sufficiently prominent place in most of the treatises on the evidences of Christianity. The writings not of the heathen only, but of modern deists also, display nothing of zeal for the divine glory. Godliness has no place in their catalogue of virtues. T'he duty of " walking humbly with God” is rather a subject of ridicule to them. Had the Scriptures therefore been of human origin, they would, we may believe, have resembled these human productions. The argumentation in the two essays on miracles is ingenious and striking. And if it does not convince,—and what force of mere external evidence can convince men who will not believe,-must be sufficient to silence those who question the reality of the miracles recorded in Scrip

ture.

The translator does not presume to think that he has succeeded in retaining the spirit and manner of the original, which is characterised in a high degree by vivacity and elegance. He trusts, however, that the translation will be found to possess the merit of correctness. And if it shall in any degree tend to the advancement of the cause of truth and righteousness, his object will be gained.

1

DISSERTATION I.

ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE RELIGION REVEALED IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES, AND ON THE NECES. SITY OF THIS REVELATION.

He who does not acknowledge that every thing which exists in this universe, the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that are in them proclaim the glory of God, must be regarded as destitute of understanding. “ The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy-work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."* But to no purpose would heaven and earth cry aloud, to no purpose would the whole universe unite to proclaim the glory of God, if there were none to hear their voice; or, to speak more plainly, to no purpose would beings destitute of reason, how numerous soever they may be, furnish the most abundant matter for glorifying God, if there existed no beings endowed with reason, who might embrace the opportunity, universally afforded them, of giving glory unto him. That for this purpose man was placed in the world by God, can be doubted by none who asks himself why he exists; why he has been endowed with reason ; why he alone among the visible works of God understands the voice of every other creature proclaiming the glory of its Creator.

But if it is certain that men were formed chiefly for the sake of religion, it is by no means probable that, among the many religions which exist in the world, there is none true, none pleasing to God; since, were this the case, God would be

• Psalm xix. 1-3.

nowhere glorified by his creatures, but the end which he has proposed to himself would be universally frustrated. If, however, any of these religions be true, it is doubtless that which is of all the most excellent, the most worthy of God, and the most glorifying to him. It is my intention briefly to show that this is the character of the religion which is contained in the sacred writings; and at the same time to demonstrate that a revelation of it was necessary to make it known to those who are now acquainted with it. And as religion consists of two parts, a just apprehension of God, and the right worship of him, let us consider, how far, in both these respects, the religion contained in the sacred writings excels every other.

In regard to the first of these subjects, a just apprehension of God, the Scriptures describe him as a Being altogether singular: one in essence, supreme, independent, illimitable, unchangeable ; who always has been, and will be ; whose wisdom is unsearchable, whose power is infinite; who, as he is one, produced all things by himself, and produced them by his mere fiat, “ calling the things that be not as though they were ;" who of himself is able to preserve and govern, collectively and individually, whatever exists throughout the wide universe, giving to all continually life and existence and motion ; who directs all things to his own purposes; who is everywhere present with them all; who thoroughly knows all things, past, present, future; open, concealed ; visible, invisible ; not only the words and actions, but the thoughts of all men :-a Being not only most holy in himself, but most perfect, even the only example of all purity; who proposes his own holiness as a pattern to his creatures, having thence prescribed to men an expli. cit law, to some of them written, to all engraven on the heart ; which law, that supreme legislator, who, as possessing absolute authority over all things, is able to save and to destroy, has sanctioned by the severest penalties, which he will assuredly inflict on all transgressors, not only in this present transient life, but chiefly in another and eternal state of existence.

This inflexible legislator and judge, however, is in the same book exhibited as the best of beings, the source of all that is good both within us and without us, even the only chief good of man; as a Creator full of love to his creatures, especially to men; to whom he is continually doing good; whom, as a Father, he cherishes in his bosom; of whom,

though he is not indebted to them, and cannot become indebted to them, he will never be sought in vain ; but will reward, and with a recompense corresponding to his own infinite magnificence, their goodness, of whatever kind it be, though it extendeth not to God, though it is due to him, and flows from his own grace. Nay, the Scriptures represent God as so good that he does not withdraw his care and his love even from those who are enemies and rebels against him, but towards them in a special manner displays the riches of his mercy and long-suffering, preserving them, bearing with them, heaping on them many favours, and (which is most worthy of notice) inviting them, averse though they be, to himself, waiting with the utmost patience for their repentance, nay, while they are flying from him, drawing them to himself.

