sive, as to be absolutely without parallel: and the sanctions of the remaining enactments of the law are such as morality possessed in no other nation. More particularly,

1. It taught humility and meekness.

2. It prohibited all uncleanness and unnatural lusts, as well as drunkenness, gluttony, and all covetous desires.

3. Our duty towards our neighbour is also clearly set forth (Levit. xix. 18,) together with all the social and relative duties of life.

4. Every kind of justice was strictly required by the law of Moses. Murder was forbidden by the sixth commandment, adultery by the seventh, and theft by the eighth. All kinds of violence, oppression, and fraud were also forbidden.

5. All hatred and malice were prohibited; nor were kind offices to be confined to brethren and friends; they were also to be performed to ene. mies and to strangers. Nay, mercy was to be extended even to the brute creation.

VI. The Mosaic Dispensation was introductory to Christianity.

The Law of Moses, though not absolutely perfect, had a perfection suited to its kind and design. It was adapted to the genius of the people to whom it was given, and calculated to keep them distinct from the rest of mankind, and to prevent them from being involved in the idolatries com. mon among other nations. It was at the same time ordained to pre-signify good things to come, and to bear a strong attestation to the truth of the Christian Religion.

But, however excellent in itself, and admirably adapted to the purposes for which it was designed, the Mosaic Dispensation was only of a local and temporary nature, and preparatory to that fuller manifestation of the divine will, which "in the fulness of time" was to be made known to the world under the Gospel Dispensation.

§3.-A Summary View of the Doctrines and Precepts of the Gospel Dispensation.

1. The whole CHARACTER and CONDUCT of the Founder of Christianity proved him to be a divine person. Never indeed was there so perfect a character, so godlike, venerable, and amiable, and so utterly remote from that of an enthusiast or an impostor.

II. The LEADING DOCTRINES of the Gospel are worthy of the character of the Almighty, and adapted to the necessities of mankind. More particularly,

1. The Account of God and of his Perfections, is worthy of the highest and most excellent of all beings. Of all the views of God which had ever been given, none was so calculated to endear Him to us, and to inspire our hearts with confidence, as this short but interesting description, of which the scheme of redemption affords a sublime illustration-"GOD is LOVE!"

2. What men had, in all ages, wished for in vain-an Atonement for sin, (which conscience and their natural notions of divine justice taught them to be necessary)—the Sacred Books point out in the death of Jesus, which, in consequence of the dignity of his person, our reason perceives to have been of sufficient value to expiate the guilt of innumerable millions.

3. The divine justice being satisfied, we are assured of the Forgiveness of our Sins, through Jesus Christ, upon sincere repentance; and our sins being forgiven, we are justified, or "accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own merits or deservings."

4. In the Gospel we find the best principles of comfort and refreshment to the soul, under all the calamities and afflictions of life, as well as a rich magazine of all means proper for the sanctification of our souls, and our most successful advances in true piety. In the Scriptures we see that the Holy Spirit is ready with his mighty aids (which are promised to all who humbly pray for them,) to assist, enlighten, and strengthen our spirits in proportion to our sincere desires and endeavours after godliness; and there we are directed every day and at all times, to seek unto God, through Christ, by fervent and believing prayer, for his guidance and protection, and are assured that we shall never seek his face in vain.

5. In favour of the Immortality of the Soul, a point so important, but which to the wisest of the Gentiles seemed so doubtful, the Scriptures speak in the most decisive language, and hold out to the hopes and fears of mankind rewards and punishments suited to their nature, and which it is worthy of God to dispense.

6. Lastly, in the Gospel we see the dead both small and great restored to life, and appearing before the tribunal of God, to receive a sentence, "according to the deeds done in the body." The glories of heaven, which are reserved "for them that love him," and the everlasting miseries, which will be the terrible portion of all the wilfully impenitent workers of iniquity, are disclosed in the Scriptures: which alone set forth the true reason of our being in this world, viz. not for enjoyment but for trial; not to gain temporai pleasures or possessions, but that our souls may be disciplined and prepared for immortal honour and glory. While the divine displeasure is declared against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, and the most awful warnings are denounced against sinners, the means by which they may obtain mercy are clearly displayed and offered to them.

