It is not eafy to prevail with men to reason at

Let the afiatic islands boaft their mountains of myrrh and hills of frankincenfe. Let arabian groves, with a fuperior liberality, diftil their healing gums, and ripen, for vigorous operation, their. vital drugs. We have a more fovereign remedy, than their most powerful restoratives, in the great Mediator's atoning blood! We have a more refrefling banquet than all their mingled fweets, in commemorating his paffion, and participating of his merits!

In short, we have an equivalent, far more than an equivalent, for all thofe choice productions which bloom in the gardens or balk in the orchards of the fun! We have a GOSPEL, rich in precious privileges, and abounding with ineftimable promifes; we have a SAVIOUR full of forgiving goodness, and liberal of renewing grace! At whofe aufpicious approach, fountains spout amidst the burning defart; under whofe welcome footfteps, the fandy wafte fmiles with herbage, and beneath his potent touch, the wilderness buds and bloffoms as a rofe! (Ifai. xxxv. 1.)

Or, to speak more plainly, the defolate and barren foul brings forth thofe fruits of the fpirit, which are infinitely more ornamental than the filken gems of Spring; infinitely more beneficial than the falubrious ftores of autumn!

We have a SAVIOUR, tell it out among the heathen, that all the nations of the earth may partake of the gift, whofe radient eye brightens tentively on fuch a fubject as this, who are under the domination of their fenfual affections and appetites; who are poffeffed by indolence; devoE

tentively on fuch a fubject as this, who are under the domination of their fenfual, affections and appetites; who are poffeffed by indolence; devoted to amusements, or who are the flaves of ambition or avarice. But, unquestionably, if the voice of reafon is worthy of regard; if there is any thing that merits ferious attention, it is, whether chriftianity be true or falfe!

the gloomy path of affliction! Whose efficacious blefling makes all things work together for the good of his people! (Rom. viii. 28.)

DEATH, gilded by his propitious smile, even DEATH itself, looks gay! Nor is the GRAVE, under his benign adminiftration, any longer a den of deftruction, bút a fhort and fhady avenue to thofe immortal manfions, whofe foundations are laid with faphires; whofe windows are of agate; the gates of carbuncle, and all the borders of pleafant ftones!" (Ifai. liv. 11, 12.)

But what are the bleffings of DEISM? What foundation doth it afford for happiness, here or hereafter? The deift, in wretchednefs and blindnefs, gropes his way through this world of time, and, at length, stumbling on death, he plunges into eternity, with extreme uncertainty whether he fhall exift or not, beyond the grave; or if he fhall not be annihilated. by death, without any rational hope, that he shall enjoy felicity! How ftrange is it, therefore, that there fhould be even a single perfon, bleft with the exercife of his reafon and and defirous of happinefs, who fhould incline to prefer deifm to chriftianity; darkness to light; pain to pleafure; death to life!

If this fyftem of religion is divine, how will those to whom it is published, and who, when in their power, neglect a due enquiry into its authenticity, and yet difclaim it, be enabled to justify their conduct before the great ruler and judge of the world? And does not fuch conduct evince thofe chargeable with it, to be wholly influenced by folly and deftitute of all pretenfions to reafon ?

All that christianity requires, with respect to its validity, is a perfect examination; whether the facts on which its divine authority is fupported, are not fuch as could reasonably be defired, fuppofing them to be true, and which would be deemed fufficient in any other cafe?

Whether the original records of chriftianity have not all the characters of genuine fimplicity, integrity and a fincere regard for truth; and have not been tranfmitted to us with an evidence fuperior to what can be produced for any writings whatever?

Whether the idea this religion gives us of the deity is not fuch as tends to render him, in our efteem, most amiable and venerable; to imprefs our hearts with fuperlative love to God, and with an holy awe of him as the wife and righteous governor of the world; a lover of order; the rewarder of virtue and the punisher of vice?

Whether the precepts of the gospel are not perfectly pure, and calculated to exalt our natures to an high degree of moral excellence?

Whether the manifeft, defign of this difpenfation of mercy, is not to promote the honor of God, the happinefs of mankind, and the important interests of virtue and piety; to excite us to worship God with pure devotion; to exercife

juftice, equity and benevolence to each other: to fubdue our finful paffions and affections, and to promote in us humility and ineeknefs; fincer ity, temperance, chastity and every other virtue ? And whether any motives, more engaging, could poffibly be exhibited than thofe of chriftianity?

Doth it not propofe the most perfect pattern, even God himself, in his imitable moral excellen 'cies, for our imitation?

Doth it not difplay all the attractions of redeeming love to allure and captivate our hearts?

Does not the gofpel afford the greatest encou ragement for the moft finful of men to repent, and to forfake their evil ways, and moft gracioufly promife them aid in the performance of their duty?

Does not this divine fyftem, excite in us the moft glorious profpects and the most fublime hopes? Does it not propofe fuch rewards as are fuitable to affect rational and generous minds, and o produce not a fervile fpirit, but rue greatnefs of foul; to wit, an happinefs confifting in the perfection of our natures, in a conformity to God, and the eternal enjoyment of him; and in the refined pleasures refulting from the fociety of angels of purity and the fpirits of juft men made perfect?

But fuch inveftigations into the nature and defign of the chriftian religion, it is most probable, were never made by Mr. Paine! His knowledge of religion, in general, appears to be extremely Superficial. What, for instance, but his ignorance of the mythology of the ancients, could caufe him to affert, that, all the Gods of the heathen mythology, except Saturn, were of mo

dern invention ;"* and that christianity origina ted from paganism.†

It is in politicks only that Mr. Paine appears to

*Egypt, after the deluge, may justly be regarded as the parent of idolatry and fables, as well as of the arts and fciences.

Diodorus Siculus, who, with great attention, collected the Egyptian traditions, mentions, that their great Gods were eight in number, and that the fun and vulcan were prior to faturn. So true is it," that all the Gods of the heathen mytholo gy, were of modern invention, except faturn!" See the mythology and fables of the ancients, by the Abbe Banier, Vol I. p. 48, 69, 73, 105, 492; 495.

It is remarked by Democritus, that "truth lies at the bottom of a well." From the above recited inftances only of Mr. Paine's ignorance and error, the reader may form a tolerable idea, how far he hath penetrated into the well of facred truth and knowledge!

Divine revelation commenced in the infancy of the world. A Saviour was promifed to Adam in thefe memorable words; " I will put enmity, faid God to the ferpent, between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed; it fhall bruife thy head, and thou shalt bruife his heel." Gen. iii. 15.

This promife was renewed to Abraham, (Ib. xii. 3.) to Ifaac (Ib. xxiv. 4.) and to Jacob (Ib. xxviii. 14) Under the Mofaic difpenfation, the character of the Meffiah was defignated; his titles,

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