was the feed of Abraham felected as the peculiar people of God, and honoured with a clearer notion of the divine nature than other nations who appeared to be more deferving? Ingenious Greece, martial Rome, learned Egypt, and refined Perfia, ferved gods of wood and stone, images of the moft licentious of mortals, or even refemblances of brute beasts and creeping things; while "a ftiff-necked "tubborn generation," undiftinguished in the hiftory of the world, the illiberal prejudiced inhabitants of a narrow flip of land, without power, arts, or commerce, were made the repofitories of the laws and promifes of God.

We might answer, that, as the Jews are the only early nation of whom we pofsess an impartial history, it is very probable that they were not fo much inferior to their cotemporaries as is fuppofed; but, on the contrary, as their prophets re

corded

corded their crimes and difgraces for example's fake, while other historians chiefly dwelt on the renown and the virtues of their countrymen, we have reason to think that these despised people really might poffefs more merit than those who have been fo highly extolled, though they fell far fhort of that holiness which their peculiar endowments required. Martial celebrity, in particular, it is well known, rarely increases the moral virtues of any people. But, waving this defence, we direct the objector's attention to the ordi nary difpenfations of Providence, and ask him to tell us why are wifdom, ftrength, beauty, learning, taste, riches, power, and any other endowment of mind or body, or any relative advantage, fo diverfely, and, as it should seem, capriciously bestowed; fince often they neither reward nor accompany defert, but, on the other hand, frequently feem to be more of a trial than a bleffing

a bleffing to their immediate poffeffor? Few men were more eminently endowed with graces and talents than our illuftrious Cranmer; yet from the period of his attracting the notice of the capricious and tyrannical Henry, till, at the mandate of that blood-thirsty monarch's more cruel daughter, our venerable archbishop expired in tortures, his days were confumed by continual anxiety, peril, and forrow; for he held his domeftic comforts, and even his life, by the moft dubious and uncertain tenure. May we not fay, that he was raised up by Providence as an extraordinary inftrument to forward the work of reformation in this country: and that his wonderful endowments were more a bleffing to others than to himself, at least fo far as relates to this ftate of existence? This is one inftance, but thousands might be given, of fuperior abilities inftrumentally bestowed, from which the poffeffor reaped

little individual advantage or enjoyment. Other equally numerous cafes might be fuggested, in which, though the gift was evidently mifapplied and ill bestowed, it was not withdrawn; efpecially the gift of power, of which we have seen in these days a fearful example; the ability of doing further injury, appearing to increase with the misapplication of the means of doing good. If all these inftances do not shake our belief in the general government of a wife and good Providence, why fhould our faith be ftaggered (allowing the Jews to have been as unworthy as their enemies reprefent), because the lively oracles of God were entrusted to a people who reaped comparatively few advantages from the facred depofit; and who, though they were alternately rebellious apoftates and miferable captives, yet approved themselves equal to the task that was required of them, by faithfully preferving their facred truft.

The

The analogy between all the various parts of animated and inanimate nature; the fuitability of parts to the whole, and of the whole to parts; the fitnefs of each element to the creatures that inhabit it the admirable appropriation of labour to day, and reft to night; thefe and various other coincidences in the works of God are admirably delineated by a Chriftian philofopher, with whofe instructive and popular work on Natural Theology every young woman above the lower claffes would do well to be intimately acquainted; for it teaches us, that God is the God of order, and that defign, minutę intricate defign, pervades every branch of creation. And fhall the fceptic fcoffingly question the divine authority of the Jewish ceremonial law, because it seems derogatory from his notion of the dignity of the high and only One who inhabits eternity, to specify the forms and dimenfions of the curtains,

VOL. II.

I