And since our reason cannot reconcile the holiness of God, which is in the highest degree opposed to sin, and the strict justice of the inflexible judge, with this incredible goodness and mercy towards the sinner; the Scriptures discover to us also the means which divine wisdom has devised for reconciling them, and thus unfolds that “great mystery of godliness, God manifested in flesh, God purchasing his church with his own blood;" with which is connected the other mystery of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which, though incomprehensible to reason, yet, apprehended by our humble faith to whatever extent, like a key opens to us the innermost recesses of the divine glory which it has pleased him to make known specially in the salvation of sinners.

There is nothing in all this repugnant to those views of God which nature dictates to every man; nay, the most consummate ingenuity of men has not as yet been able to devise, and never by reflection could attain to any conception of God more worthy of him, and more glorifying to his supreme majesty. If there are in it some things which surpass the apprehension of reason, this is itself an indication that this book is not the production of unassisted reason, especially as we find that those very things which are beyond the reach of reason are well fitted to confirm and reconcile what reason does teach respecting God.

To this view of God presented to us in the Holy Scriptures, the worship which they demand admirably corresponds. For they require that we worship God not so much by certain external acts and ceremonies of religion, which they designate “ bodily exercise which profiteth little," as “ in spirit and in truth."

"* And although, in the Old Testament, God is represented as enjoining on the Israelites an extensive ceremonial system, yet the Scriptures everywhere indicate that these ceremonies were only shadows of spiritual things; and the books

. 1 Timn. iv. 8. John iv. 23.

of the Old Testament itself, moreover, as often as a proper opportunity occurs, declare in the most forcible manner that these externals, when the homage of the heart is wanting, are not that worship in which God delights, and which he requires at the hands of men. Hear how sublimely God himself speaks respecting this subject in Psalm 1. 7—14, and Isaiah i. 10-17. To which may be added Psalm li. 18, 19. But the worship of the heart, which the Scriptures chiefly require from us, consists in all those affections which an attentive and devout meditation on the divine excellence, and on our own indigence and meanness, must necessarily beget; which affections, indeed, so universally govern the sacred writers, that in this respect no parallel to them can elsewhere be found; and we may affirm that these books are characterised by a perpetual veneration of the divine name. Above all things, the Scriptures require that we not merely speculatively contemplate and admire the excellences of God, but that our heart be so moved and affected by his goodness, power, justice, wisdom, and other perfections, as to reverence, love, fear him above all things, place universal confidence in him, implicitly acquiesce in his providence, rejoice in him, constantly adhere to him, and completely submit its desires and all its affections to his will.

Now this worship displays itself chiefly in the praise of God, in prayers and thanksgivings, as well public as private, in which both with the heart and the voice we ascribe to God the glory of the highest excellences, especially of the highest goodness, and power, and wisdom, and at the same time acknowledge our constant dependence on him, and that we are nothing, have nothing, hope for nothing but from God. This duty of praising and calling upon God is nowhere so earnestly inculcated as in the sacred Scriptures. They are moreover full of forms of praises, thanksgivings, prayers, songs which the Holy Spirit and the most ardent zeal in men of God expressed on occasions of every kind. Should any one desire to form an accurate judgment respecting this matter, let him compare the songs and hymns of Moses, David, and others, with the hymns of Calli. machus, or with those which are ascribed to Orpheus; and he will acknowledge that while the latter sport with their gods as those do who in praising others have a view to their own praise, the former show the utmost seriousness, and speak from a mind full of God. I might also refer to that most perfect form of prayer given to us by our Saviour; than which, every one who duly considers it will acknowledge, nothing more suited to glorify God could have been conceived.