, with refpect both to time, and place, and defign; and yet all harmoniously concurring and co-operating with one another, and pointing at one great object—an object worthy of the infinite wisdom and benevolence of the Deity, the recovery and falvation of a perishing world. View the gospel in this light, and fay if you can poffibly believe it a merely human contrivance. The chriftian regards it as the offspring of heaven, brought into the world by the Son of God, and reared. by the watchful care of an Almighty hand. The unbeliever, on the contrary, affirms that it is the production of an illiterate impoftor, affifted by a few defpicable adherents as ignorant as himself. Let unbiaffed reafon judge between us, and fay on which fide the probability

lies.

Befides,

Besides, the exact adjustment and fuitableness of the christian difpenfation to the character, the condition, and the neceffities of fallen man; its furprifing correfpondence with the antecedent arrangements of providence, particularly with the numerous predictions contained in the infpired writings of ancient times; and the aftonishing miracles of power and mercy, performed by Chrift and his apoftles at its first publication, are circumstances which must irresistibly lead us to confess its divine origin, and to admit a peculiar interference of providence in conducting and accomplishing the extraordinary revolution. When these things are confidered with due attention, one would naturally think that the gospel should have found an eafy entrance into the world; and that all ranks and denominations of men, however divided in other respects, would readily have united in giving it a cordial reception; rejoicing to find the dispensation of the divine wisdom and goodness fo happily according with the feelings and defires of nature, and a thousand times bleffing the generous hand from whom they had received the unfpeakable gift.

The

But was this actually the cafe? By no means. first appearance of the gofpel was met by a powerful and determined oppofition. When the Bleffed Jefus, the defire and expectation of all nations, came, almost all nations conspired against him. Both Jews and Gentiles combined against the Lord and his Anointed, and with persevering malice and obftinacy endeavoured to crush his religion in its birth. Infatuated men! to

imagine