LXXXVI. He will not be afraid of any evil tidings, for his heart ftandeth faft, and believeth in the Lord.Pfalm cxii. 7. IN this ftate of trial, the real evils of life are not alone what call upon us for the exercise of refignation, and religious fortitude; we must keep a ftrict eye also over imaginary evil. It is not only evil itself, but the fear of evil, that is one great cause of human diftrefs. If a friend is fick-or bound on a diftant voyage-or engaged in the dangers of war, every poffible calamity, that can happen in any of these circumstances, is the constant terror of a feeling mind. It is against these distrustful musings of the imagination, that the advice of the text is directed. It offers a noble fecurity against the effect of all thofe evils, which hang yet in uncertainty. Let your heart ftand faft, and trust in the Lord. evil may come, or it may not come. The If it do come, come, it is of God's fending; and the scripture. will then tell you how to bear it. In the mean time, fufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This text is equally conclufive against the mind's being thrown off its balance by joyful tidings, or the expectation of them. In both cafes we fhew, that our joys, and our griefs are of an earthly, not of a heavenly complexion. LXXXVII. If this work be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.Acts, v. 39. HERE is a ftrong argument for the truth of christianity from a judicious obferver, who does not seem to have had any particular attachment to it. Gamaliel's argument is this. Every new religion, that hath rested on human foundation, hath come to nothing. And this will infallibly be the case with the christian religion, if it rest on no better authority. But, on the other hand, if it reft on the authority of God, you may be affured, it will increase, beyond any violence of yours to overthrow it.-This opinion was founded on the great religious truth, that God would take care to preserve what he himself had appointed. It is now near 2,000 years fince Gamaliel gave this opinion; and the christian religion, in this time, hath not only preserved its existence; but hath hath been gaining ground ever fince in all parts of the world; fo that Gamaliel's proof feems to be thus far compleat. The only religion, which appears to be an exception to this argument, is the Mahometan, which fprang up in the feventh century; and of course has flourished already near a thousand years. This is certainly a very furprizing phenomenon in the hiftory of religion; and not eafily to be accounted for on Gamaliel's argument.-Let us confider how ever a few points. In the first place, as christianity once flourished in all those countries, both of Afia, and Africa, which the religion of Mahomet now occupies; and as the people of thofe countries fuffered the light of it to be extinguished through their own fupineness, God Almighty may have confidered them as having once poffeffed it; and may leave them as a warning to other nations, not to extin guish that heavenly light, which they fee may be extinguished. Secondly, the religion of Mahomet may be con. fidered rather as a corrupt fpecies of christianity, than as a religion totally new. Mahomet acknowledges Chrift; and we can hardly conceive his reVOL. II. Ff ligion ligion to be a more corrupt fpecies of christianity, than the popish religion formerly was. Or, laftly, we may fuppofe, that as the religion of Mahomet is founded in ignorance, deceit, and violence and has for its fupport neither prophecy, miracles, nor reason, it must in time, (as those regions where it is profeffed, become more enlightened) give way to that religion, which is fupported by all three. We have a prophecy, that christianity will finally prevail over the whole world; and as this prophecy is one among a number of others, which have already been fulfilled, we have reason to believe this also. Many fagacious enquirers have seen in prophecy the fall of Mahometanism. |