which are absolutely necessary in the Christian life. For the performance of these rites, and for the general instruction of mankind in the duties of religion, he appointed an order of men to succeed him, by whom the knowledge of his gospel has been communicated ever since to all ranks of the people : an advantage which never resulted, and never could result, from the efforts of reason, or the exertions of philosophy; an advantage so distinguished, as perhaps nothing but the loss of it could make us truly estimate. How happy those parishes are which are provided with clergymen conscientiously attentive to the discharge of their duty, he must be an inattentive observer who has not remarked: and how unfortunate those are which are not so provided, the most careless must know. Of those who are ornaments to their country, in the different walks of life, few will be found who are not at the same time attentive to the duties of religion; and of those who, for their crimes, come to an untimely end, a large proportion will be found to have commenced their swervings by a non-attendance at church; by a profanation of the Lord's day, and by a neglect or contempt of the positive duties of Christianity.

"In the gospel there is no deep research, no perplexed views of speculative science; no impertinent interference with the forms of civil government. All its moral duties are laid down with plainness, and enforced

with authority; they are drawn from active life, and recommended to our imitation by plain examples. I called some time ago upon a friend, a man of extensive learning, of keen penetration, and a cool judgment, and I found him busy reading the gospel of St John. On entering into conversation, he told me, that he had been for six months employed in reading and comparing the several gospels; and, from the circumstances and connection of the whole, investigating the nature and force of the morality there unfolded; and that, from the investigation, he had acquired a degree of instruction and satisfaction which he had in vain looked for in the sublimest and most celebrated trea

tises of morality. "The whole," continued he, is "simple and unperplexed; so plain, that he who runs may read; and yet, so natural, proper, and consistent in the minutest circumstances, that the deepest investigation, and most accurate research, could neither adapt it more artfully to the nature and condition of man, nor connect it more intimately with the best principles of science.* I always thought the morality of the gospel excellently adapted to general, practice, but I did not before certainly know that it displayed so intimate a knowledge of the human heart, and so accurate an acquaintance with the whole circumstances of

* This was particularly the opinion of the illustrious Boerhaave.

man. It is indeed plain and obvious, and such as, when made known to us, excites wonder that it did not before result from the enquiries of moralists. Such plainness was to be expected in whatever was appointed by divine authority to direct human conduct. But the plainest rules, though the most useful, are not the most easily discovered; yet, without plainness, as well as sublimity, morality never will be generally useful. If you put the most celebrated treatises of morality, those, I mean, which, written by Christians, have derived advantage from the dissemination of the gospel, into the hands of the

* It would, I am convinced, afford a considerable degree of amusement, and it would certainly be useful, to trace all the inconsistencies of our infidel philosophers, in their objections to Christianity. Where this religion is plain and obvious, they object to it be cause it is so, and contend, that what is thus obvious cannot be divine. Where, on the contrary, it is mysterious and miraculous, their opposition is equally vio lent, because such parts appear to them unnatural and impossible. They object to its authority, as an infringement of liberty and they calumniate it, because it does not force all men to obedience; because, allowing perfect liberty to the human will, it has not coercively induced universal holiness. The evidence of prophecy they reject, sometimes because it is obscure, and sometimes because it is plain. Sometimes they represent Christianity as an odious compound of crimes, ambition, and deceit; and, immediately after, as a dastardly system of mortification, fitted only for the weak, the ignorant, and the refuse. In short, like the wolf with the lamb in the fable, they are determined to have at it at all events. Qui fictis causis in nocentes opprimunt.

bulk of the people, you will find them unable even to comprehend them. On the contrary, if they who are qualified to judge, will candidly institute a comparison between such treatises, and the gospel, they will be compelled to acknowledge that the latter surpasses the former, as much in practical importance, sublimity, and natural fitness, as in plainness and authority."

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Being resident, several years ago, in a University of great celebrity, which I shall not at present name, I was induced to attend some lectures in divinity. The professor was one of the most learned, accurate, and candid divines, I had ever the happiness of being acquainted with. I shall never forget how strongly I was affected (and not I only, but a crowded audience, made up not of boys, but of men well versed in literature and science) with his remarks, on what has been denominated the internal evidence of the truth of Christianity; and I regret exceedingly, that I am not qualified to give you an abstract, not only of those remarks, but of his arguments respecting religion in general; the positive or external proofs of Christianity in particular; and respecting the nature and effects of controversy, and the qualities requisite in a controversialist. For so extensive a detail, I am neither prepared nor qualified. specting the internal evidence, however, as it falls in with what we are now considering,

Re

I shall mention the outlines of his plan of enquiry, and the general conclusion. After treating, at some length, of the method of discerning real from fictitious narratives,— of drawing particular characters, in order to have them pass for real; 1st, of an equal; 2dly, of one remote in place or time; 3dly, of a superior; and, 4thly, of one more than human; and, after answering some objections from the success of epic and dramatic pieces, this amiable divine proceeded to apply his reasoning to the gospel narratives. He first considered the literary characters of the sacred historians; 2dly, the supernatural events related by them; 3dly, the natural incidents, manners, sentiments, and expressions, found in their histories; and, 4thly, the agreement between the several narrators. Having proved that it is beyond the reach of human genius, to invent any long and particular narration, so as to have the appearance of truth; and to fill up all the circumstances, so as to make them consistent; that the meanest critic can distinguish between a history and romance; that falshood can never stand alone, and can only be supported by the real facts with which it is conjoined; and that, therefore, all attempts to deceive mankind, by any long narrative of remarkable events, put together merely by the force of imagination, must be vain *;

*The jealousy with which the accounts of extraordinary facts are received in the world, has been often