In all these doctrines we observe nothing low, or mean, or frivolous every one of them is grand, sublime, and worthy of God; every one of them is most deeply interesting to man; and, altogether, they make up an infinitely more consistent and rational scheme of belief, than the most distinguished sages of antiquity ever did contrive, or the most cunning of modern unbelievers can possibly invent.

III. The MORAL PRECEPTS of the Gospel are admirably adapted to the actual state of mankind.

1. As to the Duties between man and man, the Gospel particularly enjoins integrity of conduct, charity, forgiveness of injuries.

2. It lays down the duties incumbent upon us in the several relations which we sustain in civil and social life; for instance, the mutual duties of governors and subjects, masters and servants, husbands and wives, parents and children.

3. It enforces, and recommends by various considerations, the personal duties of sobriety, temperance, chastity, humility, &c.; and guards us against an immoderate passion for transient worldly riches; while it affords us the best remedies against anxious cares, excessive sorrows, and desponding fears. While it enjoins trust in God, it directs us to the use of all honest and proper means and industry on our parts.

4. The Holiness of the moral precepts of the Gospel is another proof of its divine origin. All its precepts aim directly at the heart; teaching us to refer all our actions to the will of our Creator, and correcting all selfishness in the human character, by teaching us to have in view the hap. piness of those about us.

5. The Manner in which the morality of the Gospel is delivered attests its divine origin.

Among the heathen, no provision was made for the moral instruction of the unlettered multitude: but Christ taught all that would listen to him, with inimitable plainness and simplicity, and at the same time with the most perfect modesty and delicacy, blended with the utmost boldness and integrity.

The character of Christ forms an essential part of the morality of the Gospel. To the morality of almost every other teacher, some stain attaches: but he is charged by no vice either by friends or by enemies. In each of the four narratives of his life, besides the absence of every appearance of vice, we perceive traces of devotion, humility, patience, benignity, benevolence, mildness, and prudence. In short, the New Testament is replete with piety and devotional virtues, which were unknown to the ancient heathen moralists.

IV. Superiority of the MOTIVES to duty presented by the Gospel.

However excellent and complete a rule of moral duty may be in itself, it will not and cannot answer the end proposed, unless it be enjoined by a proper authority, and enforced by the most powerful motives. Now in this respect the religious and moral precepts of the Gospel have an infinite advantage over every other system of doctrine or of morals; for they are urged upon us as the commands of the Eternal God himself, and are enforced by various motives, which are admirably adapted to influence the human heart. These motives are drawn,

1. From a consideration of the Reasonableness of the Duty recommended or enforced, or the infamy of the vice from which Christians are dissuaded. See instances of this in Rom. xii. 1. Acts iv. 19. Rom. xiii. 12, 13, and Phil. iv. 8.

2. The singular Favours conferred upon us by God, as in Acts iii. 26. 1 Cor. vi. 20. Eph. iv. 32. Tit. ii. 14.

3. The Example of Christ. Matt. xi. 29. Eph. v. 2. Rom. xv. 2, 3. Phil. ii. 3-5. 1 Pet. i. 15.

4. The Sanctions of Duty which the civil relations among men have received from God: as in Rom. xiii. 2. 4, 5. Eph. vi. 5-7. 9. Col. iii. 22, 5. The Regard which Christians owe to their holy profession. Eph. iv. 1-3. 1 Thess. ii. 12. Phil. i. 27. Tit. i 10.

6. The Acceptableness of true Repentance, and the assurance of pardon to the really penitent.

7. The Divine Assistance, offered to support men in the performance of their duty. John xiv. 16. 1 Cor. iii. 13. vi. 16. Luke xi. 13. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. Heb. iv. 16.

8. Our Relation to Heaven, while upon earth. Phil. iii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 11. 9. The Rewards and Punishments proclaimed in the Gospel

All these sublime lessons of morality are found in various parts of the New Testament. They enrich the divine sermon on the mount; and they are contained in the excellent parables delivered by Jesus Christ; they are also to be found in the discourses and epistles of the apostles. Wherever indeed we open the Christian volume, we inay find some direction, which, if properly observed, would render us good neighbours, good members of society, good friends, and good men. Is it possible, then, to doubt the divine original of a system, which furnishes such rules, and contemplates so glorious an object?

