a fubordinate part of it; his his great bufinefs being to fupply, what was much more wanting than leffons of mora ity, stronger moral fanctions, and clearer affurances of a future judgement *.

The parables of the New Teftament are, many of them, fuch as would have done honour to any book in the world; I do not

* Some appear to require a religious fyftem, or, in the books which profefs to deliver that fyftem, minute directions for every cafe and occurrence that may arife. This, fay they, is neceffary to render a revelation perfect, especially one which has for its object the regulation of human conduct. Now, how prolix, and yet how incomplete and unavailing, fuch an attempt must have been, is proved by one notable example: "The Indoo and Muffulman religion are inflitutes of civil law, regulating the minutest questions both of property, and of all queftions which come under the cognizance of the magistrate. And to what length details of this kind are neceffarily carried, when once begun, may be understood from an anecdote of the Muffulman code, which we have received from the moft refpectable authority, that not less than seventy five thousand traditional precepts have been promulgated." Hamilton's tranflation of the Hędaya, or Ġuide.

mean

mean in ftyle and diction, but in the choice of the subjects, in the structure of the narratives, in the aptnefs, propriety, and force of the circumftances woven into them; and in fome, as that of the good Samaritan, the prodigal fon, the pharifee and the publican, in an union of pathos and fimplicity, which, in the best productions of human genius, is the fruit only of a much exercifed and wellcultivated judgement,

The Lord's Prayer, for a fucceffion of solemn thoughts, for fixing the attention upon a few great points, for fuitableness to every condition, for fufficiency, for concifenefs without obfcurity, for the weight and real importance of its petitions, is without an equal or a rival.

From whence did thefe come? Whence had this man this wifdom? Was our Saviour, in fact, a well-inftructed philofopher, whilft he is reprefented to us as an illiterate peasant? Or hall we fay that fome early Chriftians of tafte and education compofed

these

thefe pieces, and afcribed them to Chrift? Befide all other incredibilities in this account, I answer, with Dr. Jortin, that they could not do it. No fpecimens of compofition, which the Christians of the first century have left us, authorise us to believe that they were equal to the task. And how little qualified the Jews, the countrymen and companions of Chrift, were to affift him in the undertaking, may be judged of from the traditions and writings of theirs which were the nearest to that age. The whole collection of the Talmud is one continued proof, into what follies they fell whenever they left their Bible; and how little capable they were of furnifhing out fuch leffons as Christ delivered,

But there is ftill another view, in which our Lord's difcourfes deferve to be considered; and that is, in their negative character, not in what they did, but in what they did not, contain. Under this head, the following reflections appear to me to poffefs fome weight.

I. They exhibit no particular description

As

of the invisible world. The future happinefs of the good, and the mifery of the bad, which is all we want to be affured of, is directly and positively affirmed, and is reprefented by metaphors and comparisons, which were plainly intended as metaphors and comparisons, and as nothing more. to the reft, a folemn reserve is maintained. The question concerning the woman who had been married to feven brothers, "Whofe fhall he be on the refurrection?" was of a nature calculated to have drawn from Chrift a more circumftantial account of the state of the human fpecies in their future existence. He cut fhort, however, the enquiry by an answer, which at once rebuked intruding curiofity, and was agreeable to the beft apprehenfions we are able to form upon the subject, viz. "That they who are accounted worthy of that refurrection, shall be as the angels of God in heaven." I lay a ftress upon this referve, because it repels the fufpicion of enthufiafm; for enthusiasm is wont to expatiate upon the condition of

the

the departed, above all other subjects; and with a wild particularity. It is moreover

a topic which is always liftened to with greedinefs. The teacher, therefore, whofe principal purpose is to draw upon himself attention, is fure to be full of it. The Koran of Mahomet is half made up of it.

II. Our Lord enjoined no aufterities. He not only enjoined none as abfolute duties, but he recommended none as carrying men to a higher degree of divine favour. Place Christianity, in this refpect, by the fide of all'inftitutions which have been founded in the fanaticism, either of their author, or of his first followers: or rather compare, in this refpect, Christianity as it came from Christ, with the fame religion after it fell into other hands; with the extravagant me

rit very foon ascribed to celibacy, folitude, voluntary poverty; with the rigours of an afcetic, and the vows of a monaftic life ; the hair fhirt, the watchings, the midnight. prayers, the obmutefcence, the gloom and

morti