with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole-burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God."

THE FINAL Judgment.

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As a confirmation of the decisive mode of teaching, which Jesus adopted, take his account of the Last Judgment :-"When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd divideth his sheep from his goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." -But he shall say unto them on the left hand, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.'

These instructions of our Saviour, be it remembered, were accompanied by the performance of miracles, in an open and unreserved manner, before all the people. The lame, the halt, the blind, as well as the diseased of every description, were relieved by his divine operations. The energies of his supernatural power penetrated even to the regions of the dead. Those whose eyes were closed in darkness, those whose tongues were sealed in silence, those whose bodies were consigned over to the disgusting processes of putrefaction, sprang back to the abodes of cheerfulness and activity! Such was the nature

* As with several unbelievers the doctrine of the eternal torments of the wicked is a serious objection to Christianity, it is but justice to remark, that many intelligent Christians contend that this doctrine makes no part of the religion of the New Testament. This was the opinion of Bishop Newton, who wrote on the Prophecies, and other eminent men among the different Denominations of the Christian World. See Dr. T. Southwood Smith's "Illustrations of the Divine Government,"

of those miracles, that Nicodemus (John iii. 2.) said unto Jesus, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher sent from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him." And so numerous were those supernatural acts, that we are assured by John, chap. xxi. 25, speaking after the usual Eastern manner, "There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."

DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

After a life of fervid and indefatigable benevolence, Jesus terminated his career by a public and ignominious crucifixion. His enemies seized him, dragged him before an unrighteous tribunal, and he expired suspended on a cross, a spectacle to an astonished universe! His death, and burial, and his ressurrection, are thus recorded in the last chapters of Luke's Gospel: "And when they were come to the place which was called Calvary, there they crucified Jesus."--" And it was about the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth (or land of Judea) until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit; and having said thus, he gave up the the ghost." Next follows his burial: “And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller, and he was a good man, and just; (the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them ;) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus; and he took it down and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein man never before was laid." His resurrection is detailed with equal simplicity: "Now, upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre; and they

entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments and as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified; and the third day rise again." We may well add on this branch of my subject:

"How certain is the truth of the Christian religion, and particularly of the Resurrection of Christ, which is a matter of fact on which Christianity is built! We have almost all the concurrent evidences that can be derived from human testimony joining to confirm this glorious truth. The fact is not impossible; concurrent circumstances cast a favourable aspect upon it; it was foretold by one who wrought miracles, and, therefore, not unlikely nor unexpected; the apostles and first disciples were eye and ear witnesses, for they conversed with their risen Lord; they were the most plain, honest men in themselves; the temptations of worldly interests did rather discourage their belief and report of it; they all agreed in this matter, though they were men of different characters, Pharisees, and Fishermen, and Publicans, men of Judea and Galilee, and perhaps Heathens, who were early converted; the thing might easily have been disproved if it were false; it hath been conveyed by constant tradition and writing down to our times; those who at first doubted were afterwards convinced by certain proofs, nor have any pretended to give any proof to the contrary; but merely denied the fact with impudence, in opposition to all these evidences. How weak is the faith which is due to a multitude of things in ancient human history! For, though many of these marks of credibilty are found plainly in the more general and public facts, yet, as to a multitude of particulat facts and circumstances, how deficient are they of such evidence as should demand our assent! Perhaps there is nothing that ever was

done in all past ages, and which was not a public fact, so well attested as the Resurrection of Christ!"*

ASCENSION AND SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

Of the reality of Christ's appearance after his Resurrection, no doubt can be entertained, when it is recollected that he conversed with his disciples on various subjects and on divers occasions.-Thus we are informed, that "he opened their understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures ;" that is, the prophecies of the Old Testament, "And he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be indued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven!"

This latter passage, with which the Gospel of Luke concludes, is illustrated by the account which the same author gives of the ascension in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where an assurance is made that "this same Jesus, who is taken up into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." And the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles describes at large the effusion of the Spirit upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. Then it was that the missionaries of the Gospel began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance; thus empowering them to waft the glad tidings of great joy to the ends of the earth? They promptly obeyed the mandate of their ascended Lord: “Go ye and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of

"Watt's Logic," part ii. chap. 5. sect. 6. Principles and Rules of Judgment in Matters of Human Testimony.

the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; for lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

The rapid diffusion of the Gospel among Jews and Gentiles, and the miraculous conversion of the Apostle Paul, with his subsequent labours and writings, only tend to corroborate the truth of Revealed Religion. Hence Paul nobly declared-" I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; (Rom. i. 16,) for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." And he has this passage, (Titus ii. 11-15,) which speaks volumes on the subject of its morality; "The Grace God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works."

Having stated these facts of the New Testament, accredited by competent and honest witnesses, I would ask -Can such a religion be pronounced a cunningly devised fable, intended to delude and impose upon mankiud? We have nothing to do with what has been added to the Chrirtian Religion, since the canon of Scripture hath closed with the sublime and mysterious Book of the Revelations. From the preceding statement we have deduced no system of theology, but enumerated facts common to all systems of theology. We are silent on the abuses, to purposes of ambition, of a religion whose Author hath declared, " my kingdom is not of this world!" We are silent on the bloody persecutions instituted in direct oppositions to the mild and tolerant precepts of Christ. We are silent on the uncharitableness and bigotry of the several denominations towards each other, for charity surpasseth faith and hope, inasmuch as an apostle declares, "the greatest of these is-Charity."

"What is clear in Christianity (says Dr Paley) we shall find to be sufficient and to be infinitely valuable. What