All these sublime moral precepts and motives are found in various parts of the New Testament. How the writers of that volume should be able to draw up a system of morals, which the world, after the lapse of eighteen centuries, cannot improve, while it perceives numberless faults in those of the philosophers of India, Greece and Rome, and of the opposers of revelation, is a question of fact, for which the candid deist is concerned to account in a rational way. The Christian is able to do it with ease. The Evangelists and the Apostles of Jesus Christ "spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

§ 4. On the Objections of Unbelievers to the Doctrines and Morality of the Bible.

OBJECTION I.-Some of the peculiar doctrines which the Scriptures propound to our belief, are mysterious and contrary to reason: and, where mystery begins, religion ends.

ANSWER.-This assertion is erroneous: for nothing is so mysterious as the eternity and self-existence of God; yet, to believe that God exists, is the foundation of all religion. We cannot comprehend the common operations of nature; and if we ascend to the higher departments of science -even to the science of demonstration itself, the mathematics-we shall find that mysteries exist there.

Mysteries in the Christian Religion, instead of being suspected, should rather be regarded as a proof of its divine origin: for, if nothing more were contained in the New Testament than we previously knew, or nothing more than we could easily comprehend, we might justly doubt if it came from God, and whether it was not rather a work of man's device.

Further, the mysteries which appear most contrary to reason, are closely connected with the truths and facts of which reason is convinced.

Though some of the truths revealed in the Scriptures are mysterious, yet the tendency of the most exalted of its mysteries, is practical. If, for instance, we cannot explain the influences of the Spirit, happy will it be for us, nevertheless, if we experience that the "fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."

OBJECTION II.-The scripture doctrine of redemption is inconsistent with the ideas, which are now generally received concerning the magnitude of creation.

ANSWER.-The comparative dimension of our world is of no account: if it be large enough for the accomplishment of events, which are sufficient to occupy the minds of all intelligences, that is all which is re quired.

OBJECTION III.—The doctrine of a future judgment is improbable and the two-fold sanction of rewards and punishments is of human invention.

ANSWER-It is but reasonable, that the same person, by whom God carried on his merciful design of recovering mankind from a state of sin, who felt our infirmities, and was tempted as we are, should be appointed the final judge of all men, and the dispenser of future retribution.

Lord Bolingbroke intimates, that the notion whereon the sanction of future rewards and punishment is founded, savours more of human pas. sions than of justice or prudence; and that it implies, that the proceedings of God towards men in this life are unjust, if they need rectifying in a future one. But the present life is a state of trial, to fit us for a future and better condition of being. Though justice requires that rewards and punishments should, in this world, be proportioned to the different degrees of virtue and vice; facts prove that this is not the case. If therefore there be no recompense hereafter, injustice must characterise the divine government, and the Christian doctrine alone vindicates the ways of God

to man.

Lord Shaftesbury argues against the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, as affording a mercenary and selfish motive to virtue, which ought to be practised because it is good and amiable in itself. It will however be seen, that this is not the case, if it be considered that the Christian looks for his reward, only to higher improvements in useful knowledge and moral goodness, and to the exalted enjoyments which result from these. But it is a proper reason to choose virtue, because it will make us happy; for man has a natural desire of life and happiness, and a fear of losing them; and a desire of well-being may conspire with the rest in the discipline of the mind, and assist the growth of more liberal principles.

Further, when this respect to a future recompense is the effect of a deliberate trust in the Judge of the universe, an acquiescence in his government, and a belief that he is the rewarder of such as faithfully seek him, and disposes us to well-doing, it becomes religious faith, the first duty of rational beings, and a firm bond of virtue, private, social, and divine.

OBJECTION IV.-Christianity establishes a system of priestcraft and spiritual despotism over the minds and consciences of men.

ANSWER.-Christianity establishes no such thing. That there should be teachers of religion, to instruct men in its principles, to enforce its precepts, and to administer its consolations, has nothing in it contrary to the fitness of things, and the public good. This argument acquires additional weight, when we consider the qualifications which the New Testament requires of the different orders of Christian ministers. See particularly 1 Tim. iii. 1—7. iv. 11, 12. 16. 2 Cor. vi. 3. 2 Tim. ii. 22. 24, 25. 1 Tim. iv. 12, 13, 14. 1 Tim. iii. 8-10.

It has however been said, that the most extravagant claims to wealth and power have been made by men, who call themselves ministers of the Gospel. But with these claims Christianity is not chargeable. The New